Analyzing Messages Carried in an Advertisement Essay

Analyzing Messages Carried in an Advertisement - Essay Example A meticulously construed advertisement has the power to deliver the same meaning to a host of different people through its overwhelmingly powerful imagery and symbolism. The advertisement under discussion (please see Appendix ‘A’) represents a strong combination of visual symbols that produce provocative thought in order to stimulate one to buy. The central symbol or icon is a Lolita who is depicted as being totally nude. The point in using a Lolita is rather simple – creating desire. In the Greek era, young boys embodied the essence of beauty and hence desire. The tale of Narcissus for example tends to highlight that Greek sexuality centered largely on the beauty and desirability of young boys. In a similar manner, modern Western civilization sees young girls as the embodiment of beauty and desire. The concept of Lolita has come to signify the ultimate object of desire for most in the Western world when it comes to sexuality. The advertisement uses this symbol as a central focus for anyone viewing the advertisement so that the concept of desire becomes the theme of this advertisement. In addition using the concept of Lolita has another deeply seated purpose. ... The perfume being advertised is nonetheless meant for the female audience and there would seem little point in creating desire between one woman viewing the advertisement and another posing suggestively naked in it. Rather than promote attraction between women, the advertisement is targeted to the female audience’s sexual sides so that, as mentioned before, female viewers are able to bring their own sexual side into focus. Women viewing this advertisement are provided with a strong statement along with a provocative question. The central icon is without a doubt beautiful and desirable which is a strong statement2. On the other hand, the female viewers of this advertisement ask themselves if they are like this central icon which represents a provocative question. The contention of the advertisement’s designer is to bring forth such a comparison so that the viewer asks themselves what they would require in order to be like the Lolita in the middle of the advertisement. An other thing that needs to be kept in mind when analyzing this advertisement is the projection of a Lolita who is desirable yet unattainable. The image of the girl in the middle hints at this in two different ways – the confident and self-assured look on her face provides one justification while the method she uses to place her arms near her waist signifies her personal assurance. This methodology again is not meant for the male audience but rather for the female audience who are shown a beautiful woman who is playing hard to get. The use of such symbols to provide the image of a beautiful, desirable yet hard to get Lolita is something that nearly every woman from every demographic segment wants to become. It could thus be said that the portrayal of this young

English-language films Essay Example for Free

English-language films Essay Many people wonder these days if peoples lives revolve around the choices they make. This is absolutely true. Everyone in this world is responsible for who they are today. Their choices and ideas pave the road for their future. A quote from Confucius says this, Peoples lives are the result of the choices they make-or fail to make. The path one takes in life is not arbitrary. Choices and their consequences determine the course of every persons life. All people, whatever their circumstances, make the choices on which their lives depend. Confucius is absolutely right. It is a well-known fact that if you take wrong turns in life, you will end up in a wrong state. The regular human psychology states that when a person goes and ends up in a bad state, they blame others and most of the time never take responsibility for it. Take a look at this scene, and look carefully cause this happens all the time no matter the circumstances. There is no way and it is impossible for a child who takes drugs, does alcohol, doesnt obey their parents to find themselves at an Ivy-League college. Sometimes, people change their paths along the way and somewhat improve. But if you keep going in the wrong direction for your entire life, you will not get anywhere. Think about the people who are successful in this world. For examples, lets observe Mark Zuckerberg. He is the youngest billionaire in the world. He was focused, he was determined. In fact he was so passionate about programming that he dropped out of Harvard, the number one school in America. He used his talents, worked his choices and made Facebook. Not all of his choices were good. Some were actually bad; some choices actually got him into trouble with others. This is where the trouble comes in. Wait if some of my choices are good, and some are bad, then whats going to happen with my life? Nothing will actually. All that matters is that the majority will overcome the system. If you have more bad than good, you are more likely to take a wrong turn. If you have more good over wrong, you will most likely take a good turn. Even I have taken wrong turns and bad choices. Everyone has. Nobody in this world is perfect. In fact, taking all good choices and all good turns in life ends up as a bad choice. Even though nobody is perfect, its your own self that will determine your future, what you want to become, your status in life. Thats why its good to switch your determination in life if you are on a bad path. Stick with someone and change your mood. Change your attitude, fix your choices, and keep yourself organized. If you are a person reading this essay, lets say about 12 or 13, even 14 to 18. You still have time. You have so much future ahead of you, dont give up hope cause your choices sometimes do tell your future. Sometimes these choices of yours will end you up in a bad place if you dont work hard. A wise person, my own father once told me that it doesnt make you a bad person if you take bad choices. It makes you a bad person if you dont learn from your bad choices. He also told me that if you want to be someone when you grow up, work hard. In elementary, in middle school, and in high school, work hard so that you can build your base for the future. He concluded with me that once you pay off all your duties, go to college, and graduate, you have the rest of your life to enjoy. Whether its doing your dream job, making millions of dollars, then retiring into a large estate. This is called a dream. If you have more good choices in life, your dream will come to. Trust me, its always worked before.

My Educational Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of Education Teaching

My Educational Philosophy A teacher, according to Webster’s New College Dictionary, is one who â€Å"imparts knowledge or skill.† In truth, however, the responsibilities of a teacher ascend far beyond this formal definition. For many year teachers as a whole have guided and molded each generation, thus have guided and molded the future. Being part of such a grandeur undertaking serves as ample motivation for entering the education field. Teaching will give me the opportunity to take part in one of the institutions that America prides herself on: public education. I will contribute to the goal of providing everyone, even the most disadvantaged, with an opportunity to acquire knowledge and better him or herself. I will help to pass on our culture, values and knowledge to the next generation. As an aspiring elementary school teacher, I also find motivators on a smaller scale. Working with children will teach me about myself and help me to continue my own learning throughout life. It will also provide me with an opportunity to impact many students’ individual lives. In my opinion, all students have an inherent desire to learn, some simply have yet to find it. It is the primary responsibility of the teacher to find this flame in children and then fuel it in the classroom. Because of this, elementary school teachers have many important decisions to make about the classroom and what will take place in it. With some limitations, teachers basically design their own classroom. I think the first step in successfully teaching children is creating a rich learning environment. The physical environment of the classroom is very important. As a teacher, I plan to decorate my room with bright colors and themes... ...lunge into the teaching profession I will not set into stone my current beliefs. By keeping an open mind, I will allow my experiences to guide me. I hope to not only, â€Å"impart knowledge and skill to others,† but also to help create self-regulated learners who can continue to learn and adapt throughout life. I will close with a much more appropriate definition of a teacher in the words of Harvard professor Robert Coles. â€Å"All good teachers rescue us from the death of boredom, apathy, self-preoccupation, and self-satisfaction: the teacher as an intellectual and moral life saver who fortunately has come our way and, of course, the teacher as one who is rescued by rescuing others.† Works Cited Woolfolk, Anita. (2001). Educational Psychology. Pearson Education Company: Maine. Webster’s II New College Dictionary. (1999). Houghton Mifflin Company: New York.

Competency of student nurses in the operating room Essay

LEGEND: 4-Competent (Student performs consistently in an effective and efficient manner) 3-Progress Acceptable (performance is usually effective and efficient but not always) 2-Needs Improvement (progress in performance is too slow to judge satisfactorily; task performance is not done properly for majority of the time0 1-Progress Unacceptable (no progress in performance has been demonstrated and/ or performance is consistently ineffective and inefficient) CORE COMPETENCY SCORE REMARKS A. safe and quality nursing care 1. utilizes the nursing process in the care of OR client a. Obtains comprehensive client’s information by checking complete accomplishment of the preoperative checklist/ clients chart b. Identifies priority needs of the client at the Operating Room c. Provides needed nursing interventions based on identified needs d. Monitors client’s responses to surgery 2. Promotes safety and comfort of patients inside the OR a. Transports client safely from the unit to OR b. Transfer client safely from the stretcher to OR bed, OR bed to stretcher, stretcher to RR bed (e.g. use of side rails) c. Places properly grounding pad under the patient for electro-surgical equipment d. Monitor vital signs e. Provides physical comfort utilizing comfort devices/ techniques f. Provides needed blankets and sheets to prevent hypothermia and provide privacy g. Assist in proper and safe positioning of clients in preparation for surgery h. Observes the principles of strict surgical aseptic techniques within the work area at all times i. Observes universal precautions in handling body fluids 3. Performs the functions of the scrub nurse a. Drapes the operative field correctly b. Performs surgical scrub correctly c. Dons surgical gowns and gloves correctly d. Serves gowns, gloves and drapes aseptically e. Prepared surgical instruments, sponges, sutures and other supplies in functional agreement f. Hands instruments, sponges, sutures and other materials according to surgeon’s preference g. Performs surgical count accurately h. Performs after care of the surgical instruments 4. Performs the functions of the circulating nurse a. Prepared the surgical table and all needed equipment and supplies for surgery b. Assist the anesthesiologist in the induction of anesthesia c. Performs the surgical skin preparation of the client d. Checks with the scrub nurse the completeness of surgical sponges, needles and instruments e. Anticipates the needs of the surgical team f. Ensures intactness and functionality of all contraptions ( e.g. IVF; BT; IFC; NGT) g. Helps in the after care of all equipment and the OR as a whole h. Hand additional instruments and supplies aseptically as needed i. Check sheet integrity and sterility of OR packs i.1. Sets up the OR Room needed equipment i.2. Receives client for surgery/ endorses client post-operatively i.3. Assists in skin preparation and draping of client 5. Administer medications and other health therapeutics safely 6. Executes legal orders of the surgeon/ anesthesiologist accurately and timely 7. Evaluates patient’s response to interventions 8. Monitors patients progress during surgery and immediate post-op phase B. Management of resources and environment 1. Ensures availability, completeness and functionality of OR equipments 2. Observes protocols in unrestricted, semi-restricted and restricted areas in the OR 3. Performs proper disinfection and sterilization protocols 4. Observes proper disposal of hazardous and non hazardous wastes. Observes proper handling and up keeping of OR resources 5. Observes OR policies, procedures and protocols on infection control 6. Conducts inventory of OR resources 7. Awareness of the institutional evacuation and location plan both for fire, earthquake and other major emergencies. C. Health Education 1. Implements appropriate health education activities to client based on needs assessment of the intra-operative client 2. Reinforces pre-operative health teachings to client D. Legal Responsibility 1. Adheres to legal and institutional protocols regarding informed consent and other legal documents E. Ethico- Moral Responsibility 1. Respects the rights of the OR client 2. Accepts responsibility and accountability for own decision and actions as an OR nurse 3. Maintains privacy and confidentiality of client’s information 4. Adheres to the Code of Ethics for Nurses F. Personal and Professional Development 1. Performs OR functions and according to professional standards 2. Possesses positive attitude towards learning surgical and OR-related knowledge and skills G. Quality Improvement 1. Reports significant actual or potential observations regarding the surgical client 2. Reports positive or negative variances at the OR 3. Identifies and reports variances in sterility and other OR activities H. Research 1. Disseminates results of OR-related research findings to clinical group and other members of the OR team as appropriate I. Records Management 1. Maintain legible, accurate and updated documentation of patient care in the chart/ and OR dorms 2. Submits timely, complete an accurate surgical slips and Or write-ups for cases handled J. Communication 1. Utilizes therapeutic communication skills with patients, significant others and members of the health team 2. Establishes professional relationships with members of the surgical/ health team 3. Utilizes proper channel of communication 4. Observes complete and accurate endorsement procedures 5. Uses appropriate information mechanism to facilitate communication inside the OR and with other departments in the hospital K. Collaboration and Teamwork 1. Collaborates plan of care with other members of the health team

