People Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People Management - Essay Example The essay "People Management" compares and contrasts the differences between the Contract of Employment and the Psychological Contract. Also, this paper explains the factors that influence the transfer of HR practices across a multinational company and describes four stages of systematic training model. It is evident that the two categories of employment are both considered forms of relationships established between an employer and an employee. Being contracts, they have a limited specified time. There is no aspect of security as the contract can be terminated any time with as less as one day’s notice- demonstrating its lack of security and sustainability. Some have a specific task being undertaken and when accomplished, the employment sizes until further notice. Being recalled back to work is not a guarantee as the employer may recruit a different set of employees depending on previous performance and the relationship established. Consequently, psychological contract can be defined as a mutual relationship existing between an employer and their employees and is based on informal agreement between the two concerned parties. Contract employment, on the other hand, is considered as employment with clear terms and conditions that dictate the nature of the position offered includ ing roles and responsibilities as well as salary paid. The psychological contract is established via informal arrangements and the conditions of work are determined on mutual grounds-between the employer and employee.

Expectations of Current Economy Essay Example for Free

Expectations of Current Economy Essay The U. S. economy in 2013 has a projected growth increased to an annual rate of 2. 5 percent in the first quarter, but not enough to meet the expectations made by the economists (Aljazeera 2013). The reason why all of these projections came to be was because of disappointments that came about; plans did not follow through, or because of accident and uncontrollable events. For example, part of the acceleration in activity reflected farmers filling up silos after a drought in the summer decimated their crops output, but the growth rate was a halfhearted 1. percent (Aljazeera 2013). Because of this event that transpired, the economy did need to compensate in other areas for this event not to be an overall bust. To help with the compensation would be all the other fields of the economy such as the spending of the consumer. The consumer spending, accounting for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, increased at a 3. 2 percent. It grew at a 1. 8 percent rate in the fourth quarter of last year (Aljazeera 2013). However consumer spending was not enough to compensate for other downfalls. Households cut back on saving to fund their purchases after their incomes dropped at a 5. 3 percent rate in the first quarter (Aljazeera 2013). The saving rate fell to 2. 6 percent from 4. 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012(Aljazeera 2013). But now, based on projections, housing is showing positive signs and can be expected to keep improving over the next year The spending of the government fell to a 4. 1 percent annual rate and most of the increase in the first-quarter spending came from car purchases and outlays for utilities (Aljazeera 2013). But with this good news, the purchase of equipment and software by businesses slowed sharply. But it picked back up at only three percent rate after a brisk 11. 8 percent pace in the fourth quarter (Aljazeera 2013). The forces needed for a quickening US recovery are already in place, but they are going to occur slowly but surely. The balances of items that are or could be affecting the US consumer spending have turned positive (IHS 2012). Also seen is that US businesses are likely to spend and hire more, which means that growth will average around 2% next year (HIS 2012).

Ultrasound-guided Interscalene Block for Dislocated Shoulder

Ultrasound-guided Interscalene Block for Dislocated Shoulder Preliminary results of ultrasound-guided interscalene block for dislocated shoulder: Abstract Background Traditionally, patients with a dislocated shoulder joint will be subjected to general anesthesia for closed reduction, if this procedure cannot be managed with light intravenous sedation and opioid analgesia. Successful interscalene blockade of the brachial plexus allows painfree reduction of the dislocated shoulder. However, the interscalene blockade for a dislocated shoulder is usually performed in the emergency room and to optimize patient safety it is desirable to minimize the dose of local anesthetic using ultrasound-guidance. The objective of this cohort study was to determine the clinical feasibility of ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade using a safe dose of just 10 mL of lidocaine 1% in producing sufficient and effective muscle relaxation, allowing painfree reduction of a dislocated glenohumeral joint. Methods We performed ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade with 10 mL of lidocaine 1% in a cohort of 10 patients with dislocated glenohumeral joints presenting in the emergency room, where the shoulder could not be reduced following intravenous sedation and analgesia. Results The success rate of closed reduction of the dislocated shoulders was 100% with complete pain control and muscle relaxation during the reducting procedure. Median patient satisfaction (VAS, Visual Analogue Scale 0-10) after completion of the procedure was 10 (range 8-10). Conclusion Ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade using merely 10 mL of lidocaine 1% effectively produces muscle relaxation allowing pain free reduction of the dislocated glenohumeral joint with a success rate of 100% and high patient satisfaction. Keywords dislocation, shoulder, glenohumeral joint, ultrasound Introduction Dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint is associated with severe pain and is frequently presented in the emergency room (ER). Reduction of a shoulderdislocationrequiresalleviation of the pain and musclerelaxation. Traditionally, this is obtained using general anesthesia (GA) with rapid sequence induction, when initial attempts of reduction using light oral and/or intravenous sedation and opioid analgesia are not successful. However, GA is associated with the risk of aspiration and requires an anesthetist, access to the operating theatre and postoperative observation in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Interscalene blockade (ISB) of the brachial plexus (BP) will achieve the desired effect of muscle relaxation and pain alleviation and eliminates the risks of GA cost-effectively. ISB of the BP usingelicitation of paresthesia to locate the target nerves wasemployedalready in 1973 to obtainanalgesia and musclerelaxationallowingreduction of a dislocatedshoulder joint 1. ISB of the BP using electrical nerve stimulation to allow reduction of a dislocated shoulder joint was later reported 2, 3. However, the motor response due to the electrical stimulation can be very painful in patients with dislocated shoulder joints. Some authors have reported location of the BP using ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia instead of electrical nerve stimulation 4, 5. Blaivas and Lyon (2006) used in-plane (IP) approach and 30 mL of either lidocaine 1% or bupivacaine 0.25%. The success rate of pain free joint reduction was 100% in four patients. Bhoi et al. (2010) used out-of-plane approach and 6-15 mLlidocaine 2% and had a success rate of a 100% in three patients. The current report describes an ultrasound-guided approach to ISB of the BP using IP approach and 10 mL of lidocaine 1% for reduction of the gleno-humeral joint in a preliminary cohort of patients with dislocated shoulder where reduction in the ER had been attempted with light sedation and analgesia without success. Methods The requirement for approval of the protocol and for written informed consent, was waived by the Central Denmark Regional Committees on Biomedical Research Ethics,due to the fact that the ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP for reduction of dislocated shoulders is an established method in our departments. Following informed consent 10 consecutive patients scheduled for reduction of dislocated gleno-humeral joint were included in the study (Table 1). We have only included patients with dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint where reduction has been attempted in the ER without success. Following establishment of venous access, the patient was placed in the supine position with the head turned contralateral to the side to be blocked. Vital signs monitoring was opted out during the procedure in the ER provided that all of the following criteria were fulfilled: (1) the block was performed by a consultant anesthetist who performs ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks on a daily basis and ( 2) the block was performed with uninterrupted, direct real time visualization of the needle tip during the entire procedure and (3) using parasagittal from-posterior-to-anterior IP approach and (4) with visualization of the spread of a 1 mL test dose of saline alongside the nerve roots of C5-C6 prior to injection of lidocaine and (5) real time visualization of the spread of lidocaine during the entire injection and (6) no supplementary lidocaine in addition to 100 mg was injected (7) in a fully awake and alert patient. If the above criteria 1-7 were not fulfilled, then the procedure was aborted immediately and not resumed until full vital signs monitorering had been applied. . Needle path and injection of local anesthetics Using an aseptic technique the needle was inserted from the posterior end of the ultrasound transducer and thereafter advanced IP in an anterior direction until the needle tip was seen in close proximity to the C5 and C6 nerve roots (Fig. 1). Hydrolocation was per formed with 1 mL of saline confirming the appropriate location of the needle tip and the spread of the injectate prior to injection of local anesthetic (10 mL of lidocaine 1%). The endpoint of the injection manoeuvre was to observe that the local anesthetic spread alongside the C5 and C6 nerve roots as assessed by real-time ultrasound. The dose of lidocaine was injected incrementally with intermittent aspiration. If the spread of local anesthetic was deemed inadequate the needle tip was repositioned as necessary with direct real time visualization using solely ultrasonographic guidance. Equipment The ultrasound scanning was performed with an M-Turbo ultrasound machine (Sonosite, Bothell, WA) using a 6-13 MHz linear transducer (HFL38, Sonosite ®, Bothell, WA, USA) covered by a sterile sleeve. Definition of successful ISB Successful ISB was defined as reduction of the dislocated shoulder joint with no need for conversion to general anesthesia. Study design and data collection The study was planned as a prospective cohort study to determine the clinical feasibility of the low-dose IP ISB to allow reduction of a dislocated shoulder joint . Thus, no formal power analysis or statistical test analysis was performed. Results A total of 10 patients were enrolled. Nine patients had an anterior dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint and one had a posterior dislocation. Demographic data are presented in table 1. The success rate of reduction of the dislocated shoulders was 100% with complete pain control and muscle relaxation during the reducting procedure. Median patient satisfaction (VAS, Visual Analogue Scale 0-10) after completion of the procedure was 10 (range 8-10). Median time from completed block performance to shoulder reduction was five minutes (range 3-10 minutes). The median pain VAS score immediately prior to the performance of the interscalene block was 10 (range 7-10), and all patients were awake and fully alert during the procedure. All procedures were completed in accordance with the criteria 1-7 (see Methods). Outcome data are presented in table 2. Discussion Our preliminary data demonstrate that a dislocated shoulder can be reduced effectively without pain, and with good muscle relaxation using ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade with a small dose of lidocaine. By application of this technique, deep sedation and opioids and/or general anesthesia with fast track induction is avoided in a population of typically non-fasting patients. Ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP is applicable also in patients with severe cardiac co-morbidity, where GA would not be attractive. Ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP is also a simple and low-cost technique compared to general anesthesia and does not occupy the capacity of the surgical ward or the PACU. Application of a safe and innocuous dose of a local anesthetic with a broad therapeutic range is critically important, when peripheral nerve blocks are performed in the ER outside the primary venue of anesthesia. The standard dose of 100 mg lidocaine optimizes patient safety, as accidental intra venous injection of this magnitude of lidocaine would be virtually harmless. However, intravenous injection using ultrasound-guidance is practically impossible when appropriately performed in accordance with the criteria listed in the Methods section. The theoretical risk of an accidental intraarterial or intraspinal injection is considered non-existent obeying the above mentioned criteria 1-7. Resuscitation equipment is readily accessible in the settings of the ER. However, any dose of any local anesthetic employed for peripheral nerve blocks without full vital signs monitoring remains a controversial issue. If the reader cannot honour all the criteria 1-7, the advice of the authors is to apply full vital signs monitoring during and after the performance of the nerve block even when using a small dose of a local anesthetic with a broad therapeutic range. Our preliminary data suggest that the patients experience maximum satisfaction with this technique (median VAS score 10). We hav e no data to compare patient satisfaction to nerve stimulation guidance for interscalene blockade or general anesthesia. There are some important limitations to our study. First, the study is non-randomized, un-blinded and it does not include a control group. Second, the sensory and motor quality of the interscalene blocks was not tested and the effect was just documented by clinical success. Third, lidocaine pharmacokinetics was not calculated and serum-lidocaine was not measured. Fourth, the choice of dose of local anesthetic was arbitrary and not based on titration. Fifth, the study included only a small sample of patients. However, the clinical success rate of reduction was 100% and the patient satisfaction very high despite the fact that our data were sampled in a population of patients where the primary attempt for a closed reduction of the dislocated shoulder supported by sedatives and opioids failed. This strongly indicates the feasibility of the described technique and reduced dosing of local anesthetic. Future randomized controlled trials have to clarify the usefulness of a broader indication for ultrasound guided interscalene nerve blockade for patients with dislocated shoulders. Conclusion This preliminary cohort study demonstrates that ultrasound guided interscalene BP blockade using merely 10 mL of lidocaine 1% effectively produces muscle relaxation allowing pain free reduction of the dislocated glenohumeral joint with a success rate of 100% and maximum patient satisfaction.

