Business Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Decision Making - Essay Example I highly appreciate your hard work and tolerance in this organization. The organization committee has invented viable contingent plans and strategies to deal with the economic downs that are anticipated to hit our organization. This is to ensure that every employee within our organization is catered for during this challenging moment. Therefore, you should not worry about it because measures are in hand to ensure everything runs smoothly and nothing goes amiss. I urge you to focus on your jobs and think less about the anticipated layoff, because this is a problem that shall affect the entire nation. You should know that, this is just anticipation, and no one is certain if it will occur. The organization values every one of you and when faced with such circumstances, sometime we are forced to consider dismissing some employees in order to survive the economic hardship. This does not mean that the layoff is permanent, but, immediately we surmount over the hardship, the organization sha ll call them back. The organization shall ensure that the layoff is done fairly and on merit basis. That is to say, your hard work shall determine your stay in the organization during the layoff. I urge you consider the layoff necessary because this will help the organization minimize the costs incurred, and it is difficult to strain through the hardship and survive the economic upheavals. In ensuring that minimal effects are experienced, the organization has viable plans to relocate some of the employees in our friendly organizations. I hope that you will bear with the situations and understand that the situation is pushing us to this extent, otherwise all of you are great employees and your work is greatly appreciated. I know all of you are very stressed right now, but I assure you that this are only preventive measures that the organization is taking and will only apply if the situation worsens. In case the layoff will push through I promise that it will be fairly done, but we be lieve that the economic downfall will fade away so that we may not have to reach that level of layoff. Am deeply concerned with the gloomy faces you are portraying and I wish to urge you all not to be stressful in any way as everything will be alright in near future. Interact freely and share ideas among yourselves and be free to forward them to the administration for more consideration. I want also to stop the spirit of fear among you and urge you to speak out in case you have any complain, an idea or a suggestion. Stress and fear will not help us in any way at this difficult time that the economic downfall has hit our company. We need to focus our minds to ensure that it is handled before it worsens and pushes us to harsh measures like layoffs. We should take advantage of the situation to invest even more in the quality of our services. The administration also urges you all to input more effort as you all can see the tough times that we are in. We urge every one of you to accept w hole heartedly all the measures take to tackle this situation. The organization is promising that it will not tighten the working schedules but, all of you are being urged to deliver quality services at this hour of need. We believe that in the near future this terrible crisis will be

Employment Essay Example for Free

Employment Essay Overview: An elementary toy that is due to be shipped at the end of the week has failed quality control testing. A metal whistle has been shown to exceed the federal regulation guidelines for lead. The testing process showed the lead level for this particular toy tested at 103 parts per million. The federal guidelines dictate that toys cannot contain lead with more than 100 parts per million (OSHA, 2013). The projected cost to conform to federal guidelines and replace the whistle are projected to cost 0,000. This should take 3 weeks for completion. Facts: Lead is naturally occurring, but it can be toxic to humans (EPA, 2013). It can cause serious medical conditions, such as, hearing loss, learning disabilities, physical growth retardation and neurological damage. Lead gathers in the body quickly and increases at a fast pace if it exceeds federal guidelines. Children because of their size are more susceptible to lead poisoning than an adult. Children are curious by nature and often place themselves in danger without realizing it. Children often investigate by touching, placing objects in their mouths and then sharing with others. These actions can cause lead poisoning to occur. Although the cost to replace the whistle is considerable, this is a small price in the long run. Our company will retain customers by providing customer satisfaction by replacing the faulty whistle. This will also save the company money in costly legal fees by facing our responsibilities now. Our company needs to ensure that we have identified all involved when considering our options. It would be remiss of our company to not consider the parents, dealers, and stakeholders with an interest in the company. Parents—trust our company to produce products that are safe Vendors—sell our company’s products and assume reliable construction Employees—rely on our company to sell products to continue to receive money for the work they have provided Investors—hold an interest in how the company’s actions and decisions affect employees, customers, and overall viability Options to Consider: Cost Monetary—Reproduction costs, fines, legal fees, litigation and income Vendor Relationships—strained relations, decrease in customer relationships Reputation—loss of customers Employment – layoffs Time Length—reproduction time, construct reputation and relationships Reasonable—ability to get products to customers Ethical Responsibility—employees, vendors, parents, children, investors Due diligence—don’t take risks, maintain ethical position, weigh all the options The options listed help define possible reasons for possible lawsuits and probable fines if the product is found defective. Our