Children’s Language Development

Children’s language development and second language acquisition Sandra Morales Texas Woman’s University Children’s language development and second language acquisition The paper investigates how children develop their cognitive and language skills in a context that is influenced by social and biological factors. The literature review discusses the Cognitive and Social Constructivism theories and their influence on the education field. In addition the author presents how children develop their language at different stages and how those stages influence the growth and development of a second language.Language acquisition is one of the most important topics in cognitive development. In the study of language development it is necessary to consider all the factors that affect cognitive development and their influence on child development. Many theorists investigate how children acquire language skills and how heredity, environment, culture, and biological factors infl uence language development (Meadows, 2006). Rationale It has been said that language is a characteristic that establishes a difference between animals and humans.It is the ability to communicate with others, transmit and receive information gathered through symbols, gestures, facial expressions or other ways to express thoughts that others can understand what has been said (Jones, 1972). What is language? According to Bochner (1997) language is a form of communication. It involves a system of signs and symbols that are used by a group of people to communicate. The symbols include but are not limited to written symbols and sounds.The language may be diverse in different cultures in terms of how the symbols system is used, the formal properties of the language, and the way people use that language to communicate with others in the same culture. Every culture has its own language system. As a matter of fact all languages have four main components (Bochner, 1997): Pragmatics (use) †“ learn to use the sounds, gestures, words, and body language. Meaning (semantics) –understand the messages, represented in words, or written.Rules (syntax and morphology) – use the grammatical system of the language, combine words to convey a meaning. Sounds – Are the words intelligible enough that others can understand them. Throughout this paper the author will discuss various theoretical perspectives associated with the language development of children at different stages of their development. Some scholars such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner and Chomsky have revealed common ideas between the language acquisition and the cognitive development that are being discussed in this paper.The purpose of this paper is to present the process of how children develop their language through the lenses of those four theorists and their contributions in the early childhood field. In addition the reader will find information regarding how children learn and develop a second language and the implication during the development. The primary consideration about language development is immersed in a controversy concerning the roots of language acquisition, and how people communicate their thinking processes, feelings and ideas.According to Meadows (2006) language development involves different processes that include but are not limited to physical, emotional and cognitive development. Having an understanding of the differences between individuals, their experiences and their contact with other adults and significant ones, will help to understand how the language is developed. All this provides the opportunities for growth and development in different areas that complement the life of the person. In relation to the development the contact and relation with others start influencing the baby in his mother's womb.During the gestational time the fetus can hear the voice of their mother, and other sounds (music, etc), and after their birth they can recognize the voice of others. In other words the learning process starts at early stages in child development. Literature Review Piaget Cognitive Constructivism Piaget’s main focus of constructivism has to do with the person and how they construct their knowledge. Piaget believed individuals must adapt to their environment, and develops as parts of the adaptation process to the environment.According to Piaget, the individual needs to understand the information that they are receiving in order to be able to use it; they must construct their own knowledge (Powell, 2009). For Piaget, language development is internal mental processes controlled by developmental processes and is done individually, without the interventions of others (Agbenyega, 2009). As a result of mastering one stage, children will be ready to move, learn, and develop according to the expectations of the next stage. In regards to language development Piaget sees language as part of the cognitive development.How children thin k determines when and what the child can speak. In addition Piaget, states that children’s talking abilities emerge naturally without any formal teaching by adults, however more sophisticated vocabulary require formal education and experiences with the language. During early stages of the development according to Piaget, words are related to schemas of actions related to the child and those schemas will later be incorporated into exiting schemas that will support future learning experiences. Through the process of assimilation and accommodation, children go searching for what Piaget called balance or equilibration.Assimilation according to Piaget, is when the individual adds new information into their schemas. Accommodation is when individuals change their schemas to understand new information into their knowledge. Piaget states that children learn to construct meaning about the new information and through assimilating and accommodating that information into their schemas. Du ring the equilibration the individual looks for information received that makes sense with previous information. When the children find that balance, they move again to a more comfortable stage where the information received makes sense.According to Piaget, children pass through different stages in their development; going through these stages provides children with a constant acquisition of information that will increase and help to build new knowledge and understanding of previous information learned. The basic principle of assimilation refers to the ability of children to use what they already know to understand the world around them. In contrast accommodation refers to the process of changing mental structures to provide consistency with external reality. It occurs when existing schemas are modified for a ew experience. Both principles help children to develop and construct their thinking patterns and use it according with their needs (Agbenyega, 2009). He believed that the mind does not respond to stimulus and consequences, but grows and change over different periods of time. In other words the intelligence appears progressively through the repetitions of activities that vary in each stage of the development. Piaget’s four stages of development: Sensorimotor from 0 to two during this stage children discover the environment around them, using their senses and then acquiring the language.Preoperational from two to seven years old: At this stage children develop language skills, however, they understand what they are saying but do not grasp totally what others have said. Here they distinguish pictures and other objects. Concrete operations from seven to eleven years old: At this stage children use their logical reasoning about things. Formal operations from eleven to adulthood: During this stage individuals use higher order thinking skills and abstractions to solve problems. Piaget’s stages of development are all about how children learn at dif ferent ages through their development.Based on the individual, all go through the same stages during their development. Social Constructivism Vygostsky and Bruner Social constructivism is based on the social interaction between the children with significant others, such as parents, caregivers, peers, and teachers. Vygotsky framework involves the social interactions and culture as part of the language development. He discussed the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD controls what the children learn, also what he can learn and do when he is helped by others. According to Vygotsky the learning process is easier when others are involved.Children may be asked to perform a task, students have some meaning of the task they need to complete, however, they may have difficult to do it. But with the adequate support to complete the task they will do it. Bruner's theory of constructivism discussed the idea of learning as an active process where the learners are able to form new ideas ba sed on their current and past knowledge. Jerome Bruner emphasized the importance of social interactions and explained that children develop language based on their contact with others as a result of educational processes (Bruner, 1960).He discussed scaffolding and how the construction of knowledge is based on their existing knowledge acquired during previous development. Scaffolding refers to the knowledge of previous skills that provide support for the acquisition of new learning experiences. Bruner and Vygostky believed that learning processes are tied to this concept, and facilitate a student’s ability to build on prior knowledge. For these theorists, the influence of experiences is a basic ingredient in the language development. Chomsky naturalistic approachChomsky argues that language is a unique human ability. He discussed the innate abilities of children to learn the language. As a result, all children go through the same process to learn a language (Stark, 2008). He d iscussed the language acquisition device (LAD) that allows children to produce in consistent ways the use of their first language. In this framework, all languages use nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other grammar rules. In addition, Chomsky established that children learn language through means other than imitation; they do not always imitate mistakes made by others.Chomsky maintains that it is necessary to have formal instruction in the proper use of language and grammar (Stark, 2008). Child language development When we speak about the communication process, we speak about the ability to receive and transfer information that other people can understand and mean something to others. Verbal and nonverbal forms are expressions that enhance the communication with others. The process of language development would be described as a continuous process that gradually changes during the individual development. As soon as after birth a process of communication begins.Infants try to communicate with adults using sounds, cooing. Those sounds are an important step on the road of language development, leading to a future stage where children are able to use the language to communicate in complex ways such as using words and sentences to express their thoughts. Language development includes understanding and communication skills based on words, spoken and written forms. According to Meadows (2006) different theoretical models such as Chomsky stated that language is innate and just with minimal exposure the child could develop their home language.The exposition to language pattern gives them the basic knowledge to learn the maternal tongue. The nature versus nurture perspective supports the point that when the child is exposed to a language, they will learn the patterns for that language naturally. In other words exposing a child to a language pattern will allow them to learn that language. However, the exposure to another language other than maternal tongue on a regular basis will provide with the pattern in that second language that the children will eventually learn, due to his exposition to the patterns and sound of that other language.Studies conducted by Macilla (2011) reveals that the frequency of the exposure to a second language and the consistency will influence how well the children will learn and perform using the second language. From birth the children are preparing for speech as a way to communicate with others. They are developing their physiological and cognitive structures to learn how to talk. Children pass through different stages to prepare the pharynx and larynx to produce those sounds, related to a pattern of their language.The native language of the child does not matter. They all move through the same stages using vowels and consonants to produce sounds that seem like words for the adults. The adults assign the meaning to the first sound that the babies produce. However, at the beginning there are just random patterns, babbling th at later during the development will continue into repeating the letter combination until the children learn a way to communicate using those patterns previously learned. All children are born with an innate ability to communicate (Chomsky 2006).As children grow language becomes an important tool to establish and maintain relationships with others. The nature of language includes the use of words, sentences and other grammar rules. It is important to understand the relationship between cognition and language development, in the context of prior knowledge and how experiences influence development (Wegerif, 2011). According to Bochner (1997) children move through these stages in learning to talk: Stage 1: Preliminary skills – Looking together, imitation, playing.Stage 2: Pre-verbal skills – Performatives (broom, quack) Stage 3: First