Abduction and Hypothesis Withdrawal in Science Essay examples -- Scien

Abduction and Hypothesis Withdrawal in Science ABSTRACT: This paper introduces an epistemological model of scientific reasoning which can be described in terms of abduction, deduction and induction. The aim is to emphasize the significance of abduction in order to illustrate the problem-solving process and to propose a unified epistemological model of scientific discovery. The model first describes the different meanings of the word abduction (creative, selective, to the best explanation, visual) in order to clarify their significance for epistemology and artificial intelligence. In different theoretical changes in theoretical systems we witness different kinds of discovery processes operating. Discovery methods are "data-driven," "explanation-driven" (abductive), and "coherence-driven" (formed to overwhelm contradictions). Sometimes there is a mixture of such methods: for example, an hypothesis devoted to overcome a contradiction is found by abduction. Contradiction, far from damaging a system, help to indicate regions in which it can be changed and improved. I will also consider a kind of "weak" hypothesis that is hard to negate and the ways for making it easy. In these cases the subject can "rationally" decide to withdraw his or her hypotheses even in contexts where it is "impossible" to find "explicit" contradictions and anomalies. Here, the use of negation as failure (an interesting technique for negating hypotheses and accessing new ones suggested by artificial intelligence and cognitive scientists) is illuminating I. Abduction and Scientific Discovery Philosophers of science in the twentieth century have traditionally distinguished between the logic of discovery and the logic of justification. Most have conclude... ...s based on set covering model, International Journal on Man-Machine Studies, 19, pp. 443-460. C. Shelley, 1996, Visual abductive reasoning in archaeology, Philosophy of Science, 63(2), pp. 278-301. J. C. Shepherdson, 1984, Negation as failure: a comparison of Clark's completed data base and Reiter's closed world assumption, Journal of Logic Programming, 1(1), 1984, 51-79. ________, 1988, Negation in logic programming, in J. Minker (ed.), Foundations of Deductive Databases, Morgan Kaufmann, Los Altos, CA, pp. 19-88. P. Thagard, 1988, Computational Philosophy of Science, Cambridge, MA, The MIT Press. ________, 1992, Conceptual Revolutions, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press. ________ and C. Shelley, 1994, Limitations of current formal models of abductive reasoning, Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, forthcoming.

Administrative Management Critical Analysis

Adam Bartoshesky November 17, 2012 MAN 3025 Writing Assignment #4 Critical Analysis The University of North Florida’s Academic Integrity Code gives students and faculty members in-depth descriptions of what exactly the code is, the ways in which the code can be broken, and the actions and consequences which result from breaking it. The code’s purpose is, â€Å"to protect the integrity of the teaching and learning process† (â€Å"Academic integrity code,†). This document lacks a persuasive tone and thus is essentially free from any biases.It uses strong language and concision in order to outline what students and faculty members should do in an instance of academic dishonesty. The code’s unbiased nature and clarity combine to make it a reliable document that can be referred to by both UNF students and faculty members in order to maintain foster learning. UNF’s Academic Integrity Code’s strengths are its detail and clarity, its openness, and its good intentions. It is impossible for the document to better explain the overall process of cheating, how it is handled, and the appeal process.Another strong point of the code is that it gives the student’s teacher freedom in how they want to handle the situation. There are five different forms of apprehension listed in the code that the teacher can choose from which range in seriousness. The teacher can do anything from lower the student’s grade for the single exercise they broke the academic code on, to giving the student an unforgivable ‘F’ for the course. It is evident that a third strength of the document is that its sole purpose is to create a better teaching and learning environment.UNF has not established this code in order to reprimand students, but rather to enhance their education by clearly stating what they should avoid while enrolled at UNF. Although the Academic Integrity Code has many strengths, it also has weakness. The main weak ness that I located in the code is that the overall process of reprimanding and appealing academic dishonesty can be time consuming. There are numerous steps that each have an allotted amount of days to be completed. Also read: Advantages and Disadvantages of Administrative ManagementThese steps include the student appealing the teacher’s initial actions, and then waiting for a new faculty member to review it and come to a new conclusion; in which case the student can appeal it once more. This process can continue up the UNF administration hierarchy until the case finally reaches the UNF President. The president has the final say in the matter. If each step is taken and the maximum amount of days to complete each step is used, the case can be under review for 205 days. That is an absurd amount of time to decide the outcome of a student’s academic misconduct.By the time it is settled, the student could have already finished one semester and been well on his or her way to completing another. At this point, I think it is unfair to give the student a consequence like being expelled from the school because they have already dedicated much of their time to another semester’s course load. After examining and evaluating The University of North Florida’s Academic Integrity Code, I have concluded that its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. I could only find one weakness in the document whereas I was able to locate many strengths.Also, after further review, even though the process of appealing can take up to 205 days; it is unlikely that this will occur. I concur that this code is a very effective source without any significant biases, and should be referred to frequently by all UNF students and faculty members in order to maintain an effective learning environment. Works Cited Education, (n. d. ). Academic integrity code and academic misconduct policies. Retrieved from The University of North Florida website: http://www. unf. edu/uploadedFiles/aa/enrollment/onestop/registrar/MisconductPolicy. pdf