company needs to consider alternative options to fine a viable solution. Three options will be discussed in detail to be considered. Cost Considerations The yearly budget is not far from thought and to remain within budget we must consider the option of shipping the product as it stands now. The amount of lead was only slightly above the federal recommended guidelines. We would be able to get the product to our customer on time and without added cost. However, the children may be subjected to possible lead poisoning. Depending upon the extent of exposure, this could lead to detrimental side effects. This would leave the company open to the risk of legal action and may have a devastating effect on investors, employees and the company not to mention the children harmed. Legal action against our company would be costly. The fines can be as much as $100,000 per violation with $15,000,000 for a series of violations (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, 2008). We would most definitely have a series of violations, but more importantly our relationship with our customers would be damaged. The company’s reputation would be in tatters. Ethical Considerations Our company has a moral obligation to keep our customers safe. The code of ethics within our company is to be honest and provide protection to the children who play with our products. The overall cost to our company is how big of a risk are we willing to take. Our company needs to decide if business growth and profit is more important than the risk we would be taking in delivering those toys to children. Reproducing the whistles is ethically correct, however doing so will impact our vendors by missing out on peak sales. This may lead to other companies replacing our company and products, which will lead to overall revenue losses and possible employee layoffs. On the other hand, if we replace the defective whistles, parents will believe in our company because we ensure our products meet the federal guidelines for safety. This alone may increase revenue. Our company has a responsibility to meet the federal guidelines. This protects our company from costly fines and legal proceedings. Most importantly, we protect our customers—parent and children. Risk is good, but not when it can potentially kill children. Time Considerations Our company cannot dismiss time considerations when discussing the impact on business. We can dismiss the time consideration when we consider the risk of legal implications upon our business. First, our company can notify our vendors and customers that we plan to substitute a like item for the whistle in our elementary toy collection. This would allow us to move ahead with the current shipping date. This would cost considerably less than reproducing the whistle. Secondly, we can notify our vendors and customers that the whistle has been removed from the elementary toy collection and offer a credit towards future purchases. The company would still incur a monetary loss, but retain vendor and customer relations. Thirdly, the vendors and customers would have an option to wait for the whistle to be reproduced. Should the vendors and customers choose this option, we can reproduce the whistles, but reduce the overall number of whistles to be replaced. This would still cause the company to incur a monetary loss, but retain positive relationships with our vendors and customers. The options outlined are viable. We can maintain company integrity, provide protection to our company, employees, investors, and customers. Following federal recommended guidelines will secure our position in the business realm and provide longevity for all involved. Our company would take a risk by announcing the problem with the whistle, but we would be able to highlight our commitment to protect our customers. We would be able to convey we place safety over profit. This would help raise consumer confidence, avoid legal implications, and retain satisfied customers. Recommendation: Notification of our vendors and customers is the best option. We know how much lead is in our product and how much is considered safe per federal guidelines. We need to be honest in our business dealings and not take unethical risks for profit. We also need to find a cost effective material that has reduced lead readings to replace any future whistles. Our commitment to protect everyone involved cannot be taken lightly. We should begin notifying customers affected by this product and shipment. We should advise them the order must be changed and the circumstances that require this change. We should allow our customers to make an informed decision and then find out how they would wish to proceed. We would then be placing any liability into the customer’s hands, as we made every effort to right a wrong. This will help preserve our relationships with vendors and customers. As a company, we need to minimize risks that are ethically and legally wrong. We need to be socially responsible and have strong relationships with our employees, vendors, customers, and investors. Longevity is everything in business and by following these rules, our company will have vendors, customers, investors and employees who want to be there and not forced to be there. Moral, ethical, and responsibility are keywords within my own personal mantra. I believe striving to be morally, ethically and socially responsible helps have a positive impact on business and personal endeavors. These traits provide positive contributions both in business and society. I believe our company has strong moral and ethical values. Thus, we cannot allow this shipment to proceed. This would be hypocrisy and go against not only my own beliefs but the company’s code of ethics. I understand the cost is considerable to replace the toy, but by replacing the whistle we have an increased positive impact in our own company, customer base, investors, and employees. Finally, we are showing social responsibility and will set a standard in our industry as a leader. We cannot be a leader by taking unnecessary risks children’s lives.