words – â€Å"dog† â€Å"car† â€Å"mum† Stage 4: Early sentences – â€Å"daddy's car† â€Å"dog gone† Stage 5: Extending meaning – adding English morphemes, such as plurals Jones (1972) describes the stages in the development of speech as follows: Crying period – At birth, a newborns crying is the first vocal response to the environment around them. Vocal play period – Around the second month, infants begin to make different sounds. This production of sounds is an important step in the child’s language development.A variety of sounds may be heard in any language, but from the phonetic elements of babbling, the language that the child hears is the language that he or she eventually will use as their first language. Eventually, they will learn and master the grammar rules of that language. Sound imitation period – This period has two phases. The first phase begins around the six months and is initiated by the child’s awareness of sounds he produces. Because he likes what is being heard, he continues the repetition of those sounds. In the second phase, the child imitates sounds that he heard from others, â€Å"echolalia. This stage begins about the ninth month. The first sounds that the child imitates are those which are familiar, mostly coming from parents or caregivers. At this stage is when language development makes its formal appearance. The child comprehends simple words, specific vocalizations that have meaning for parents and caregivers. Language acquisition period – Begins about the last month of the first year. At this stage begins the conventional sound pattern or close to one. The child says the first words in their native language. The child understands and responds appropriately to others verbally.Between thirteen to eighteen months there is a slow growth of vocabulary. A language is based on grammatical structure, and that structure rests on rules that determine how to express thoughts. The three major components of language are: phonology (study of the smallest unit of speech called ph onemes), syntax (refers to the rules to form sentences), and semantic (the meaning of words and sentences). Every language has its own particularities; however, every language has the same components, in which people learn how to communicate based on the structure of their own language.To summarize how oral language is acquired, it is important to mention that the child moves through different stages during their development, in order to acquire the language and skills to be successful. Infants listen and very early begin to communicate their needs through the use of sounds and gestures. Toddlers use the language using simple sentences and asking questions. Young preschoolers used complete sentences to communicate. Theorists in language development discussed that a child produces sounds as a form to communicate with others.Those sounds come from his or her adaptation to the environment around them and as a consequence of the reinforcement by others during the learning and developmen tal processes. According to Beller (2008) the reinforcement occurs primarily when the child hears the sounds and considers those pleasant sounds. When those sounds are imitated by the child and he or she is rewarded in any way that produce satisfaction, the act of repetition begins, and eventually those sound combinations and repetitions open the door for a more sophisticated way of communication until the proper use of language appears.Learning a second language How children develop a second language has been a topic of interest since 1940 (Beller, 2008). Theorists discussed that learning a new language requires the use of existing structures that are supported by the first language. Language is a symbol for a social group. In many countries, people learn more than one language is associated with political issues. In many countries it is related to the level of education. To be considered educated in Europe, people have to know at least two languages. In the United States the secon d language is more related to immigrant issues.Many children who come from immigrant families learn their parent’s language and English as a second language. In future generations English will become their first language. During the early stages of the development of the mother tongue is necessary. It is considered part of the intellectual ability, is the individual’s first contact with language from birth, and supports emotional and cognitive development. Through the development the child learns the structure of his or her first language and that helps them to come up with his or her interpretations of the events around them.To master a second language according to Noormohamadi (2008) a child has to master his or her mother tongue. If the child does not master the first language, that will make the process of learning another language more difficult. When the first language is learned and the child has a total command of the language, the process of learning another l anguage will be supported by the first language, and all the concepts and learning can be transferred to the second language. The environment around the child has great influence on the child's vocabulary, skills, and general understanding of the language.According to Vygotsky, social interactions between children and adults influence the acquisition of any language. Another aspect to consider during the child's language development is the concept of nurturing. This concept is totally related to the social interactions. Nurturing bring up the issue of the relationship between the child and other adults. Children who are attached to their families are more likely to communicate for longer periods, and this helps their communication and language development.The amount of time children spend talking to others will improve their language skills. It is important to mention that each culture has standards of conversations between children and adults. Many cultures such as western cultures see children as conversational partners, promoting the verbal development of the child. Other cultures such as Hispanic culture do not discuss events or problems with their children. In these cultures children are not allowed to be active participants in adult conversations.Variations in social-cultural beliefs are aspects to consider in the development of a second language Oades-Sese (2011). The influence and relationship with others, within the same cultural values and language is significant and will add positive reinforcement to how the child learns and develops through his life. Based on Piaget's theory children learn and develop by organizing their experiences into schemas that helps them to understand the world around them. Those schemes are related to two important concepts in Piaget’s theory, adaptation and assimilation.During development children assimilate new information into the schemas that they already have, accommodating the new information into their mental structures. This process continues until the children learn the new information and come into a stage of equilibrium. For those children who are learning a second language the knowledge of their first language helps them in the acquisition of the second. All languages have their structure integrated by sounds, letters, grammar rules, and other factors that help the learner to acquire the language.The structure of each language contains variations such as alphabet, pronunciation, specific rules based on that language, but in general the similarities in structure facilitate the acquisition of the second language because using the knowledge in the first language helps make connections with the second language. Therefore the learning process is easier for the child. Conclusion The combination of the theories presented in this paper provides the author a new perspective regarding language acquisition and development in early childhood.Each theory supports Piaget, Vygotsky, and Chomsky fr ameworks based on observations and their studies on how children develop the language. However, each theory can blend to show how a child develops language and which methods can be used in order to reinforce the acquisition and retention of the first and second language. Each theory discussed helps to explain the process of language development, from Piaget’s cognitive constructivism which emphasizes a child’s ability to reason and construct his or her own knowledge, based on the individual experience, to Vygostky’s social influences and interactions to Chomsky’s nativism approach.All of these theories interpret language development differently. However, of all theories discussed throughout this paper it is the author’s belief that social interactions are the most helpful approach to understand how children develop language. Biological and environmental factors are necessary in order for a child to learn the language and develop the language. Moreo ver, the child’s interaction with others influences the acquisition of the language. It is important for the child to interact with others in order to learn the pattern of the language.Language development is a long process influenced by biological, family, and environmental factors that contribute the growth of the child in all aspects of their development including of course, the language acquisition. In order to learn another language, researchers such as Bruner, Vygotsky, Piaget, and Chomsky discussed the importance of learning and mastering the mother tongue. It is necessary to learn the grammar rules of the first language to use that knowledge to transfer the concepts learned into the second language. However, is a long learning process that starts after birth and continues through the child development.According to Mancilla-Martinez (2011) who stated that children need to continue having formal instruction in order to develops proficiency in the first language and have formal instruction in the second language. For some immigrants’ children born in a foreign country or even those who were born in the United States to immigrant parents, school is the first formal exposure to English language. This group will eventually come a large portion of the society needs the support of formal instruction to learn and develops the proficiency on the second language.To become proficient in the English language does not require parents use of English at home; however, to develop proficiency in the first language the instructional support and use of the language at home is necessary. It is necessary to be aware of the increments of this population and the particularities of each culture in order to support the language development (Mancilla Martinez, 2011). Many factors are associated with language development; most of them are associated when children begin attending primary grade levels, this is when the use of more sophisticated vocabulary is introduce d.The students need to learn the higher level of language in order to become proficient in the second language. Even learning the mother tongue, children need to learn more scholarly vocabulary and grammar rules appropriate for their age and to understand these when they encounter them in textbooks. When children come from homes in which a language other than English is used lead the proficiency in that language. Understanding the patterns of the first language is essential to developing effective programs to facilitate the study and acquisition of a second language.This fact is applicable for all levels of study of second languages. Therefore the educational systems should support the study and application of this in the teaching of second language. Mastery of the first language is a vital factor in the progress to study and acquire fluency in other languages. Its acquisition is a basis and support for all other languages studied throughout one's lifetime. References Agbenyega, J. (2009). The australian early development Index, who does it measure: Piaget or Vygotsky’s child? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 34(2), 31-38.Beller, S. (2008). Fostering language acquisition in daycare settings. Early Childhood Development. 49, 1-52. Bloom, L. , Lahey, M. (1978). Language development and language disorders. US. Bochner, S. , Price, P ; Jones, J. (1997). Child language development. Lerning to talk. London: England. Chomsky, N. (2006). In Chomsky. Info. Retrieved February 9, 2011, Chomsky. Info Online: http://www. chomsky. info/ Chosmky, N. (2005). Three factors in language design. Linguistic Inquiry, 36(1), 1-22. Feldman, R. S. (2010). Essentials of Understanding Psychology. 9th edition Greene, M. 1960). Learning to talk. A parents’ guide to the first five years. US. NY. Jones, M. and Guidon, A. (1972). Language development. They key to learning. US. Mancilla-Martinez, J. and Lesaux, N. (2011). Early home language use and later vocabulary devel opment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 535-546. Meadows, S. (2006). The Child as Thinker. The development and acquisition of cognition in childhood ( 2nd ed. ). NY: Routledge. Noormohamadi, R. (2008). Mother tongue, a necessary step to intellectual development. Journal Pan-Pacific Applied Linguistics, 12(2), 25-36.Oades-Sese, G. ; Li, Y. (2011). Attachment relationship as predictors of language skill for at-risk bilingual preschool children. Psychology in the Schools, 48(7), 707-722. doi: 10. 1002/pits. 20583. Piaget, J. (1928). The child’s conception of the world. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Powell, K. ,, and Kalina, C. (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom. Education, 130(2), 241-250. Wegerif R. (2011). Towards a Dialogic Theory of How Children Learn to Think. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(3), 179–190.