Applied Concept Paper Essay

Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to help me to fully understand and expand my knowledge of the concepts four in our textbook. By performing research about recent business world activities, I will be able to link the terms learned in the lecture in order to get the full picture. Although I chose terms that are found in both chapter 6 and chapter 7, most of my terms come from chapter 7, which talks about corporate strategy. Our textbook Strategic Management and Business Policy textbook by Thomas L. Wheelen and J. David Hunger is a great source of information for anyone interested in learning more about business. According to our textbook, the three key issues that corporate strategy deals with are: 1. Directional Strategy – The firm’s overall orientation toward growth, stability, or retrenchment. 2. Portfolio analysis – The industries or markets in which the firm competes through its products and business units. 3. Parenting strategy – The manner in which management coordinates activities and transfers resources and cultivates capabilities among product lines and business units. From the readings, I chose the terms that I found most interesting. The concepts that I chose from my readings are acquisition, joint venture, licensing agreements, long-term contracts, and strategic alliance. After doing extensive research, I came upon recent articles that have helped me to understand the book and help me to incorporate the knowledge that I have gained in this class with the real world. In this paper I fully explain how the terms learned in the textbook relate to recent articles. Abstracts 1. Delphi Automotive closes on FCI unit acquisition, by the Associated Press, Published on Friday October 26, 2012 This article announces the completion of an acquisition deal that was announced in May of 2012 by the company Delphi Automotive. This deal was for the acquisition of FCI motorized vehicles unit, which manufactures auto connection systems. The deal cost Delphi Automotive 765 million euros ($987.5 million). Delphi Automotive has its headquarters in Troy, Michigan. It was saved by the United States Government in 2005. Since then, the company has recuperated; however, it has done so by decreasing its costs, such as, massive layoffs and downsizing its manufacturing business. With this merger, Delphi expects to increase its future earnings gain an approximate $0.24 per share. 2. Clariant AG : Clariant and Wilmar establish Joint Venture for amines and selected amines derivatives, by Thompson Reuters ONE, Published on Friday, October 26, 2012 This article announces the joint ven ture between two well established companies: Clariant Ltd. and Wilmar International Limited. Clariant Ltd. is a specialty Chemicals Company based out of Swtizerland. It is the parent company to over 100 companies worldwide. As of December 2011, the company had an approximate 22,100 employees. Clariant specializes in growing its business by partnering or acquiring a variety of firms that will help the company maintain profitability and create a steady growth. Wilmar International Limited is a leading competitor in the agribusiness field of Asia. The company was formed in 1991 and it is based out of Singapore. Some of Wilmar’s business activities include, oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils. In addition, the article goes into detail of how the companies will both benefit from this joint venture. Further detail will be discussed later in this paper. 3. Hyrax Energy and WARF enter into licensing agreement, by Bret Williams, Published on October 26, 2012. This article explains the licensing agreement deal between Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). This licensing agreement is geared toward finding alternative fuel choices for consumers. Researchers from both Hyrax Energy and WARF have already found new technology that can be used to produce alternative clean fuels and plastic materials. Furthermore, this licensing agreement allows WARF and Hyrax Energy to commercialize the new alternative fuel and generate profits not only domestically but also in the global market in the near future. In addition, the development of this new technology shows that the economy of the United States can be affected positively with the creation of new jobs and also with increased consumer demand for clean biofuels. 4. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Healthways Announce Extension of Contract for Disease Management Services Through 2015, by Business Wire, Published on October 17, 2012 This article is in regards to the extension of a long-term contract between the companies CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield and Healthways. The companies have been working together for a few years and they have been serving about 600,000 members. The extension of this contract signifies that together these two companies are able to partner to offer their clients better healthcare services and preventative disease solutions. CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield has been in business for 75 years and Healthways is a company dedicated to create healthier human beings. It also serves about 40 million customers in four continents. 5. PepsiCo and Suntory Agree to Form Strategic Beverage Alliance in Vietnam, by Pepsi Co., Published on October 22, 2012 This article discusses the strategic alliance formed by PepsiCo and Suntory Holdings Limited. This strategic alliance will help PepsiCo increase its business in Vietnam. Although both companies have both experienced success in this country, their strategic alliance will catapult both companies to new heights. PepsiCo will be in charge of marketing its strong products which include Pepsi-Cola, 7-UP, Sting, Mirinda, Tropicana Twister, Lipton and Aquafina. At the same time, Suntory will be in charge of bringing its ability to successfully meet the demands of its Asian customers. These companies have successfully worked in the past in other countries, such as, the United States, Japan, and New Zealand. PepsiCo has been able to grow in the Vietnamese market since entering it in 1994. For Suntory, it is hoping to achieve one of its long-range plans, which is to expand in to Vietnam. Concepts 1. Acquisition According to Wheelen and Hunger an acquisition is a growth strategy that occurs when a company absorbs another (usually smaller) company as an operating subsidiary or division of the acquiring corporation. Acquisitions usually take place with companies of different sizes and they can be hostile or friendly. Acquisitions can also be a good way to grow into an international market. For example, a domestic company can purchase another company that is already established and operating in a different country. This benefits the purchasing company by reducing the amount of time and money it needs to spend on acquiring documentation to enter into such country. 2. Joint Venture A joint venture is one type of horizontal growth strategy that companies use in order to penetrate international markets. This usually takes place between a domestic company and a foreign corporation. Joint ventures are created when companies wish to combine their resources in order to create new products and/or technologies. Joint ventures can be made among companies or companies with a government agency. By forming a joint venture, companies usually save themselves the possibility of expropriation in a new country by its government. In addition, a joint venture can also help companies penetrate countries that do not allow foreign vendors. (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012) . 3. Licensing agreements A licensing agreement is another growth strategy that companies use in order to increase their profitability. According to Wheelen, under a licensing agreement, the licensing firm grants rights to another firm in the host country to produce and/or sell a certain product. The licensee pays the licensing firm in return for technical expertise. This strategy is particularly beneficial when the licensing company is well-established but lacks the resources to enter a new market in a different country. 4. Long-term contracts According to our textbook, long-term contracts are a type of vertical integration strategy by the formation of agreements between two firms to provide agreed-upon goods and services to each other for a specified period of time. In order to be considered a type of vertical integration, long-term contracts must specify that the contract is mutually exclusive and that neither firm can enter into the same or a similar contract with a third party. 5. Strategic Alliance Long-term cooperative arrangements between two or more independent firms or business units that engage in business activities for mutual economic gain. In order to keep up with the continuing growth and demand from consumers, strategic alliances have become a part of modern business. The length of strategic alliances may vary from a few months to a few years. Although companies benefit mutually from these alliances, conflicts often arise over the companies’ objectives and control issues. This conflict therefore leads for about 50% of strategic alliances to fail in both domestic and international markets (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012). Analysis 1. Acquisition In the article â€Å"Delphi Automotive closes on FCI unit acquisition,† I learned how an actual acquisition takes place in the business world. One company, in this case Delphi Automotive, which is larger than FCI Group, acquired and completely absorbed FCI Group’s motorized vehicle unit. This friendly takeover will allow Delphi to expand its global reach and its ability to make electronic connectors for vehicles. In addition, this acquisition will also help Delphi Automotive increase its earnings per share in the coming year. 2. Joint Venture In the article â€Å"Clariant AG: Clariant and Wilmar establish Joint Venture for amines and selected amines derivatives,† we see an example of a joint venture. From our textbook we have learned that a joint venture is a type of international entry option for horizontal growth of a company. Both Clariant and Wilmar are well established companies. With the formation of this joint venture, they will influence each other with each company’s individual strengths in order to increase their growth opportunites. Furthermore, the benefits that Clariant will bring to the joint venture are: â€Å"its Industrial & Consumer Specialties (ICS) Business Unit’s sales activities of relevant amines and defined derivatives to the joint venture as well as its amines plant in Germany and production output from its amines plant in Brazil.† At the same time, Wilmar will contribute the venture with the use of its plant in China and also the company’s expertise in oleochemicals and renewable raw materials. The article ends by stating the following: â€Å"Due to its strong roots in Asia combined with plans to expand the business globally, Wilmar is an excellent partner for Clariant to support our customer base in all parts of the world†, said Michael Willome, Head of Business Unit ICS. 3. Licensing agreements This article explains that the companies Hyrax Energy and WARF have entered into a licensing agreement. According to our textbook, companies enter into licensing agreements both domestically and internationally. In this case, the licensing agreement is domestically. Hyrax is a company that emerged from Department of Energy funded Great Lakes BioEnergy Research Center (GLBRC) and has now entered into a licensing agreement with Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) (Hyrax Energy, Inc., 2012). Hyrax’s strategy is to be able to use the latest technologies in order to develop alternative biofuels. In addition, Hyrax hopes that the licensing agreement helps it commercialize its biofuels in the United States and with the long term goal of expansion into the global markets. 4. Long-term contracts According to the article â€Å"CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Healthways Announce Extension of Contract for Disease Management Services Through 2015,† the companies mentioned decided to extend their already prosperous long-term contract. This was an agreement previously made by both firms. This allowed them to provide each company’s goods and services to their customers. This way, the companies are successful at reaching more customers and providing better services while reducing their costs. Since the cost of healthcare is rising, the companies are interested in offering preventative solutions in order to minimize future high healthcare costs. Although our book states that recently, companies have moved away from long-term contracts, which is a form of vertical growth strategy, in this case both companies benefit from having contracts since they offer different services to their customers, however, such services complement one another. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield offers health insurance while Healthways offers its consumers preventative ways to stay healthy and thus helps keep the costs minimum for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield . 5. Strategic Alliance In the article, â€Å"PepsiCo and Suntory Agree to Form Strategic Beverage Alliance in Vietnam,† we learn how two successful companies decide to join their resources to form a strategic alliance in order to gain market share and mutual economic gain. This strategic alliance will help PepsiCo build on its current position in the Vietnam market, while utilizing Suntory’s strong brands and recognizable ability to cater to the Asian market. The strategic alliance by these two companies in Vietnam is expected to have a positive effect for both companies and will help them increase their profits. Alone each company is already successful; however, together they expect to grow their business exponentially. Conclusion Research and reading the book have taught me to better understand strategies and different techniques that companies use in order to expand their businesses. Companies are in business to create profits; they do this by thinking outside the box. Through the articles, I learned that a variety of companies in today’s market are constantly searching for ways to succeed. In addition, they must seek new ventures in order to enter both domestic and international markets. Where companies choose to join their competitors in a strategic alliance, or a joint venture, long-term contract, or simply by signing a licensing agreement, these are good options for companies to try in order to succeed in the market and avoid a potential acquisition by their biggest competitor. References Associated Press. (2012, October 26). News. Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/delphi-automotive-closes-fci-unit-123219090.html Business Wire. (2012, October 17). CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Healthways Announce Extension of Contract for Disease Management Services Through 2015. Rock Hill, South Carolina, Unite States. Hyrax Energy, Inc. (2012, October 27). About. Retrieved from Hyrax Energy: http://hyraxenergy.com/ Pepsi Co., I. (2012, October 22). Media – Press Release. Retrieved from Pepsico: http://www.pepsico.com/PressRelease/PepsiCo-and-Suntory-Agree-to-Form-Strategic-Beverage-Alliance-in-Vietnam10222012.html Press Release. (2012, October 26). Clariant AG : Clariant and Wilmar establish Joint Venture for amines and selected amines derivatives. Muttenz, Singapore. Wheelen, T., & Hunger, D. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy Toward Global Sustainability. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Williams, B. (2012, October 26). Alte rnative Energy. Retrieved from Hydrogen Fuel News: http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/hyrax-energy-and-warf-enter-into-licensing-agreement/856496/