Ecological Self :: essays research papers

Diversity is a whirlwind of color through a society. There are no two people in the world that are exactly alike. Individuality distinguishes one person or thing from others (Landau, 364 Ed). A person’s environment as a whole: an interaction with others, experiences, and time, makes a collage of traits that distinguishes someone as an individual. David Sibley’s theory of the â€Å"Ecological Self† or Identity is bound by his determents of social, cultural, and spatial context. Sibley believes that class, race, gender, and nation shapes our identity, it is a single concept that is molded by our experiences from the world. I do not agree with this claim because people are individuals, not a development of their surroundings. Identity is not a single concept, there are many factors that shape it, environment cannot just effect identity. Sibley is a British sociologist that has dedicated his life to the studies behind the â€Å"Ecological Self.† Sibley claims that the â€Å"Ecological Self† is not internal, it cannot be separated from the physical. â€Å"The social positioning of the self means that the boundary between self and other is formed through a series of cultural representations of people and things which frequently elide so that the non-human world also provides a context for selfhood (Sibley, 250).† The â€Å"other,† that is being spoken of, is also known as the â€Å"Generalized Other.† This is when we cannot separate from the physical and consider it to be the norm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How do I know who I am? Where do I fit in? Internal and external forces mold our sense of self. Heredity and personal moral are examples of internal forces. Children are often most effected by this. â€Å"The forces of physical inheritance takes place mainly in childhood, though even as adults we have the possibility of dealing in our personal development (Grunewald, 2).† Environment also plays an important role in the formation of self-identity. The surroundings, which can include people, places, and experiences, mold an individual into whom they become. The past shapes our identities, and builds from our experiences. â€Å"It is our memories which help us make the connections, gives us the insights, and provides us with the sense of continuity, which is so important for our personal identity (http://ozcountry.com/life/tip5.html).† â€Å"When we go through times of crisis, massive changes, serious illness, deep conflicts or stress, our sense of sel f can be seriously challenged, particularly if we have not faced such experiences before. Ecological Self :: essays research papers Diversity is a whirlwind of color through a society. There are no two people in the world that are exactly alike. Individuality distinguishes one person or thing from others (Landau, 364 Ed). A person’s environment as a whole: an interaction with others, experiences, and time, makes a collage of traits that distinguishes someone as an individual. David Sibley’s theory of the â€Å"Ecological Self† or Identity is bound by his determents of social, cultural, and spatial context. Sibley believes that class, race, gender, and nation shapes our identity, it is a single concept that is molded by our experiences from the world. I do not agree with this claim because people are individuals, not a development of their surroundings. Identity is not a single concept, there are many factors that shape it, environment cannot just effect identity. Sibley is a British sociologist that has dedicated his life to the studies behind the â€Å"Ecological Self.† Sibley claims that the â€Å"Ecological Self† is not internal, it cannot be separated from the physical. â€Å"The social positioning of the self means that the boundary between self and other is formed through a series of cultural representations of people and things which frequently elide so that the non-human world also provides a context for selfhood (Sibley, 250).† The â€Å"other,† that is being spoken of, is also known as the â€Å"Generalized Other.† This is when we cannot separate from the physical and consider it to be the norm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How do I know who I am? Where do I fit in? Internal and external forces mold our sense of self. Heredity and personal moral are examples of internal forces. Children are often most effected by this. â€Å"The forces of physical inheritance takes place mainly in childhood, though even as adults we have the possibility of dealing in our personal development (Grunewald, 2).† Environment also plays an important role in the formation of self-identity. The surroundings, which can include people, places, and experiences, mold an individual into whom they become. The past shapes our identities, and builds from our experiences. â€Å"It is our memories which help us make the connections, gives us the insights, and provides us with the sense of continuity, which is so important for our personal identity (http://ozcountry.com/life/tip5.html).† â€Å"When we go through times of crisis, massive changes, serious illness, deep conflicts or stress, our sense of sel f can be seriously challenged, particularly if we have not faced such experiences before.