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Stung By a Bee

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Stung By a Bee Being stung by a bee or wasp is never fun, and for those with bee sting allergies, it can be downright deadly. Fortunately, most bee stings are entirely avoidable. Bees, wasps, and hornets sting primarily to defend themselves, so the key to avoiding bee stings is to make sure the bees dont feel threatened by you. 1. Dont Wear Perfumes or Colognes In other words, dont smell like a flower. Bees can detect and follow strong scents, and wearing perfumes or colognes will attract nectar-seeking bees and wasps from a distance. Once they find the source of the flower smell (you), theyre likely to investigate by landing on you or buzzing around your body. 2. Avoid Wearing Brightly Colored Clothing, Especially Floral Prints This goes along with #1 - dont look like a flower, either. Theres a reason beekeepers wear white. If youre wearing bright colors, you are just asking bees to land on you. Keep your outdoor wear limited to khaki, white, beige, or other light colors if you dont want to attract bees. 3. Be Careful What You Eat Outdoors Sugary foods and drinks will attract bees and wasps for sure. Before you take a sip of your soda, look inside the can or glass and make sure a wasp hasnt gone in for a taste. Fruits also attract the stinging crowd, so pay attention when snacking on ripe fruits outdoors. Dont leave your peach pits or orange peels sitting around. 4. Dont Walk Barefoot Bees may nectar on clover blossoms and other small flowers in your lawn and some wasps make their nests in the ground. If you step on or near a bee, its going to try to protect itself and sting you. But if youre wearing shoes, its only going to hurt itself, not you. 5. Try Not to Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes Bees and wasps might just find their way up your pant leg or into your shirt if you give them an easy opening. Once inside, they will be trapped against your skin. And whats your first impulse when you feel something crawling around inside your clothing? You slap at it, right? Thats a recipe for disaster. Opt for clothing with tighter cuffs, and keep baggy shirts tucked in. 6. Stay Still The worst thing you can do when a wasp flies around your head is swat at it. What would you do if someone took a swing at you? If a bee, wasp, or hornet comes near you, just take a deep breath and stay calm. Its just trying to determine if you are a flower or some other item useful to it, and once it realizes youre just a person, it will fly away. 7. Keep Your Car Windows Rolled Up Bees and wasps have an uncanny knack for getting themselves trapped in cars, where they will buzz around in a panic trying to find a way out. If youre driving the car at the time, this can certainly be unsettling. But wasps and bees cant get inside a car thats closed up, so keep the windows rolled up whenever possible. If you do find yourself giving a ride to an unwanted stinging insect, pull over when its safe to do so and roll your windows down. Dont try to swat at it while you are driving! 8. Rinse Your Garbage and Recycling Cans and Keep Lids on Them Wasps love empty soda and beer bottles and will check out any food waste in your garbage, too. Dont let food residue build up on your garbage cans. Rinse them well now and then, and always put tight-fitting lids on them to keep wasps away from your garbage. This can substantially cut down on the number of wasps hanging around your yard. 9. Dont Hang out in the Flower Garden If youre really worried about bee stings, dont hang out where the bees are most numerous. Bees spend most of their time and energy collecting nectar and pollen from flowers. Dont get in their way. If youre deadheading flowers or gathering them for an arrangement, keep an eye out for bees and wait until theyve moved on to another flower. 10. Call a Professional to Have Unwanted Bees, Wasps, or Hornets Removed Nothing makes a stinging insect angrier than when someone disturbs or destroys its home. Professional beekeepers or pest control experts can remove wasp or hornet nests or bee swarms safely, without putting you at risk for stings.

13 Quotes to Share with Your Dad This Fathers Day

13 Quotes to Share with Your Dad This Fathers Day Good fathers are difficult to find. If you have a gem of a father and you wish to make him feel special, here is your chance. Wish him a very happy fathers day with some brilliant fathers day quotes. If you have shied away from expressing your warm feelings to your father, dont lose this opportunity. These charming fathers day quotes can awaken and rebuild long-lost relationships. Erika Cosby   You know... fathers just have a way of putting everything together. Clarence Budington Kelland He didnt tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. Gabriel Garcia Marquez   A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father. Lord Chesterfield As fathers commonly go, it is seldom a misfortune to be fatherless; and considering the general run of sons, as seldom a misfortune to be childless. National Urban League Slogan   Dont make a baby if you cant be a father. Aldous Huxley   Sons have always a rebellious wish to be disillusioned by that which charmed their fathers. Helen Rowland   A mans desire for a son is usually nothing but the wish to duplicate himself in order that such a remarkable pattern may not be lost to the world. Austin OMalley   The worst misfortune that can happen to an ordinary man is to have an extraordinary father. Confucius   The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them. William Penn   He who is taught to live upon little owes more to his fathers wisdom than he who has a great deal left him does to his fathers care. Charles Wadworth   By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks hes wrong. Anonymous   Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys. Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities   Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life.