Virginia Apgar Biography, Creator of Key Newborn Test

Virginia Apgar Biography, Creator of Key Newborn Test Virginia Agpar  (1909-1974) was a physician, educator, and medical researcher who developed the Apgar Newborn Scoring System, which increased infant survival rates. She famously warned that use of some anesthetics during childbirth negatively affected infants and was a pioneer in anesthesiology, helping to raise the respect for the discipline. As an educator at the March of Dimes, she helped refocus the organization from polio to birth defects. Early Life and Education Virginia Apgar was born in Westfield, New Jersey. Coming from a family of amateur musicians, Apgar played violin and other instruments, and became a skilled musician, performing with the Teaneck Symphony. In 1929, Virginia Apgar graduated from Mount Holyoke College, where she studied zoology and a premed curriculum. During her college years, she supported herself by working as a librarian and waitress. She also played in the orchestra, earned an athletic letter, and wrote for the school paper. In 1933, Virginia Apgar graduated fourth in her class from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and became the fifth woman to hold a surgical internship at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York. In 1935, at the end of the internship, she realized that there were few opportunities for a female surgeon. In the middle of the Great Depression, few male surgeons were finding positions and bias against female surgeons was high. Career Apgar transferred to the relatively new medical field of anesthesiology, and spent 1935-37 as a resident in anesthesiology at Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin, and Bellevue Hospital, New York. In 1937, Virginia Apgar became the 50th physician in the US certified in anesthesiology. In 1938, Apgar was appointed Director of the Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center - the first woman to head a department at that institution. From 1949-1959, Virginia Apgar served as professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. In that position she was also the first female full professor at that University and the first full professor of anesthesiology at any institution. The Agpar Score System In 1949, Virginia Apgar developed the Apgar Score System (presented in 1952 and published in 1953), a simple five-category observation-based assessment of newborn health in the delivery room, which became widely used in the United States and elsewhere. Before the  use of this system, delivery room attention was largely focused on the mothers condition, not the infants, unless the infant was in obvious distress. The Apgar Score looks at five categories, using Apgars name as a mnemonic: Appearance (skin color)Pulse (heart rate)Grimace (reflex irritability)Activity (muscle tone)Respiration (breathing) While researching the systems effectiveness, Apgar noted that cyclopropane as an anesthetic for the mother had a negative effect on the infant, and as a result, its use in labor was discontinued. In 1959, Apgar left Columbia for Johns Hopkins, where she earned a doctorate in public health, and decided to change her career. From 1959-67, Apgar served as head of division of congenital malformations National Foundation - the March of Dimes organization - , which she helped refocus from polio to birth defects. From 1969-72, she was the director of basic research for the National Foundation, a job that included lecturing for public education. From 1965-71, Apgar served on the board of trustees at  Mount Holyoke College. She also served during those years as a lecturer at Cornell University, the first such medical professor in the United States to specialize in birth defects. Personal Life and Legacy In 1972, Virginia Apgar published Is My Baby All Right?, co-written with Joan Beck, which became a popular parenting book. In 1973, Apgar lectured at Johns Hopkins University, and from 1973-74, she was the senior vice president for medical affairs, National Foundation. In 1974, Virginia Apgar died in New York City. She never married, saying I havent found a man who can cook. Apgars hobbies included music (violin, viola, and cello), making musical instruments, flying (after age 50), fishing, photography, gardening, and golf. Awards and Accolades Four honorary degrees (1964-1967)Ralph Walders Medal, American Society of AnesthesiologistsGold Medal of Columbia UniversityWoman of the Year, 1973, Ladies Home JournalAmerican Academy of Pediatrics prize named after  herMount Holyoke College created an academic chair in her name

Marsiglia final essay

Marsiglia final essay Ryan RusaMrs. MarsigliaScifi and fantasy/Period 4May 20, 2013Why an Apocalypse?Why do people feel the need to prepare for an improbable zombie apocalypse? Many apocalyptic/ post-apocalyptic media has influenced us today. People watch too much movies about the apocalypse. They watch doomsday movies, zombie movies, aliens, etc. Some examples include 2012, I am Legend, Walking Dead, Terminator, Judgment day, etc. Does this kind of media have a good or bad influence on us? People need to focus more on preparing for real-life disasters, rather than try to live in a fantasy world. This includes tsunamis, earthquakes, economic depressions, and any other form of disaster that will force you to survive.Apocalyptic movies have affected us both in a good way and a bad way. People always say that the apocalypse is near and come up with a ridiculous date that the world is going to end.Apocalypse?Do you know what has happened on those days that were predicted? Absolutely nothing. When their theori es are proven wrong, they try to convince people with their theories again once another person predicts another day that the world is going to end. There is an article called, 5 people who will be disappointed the world didn't end today, by Luis Prada. There was a man in the article that had apparently built a $14,000 ark to protect him and his family during the apocalypse. All the kids probably laughed at him on December 22, 2012. There was another lady who was completely ridiculous. This woman's name is Nancy Lieder and she is crazy. In 1995, she had introduced the "Planet X Theory." The theory was that a planet was going to sneak up on us and hit Earth, destroying life on Earth. She predicted the world would end in...

Managing Financial and Information Resources Coursework - 1

Managing Financial and Information Resources - Coursework Example Gross profit margin showed an upward trend throughout the period; it increased from 57.76% in 2011 to 63.31% in 2013. This implies that the company earns more cents per dollar of revenue, and this is favourable because more profit is generated to cover non-production costs. Operating profit margin increased in 2012 but decreased in 2013. Even though there is a decrease, the company is still profitable because it is generating enough money from its operations to pay for both variable and fixed costs. In general, the company’s profitability is improving as indicated by the increase in its profitability ratios (Kimmel et al 290). Efficiency ratios indicate how the company is managing its liabilities and using its assets to generate income. Fabrique AÃ ©rospatiale is relatively efficient in its operations. The debtor days increased from 59.33 days to 59.79 days in 2012, and further decreased considerably to 34.31days in 2013. This improvement in debtor days implies that the company’s efficiency in collecting its receivable increased (Kapil, 128). The company is, therefore, very liquid because it takes less time to collect its receivable hence increase in efficiency. Creditor days increased from 91.56 days to 97.5 days but decreased to 78.43 days. This indicates prompt payment to creditors. This reduction implies that the company is trying to take advantage of the discount that the suppliers is offering. Fabrique AÃ ©rospatiale is inefficient in managing its inventory. It has higher values of stock days that is not favourable for the business. Stock days increased from 134.21 days in 2011 to 142.5 day s in 2012 but decreased to 116.14 days in 2013. Even though the decrease is a good indicator, it is very minimal. The company has higher days’ inventory on hand. In terms of liquidity, Fabrique AÃ ©rospatiale is very liquid. Both its acid test ratio and current ratio have values greater that one for all the years. The company is able to meet its near-term

Congressional Oversight & Strategic Intelligence Essay

Congressional Oversight & Strategic Intelligence - Essay Example The Congress approved this procedure to limit Congress’ participation during emergency situations such as the Iran hostage crisis, as a way of establishing operational secrecy. This is to the effect that even when limited advance notification has been cut down, the President must work in consultation with the eight members of the Congress, known as the Gang of Eight. This therefore means that Congress: established operational secrecy in strategic covert action programmes; and must also participate with the President in consultation with him. This consultative and advisory role still abides, even after the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence [HPSCI] replaced the Gang of Eight, under the FY2010 Intelligence Authorisation Act (Cumming, 2011, p. 6). Although Congress lacks the authority to veto direct covert action, yet it, through the Gang of Eight Members has the mandate and responsibility of influencing the time-frame and the modus operandi of a strategic covert action programme. Through its Gang of Eight Members, Congress is also able to control funding for strategic covert actions. Initially, Congress even made annual provisions for covert actions, from the CIA’s Reserve for Contingency Fund. Presently, all it takes for Congress to control funding for covert actions is for the Gang of Eight, two Congressional committee chairmen and ranking members to agree to oppose continued funding for a specific covert action (Hastedt, 2012, p. 2). On a personal standpoint, the system is effective since it allows Congress to: play advisory roles [and thereby warding off the excesses of the executive]; [and] while also paving way for emergency situations, as is provided for by the US Law. What reforms should be made to strike the delicate balance between the executive and the Congress, so as to facilitate and give accurate meaning to strategic covert action [if the imbalance is fundamental breach to the US

J.K Rowling's Harry Potter Series Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

J.K Rowling's Harry Potter Series - Essay Example (What is a Literary Canon) The past decade witnessed some classic works from different writers but none got as much appreciation as the J.K Rowling who could undoubtedly be called as the queen of children literature of the present era. Starting her career in 1997 from her first book 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone' which was well appreciated by the global audiences, she quickly rose to a figurehead among the children and elders alike. Despite her huge achievements in such a less time, she is not recognized as a part of the literary canon. In this paper we would discuss why J.K Rowling should be included in the literary canon. Many of the critics argue that Rowling's books run along the same theme as many of the previously published children books. Like Dickens's Pip and Bronte's Jane, Harry begins his life as an orphan and a normal boy who is a subject of taunts and snide comments from his relatives. Like almost all its preceding children books, Harry Potter is punctuated with social concerns with a touch of personal feelings, emotions of passion, selfishness, selflessness, petty misunderstanding, love, anger and vindictiveness. However Rowling has done something with Harry Potter which no other writer has previously done which has what earned Harry a place unlike that of his fellow epic heroes. Her sense of writing is what has earned Harry its current place. Rowling has described characters in an interesting way, describing enough to give true idea of the characters while leaving enough to arouse curiosity in the readers. Her description of scenes and their interaction with the plot acts like a key in a lock- perfectly matched. Through her characters and story, she has got her readers engaged in the fascinating web of the story. Therefore even though her storyline is similar to many other children stories, her way of expression and writing gives her a level far above the other writers, making her a worthy candidate for the literary canon. (Nye) A point which is often raised against Rowling's admission into the literary canon is actually a point in her favor. Many say that Rowling's story is not unique as it runs on the same theme of magic, wand lore, wizards, witches, elves, giants, goblins, unicorns and fairies. Rowling makes this simple repetitive theme wonderful and appealing through the magic of her writing. Rowling combines all these magical elements into an extensive tale of a teenage boy. The Harry Potter saga could be seen as a product of every child's dreams and nightmares which is the reason why it gained such an appreciation. Like all other books which runs on the theme of magic, apparently Rowling's 'Harry Potter' too seems outlandish and out of the world but the story is intimately linked with the human elements which does not alienate the readers. This representation of human experience combined with a magical theme is one of the best qualities of her writing. Obvious examples include Arithmancy which could be called as Mathematics, Potions as a counterpart of Chemistry, Healers are actually doctors while the Policemen as Aurors. Even the wizard sport Quidditch could actually be seen as aerial football. These human elements separate Rowling's work from other stories and earn her book a place in the hearts of its readers. (Harry Potter and the