The Role of Minor Characters in Shakespeares Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

The Role of Minor Characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet Minor characters play a very crucial role in Shakespear's Hamlet. They serve as narrators for events that occurred outside the immediate play: the Dane's ghost. Distinct contrasts are created through the usage of the play's minor characters. The reader gains new perspective on Hamlet's character when he is compared with Laertes. The presence of these minor characters can also have a direct effect on the action of the play. The actors in the play within the play are used to expose the guilt of Claudius; Hamlet then has proof of the King's crimes. The expertise use of these characters - either to exemplify good and purity, or to spread the vile corruption which permeates Elsinore - is one of the main reasons for Hamlet's success as one of the greatest plays ever written. Some events in Hamlet must be narrated to the reader, and to the major characters, through minor characters which have a direct link to the events. Shakespear builds the entire play around information which was narrated to Hamlet by his father's ghost. The ghost tells Hamlet of events which the reader would otherwise never know about: the murder of the former Dane by Claudius. When Horatio reads the letter that he has received from Hamlet the reader is informed of how Hamlet has evaded Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Also, the events occurring in Norway reach the court by means of an emissary, Voltimand, sent to check on Fortinbras. These events have a strong and direct relevancy to the plot and movement of the play. Shakespear uses contrast to highlight the qualities of the characters in Hamlet; this contrast shows up in the minor characters. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, false friends of Hamlet who succumb to Claudius' corruptness, serve as a distinct contrast to the loyal friendship that Horatio shares with Hamlet. Voltimand is used to contrast Polonius' often comic verbosity. While Polonius dresses up all his speeches with the language of the court, Voltimand is able to give his entire report on Fortinbras in a matter of seconds. The most powerful foil in the play is between Laertes and Hamlet. Upon hearing of the death of his father, Laertes becomes enraged, and seeks immediate vengeance; he does not delay, and acts instantaneously. When the ghost tells Hamlet of Claudius' crimes, Hamlet is unable to act. He procrastinates, missing many opportunities to avenge his father, and acts when it is already too late.

Leadership of Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad Essay

1-INTRODUCTION â€Å"To be a great leader, one needs to have good strategies, be knowledgeable and able to predict the future† Mahathir Mohamed After becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1981, Mahathir Mohammed has changed a lot of polices and economic strategies, which reflected positively on Malaysian economy. In his era, Malaysia has changed from a poor agricultural country to a very rich industrial modern country, Where he was known as the Father of Modernization for Malaysia . He has made ​​a lot of achievements on economic and political level in Malaysia and was also known for his extreme critique of Western anti-Islamic policies . He is  truly an extraordinary man and multi-talented leader where he was able to achieve a breakthrough in a short period of time. I will talk in this paper about the leadership qualities of Mahathir Mohammed and some of the most important achievements and his leadership styles and then I will address some of the negatives that have marred his tenure. 2- BACKGROUND Dr Mahathir Mohamad was born on December 20, 1925 in Seberang Perak, Alor Setar, Kedah1. He was the youngest of nine children. His father Mohamad bin Iskandar was a half Indian origin while his mother Wan Tampawan was Malay. His family came from a very modest background, as they were not aristocrats, now were they particularly inclined religiously or politically. As schools were closed during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II, Mahathir started off in small businesses. He first started selling coffee, and later was a hawker of snacks, mostly pisang goring (banana fritters) He started his education by attending a Malay vernacular school before continuing his education at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar. He continued his study and attended Medical Study at King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore2. He graduated in 1954 from medical college, and started his carrier as a doctor in Penang General Hospital3. in 1957 he establish his own clinic. In 1964, he was elected to parliament, as a member of the United Malays National Organization (UMNA). 