The Estates General and The French Revolution

The Estates General and The French Revolution In late 1788, Jacques Necker announced that the meeting of the Estates General would be brought forward to January 1, 1789 (in reality, it didnt meet until May 5th of that year). However, this edict neither defined the form the Estates General would take nor set out how it would be chosen. Afraid that the crown would take advantage of this to fix the Estates General and transform it into a servile body, the Parlement of Paris, in approving the edict, explicitly stated that the Estates General should take its form from the last time it was called: 1614. This meant the estates would meet in equal numbers, but separate chambers. Voting would be done separately, with each having a third of the vote. Bizarrely, no one who had called for the Estates General over the past years appears to have previously realized what soon became obvious: the 95% of the nation who comprised the third estate could be easily outvoted by a combination of the clergy and nobles, or 5% of the population. Recent events had set a very different voting precedent, as a provincial assembly which had been called in 1778 and 1787 had doubled the numbers of the third estate and another called in Dauphin had not only doubled the third estate but allowed for voting by head (one vote per member, not estate). However, the problem was now understood, and a clamor soon arose demanding the doubling of third estate numbers and voting by head, and the crown received over eight hundred different petitions, mainly from the bourgeois who had woken up to their potentially vital role in future government. Necker responded by recalling the Assembly of Notables to advise himself and the king on the various problems. It sat from November 6th until December 17th and protected the nobles interests by voting against doubling the third estate or voting by head. This was followed by the Estates General being postponed by a few months. The uproar only grew. On December 27th, in a document entitled Result of the Kings Council of State- the result of discussion between Necker and the king and contrary to the advice of the nobles- the crown announced that the third estate was indeed to be doubled. However, there was no decision on voting practices, which was left to the Estates General itself to decide. This was only ever going to cause a huge problem, and the result changed the course of Europe in a way the crown really, really wished they had been able to foresee and prevent. The fact that the crown allowed such a situation to arise is one of the reasons why they have been accused of being in a malaise as the world turned around them. The Third Estate Politicizes The debate over the size and voting rights of the third estate brought the Estates General to the forefront of conversation and thought, with writers and thinkers publishing a wide range of views. The most famous was Sieyà ¨s What is the Third Estate, which argued that there shouldn’t be any privileged groups in society and that the third estate should set themselves up as a national assembly immediately after meeting, with no input from the other estates. It was hugely influential, and in many ways set the agenda in a manner the crown did not. Terms like national and patriotism began to be used ever more frequently and became associated with the third estate. More importantly, this outburst of political thought caused a group of leaders to emerge from the third estate, organizing meetings, writing pamphlets, and generally politicizing the third estate across the nation. Chief among these were the bourgeois lawyers, educated men with an interest in the many laws involved. They realized, almost en masse, that they could start to reshape France if they took their chance, and they were determined to do so. Choosing the Estates To choose the estates, France was divided up into 234 constituencies. Each had an electoral assembly for the nobles and clergy while the third estate was voted on by every male taxpayer over twenty-five years of age. Each sent two delegates for the first and second estates and four for the third. In addition, every estate in every constituency was required to draw up a list of grievances, the cahiers de doleances. Every level of French society was thus involved in voting and vocalizing their many grievances against the state, drawing in people across the nation. Expectations were high. The election results provided the elites of France with many surprises. Over three-quarters of the first estate (the clergy) were parish priests rather than the previously dominant orders like bishops, less than half of which made it. Their cahiers called for higher stipends and access to the highest positions in the church. The second estate was no different, and the many courtiers and high-ranking nobles, who assumed they’d be automatically returned, lost out to lower level, much poorer men. Their cahiers reflected a very divided group, with only 40% calling for voting by order and some even calling for voting by head. The third estate, in contrast, proved to be a relatively united group, two-thirds of which were bourgeois lawyers. Estates General   The Estates General opened on May 5th. There was no guidance from the king or Necker on the key question of how the Estates General would vote; solving this was supposed to be the first decision they took. However, that had to wait until the very first task was finished: each estate had to verify the electoral returns of their respective order. The nobles did this immediately, but the third estate refused, believing that separate verification would inevitably lead to separate voting. The lawyers and their fellows were going to put their case forward from the very start. The clergy passed a vote which would have allowed them to verify but they delayed to seek a compromise with the third estate. Discussions between all three took place over the following weeks, but time passed and patience began to run out. People in the third estate began to talk about declaring themselves a national assembly and taking the law into their own hands. Critically for the history of the revolution, and while the first and second estates met behind closed doors, the third estate meeting had always been open to the public. The third estate deputies thus knew they could count on tremendous public support for the idea of acting unilaterally, as even those who didnt attend the meetings could read all about what happened in the many journals which rep orted it. On June 10th, with patience running out, Sieyà ¨s proposed that a final appeal should be sent to the nobles and clergy asking for a common verification. If there wasn’t one, then the third estate, now increasingly calling itself the Commons, would carry on without them. The motion passed, the other orders remained silent, and the third estate resolved to carry on regardless. The revolution had begun. National Assembly On June 13th, three parish priests from the first estate joined the third, and sixteen more followed in the next few days, the first breakdown between the old divisions. On June 17th, Sieyà ¨s proposed and had passed a motion for the third estate to now call itself a National Assembly. In the heat of the moment, another motion was proposed and passed, declaring all taxes illegal, but allowing them to continue until a new system was invented to replace them. In one quick motion, the National Assembly had gone from simply challenging the first and second estates to challenging the king and his sovereignty by making themselves responsible for the laws on tax. Having been sidelined with grief over the death of his son, the king now began to stir and the regions around Paris were reinforced with troops. On June 19th, six days after the first defections, the entire first estate voted to join the National Assembly. June 20th brought another milestone, as the National Assembly arrived to find the doors of their meeting place locked and soldiers guarding it, with notes of a Royal Session to occur on the 22nd. This action even outraged opponents of the National Assembly, members of which feared their dissolution was imminent. In the face of this, the National Assembly moved to a nearby tennis court where, surrounded by crowds, they took the famous Tennis Court Oath, swearing not to disperse until their business was done. On the 22nd, the Royal Session was delayed, but three noblemen joined the clergy in abandoning their own estate. The Royal Session, when it was held, wasnt the blatant attempt to crush the National Assembly which many had feared but instead saw the king present an imaginative series of reforms which would have been considered far-reaching a month before. However, the king still used veiled threats and referred to the three different estates, stressing they should obey him. The members of the National Assembly refused to leave the session hall unless it was at bayonet point and proceeded to retake the oath. In this decisive moment, a battle of wills between king and assembly, Louis XVI meekly agreed they could stay in the room. He broke first. In addition, Necker resigned. He was persuaded to resume his position shortly afterward, but the news spread and pandemonium broke out. More nobles left their estate and joined the assembly. With the first and second estates now clearly wavering and the support of the army in doubt, the king ordered the first and second estates to join the National Assembly. This triggered public displays of joy and the members of the National Assembly now felt they could settle down and write a new constitution for the nation; more had already happened than many dared to imagine. It was already a sweeping change, but the crown and public opinion would soon change these expectations beyond all imagining. The Storming of the Bastille and the End of Royal Power The excited crowds, fueled by weeks of debate and angered by rapidly rising grain prices did more than just celebrate: on June 30th, a mob of 4000 people rescued mutinous soldiers from their prison. Similar displays of popular opinion were matched by the crown bringing ever more troops into the area. National Assembly appeals to stop reinforcing were refused. Indeed, on July 11th, Necker was sacked and more martial men brought in to run the government. A public uproar followed. On the streets of Paris, there was a sense that another battle of wills between the crown and people had begun, and that it might turn into a physical conflict. When a crowd demonstrating in the Tuileries gardens was attacked by cavalry ordered to clear the area, the longstanding predictions of military action seemed to be coming true. The population of Paris began to arm itself in response and retaliated by attacking toll gates. The next morning, the crowds went after arms but found stacks of stored grain too; looting began in earnest. On July 14th, they attacked the military hospital of the Invalides and found ​cannon. This ever-growing success led the crowd to the Bastille, the great-prison fortress and dominant symbol of the old regime, in search of the gunpowder stored there. At first, the Bastille refused to surrender and people were killed in the fighting, but rebel soldiers arrived with the cannon from the Invalides and forced the Bastille to submit. The great fortress was stormed and looted, the man in charge lynched.​ The storming of the Bastille demonstrated to the king that he couldn’t rely on his soldiers, some of whom had already defected. He had no way of enforcing royal power and conceded, ordering the units around Paris to withdraw rather than try and start a fight. Royal power was at an end and sovereignty had passed to the National Assembly. Crucially for the future of the Revolution, the people of Paris now saw themselves as the saviors and defenders of the National Assembly. They were the guardians of the revolution.

Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical - Essay Example To ensure the safety and the normal development of children by protecting them from risks, it is evident that encouraging children to manage risks would be the most beneficial method for their holistic well-being. With awareness and recognition of ethical issues prevalent in the classroom setting, teachers and school administrators conform to a set of guidelines which assist them in their decision making process. In this regard, this essay aims to differentiate between the legal and ethical issues encountered in a junior school and to discuss the need for legislation as a means of protecting students as well as teachers and school administrators. Likewise, the discourse would identify and evaluate a range of ethical theories that can be used to justify the decision making in the junior school, as the work place setting. Every field of endeavor designs a set of guidelines and standards for members to follow and conform to a prescribed moral behavior adhering to ethical principles governing their career of choice. Teachers and school administrators are governed by the code of ethics instituted by the National Education Association. The principles and commitments indicated in the code are known in the teaching profession as the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession (National Education Association (NEA), 2010, par. 2). Generally, the code envisioned two (2) distinct principles and commitments, to wit: commitment to the student and commitment to the profession. The first commitment sets guidelines for the educator to focus on the holistic development of the student by the encouragement of potentials and honing of skills. There are exactly eight (8) guidelines set by the NEA for educators to fulfill the obligations expected of them, to wit: (1) encouragement for learning; (2) encouraging diverse points of views; (3) making a balanced stance regarding student progress; (4) protecting the

The Volatile Social Upheavals of the Stormy Sixties Essay

The Volatile Social Upheavals of the Stormy Sixties - Essay Example   The third, precipitated by default into the presidency, grappled boldly with the unrest and turmoil through a second term only to surrender the battle to highly entangled political dissolution shortly before the sixties gave way to the seventies.   Martin Luther King Jr., distinctively honored in 1964 with the Nobel Peace Prize as its youngest laureate, had entered a civil rights movement already in progress, to take the forefront as an advocate for non-violence in one of the most momentous and far-reaching social upheavals of the decade. Yet, paradoxically, the civil rights leader's appalling assassination on April 4, 1968, unleashed an unfortunate surge of violence in major cities across the nation.   Martin Luther King's mission reached beyond black civil rights into associated issues of inner-city poverty. In 1965 in Selma, Alabama, his voter-registration crusade culminated in the Selma-to-Montgomery Freedom March. The civil-rights leader later took on Chicago where he pushed programs to clean up the slums and secure affordable housing. There King encountered young blacks heady with the concept of Black Power who gave little heed to his appeals for nonviolent protest. The impasse led to his adoption of stronger support for an end to the war in Vietnam along with the predominant thrust for civil-rights, a move that some felt spread the movement too thin. Nonetheless, the well-timed shift drew new blood into the crusade in response to the fresh bid for peace.   As King went on to tackle domestic issues of urban poverty, proposing national boycotts and nonviolent camp-ins, he envisioned a huge march of the poor on Washington, with a show of such power and size that Congress would be forced to deal with the enormous numbers of destitute and exploited Americans, but at the age of 39 the bullet of an unabashed mercenary silenced those plans. Posterity, left to speculate what might have been, was nonetheless to profit greatly from the enduring legacy of his all-too-abrupt loss.   