The Distortions in Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Distortions in Global Warming - Essay Example The Distortions in Global Warming According to Spencer Weart (2003), there are scientists who claim that there had been no real global warming trend at all, that the statistics of record-breaking heat since 1970s were illusory. (p. 165) For instance, according to him, expert groups somehow failed to properly account for the well-known effects of urbanization in the temperature fluctuation when they compiled weather statistics. Furthermore, Weart argued that leading climate modelers, those who simulate the earth’s climate and atmosphere, have admitted that there were discrepancies on the tools and methods used and, hence, the results of their procedure. For example, â€Å"their models typically had a strong sensitivity to greenhouse gases, predicting roughly 3 degrees Celsius of global warming for a doubling of CO2†¦ For the known increase of greenhouse gases over the twentieth century, the models calculated a one-degree rise, but the temperature actually recorded had risen half a degree. Another galling problem was that different models gave different predictions for just how global warming would affect a given locality.† (p. 165) Global warming is an exaggerated issue. It is predictably blown out of proportion by the political and professional climate in which it evolved. As previously mentioned, elsewhere in this paper, the prevention of the warming of the earth’s atmosphere is a valid issue. But the propensity of the global warming hype makes a fool out of people and becomes an open entry for political, economic and even media exploitation.

Communication and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication and Society - Essay Example Crucial to these claims is the position that communication could refer to the most common and the most mundane. This is Carey's way of using the cultural approach to defining and explaining what communication is. This is the case in the sense that human daily activities collectively constitute the meanings and the reality that we perceive. The Mobile Texting Phenomenon To demonstrate Carey’s position, there is the case of the use of short messaging system (SMS) in mobile phones. If one examines how people communicate through this platform closely, one will find a uniquely different lexicon employed. "How are you?" becomes "hw r u?" or "You are late." becomes "u r l8". Words are radically shortened by redacting words or substituting figures to represent sounds in order to accommodate the restrictions posed by the messaging service. Cell phones usually allow only 160 characters per message. According to Lindholm, Keinonen and Kiljander (2003), â€Å"in advanced phone markets, a s in Scandinavia, Germany, or the Philippines, a whole new culture has been born around text messages as a response to the limitations 160 characters impose.† (p115) This is in addition to other variables like the way the messaging application and interface are designed and the way people interact with it. An excellent example to demonstrate the above points is the use of the so-called "emoticons", symbols that convey emotions. For instance, there is the case of the smiley, :-) an emoticon used to express how pleased one is, or an agreement or a greeting depending on the context of the conversation. The resulting communication process and symbols start to create a reality for people that eventually form collectivities that emerge as social, cultural, and even political forces and even institutions. The severely shortened language, for one, has triggered an attitude among people today to prefer simple, fast and mobile way of doing things. Blogs or online journals became popular way back but it never achieved the degree of wide usage that Twitter has achieved today. Dubbed as a micro blogging platform, Twitter lets users use its service to publish details about people's daily lives in short, concise and uncomplicated manner, not unlike the way people would "SMS" or "text" others. This is in contrast to the way users are required to publish elaborate and detailed messages in traditional blogs like Blogger or Wordpress. The implication of this development in the context of communication and the manner by which it could shape reality is the way it affects behaviors. People become increasingly impatient with details and this is reflected in the way they conduct their affairs and what they expect from their interactions with others. The significance of the SMS phenomenon can also be described from a critical point of view. For example, Patajo-Legasto (2010) argued that mobile phones stifle literacy and young people’s ability to communicate in the real wo rld in real time by â€Å"wrecking havoc on spelling and grammar, and its erosion, in tandem with mindless computer games and Internet chat rooms.† (p410) Several other problems and criticisms were outlined. For instance, Clark and Brody stated: Part of the anxiety surrounding texting arises from its perceived tendency to disrupt protocols of recognition and

ECON200 PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ECON200 PAPER - Essay Example In this regard, the article shows the existence of a barter economy or the existence of an exchange economy. The article represents the P.O.W economy as an alternative for the Robinson Crusoe economy. In the article, cigarettes are chosen to be the medium of exchange. In other words, cigarettes perform the function of metallic currency in the P.O.W economy. The importance of the article lies in the fact that the standard of living of an individual can be enhanced through a mode of exchange. (Radford)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article â€Å"The Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines’ by Radford’ lays emphasis on the existence of barter system and the importance of an exchange economy in enhancing the welfare of the economy. The barter system provides the base of exchange. In earlier days when money was not invented, people would still trade among themselves using a standard form of currency as a substitute of money. Rice used to be a medium of exchange. For example, if anyone were in need of milk, then he would obtain one liter of milk from another person in exchange of rice. That is the person who needed milk, would give one quintal of rice to the person from whom he would obtain milk. In this way, trade used to take place in earlier days. However, there was a problem with this system. The problem is regarding the mode of exchange. In the above example, the person who was in need of milk may not always find a person who wo uld be ready to give milk in exchange of rice from him. In such a situation, the concept of using a commodity, say, rice, wheat, milk etc. as a medium of exchange fails. These problems soon lead to the invention of money. Thus, the process of exchange became faster and easier and enhanced the living standards of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade is beneficial because of comparative advantages in production. David Ricardo proposed the theory of comparative advantage. The theory states that an economy should produce

The Distortions in Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Distortions in Global Warming - Essay Example The Distortions in Global Warming According to Spencer Weart (2003), there are scientists who claim that there had been no real global warming trend at all, that the statistics of record-breaking heat since 1970s were illusory. (p. 165) For instance, according to him, expert groups somehow failed to properly account for the well-known effects of urbanization in the temperature fluctuation when they compiled weather statistics. Furthermore, Weart argued that leading climate modelers, those who simulate the earth’s climate and atmosphere, have admitted that there were discrepancies on the tools and methods used and, hence, the results of their procedure. For example, â€Å"their models typically had a strong sensitivity to greenhouse gases, predicting roughly 3 degrees Celsius of global warming for a doubling of CO2†¦ For the known increase of greenhouse gases over the twentieth century, the models calculated a one-degree rise, but the temperature actually recorded had risen half a degree. Another galling problem was that different models gave different predictions for just how global warming would affect a given locality.† (p. 165) Global warming is an exaggerated issue. It is predictably blown out of proportion by the political and professional climate in which it evolved. As previously mentioned, elsewhere in this paper, the prevention of the warming of the earth’s atmosphere is a valid issue. But the propensity of the global warming hype makes a fool out of people and becomes an open entry for political, economic and even media exploitation.

ECON200 PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ECON200 PAPER - Essay Example In this regard, the article shows the existence of a barter economy or the existence of an exchange economy. The article represents the P.O.W economy as an alternative for the Robinson Crusoe economy. In the article, cigarettes are chosen to be the medium of exchange. In other words, cigarettes perform the function of metallic currency in the P.O.W economy. The importance of the article lies in the fact that the standard of living of an individual can be enhanced through a mode of exchange. (Radford)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article â€Å"The Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines’ by Radford’ lays emphasis on the existence of barter system and the importance of an exchange economy in enhancing the welfare of the economy. The barter system provides the base of exchange. In earlier days when money was not invented, people would still trade among themselves using a standard form of currency as a substitute of money. Rice used to be a medium of exchange. For example, if anyone were in need of milk, then he would obtain one liter of milk from another person in exchange of rice. That is the person who needed milk, would give one quintal of rice to the person from whom he would obtain milk. In this way, trade used to take place in earlier days. However, there was a problem with this system. The problem is regarding the mode of exchange. In the above example, the person who was in need of milk may not always find a person who wo uld be ready to give milk in exchange of rice from him. In such a situation, the concept of using a commodity, say, rice, wheat, milk etc. as a medium of exchange fails. These problems soon lead to the invention of money. Thus, the process of exchange became faster and easier and enhanced the living standards of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade is beneficial because of comparative advantages in production. David Ricardo proposed the theory of comparative advantage. The theory states that an economy should produce