3- Mahathir’s Characters and Personality. a. Look to leadership. Mahathir Mohammed was fond of leadership and love of work is done correctly. It was remarkable among his friends and peers for his ability to persuade. It also looks like the features of the seriousness and purposefulness. b.Strategic and Visionary Way of Thinking. (1) Mahathir Muhammad was preferred to study law, but it did not happen where he got a scholarship in medicine as explained above he wanted to study law because he enjoy debating4. But medical profession helped him a lot in his work as a politician. He has earned the status of diagnosis and treatment, bringing diagnose diseases of Malaysian nation economically, politically and socially. The way in dealing with the problems of his country’s was like a relationship of doctor and his patients. (2)Mahathir Mohammed, after his visit to Japan and South Korea could be a vision of his country through dissemination of education and rely on human resources In what was called ‘Look East’ policy5. He was inspired by the Japanese and Korean experience in modernization and future vision6. (3)Mahathir Mohammed has development a plan is to include the development of all parts of the country, including remote areas. Has taken care to build roads and bridges linking the cities and villages of Malaysia as interested in the elaboration of the economic vision for Malaysia 20207. Mahathir Mohammed was keen to build a strong network of contacts in order to contribute to advancing the Malaysian economy, and thus was able to enter the country to the era of fast communication in the early eighties of the last century. c.Influential Characteristic. (1)Mahathir is believed in leadership by example8. He was trying to implant the values ​​of Work loving in Malaysian people by the example, he was spending long hours at work and hardly takes a vacation, but he continues to work to improve the economic situation of Malaysia (2)He was very influential Mahathir Mohammed at the political level as part of the continuation of his rule in Malaysia for 22 years ‘Barisan Nasional’ and influence the people continuing support the ledge9. d.A Strict Disciplinarian. (1) Early in his inception Mahathir Mohammed has earned status of strict and seriousness in education and dealing. He was like his father, cares about the education of his children and sometimes treated them harshly10. In leading the country as a Prime Minister some example of this characteristic can be viewed in the case of his decision in 1988 whereby on his advice for conducting tribunal to Lord president Tun Saleh Abbas for â€Å"gross misconduct†resulting the King sacked Lord president Tun Saleh Abbas, and two supreme court judges were also dismissed. Another example was in 1998 his Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim was sacked and arrested under the Internal Security Act and served a 15 year jail sentence on charges of corruption and sexual misconduct11. e.Multi-talented Person. Mahathir Mohammed was a multi-talented person and deep thinking, he was able to deal with a lot of problems at one time and decisively. He has been known about these qualities during his study in the university where he was able to lead more than student group also founded some student magazines at the university. He established a medical journal and was its editor called `The Cauldron’ It also wrote a book before becoming prime minister, called the Malay Dilemma and the book was banned until he became prime minister 12. 4-An Analysis of Dr Mahathir Leadership. a. Leadership: it is very clear that Tun Dr Mahathir has a good character of leadership whereby his personality and character has inspired people to achieve their Goals. You can see His leadership successes by achievement of the country and also it can be seen byThe high level of income and living standards of the people of Malaysia. It can also touch on the impact of his neighboring countries such as Indonesia, which is trying to inspire experience of Mahathir Mohammed in the economy. b. Management: It is proven that he was successes in managing the government structure, Where he was able to run the government in a good way, which led to the achievement of the desired during his tenure. He has good plans for  the continued progress and ensure the achievement of the objectives of Vision 2020 c. Decision Making: By looking at his way of thinking it is shown that Mahathir has a strategic and critical thinking. This can be seen from his idea of The Look East Policy and The Vision 2020 whereby it is shown of his concern and awareness about the nation and the direction to go for Malaysia and the benefits to all Malaysian people. He had also shown that he is a careful person in making his decision, even when he wanted to announced his resignation, he did not tell anybody including his wife but only asking his deputy Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi whether he is ready to be his successor. He wanted his announcement to be a public statement as he would not able to retract and he do not want any body to dissuade him for the resignation . d. Style of Leadership: From the discussion of his personality and character, it is seen that Dr Mahathir was applying both autocratic and democratic style of leadership. As a leader, he used his power and being strict to enforce the policies or plan that he had decided to achieved certain objectives but at the mean time he is also admit in his memoirs, A Doctor in the House as in the government and in the organization, all of the achievement are not only by himself but by everyone in the organization. 5- Leadership weaknesses of Dr Mahathir  the biggest failure of his 20 year rule that his inability to create a better work ethic among fellow ethnic Malay despite affirmative action policies in their favour has been13. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, it is identified that Tun Dr Mahathir has applied not only one style of leadership but he had applied the autocratic and democratic style depending on situation and he had shown that he had manage it accordingly and proven by his great achievement. There are so many good thing about Tun Dr Mahathir from his personality and  character that can be adapt to become a good leader. Tun Mahathir has shown that, to become a leader, one must have the desire to be a leader then only he or she can become the truly leader and he has prove that the important of knowledge is a vital aspects to be a successful leader. Only by having wide knowledge the leader can success his leadership whereby a leader without knowledge will lead his follower to the uncertainty. With the knowledge a leader can develop his vision by foreseeing the right direction or what his organization should be heading to or what to become. Another principle that has been practiced by Tun Mahathir was lead by the example. A good leader should have always shown to his follower or subordinate a good example by himself. Only by showing a good example the follower will given their respect followed by having confidence to be lead by the leader. Another point to be highlighted here is that, in approaching the follower, the leader should not practicing only one type or style of leadership. The style should always depend on situation, in order to get the affirmative guarantee to achieve the objectives in executing tasks given the autocratic style seem to be the best but throughout the process, the democratic way might encourage the follower to voluntarily impart their contribution and fully cooperation to achieve a better results. The mentor mentee concept can also become a factor to a success in leadership as in this case, Tun Mahathir’s father was the person who had inspired him the importance of revere learning and knowledge that has lead him to his success later on throughout his life. Bibliography: 1-Mahathir Mohamad (2011). A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: MPH Publishing. pp843. 2- The Defence Leadership Centre, Defence Academy of United Kingdom (2004). Leadership in Defence. p2-4. 3- BTDM Ser: 122/ Sep-Oct 2003. Tentera dan Dr Mahathir . p4. 4- Linda D. Henman. Leadership: Theories and Controversies. p1. 5- Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Tun Dr Mahatir Mohamad; Leaders. Retrieved 01:30, June 10, 2012 from http://www.limkokwing.net/showcases/leaders/tun_dr_mahathir_mohamad/ 6- C. S. Kuppuswamy (2001). Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in power for two decades-An assessment. South Asia Analysis Group. Retrieved June 10, 2012 at 2345 from http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers4%5Cpaper304.html 7- Retrieved 23 Jun 12 at 2330 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahathir.

The 55 AP Language and Composition Terms You Must Know

The 55 AP Language and Composition Terms You Must Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the competencies you need to develop for AP Language and Composition is a thorough understanding of rhetorical strategies and techniques. This is because you will both be expected to identify these strategies and techniques in the writing of others and to use them in your own writing. But given the huge number of rhetorical terms there are, how do you know which ones you need to know and understand? Do you need to know what anaphora is? What about synecdoche? In this article I'll provide two lists: one of essential key AP Language and Composition terms to know for the exam, and one list of useful bonus words that will serve you well on the exam. Then I'll advise how to learn and use these terms for AP success! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Essential AP Language and Composition Terms The following list of 37 terms, based on consulting both the AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description and free-response material from past years, provides an important overview of the major AP Lang rhetorical devices and techniques you need to know. With all of this AP Language and Composition vocabulary at your disposal, you'll be a top-notch rhetorical analyst in no time! Each entry has a definition and example or further explanation. Don't be intimidated by the size of this list- many of these are terms you are probably already familiar with! Essential Rhetorical Analysis Terms Terms Definition Example/Explanation Analogy Explaining something complex by comparing it to something more simple. "An amateur playing in a professional game is like an ibex stepping into a lion's den." Argument The combination of reasons, evidence, etc that an author uses to convince an audience of their position. Too comprehensive a concept for a single example! In effective rhetoric, every phrase serves to further build the argument. Aristotelian appeals Three different methods of appealing to an audience to convince them- ethos, logos, and pathos. See ethos, logos and pathos. Attitude The writer's personal views or feelings about the subject at hand. Difficult to convey in a short example, but something like "the deplorable state of this school" would convey that the author has a negative attitude towards the school. Audience Who the author is directing his or her message towards When you create a resume, your audience is potential employers. Compare and contrast Discussing the similarities and differences between two things to some persuasive or illustrative purpose. â€Å"Hybrid cars have a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional midsize vehicles.