Case study description and analysis of SONY Corporation involved in Essay

Case study description and analysis of SONY Corporation involved in the production and distribution of products - Essay Example (Sony, 2008a) In line with the purpose of capturing the global markets, Sony Corporation established several affiliated companies to enable the company to smoothen out its global product distribution. (Sony, 2008b; Sony, 2008c) On the other hand, a group of affiliated Sony suppliers works together with the company to strengthen the company’s supply chain management within and outside Japan. For this study, the researcher will first discuss the theory and purpose of supply chain management. Eventually, the researcher will examine the impact of an effective supply chain management in the production process and product distribution of Sony PlayStation  ® 3. In the process of discussing the impact of supply chain management in Sony’s production line and product distribution, the researcher will analyze the impact of supply chain management strategies particularly the push and pull. Aside from discussing the impact of supply chain management to Sony’s operational performance, the researcher will mention a special circumstance which involves Sony’s operational activities followed by interpreting the relevance of these special circumstances to the company’s supply chain management strategies. Supply chain management is referring to the study of operational process flow that includes business activities related to the purchasing of raw materials, conversion of raw materials into intermediate or finished products as well as the distribution of these products to the end consumers. (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, 2008) Supply chain strategy adopted by a company normally varies from one to another depending on the specific business organization goal that is implemented by the members of its top management level. Given that the cost of storing a large amount of raw material inventories can be costly on the part of the company, the purchasing manager

Assignment about management & strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment about management & strategy - Essay Example TQM has been adopted by many organisations worldwide and has been defined in multiple ways that suited their businesses. A generalized definition is that of Evans and Dean, which states, ‘TQM is a comprehensive, organisation-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services’ (as qtd in Cooney & Sohal, 34, ch.3). The British Railways Board (1989) defined TQM as ‘the process which seeks to meet and satisfy customer requirements throughout the whole chain of internal and external customers and suppliers’ (Pike and Barnes, 25). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines TQM as a management approach for an organisation, centered on quality, based on participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and to society (Gupta, 113). Emergence of TQM may be traced back to period before the World War II and with American influence on quality assur ance principles. Although first put forth by Edwards Deming, who was known as the ‘father of the quality movement,’ TQM principles did not receive much attention at the time. These principles are said to have gained great significance after they were adopted in Japanese management theories, which modified the principles to suit their industries. TQM concepts have reinforced the Japanese management and businesses greatly and have helped the Japanese products enter the world markets. The United States recognized Japanese progress during 1980s and 1990s, and realized the significance of TQM concepts. Since then, the US industries have embraced TQM and re-emerged as global competitors (Daft & Marcic, 33). Deming’s contribution to the elaboration and development of TQM has been profound after advancing Stewhart’s statistical studies through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act), which provided the base for continuous improvement. These statistical methods devel oped by Stewhart and Deming came to be known as the Statistical Process Control (SPC). The SPC in combination with Elton Mayo’s human relations movement eventually became the theoretical base for TQM (Sallis, 7). From these studies it is clear that TQM is a quality concept that must be applied to every aspect of the business and should be measured and controlled statistically. This means it would also require involvement from all members associated with the business. In short, TQM needs to be applied to the organisational systems, structure, and culture; it would require commitment from management and staff at all levels; it should involve all stakeholders including the external suppliers and vendors. With this concept coming in, quality is seen as a strategic issue and can play a major role in saving huge costs for the company. It involves everyone associated with the organisation. It focuses on continuous improvements, maintaining zero defects, build quality and enhance cus tomer satisfaction. All these achievements become benchmarks for others and help the organisation in sustaining their competitive position in the market and with their customers. TQM has been applied by many organisations with different names, like Leadership Through Quality (Xerox); Quality the ICL Way (ICL); Quality Service Programme (Nat West); Total Quality Culture (Texas Instruments); Total

Timing of market entry strategy for Samsung Galaxy S5 Research Paper

Timing of market entry strategy for Samsung Galaxy S5 - Research Paper Example More customers are using mobile phones with smart applications and features. The use of smart phones with multiple capabilities and features has become common among the global consumers. In the initial stages of the introduction of smart phones in the market, consumer uncertainty towards the new technology was higher. Over years, the customer preference has come to a level where there is enormous potential for new technologies to attract more consumers easily. Customers are looking for innovative and distinctive features in their smart phones and are experiencing more certainty in using new technologies. The prevailing customer preferences for smart phones coupled with the high end features like latest operating systems, large display, a 16 MP camera, fingerprint identification and other unique features have made it appropriate for Samsung to capture the market by introducing this product. The previous offering of Samsung in mobile phones was the Galaxy S4 which was launched in the first quarter of 2013. The Galaxy S4 was accepted widely and the product had more than 10 million pre orders. The commercial reception as well as the critical reception of the product was impressive. The Samsung Galaxy S5 was launched almost a year after the launch of Galaxy S4 as the immediate successor of the model. However, after the introduction of Samsung Galaxy S5 in the market in 2014, it was noticed that there is only a slight improvement in this model over its predecessors like Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4.

Assignment about management & strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment about management & strategy - Essay Example TQM has been adopted by many organisations worldwide and has been defined in multiple ways that suited their businesses. A generalized definition is that of Evans and Dean, which states, ‘TQM is a comprehensive, organisation-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services’ (as qtd in Cooney & Sohal, 34, ch.3). The British Railways Board (1989) defined TQM as ‘the process which seeks to meet and satisfy customer requirements throughout the whole chain of internal and external customers and suppliers’ (Pike and Barnes, 25). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines TQM as a management approach for an organisation, centered on quality, based on participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and to society (Gupta, 113). Emergence of TQM may be traced back to period before the World War II and with American influence on quality assur ance principles. Although first put forth by Edwards Deming, who was known as the ‘father of the quality movement,’ TQM principles did not receive much attention at the time. These principles are said to have gained great significance after they were adopted in Japanese management theories, which modified the principles to suit their industries. TQM concepts have reinforced the Japanese management and businesses greatly and have helped the Japanese products enter the world markets. The United States recognized Japanese progress during 1980s and 1990s, and realized the significance of TQM concepts. Since then, the US industries have embraced TQM and re-emerged as global competitors (Daft & Marcic, 33). Deming’s contribution to the elaboration and development of TQM has been profound after advancing Stewhart’s statistical studies through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act), which provided the base for continuous improvement. These statistical methods devel oped by Stewhart and Deming came to be known as the Statistical Process Control (SPC). The SPC in combination with Elton Mayo’s human relations movement eventually became the theoretical base for TQM (Sallis, 7). From these studies it is clear that TQM is a quality concept that must be applied to every aspect of the business and should be measured and controlled statistically. This means it would also require involvement from all members associated with the business. In short, TQM needs to be applied to the organisational systems, structure, and culture; it would require commitment from management and staff at all levels; it should involve all stakeholders including the external suppliers and vendors. With this concept coming in, quality is seen as a strategic issue and can play a major role in saving huge costs for the company. It involves everyone associated with the organisation. It focuses on continuous improvements, maintaining zero defects, build quality and enhance cus tomer satisfaction. All these achievements become benchmarks for others and help the organisation in sustaining their competitive position in the market and with their customers. TQM has been applied by many organisations with different names, like Leadership Through Quality (Xerox); Quality the ICL Way (ICL); Quality Service Programme (Nat West); Total Quality Culture (Texas Instruments); Total

Managing Property Businesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing Property Businesses - Essay Example The stock market is always right and price is the only reality in trading. If you want to make money in any market, you need to mirror what the market is doing. If the market is going down and you are long, the market is right and you are wrong. If the stock market is going up and you are short, the market is right and you are wrong. Every market or stock that goes up will go down and most markets or stocks that have gone down, will go up. The more extreme the move up or down, the more extreme the movement in the opposite direction once the trend changes. This is also known as "the trend always changes rule." If you are looking for "reasons" that stocks or markets make large directional moves, you will probably never know for certain. Since we are dealing with perception of markets-not necessarily reality, you are wasting your time looking for the many reasons markets move. A huge mistake most investors make is assuming that stock markets are rational or that they are capable of ascertaining why markets do anything. To make a profit trading, it is only necessary to know that markets are moving - not why they are moving. Stock market winners only care about direction and duration, while market losers are obsessed with the whys. Stock markets generally move in advance of news or supportive fundamentals - sometimes months in advance. If you wait to invest until it is totally clear to you why a stock or a market is moving, you have to assume that others have done the same thing and you may be too late. You need to get positioned before the largest directional trend move takes place. The market reaction to good or bad news in a bull market will be positive more often than not. The market reaction to good or bad news in a bear market will be negative more often than not. The trend is your friend. Since the trend is the basis of all profit, we need long term trends to make sizeable money. The key is to know when to get aboard a trend and stick with it for a long period of time to maximize profits. Contrary to the short term perspective of most investors today, all the big money is made by catching large market moves - not by day trading or short term stock investing. You must let your profits run and cut your losses quickly if you are to have any chance of being successful. Trading discipline is not a sufficient condition to make money in the markets, but it is a necessary condition. If you do not practice highly disciplined trading, you will not make money over the long term. This is a stock trading "system" in itself. The Efficient Market Hypothesis is fallacious and is actually a derivative of the perfect competition model of capitalism. The Efficient Market Hypothesis at root shares many of the same false premises as the perfect competition paradigm as described by a well known economist. The perfect competition model is not based on anything that exists on this earth. Consistently profitable professional traders simply have better information - and they act on it. Most non-professionals trade strictly on emotion, and lose much more money than they earn. The combination of superior information for some investors