Southwest Airlines Essay Example for Free

Southwest Airlines Essay Marketing is a vital part of any business and is an integral component of selling any product. Whether the business is a small mom and pop operation or a world leader, marketing is a part of the business. Because there are many ways to fulfill the needs of the customer, a straight-forward approach is to consider the four Ps of the marketing mix. This paper will examine the marketing mix and give examples of the marketing mix as it pertains to Southwest Airlines. The four elements of the marketing mix are product, place, promotion and price. Product is the good or service sold to satisfy a customers needs. Place involves all of the decisions required to make the product or service available in the target market, or customers, place. Promotion is the process of informing the target market of the product. Finally, the fourth element of the marketing mix is price. Price setting includes components such as analysis of price setting by the competition as well as analysis regarding acceptance or rejection of prices by the identified market (McCarthy and Perreault, 2002, pp. 48 50). The United States airline industry is very competitive. Following the attacks on September 11th, there have been several airlines that have gone out of business or have filed bankruptcy. Southwest Airlines has been able to stay in business and out of bankruptcy. Southwest Airlines is the only major airline to be profitable for the past 20 years (McCarthy and Perreault, 2004, p. 7). This is in part to their marketing department. Southwest Airlines is an airline with a creative marketing department. The airline industry in the United States has seen many changes of the years. In the early days of air travel, only the wealthy could afford to fly. Flying to a destination was a luxury and not a part of everyday life. Today there is a wide variety of airlines and appeals to a wide variety of consumers. Southwest Airlines distinguishes its products and services from the competition through its marketing campaigns. The Dallas-based airline carved its niche in short-haul flights with low prices, reliable service, and a healthy sense of humor (Armstrong, G Kotler, P., 2005, p.318). This humor is a major theme in the marketing campaign. Southwest distinguishes  itself as a fun airline, known for humorous in-flight commentary from pilots and cabin crew members (Armstrong, G Kotler, P., 2005, p.318). Southwest has brought the place aspect of the marketing mix to all consumers. The place aspect of the marketing mix is where and when to deliver the product. Southwest Airlines uses various avenues for this. One area is providing an 800 number for the consumer to check pricing and availability. Another avenue used is the internet. Southwest Airlines has won several awards for their internet site. The internet site allows the consumer to visit Southwest from anywhere there is an internet connection. So, if you are at the library, office, internet cafà ©, or on a portable device such as a Blackberry, Southwest is there. Southwest has become known as a low cost airline. Through research, Southwest found there is a need for a low cost, no frills airline. Price was important to the consumer when choosing an airline. A poll taken by Airliners.net surveyed, 31% ranked ticket cost as the most important factor when choosing an airline (Airliners, 2006). For the price element of the marketing mix to work, Southwest streamlined its operations. By lowering their costs, Southwest can offer lower fares than their competition. For example, Southwest used one type of aircraft, Boeing 737s, all equipped with the same flight instruments. By doing so, Southwest saves time and money in training their employees on only one type of equipment. Management can substitute aircraft, reschedule flight crews, or transfer mechanics quickly. The tactic also saves money through lower spare-parts inventories and better deals when acquiring new planes (Kotler Keller, 2006, p. 427). The final P of the marketing mix is promotion. Southwest promotes its services is a variety of methods. Television commercials air during highly viewed hours such as sporting events or popular television shows. These commercials usually have a humorous tone as well as information on the latest special. Southwest latest marketing tool is named Ding. Ding is a computer program which allows the consumer to be notified of specials.  Notifications of the specials occur at various times of the day and may occur multiple times per day. The icon for this is a tail of a Southwest plane and appears in the system tray (lower right hand corner of a computer screen). When the specials arrive the icon changes to a piece of mail over the tail section of the plane and a sound occurs. The sound is the Ding tone heard in the Southwest television commercials and in the cabin of the airplane. The consumer can click on the icon to launch the software. The screen appears with the details of the latest special. These specials are market specific and are focused on time availability. The public relations for Southwest speak to the character of the company. Southwest sponsors various charitable events and the employees, including the CEO, volunteer for various events. The charity work Southwest does also aids in the promotion of the company. The consumer may feel the company is good because of its social responsibility. The four elements relate to an organizations marketing strategy. Marketing is just one element of an organizations overall business plan. By understanding the product which the organization is producing, the company will be able to determine materials needed, staffing needed to produce the product, and establish the cost to produce the product. Marketing should not take over production, accounting, and finance of an organization. Marketing should be included in these functions to aid in direction and coordination. Understanding the cost of the product will allow the organization to price the product. The price of the product may vary. The reason for the varying in price is based on the customer perceived value of the product. A product with a higher price tag is generally perceived as a better quality product, while the inverse is also true. An organization should price a product at the point which will benefit the organization best. Marketing is an important element for any business. By analyzing the four Ps of product, price, place, and promotion, an organization can have a successful marketing campaign. Whether the business is a small mom and pop organization or a major corporation such as Southwest Airlines, marketing can play an important role in its success. Understanding the marketing mix will put an organization on the road towards this success. References: Airliners. (2006). Passenger Survey. Retreived March 9, 2006 from http://www.airliners.net. Armstrong, G Kotler, P. Marketing: An Introduction, Seventh Edition. (2005). New York: Prentice Hall. Kotler, P Keller, K. Marketing Management, Twelfth Edition. (2006). New York: Prentice Hall. McCarthy, E.J. Perreault, W.D. Basic Marketing: A Global Managerial Approach. (2002). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. McCarthy, E.J. Perreault, W.D. Marketing: Principles and Perspectives, Fourth Edition. (2004). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies

Cold Chain Prospects in India

Cold Chain Prospects in India A cold storage chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. An unbroken cold chain is an uninterrupted series of warehouse and distribution activities which maintain a given temperature range. It is used to help lengthen and make sure the shelf life of products such as marine products, frozen, fresh agricultural produce, photographic film, pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals. The chain needs to begin at the production/farm level (e.g. harvest methods, preprocessing, Pre-cooling) and cover up to the consumer level or at least to the retail level. A well managed cold chain reduces spoilage, retains the quality of the perishable products and guarantees a cost efficient delivery to the consumer given adequate attention for customer service. The main characteristic of the chain is that if any of the links is missing or is weak, the whole system fails. The Cold chain logistics and supply chain management systems infrastructure generally consists of: Pre-cooling facilities Refrigerated Carrier Cold Storages Warehousing Packaging Information Management systems (Traceability and Tracking etc.) Fig: Outline of a typical Cold Chain Some Snaps of cold storagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Global Situation Analysis Today shippers of perishable products face an array of challenges in getting their products to market in the most efficient and cost effective manner, but lack of capacity in the logistics and warehouse service industry isnt one of them. The need for temperature controlled storage systems for storing both food and non food is increasing in many traditional and emerging markets worldwide. The producers and retailers are moving to emerging markets like Latin America and Asia, along with the changing preferences and tastes of customers in older market places, is having a strong impact on the logistics industry. This has led to high levels of investment by logistics companies and their associated suppliers as they have: They have gone for acquisition or entered into alliance with local companies for getting access to these markets They have established cold storage enabled operations in the areas to serve the growth in affluence of local consumers Simultaneously, demand for perishable products from these emerging markets is increasing, with a higher level of both perishable food and non food products being transported to the more traditional western markets of the US and Europe. This is causing problem on the already jam-packed shipping routes .Increasing volumes are leading to congestion issues at major ports of the world. Cold chain industry is showing tremendous increase in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil. Total capacity for these countries for 2008 is 6,350.32 million cubic feet (179.82 million cubic meters).The industry is growing globally at approximately 15 percent (IARW Report 2009).The growth rate for China and India are higher compared to global average. Both have almost doubled their capacity in last ten years A phenomenal transformation is currently occurring that may significantly affect a multi-billion dollar global cold chain industry. The projected annual wastage of perishable products worldwide is 35 billion dollars. There are enormous opportunities for companies to distinguish themselves in the market place through effectively leveraging the upcoming technologies that improve logistics and supply chains. Most agribusinesses and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies are not just considering process improvements of their logistics and supply chains but they are investing in and overhauling the entire business model and strategies to survive in the continuously changing competitive environment. Especially for manufacturing and retailing companies handling temperature sensitive food and non food products, the substantial challenges may be emphasized by the additional cold-chain logistics involved with effectively preserving and handling these products. Other converging and substantial problems such as fierce competition, strict government regulations and global standards for product identification, security, and tagging; and the need for enhanced traceability to improve quality and operations are influencing important transformation in the Retail and CPG industry. The implications of resisting these changes and other related upcoming challenges are potentially lost delivery channels and a weakened competitive position. By allowing information computing power available anywhere and anytime, companies can more quickly adjust to these challenges and the continuously changing external environment. Apart from this, they can considerably improve what they deliver, how they operate, and potentially their profitability. Indian Situation Analysis The Indian cold chain industry is very large and estimated to be around Rs 10,000 to 15,000crore, which is growing at a rate of about 20-25 percent and is expected to touch Rs 40,000crore by 2015.It was about a century ago this Industry came into existence. In India majority of cold storage facilities are under-utilized or completely unused for most of the year. There is a large gap of around 60% in cold storage infrastructure and 80% in mobile cold storage facilities like refrigerated trucks and rail wagons. By the year 2012, the cold chain industry expects to see a huge capacity addition as there is an expected increase in the cold storage investment. Current status of cold storages in India: The cold storage infrastructure in India was built way back in 1960s mainly for potatoes and potato seeds and even the investments in cold storage were very less during that time. Nationwide provider of cold storage facilities is nonexistent at that time. The number of cold storages in India is about 5316 and the total capacity is around 23333694 mTs. The number of Private sector cold storages in India account for 4820 with a capacity of 222343607mTs, cooperative sector 363 numbers with 989445 mTs, Public sector account for 133 numbers with a capacity of 100642 mTs. The existent cold storage facilities mainly serve the potato products. There is a lack of facilities such as cold storage vegetable, cold storage fruits, cold storage tamarind, cold storage fish, cold storage meat, and cold storage milk and dairy products.. Cold storage services are available for only 10% of the produce. In India Transportation of fruit and vegetables through cold chain is almost negligible, whereas in US it is around 80-85% in the US and for Thailand it is around 30-40%. In India, due to the current inefficiencies in the supply chain around Rs 1 lakh crore worth of fruits and vegetables are wasted every year. Cold chain in India -Reality: Modern Post Harvest Management is non existent Lack of World Class Integrated Cold Supply Chain Across the Country and also Isolated Stores without Logistics Support Using Services of Cold Stores with Archaic Storage Technology The cold storage facilities are used mainly for low value products like potatoes The present cold storage facilities lead to Loss of quality and hence value of the perishables The duration time for storage largely influenced by the market imbalances India cold chains potential and opportunities: India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world which contributes for about 10% of the total fruit production in the world. India is the largest producer of fruits (32mT anually) in the world, which is about 8 per cent of the global production; India is also the second largest producer of vegetables in the world (first being China), producing around 71 mT anually, which is about 15% share in the world market. The key area in India is Food processing and it processes about 1.3% of its total fruits and vegetable where as it is 80% in USA, 70% in France, 80% in Malaysia and 30% in Thailand. To become a top exporter and processor of fruits and vegetables, India needs a high quality cold chain. Due to lack of cold storage facilities and energy infrastructure about 40 percent of the fruits and vegetables grown in India (40 mT worth $13 billion) gets wasted every year, which is huge enough to feed countries like Brazil and Vietnam. The reason for this huge wastage is the wide gaps that are existing in the cold chain and there is no well equipped cold chain for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. The Infrastructure for Cold chain is not existing for the produced capacities and same is the case with storage, also these close storage facilities are not available close to the farms, in addition to these the transportation (temperature controlled) is also inefficient. So it is important to establish world class cold storage logistics, which play a crucial role in reducing the global foods shortage by eliminating wastages, which would provide us enough scope to feed many parts of the world. The major initiatives which government of India has taken to improve this sector are Allowing 100% Foreign direct Investment Provided full excise duty exemption on cold chain refrigeration equipment (consisting of compressor, condenser units, evaporator), which reduced the costs substantially by around 16%. These policy initiatives taken by the government have signalled the existing cold chain majors in India to setup their own back-end logistics. Existing Players in India The Leading Cold chain companies in India with established cold chain infrastructure are as follows: Container Corporation of India (Concor), Indraprastha Cold Chain, Glacio Cold Chain. Bulaki Deep Freeze Snowman Refcon Carriers Kausar Gatia Gateway Distiparks R.K. Foodland Adani Group Future Group Bharti ITC Reliance Godrej Tata Cochin. Mumbai, Delhi International airports Aditya Birla Group Apollo Everest kool Solutions The existing players are taking major steps in expanding their capacities, which are as follows: Snowman and Kausar, two major names in the cold chain Industry have been bought over. Gatia ,a logistics company in Hyderabad acquired Kausar India, Gateway Distiparks, the Transportation logistics major acquired a controlling stake in Snowman Frozen Foods.The Future Group has carried backward integration, from food retailing to storage and transportation; with the launch of Future Logistics. Ahmadabad based Adani Group revamped its cold chain logistics facilities recently. Major players like Bharti, ITC, Reliance, Aditya Birla Group, Bharti the Godrejs, the Tatas and the Future Group has announced billion dollar investments which offer a ready market for third-party cold chain logistics players. Apart from the Global giants and the Indian corporate the airport infrastructure companies and the railways are also planning to build refrigerated warehouses and perishable products cargo centres across the country in capture the share in the booming retail sector. The major airports like Cochin International Airport, Mumbai International Airport, Delhi International Airport and Greenfield international airport projects such as Bangalore and Hyderabad are also setting up refrigerated warehouses for perishable cargoes next to the airports and started to tap the cold chain market. Cochin International Airport is building a state-of-the-art centre for perishable cargo, which can handle about 40,000 million tonnes perishable cargo annually and which would help the farmers of the state who are cultivating such products.Apollo Everest Kool Solutions, which is a joint venture of Spire Group and Apollo has plans to set up at least 15 temperature-controlled warehouses in India. The other major companies showing interest in cold chain market in India include Snowman Frozen Foods (sold out), a joint venture between, Nichirei Logistics Group, Mitsubishi Corp Gateway Distiparks. Fresh and Healthy Enterprises has set up a 100 per cent subsidiary for cold ch ain logistics with an initial capacity of 12,000 tonnes at Rai in Sonepat, Haryana and has further plans to expand it to over a dozen cold storages in the near future, Apollo-Everest Cool Solutions a joint venture formed by the Delhi-based Apollo Tyres and the Spire Group of Canada have plans to construct 15 temperature-controlled warehouses in India with an investment of $250 million; Adani Agrifresh one of the Top retail chain sold its retail business to start a cold storage supply chain for fruits and vegetables in over a dozen top cities of the country. Cold Chains in Different Industries Special features of Indian Cold chain market for important product segments are given in the table below. Product Characteristics Potato Amounts upto 90% of existing cold storage capacity Chocolate High outsourcing demand. Seasonal-Large variation in peak and non-peak demand. No dominant player among service providers Poultry All the market is captured by Snowman and RK Food-both pan India players Fruits Vegetables Predictable, Stable and High demand throughout the year. No dominant player in the market. Market dominated by Domestic players. More than 60% demand met by small/ local/regional players Dairy products (Butter Cheese) High demand throughout the year. Major players not very active Significant share of small players Ice Cream -Seasonal High demand in peak season High growth 35% demand shared by small players The major products are Potato, apple which contributes Rs 16050 million to the cold chain market. Other products are: Segment Value(Million) Imported Fresh Fruits Vegetables 1.67 Exports By sea (Seafood, Meat, Poultry, Fruits Vegetables) 46 Chocolate Industry 2 Dairy Industry 2.67 Meat Poultry (domestic) 1.33 Ice-cream Industry 4.9 Processed potato 4.45 Emerging segments (flavoured milk/yoghurt) 13.33 Cool Chain Transportation 40 Source: Global AgriSystem Ltd Cold Chain in Pharmaceutical Industry In the pharmaceutical supply chain, the chain members have different requirements to meet for material handling, warehousing, storing, packaging and distributing the pharmaceutical products which are sensitive to the environment. The ideal pharmaceutical cold chain should be capable of dealing with changing product portfolios, the requirements for Good Storage and Distribution Practices, current regulatory trends, quality management, risk assessment factors, and temperature monitoring. Pharmaceutical cold chain trends: Manufacturers are being held responsible for any defects in the product in cold chain management. E.g. determining, maintaining and monitoring temperature levels during shipment. The management and control of environmental factors across the supply chain is being given greater emphasis. E.g. Vacuum packaging , Transportation choices in cold chain, etc. Temperature control and monitoring is being employed to reduce the risks and increase efficiency. 36% of all major and critical defects registered by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency during 2003/2004 were related to the control and monitoring of storage and transportation temperatures. Heightened priority of patient safety due to the presence of multiple uncontrolled variables in the distribution process, developing an appropriate temperature and humidity monitoring program is essential to protect the quality of environmentally sensitive pharmaceutical product and ensure patient safety. Increased Importance of the Pharmaceutical Cold Chain In 2003, out of the $400 billion products, 10% were biopharmaceuticals. The biopharmaceutical markets compound annual growth rate(CAGR) was 21% which was notably more than the roughly 11% CAGR of the traditional pharmaceutical market in the period 1999 to 2003The biopharmaceuticals are highly sensitive to temperature. This increases the importance of the pharmaceutical cold chain. The standard procedures normally followed in the cold chain are: Information of shipping configuration and the type of packaging used, should be declared. In the labeling part, the storage rules and particular precaution that should be taken should be included. Mode of transportation should be approved by respective authorities. The finished products in the shipment are verified to check any tampering or damaging of the containers. The manufacturer should obtain the evidence that the requirements for shipping e.g. temperature control have been fulfilled. Some important aspects of Pharmaceutical cold chain are: Some leading logistics companies and carriers which have sophisticated infrastructure e.g. electronic tracking, online export documentation provide can assists the shipping party. In cold chain, the use of refrigerated warehouses, refrigerator trucks, refrigerated containers, refrigerated ships and refrigerator cars is common. Another important facility required is the insulated shipping containers or other specialized packaging. The role of Temperature data loggers and RFID tags is to help monitor the temperature history of the warehouse or truck etc. and also the temperature history of the product being shipped. They also help in determination of the remaining shelf life of product. The key part is documentation. There are set of rules for each step in the chain to maintain proper records. Incomplete or Inaccurate paperwork in customs can lead to delays. So all the established protocols should be followed e.g. number of copies and other information details. Quality Management Process (QMP) and Risk Assessment Process (RAP) Factors to be considered for the QMP may include but are not limited to the: Organization, roles and responsibilities, process, trained resources, implementation plan, compliance change control, on-time delivery of right product, quality metrics, continuous enhancements, and monitoring customer satisfaction. Areas to be assessed in RAP include: Compliance with regulations, guidances and quality standards product profile, physical and chemical stability environment (temperature Mapping, temperature control, temperature and humidity monitoring), mode of transportation (ground, air, sea), shipment destination (domestic, export), package (primary and secondary), people (standard operating procedure, training, communication, documentation, recognizing, addressing, correcting adverse events, and change controls). TMS- Temperature Monitoring System The determining factor of a temperature monitoring system (chemical, mechanical or electronic) is the amount of information required. Generally the temperature monitor equipment is the main part of the Cold chain system. If the suppliers are having the infrastructure for high quality checks, the firm may use more complex, precise and sophisticated temperature data loggers which provide all the relevant information in prescribed format. The data includes record of temperature and humidity including time and date as well as specific identification. All equipment used for recording, monitoring and maintaining temperature and humidity conditions should initially be validated and thereafter calibrated on a regular basis. The certifications are provided by the leading suppliers in the industry indicating the grades about the quality required for the monitoring. Cold Chain in Floriculture Industry Flowers are perishable in nature. It is observed that small temperature differences can bring about very significant flower quality changes. There is a negative effect on the useful life of the flowers with the increase in temperature in transportation. It is further affected by increase in the duration for which the flowers were exposed to such high temperature. In India, due to inadequate cold-chain management, the postharvest losses are very high. The estimated losses are 40%, depending upon the commodity at various stages. Flowers should be cooled to temperature ranging in 330 F to 410 F without any delay. Higher temperatures not only reduce the useful-life but also increase the respiration-rate. It is found that the respiration of cut flowers increased exponentially with increase in storage temperature. Proper cold-chain management of flowers improves the flowers marketability. Cold storage enables quality stems to be held for longer periods before sale and ensures that the flow ers still have a good shelf life(called as vase life ) when they reach the market-place. Cold Chain in Dairy Industry: Amul Case Study Life cycles of various product lines of Amul are different, for example products like milk, lassi and flavored milk needs to be refrigerated from procurement, processing to end distribution stage. Milk is procured from regional cooperative societies or contract procurers. Pasteurization, refrigeration and packaging are done in regional centers itself. These centers are fully owned by Amul in some places and outsourced in other places. Thirty to forty SKUs of packaged milk, flavored milk and other similar products are supplied in plastic crates filled with ice for end mile distribution to the nearest market i.e. different parts of cities, suburbs and even to rural areas. Since crates are small loading and unloading is done manually, so it does not require complex equipments. Empty crates are brought back as a part of Reverse Logistics for next day dispatching of milk. For ice creams, Srikhand, Butter and other such products High-Tech refrigerated transportation system is used. Amul is first mover in India for tetra packed milk products. It sells these under the brands Amul Sakthi and Nutramul. It has also introduced products like cold coffe, butter milk and Lassi in tetra packs. These have a life span of six months to one year. These do not require cold storage facilities and delivered in corrugated boxes in combination with stretched plastic. Amul has the largest cold storage network in India (more than 18000 facilities). Challenges Issues Cold storage industry is facing following challenges 1. Lack of Uniform Technology standards: There is lack of uniform electronic and bar code standards. International standards vary widely, and domestic standards are almost as disparate, creating unnecessary paperwork and profit-eating delays. 2. Consolidation: The trend toward consolidation sprung from the growing tendency for warehouses to act as shipping venues, as well as the entry into the market by warehouse holders. Though consolidation spurred overall industry growth, smaller warehouses have struggled to compete with larger industry players. 3. Capital Investment and Technology: The cold chain Storage and logistics is a capital-intensive industry (investment for refrigeration equipments and real estate) with a large capacity cold storage chain has a high payback period of around five years.    4. Incumbency advantages independent of size: Existing players like Snowman have built expertise by operating in this industry for longer periods in time use imported hi-tech equipment, which new entrants find difficult. 5. Economies of scales: It is a largely untapped, fragmented full of unorganized small size players. No player has achieved economies of scale and thus a new a new entrant with deep pockets can enter this industry and still be at a major cost advantage. 6. Human Capital and Domain Skills: It requires skilled human resources for operating and controlling the cold storage facilities. Lack of technically qualified employees is also one of the hindering factors for Indian cold storage industry. 7. Lack of logistical Support: Small land holdings remain a challenge because it requires multiple farm gate collection centers. Also Fragmented cold chain industry has not encouraged the growth of cold logistics for horticulture produce. Standard refrigerated systems are inefficient and poorly designed. Also, domestic market for fresh perishable produce is underdeveloped. 8. Uneven Distribution of cold stores: Available capacity is mostly focused on single commodities. Problem of financial viability is also their due to seasonality. Other pertinent issues are 1. Erratic power supply 2. High operational costs and low yield models. 3. High insurance/ Risk coverage premiums. 4. Large gap in demand supply conducive to small unorganized service providers. 5. Government tax and commercial regulations. Role of Government Government policy acts as a catalyst in this industry. Following are the salient features of Government policies for cold storage sector: 1. Encourages Investments Agri food is identified as priority sector. 2. Encourages organized sector- ECB route opened, Import duty relaxed. 3. Liberalizes Marketing Norms- Focus on increased retail, improved supply chain. 4. Rationalizes Tax Laws- Moving towards uniform VAT/GST. 5. Provides Grants and subsidies- VG funding, Grants, Infrastructure status 6. Eases foreign investment- 100% FDI in food sector. ECB for cold chain. Government of India Initiatives 1. Excised waved on FV, meat preparations, ice-cream, other RTE food mixes. 2. Automatic approval for 100% foreign equity in processed food items. External commercial borrowing opened (except in beer, alcohol etc.) 3. Priority lending status; Duties reduced on imports; Zero service tax on installations. 4. EOI floated for 30 mega food parks- allocated US $ 1.02 billion by 2012. Objective of the scheme is to provide backward and forward linkages as well develop reliable and sustainable supply chain. 5. GOI initiating National Highway Development Program and partnering with Indian railways to establish cold chain infrastructure. Indian railway is planning to invite private parties to run refrigerated container trains for transporting agricultural products across the country. 6. Integrated food law(FSSA) notified and ready for implementation. 7. Task force on Development of cold chain established and national centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD). In Budget 2011- Cold chain Industry Industries like fertilizer and cold-storage chains will benefit, with capital investment in fertilizer being treated as infrastructure investment. Hyderabad based express distribution and supply chain solutions provider Gati logistics has said the endowment of infrastructure status to cold-storage chains logistics in the Budget will help in realizing its plans to build cold storage units across the country. Gati is setting up 10 cold storage plants across the India at an investment of about Rs 200 crore in the coming four years.