Tamworth Town Essay Example for Free

Tamworth Town Essay The task is to create some sort of form that will capture the relevant data from the people who fill it in. Consequently, people fill it in after collecting it in the shop, or at other shops and then we get members, which leads to rentals, and money for my Uncle. The data capture form will be an A5 piece of paper, and will have all the relevant fields needed to input a new customer into the list. In this task, I will have to use boxes that are the same size and ones that are big enough to fit hand written letters in. In addition, the boxes will need to be straight, or it will look incompetent. Moreover, to create a professional look, it will have to be a small form, two per A4 sheets, because one per A4 sheet would be rather large, and extremely clumsy. Additionally, to reduce incompetence, I should align the boxes singularly, so that every box is in line perfectly. For each field I will need the correct number of boxes: Title = 4 boxes   First Name = 16 boxes   Second Name = 16 boxes   House Number = 12 boxes   Road Name = 16 boxes   Town = 12 boxes   Postal Code = 4 and 3 boxes Home Phone = 5 and 6 boxes Date of Birth = 2 and 2 and 4 boxes. Password = 16 boxes Software Requirements The software I choose must be able to: Import pictures, so that I can put use my created logo publicly. Create input boxes, so that they can be filled in appropriately, a letter at a time.   Move pictures, so that the logo can be moved into an appropriate position.   Input text, so that the input boxes have titles, so that people know where to write what.   Overlap and underlay objects, so that if the logo is near any input boxes, it can under lap them, and not overlap them with its white background. Change the text font, and size, so that I do not have to keep boring Arial text, and can make good titles.   Align objects, so that my input boxes can be arranged in a line, so they are straight, and not odd and disproportionate. Software I could use Microsoft Word to do this task. However, it is only a word processor, and cannot do some complex functions I need to perform. It cannot align objects, as far as I know, and for a professional look, I definitely need this feature, I need the input boxes to look as neat as possible. I also know of no way to under and overlap objects in MSWord. This is also important if I wish to place my logo directly above my input boxes, as its white background may go over the top of the boxes. I could use Serif Page plus eight for this task. It is a publishing program, and has all of the features I need. It can import pictures using the usual copy and paste technique, but through Insert Picture as well. It can create boxes using the object drawer, which preset is a box. So all you need to do is click on the box on the left hand side toolbar, and draw the box to the wanted size. It can move pictures by dragging them, click, and hold, then drag. It can input text in two ways, a normal frame box, or a graphic text one. The normal one is easier to read, so I will use that. It can over and under lap objects with the two buttons on the arrange toolbar, at the top: With these, the left sends the item to the back, and the right one brings the picture to the front. It can change text through the formatting toolbar, which is normally on the top of the display, at the bottom of all the toolbars. It can align objects by highlighting them and then right clicking and clicking Align Objects, and then selecting to which side it needs aligning. This is useful because you can choose which side you can align it to. Conclusion I am going to use Serif page plus eight for this task because it is the best program for the job. It can do everything that is needed from the task and can do a lot more than Microsoft Word can. It can underlay and overlap, and it can align objects, both of which are key to the task in hand. It is simple to use and all the major tools are on the screen in toolbars, no need to use menus. Outline Plan I am going to load a new page and then turn it into landscape mode. After that, I will produce titles for each input subject, and then create boxes for each input subject; the numbers of boxes are listed above. Then I will put the background in, by creating a square and using the fill and linear techniques to put a white and light blue background behind all the boxes. I will then put the logo at the top above all the boxes, to the left a bit, leaving space on the right for the address to go in. After that I will input two more graphics, which are two port-hole type circles, with a blue centre, I have two different sizes, the big will go at the top, and the small at the bottom.