The Destruction of the American Dream in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main theme is most directly related to the American Dream. The American Dream is based on the idea that any person, no matter who they are, can become successful in life by working hard. The Great Gatsby is about what happened to the American Dream during the 1920's, an era when the dream had been corrupted by the relentless pursuit of wealth. The pursuit of the American Dream is the ultimate cause of the downfall of the main character, Jay Gatsby. Throughout the story, Jay Gatsby avoids telling the truth of his hard, ordinary childhood. He does this to keep his image and to save himself from the embarrassment of being in a state of poverty during his youth. His parents were unsuccessful people who worked on the farm, and because of this Gatsby never really accepted them as his parents. Jay Gatsby?s real name is Jay Gatz and he is from North Dakota. He changed his name to Jay Gatsby when he was seventeen years old, which was the beginning of his version of the American Dream. In all realities Gatsby arose from his Platonic view of himself, the idealistic self-view that a seventeen year old boy has of himself (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby's embarrassing childhood is a major source of determination in his attempt to achieve the American Dream. It was in the army as a young adult when Gatsby first met Daisy. He initially loved Daisy because of her extraordinary house and because many other men had already been with her. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy, and in turn Daisy fell in love with Gatsby. ?Daisy was the first ?nice? girl that he had ever known?(Fitzgerald 155). Their love was an uneasy one at first for Gatsby to comprehend because he wasn?t rich by any standards and ... ...ramatic affirmation in fictional terms of the American spirit in the midst of an American world that denies the soul (Bewley 46).?Gatsby?s strong desire for wealth and Daisy, (the American Dream), prove to be the greatest reasons for his grave downfall. Works Cited Bewley, Marius. ?Scott Fitzgerald and the Collapse of the American Dream.? Modern Critical Views: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers,1985: 32-45. Bruccoli, Matthew J., Preface. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1st ed. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print. Mizener, Arthur. ?F.ScottFitzgerald: The Great Gatsby.? The American Novel: From James Fenimore Cooper to William Faulkner. Ed. Wallace Stegner. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1965: 180-191.

Themes in the Tempest Essays -- Tempest essays

Themes in the Tempest       The Tempest is generally considered to be Shakespeare's last sole-authored play. The play draws a number of oppositions, some of which it dramatises, and some of which it only implies. Prospero, a figure exhibiting many resemblances to the Elizabethan idea of the 'Mage', (of whom the best known is probably Dr. John Dee), is opposed to both his corrupt brother, usurper of his role as Duke of Milan, and to Sycorax, an evil witch and mother of the 'deformed slave' Caliban. Sycorax does not enter the action of the play, having died before it opens, but enough is made of her evil disposition and behaviour to show Prospero as a model of human virtue in comparison. This despite Prospero's own use of magic to accomplish his will, and his bullying of the spirit Ariel and his threats to and punishments of Caliban. Prospero's role is central to the play, he is in control of the action throughout, through the exercise of his 'Art'. A further contast is drawn between Miranda, Prospero's daug hter, and caliban. Bothe were brought up together by Prospero since his arrival on Caliban's Island, but Caliban has not responded suitably to Prospero's civilising education. Miranda, however, in line with the tenor of Shakespeare's late plays in particular, is a model of chastity and virtue. Caliban's 'ingratitude' would seem to result from what we would call his genetic inheritance. Miranda calls him    Abhorred slave Which any print of goodness will not take (1:2:353-354) [FN1]    And Prospero    A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost. (4:1:188-190)    The opposition of nature and nurture is made... ...ntual relinquishing of power which entitles him to regain it. In my opinion, Shakespeare is associating true authority with renunciation, not with the exercise of tyrannical power.    NOTES 1. All citations and references are to Frank Kermode's Arden Edition, to the excellent introduction of which I am indebted throughout. 2. In the Masque, the anti-masque is a comedic prelude in which the villainous characters (of lower-class origin) plot against virtue and established power-relations. In the Masque proper divine beings (frequently played by courtiers) would step in and defeat the evil plot, whereupon the cast would leave the stage and dance with the audience. 3. Paul Brown, 'This Thing of Darkness I Acknowledge Mine' (in) Political Shakespeare, (eds) J. Dollimore & A. Sinfield, Manchester University Press, Manchester, (1996), pp. 48-71.