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay Management of financial resources is crucial in any business. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), If financial resources are misused, they will not result in better human resources or superior physical assets and processes. Furthermore, strong financial resources are an even greater importance in the hospitality industry where it is a highly competitive environment and innovations are quickly imitated. If the financial resources are secured, the organization is able to invest in unique, valuable and difficult to imitate capabilities. Consequently, it can gain the competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) is the worlds largest hotel operator in respect of the number of rooms totaling 585,094 in a 2008 report. IHG mainly operates in the UK, the US, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, this large hotel operator consists of seven hotel brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Stayb ridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Intercontinental Hotels Group operates its hotels in three different ways- as a franchisor, an owner, and an operator. Since the biggest part of the business is franchising, IHGs focus lies on driving demands for its brands. On a global scale, the hotel operators distribution system includes global advertising, marketing campaigns, call centers, and local language websites (Jones, 2009). Despite having a competitive advantage with its strong brand awareness and diversified properties worldwide, IHG needs to constantly monitor its environment and identify both internal and external factors. In this manner, its national and international strategies can remain well suited to the developing environment and capabilities. While an audit of the business is necessary to analyze Intercontinental Hotels Groups current position, assessing the financial resources and performance carry a greater weight for decision making. 1. EXTERNAL AUDIT Macro (PESTLE) Analysis: Awareness of a changing environment is of central importance in developing and implementing a robust strategy. PESTLE analysis is a framework used for environmental scanning in strategic management and is comprised of political, economical, social, technological, legal, and environmental components. Political and legal factors can affect aspects of the UK hospitality industry. Tax regulations and employment laws can be altered due to the UK elections that recently took place. Hayman describes how the British Hospitality Association has asked the new coalition government to support the UK tourism industry by providing increased investment and reduced regulation (Anon., 2010). Another essential component in the external environment is the economical factor. The effects of recession have severely impacted the overall performance such as hotels occupancy rates and revenues of the UK hotel market. Amongst these effects is the drop in international and national corporate market segment. A third component in the PESTLE analysis is the social factor. UK consumers have decreased their number of trips, number of nights spent in accommodation, and their overall expenditure. Another element in the macro-scanning is the technological factor. The rise of the internet has allowed major hotel chains to invest in websites and direct booking systems allowing consumers to book, view, and review hotels. Finally, the environmental factor is also of importance when analyzing the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility has slowly become integrated in many organizations business objectives. For a hotel to be socially responsible, it must follow through many policies such as abiding by the Energy Consumption laws and engaging with the local community. Micro (Porters 5 Forces) Analysis The factors in the macro-environment analysis can be used to determine how the firms industry environment (micro audit) is affected. Porters five forces of competition framework can be used to analyze the intensity of competition and the level of profitability (Grant, 2005). These five forces include competition from substitutes, entrants, power of suppliers, power of buyers, and established rivals. The threat of substitutes for Intercontinental Hotels Group is high risk. During the recession, many customers were staying at budget hotels, which became increasingly popular amongst the leisure and corporate markets. Since the barriers to entry into the hotel industry are high, the threat of entry involved is low. The barriers included are high capital requirements or entry costs, high fixed costs, no economies of scale, and resistance from the existing market. The power of suppliers is considered medium-risk for IHG. Since furniture and fittings must be of a certain standard relevant t o a hotel, they are purchased in bulk from specialist contract suppliers. On the other hand, there are no switching costs for food manufacturers and processors. Another element of the five forces is the power of buyer, which is high in the case of Intercontinental Hotels Group. The buyers are sensitive to the prices charged by the hotels in the industry. Moreover, they can easily compare not only prices but also quality and ratings via Internet using various websites. Finally, the rivalry amongst established competitors is of high risk. The major competitors of IHG are Hilton Hotels Corporation, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Hyatt Corporation, and Accor. These large hotel chains offer similar products and services, which means customers are willing to substitute. 2. BUSINESS STRATEGY In order for an organization to compete within a particular industry, it must gain a competitive advantage over its competitors by establishing a business strategy (Grant, 2005). The main objective of a business strategy is to link an organizations internal capabilities and the external environment. IHG not only continuously monitors the environment, but also ensures that the strategy remains aligned with external factors. The core focus of Intercontinental Hotels Group is to create Great Hotels Guests Love. In 2009, despite economic hardships, IHG analyzed its operations and capabilities to focus on how to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love. This major hotel chains strategy concentrates on two key aspects: where it chooses to compete and how it will win in the competing market. There are five key priorities in support of IHGs overall strategy. Some of these priorities include financial returns, its people, responsible business, and guest experience. The progress of these priorities is measured to ensure the achievement of Great Hotels Guests Love. Intercontinental Hotels Groups strategy is also pertinent to regional objectives and priorities. 3. INTERNAL AUDIT 3.1 Human Resources: In order for a strategy to be carried out, human resource is required. According to Kaplan and Norton, human capital is the availability of skills, talent, and know-how required to support the organizations strategy (2004). Employees are not only critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, but also integral in an organizations business plans. One of IHGs key strategic priorities is to use its people to create a more efficient organization with strong core capabilities. Intercontinental Hotel Groups focus lies in developing skills to support its key goals for responsible business, guest experience and financial returns by managing employee engagement. Approximately 335,000 people are employed globally across IHGs brands including franchised and managed hotels. The business has been balancing cost reduction and restructuring programs while managing engagement for the people and guests during 2009. To achieve Great Hotels Guests Love this organization has developed a clear articulation of its values and the behaviors expected from all employees, as well as creating the right environment for employees so that they can deliver the core purpose 3.2 Mechanical Resources: Another type of organizational resource is non-human assets such as technology and reputation. IHGs central reservation system technology includes the operations of the HolidexPlus reservation system. This system electronically receives reservation requests entered on terminals located at most of its reservation centers, as well as from global distribution systems operated by a number of major corporations and travel agents. There are currently ten global reservation offices available to take hotel bookings from guests 24 hours a day in 26 different languages. IHG generates room sales globally through their branded websites. Kaplan and Norton state that an excellent reputation for performance along social dimensions not only attracts high quality employees, but also enhances the image with customers and socially conscious investors (2004). IHG believes that corporate responsibility (CR) is integral to the way it conducts business and also at the core of its strategy. Moreover, it ass ists in building competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotel Groups CR strategy is focused in the environment and its communities in order to drive increased value for IHG, owners, employees, and guests. 3.3 Financial Resources: While human and mechanical resources are equally important, the financial component of the strategy is just as crucial in a highly competitive industry such as the hospitality one. The balancing act of both growth and productivity dimensions is the organizing framework for an organizations strategy map. According to Harrison and Enz, strong cash flow, low levels of debt, a strong credit rating, access to low-interest capital, and a reputation for creditworthiness are powerful strengths that can serve as a source of strategic flexibility, which means that firms can be more responsive to new opportunities and new threats (2005). 3.3.1 Analysis of Key Ratios Companies will often track trends of key ratios over several years to compare their numbers against industry averages from a major competitor to assess comparative financial strength (Harrison and Enz, 2005). The following are some key ratios using IHG financial information from its annual report: a. Liquidity ratios help an organization determine its ability to pay short-term obligations such as debts and payables (Bertoneeche and Knight, 2001). i) An example of this is Current Ratio, which can be formulated as follows: Current Ratio= Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 2008: Current Assets= $544m Current Liabilities= $1141m Current Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Current Liabilities= $1053m Current Ratio= 0.40 Because the Current Ratio is below 1 for both years, it suggests that IHG is unable to pay off its short-term obligations if they were due at that point. The decrease of current assets is probably due to the recession period. Although this implies that the organization is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt. ii) Another example of a liquidity ratio is the quick ratio also known as the acid test and can be figured as shown below: Quick Ratio= (Current Assets- Inventories) / (Current Liabilities) 2008: Current Assets= $544m Inventories= $4m Current Liabilities= $1141m Quick Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Inventories-$4m Current Liabilities= $1053m Quick Ratio= 0.39 The difference between current ratio and quick ratio is inventories. Inventory is excluded in quick ratio since some companies have difficulty turning their inventory into cash. In the case of IHG, the quick ratios for both 2008 and 2009 are similar to the current ratios. Since the hotel industry is mostly service oriented, there are not much inventories to turn into cash. b. Profitability ratios are another key dimension to an organizations firm health. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), They are a common measure of overall financial success. i) One type of profitability ratios is net profit margin ratio can be calculated as follows: Net Profit Margin= (Net Profit/ Revenues)* 100 2008: Net Profit= $262m Revenues= $ 1897m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.81% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Revenues=$1538m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.91% For every $1 generated in revenue, IHG made a profit of 13.81% in 2008 and 13.91% in 2009. Even though the net profit and revenues for 2008 are higher than that of 2009, there was a slight increase in the net profit margin. ii) Another profitability ratio is gross profit margin which can be determined as follows: Gross Profit Margin= (Gross Profit/Revenues)* 100% 2008: Gross Profit= $1045m Revenues= $1897m Gross Profit Margin= 0.55 or 55.08% 2009: Gross Profit= $678m Revenues= $1538m Gross Profit Margin= 0.44 or 44.08% Gross profit margin discloses the profit an organization makes on its cost of sales. IHGs gross profit margin decreased in 2009 due to lower revenues and higher cost of sales compared to 2008. This simply shows that the efficiency of operations and product pricing subsided. iii) Return on capital employed ratio compares the profit made by an organization with the amount of money invested. The formula is as follows: ROCE= Net Profit/ Capital Employed Capital Employed= Shareholders Funds + Long Term Liabilities 2008: Net Profit= $262m Capital Employed= $1972m+$1= $1973m ROCE= 0.13 or 13.28% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Capital Employed= $1684m+$156m= $1840m ROCE= 0.11 or 11.63% According to the authors in Business Studies, the higher the ratio, the better indication of performance it is in terms of profit returned for the capital invested (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). Over the past two years, the ROCE has decreased from 13.28 per cent to 11.63 per cent. This means that less profit was made to cover the capital employed. c. A third key dimension to assessing an organizations financial standing is efficiency ratio, which evaluates how effectively capital is employed within the firm (Bertoneche Knight, 2001). i) Asset turnover ratio reflects how assets are being effectively used to generate revenues. The formula is the following: Asset Turnover Ratio= Revenues/ Total Assets 2008: Revenues= $1897m Total Assets= $3118m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.61 2009: Revenues= $1538m Total Assets= $2893m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.54 From this ratio analysis, IHG had a decrease in its asset turnover from 2008 to 2009. For every $1 of assets it owned, IHG generated $0.61 of sales in 2008 and $0.54 in 2009. Since the ratios for both years are relatively low compared to other industries, the organization might not be utilizing its assets to a full potential. However, the profit margin ratio is higher compared to another sector of the hotel industry such as budget hotels. d. Gearing ratios illustrate the long term financial position of an organization. They can assess whether or not a business is burdened by its loans (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). The formula for gearing is as follows: Gearing= Fixed Cost Capital/ Long Term Capital Long Term Capital= Shareholders Funds + Long Term loans 2008: Fixed Cost Capital= $1972m Long Term Capital= $1m + $1972m= $1973m Gearing= 0.99 or 99.95% 2009: Fixed Cost Capital= $1684m Long Term Capital= $156m + $1684m= $1840m Gearing= 0.92 or 91.52% Since the ratios for both years are higher than 50 per cent, IHG is considered a high geared company. This simply signifies that a much higher proportion of total capital is borrowed. Even though the gearing ratio decreased from 2008 to 2009, IHG is still considered as risky by creditors. After analyzing the key ratios previously formulated and comparing between 2008 and 2009, one can conclude that Intercontinental Hotel Group is not financially fit. Both liquidity ratios, current and quick, decreased from 2008 and 2009 signifying that assets cannot easily be turned into cash. Moreover, the decrease of profitability ratios including gross profit margin and ROCE indicate weakness of the business. The net profit margin, however, did slightly increase from 2008 to 2009. Furthermore, IHGS poor asset turnover ratio shows that the company is not using its assets effectively. Lastly, the organizations high gearing nature also contributes to the fact that IHG is reliant on borrowed business. Overall, it needs to make changes to improve its financial health. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS/ CONCLUSION The utilization of an organizations resources must not only be effective, but also efficient (Pettinger, 1997). While the strengths of IHG management for both financial and non-financial resources can be enhanced, the weaknesses must not be overlooked. In order for IHG to carry out their strategic objective of creating an efficient organization, its human resource management must be committed to several practices such as selective hiring, focus on training and development, communication and information sharing, good level of compensation, and team working (Porter, Smith, Fagg, 2006). In this manner, IHG will be able to achieve positive human resource outcomes, which can lead to quality and productivity. This in turn can heighten the organizational performance in terms of financial outcomes. Furthermore, IHG management can take general action to increase the stream of cash flows and drive value. Increasing business with current customers, expanding global presence, reducing expenses and pursuing complementary alliances can all promote growth. According to DeFranco and Lattin(2007, p.119), Rather than focus on expansion in a single city, some companies elect to expand to new markets. The benefit of this type of growth is that it spreads the risk of expansion over several markets. For example, concierge services can incorporate the usage of iPad to visually assist the guests common questions such as directions. Another example is diversifying related products such as vacation ownership and corporate housing. By doing this, Intercontinental Hotel Group will be able to enhance its product image. Margins can be improved if IHG focuses on restructuring, efficiency, productivity, and cost control. Moreover, increasing inventory turns and getting best conditions from suppliers can aid in lowering the companys working capital. The organization can also optimize asset utilization by either lowering capital expenditures or improving turnover ratios (Bertoneche Knight, 20 01). An example of a capital expenditure is restoring a property or adapting it to a new or different use. In the case of IHG, this can involve renovating or refurbishing one of its hotels. By lowering capital expenditures, the balance sheet can be affected positively. In conclusion, IHG has managed to successfully remain as one of the top hotel chains worldwide, it still needs to constantly be monitoring the external and internal environment to be able to compete in the hospitality industry. As more and more competitors are arising, IHG need to continuously revise and review its strategic objectives, which include human resources, mechanical resources, and financial resources. By evaluating financial ratios, IHG can monitor the performance of its operations and evaluate its efforts to meet a variety of goals. By tracking a selected set of ratios on a regular basis, the organization is able to maintain a fairly accurate perception of the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations (Andrew, Damitio Schmidgallm 2007). Even though the hospitality industry is dynamic and exciting, it poses many challenges such as low profitability, reliance on discretionary income, capital intensive, fluctuating sales volume and labor intensive. IHG has to ensure t hat it is able to overcome these challenges so that it can grow and increase its value. .