† Connotation The implied meaning of a word; words can broadly have positive, negative, or neutral connotations. conscientious = positive connotation fussy = negative connotation Context The extra-textual environment in which the text is being delivered. If I am delivering a congratulatory speech to awards recipients, the immediate context might be the awards presentation ceremony; the broader context might be the purpose or significance of the awards themselves. Counterargument The argument(s) against the author's position. If I want to eliminate the dress code, a counterargument might be that this will place a burden on students of a lower socioeconomic status, who must now afford an entire school wardrobe or risk unwanted attention. Deductive reasoning A form of logical reasoning wherein a general principle is applied to a specific case. If all planets orbit a star, and Theta II is a planet, then it must orbit a star. Denotation The literal, dictionary-definition meaning of a word. The denotation of "chair" is "a place to sit." Diction The style of language used; generally tailored to be appropriate to the audience and situation. You might say "What's up, loser?" to your little brother, but you would probably say "How are you doing today?" to your principal. Ethos Setting up a source as credible and trustworthy. "Given my PhD in the subject and years of experience in the field" is an appeal to ethos. Evidence The information presented meant to persuade the audience of the author's position. If I were arguing that Anne is a good student, I might reference her straight-A report card and her 1500 SAT score as pieces of evidence. Figurative language The use of language in a non-literal way; i.e. metaphor, simile, etc. "The sky's like a jewel box tonight!" Genre The specific type of work being presented. Broader categories include "novel" and "play," while more specific genres would be things like "personal essay" or "haiku." Imagery Any descriptive language used to evoke a vivid sense or image of something; includes figurative language. "The water was a pearl-studded sea of azure tipped with turquoise." Implication When something is suggested without being concretely stated. "Watch your wallet around Paul," implies that Paul is a thief without coming out and saying "Paul is a thief." Inductive reasoning Making a generalization based on specific evidence at hand. All of the planets in this solar system orbit a star, so all planets probably orbit stars. Irony At the most basic sense, saying the opposite of what you mean; also used to describe situations in which the results of an action are dramatically different than intended. "I do so hope there are more papers to sign," is something that might be said ironically. Juxtaposition Placing two very different things together for effect. "There they stood together, the beggars and the lords, the princesses and the washerwoman, all crowding into the square." Logos Appealing to someone's sense of concrete facts and logic. Citing peer-reviewed scientific studies is an appeal to logos. Occasion The reason or moment for writing or speaking. When giving a graduation speech, the occasion is graduation. Organization How the different parts of an argument are arranged in a piece of writing or speech. Think about the outlines you write in preparation for drafting an argumentative essay and you'll have an idea of what organization is. Pathos An Aristotelian appeal. Involves appealing to someone's emotions. Animal shelters ads with pictures of cute sad animals and dramatic music are using pathos. Purpose The author's persuasive intention. If you are trying to convince your mother you should get a dog, your purpose in addressing an essay on the subject to her would be to convince her that you should get a dog. Repetition Re-using a word or phrase repeatedly for effect or emphasis. "We run, and we run, and we run, like rats on a wheel." Rhetoric The use of spoken or written word (or a visual medium) to convey your ideas and convince an audience. Almost everything is an example of rhetoric! Rhetorical triangle The relationship between the author, the audience, the text/message, and the context. The author communicates to the reader via the text; and the reader and text are surrounded by context. Speaker The persona adopted by the author to deliver his or her message; may or may not actually be the same person as the author. Similar to the difference between author and narrator in a work of fiction. Style The author's own personal approach to rhetoric in the piece; similar to voice. We might say the Taylor Swift's songwriting style is straightforward and emotive. Symbolism Using a symbol to refer to an idea or concept. "Fire" is commonly used a symbol for passion and/or anger. Syntax The way sentences are grammatically constructed. "She likes pie," is syntactically simple. On the other hand, "As it so happened, when Barbara got out of class early she liked to have a piece of pie- key lime or pecan, always- at the corner diner; while she was there she watched the people passing by the window and imagined herself inside each of their lives, riding in their heads for moments and moments until the afternoon was whiled away and she'd become fifty people," is syntactically complicated. Synthesis Combining sources or ideas in a coherent way in the purpose of a larger point. A typical research paper involves synthesizing sources to make a broader point about the topic. Themes Overarching ideas or driving premises of a work. Some themes you will probably hear in your high school graduation speech include leaving behind a legacy, moving into the great unknown, becoming an adult, and changing the world. Tone The use of stylistic devices to reveal an author's attitude toward a subject. Only a narrow distinction from attitude. The phrase "the deplorable state of this school" reveals a negative attitude, but the word choice of "deplorable" is part of the author's tone. Voice An author's unique sound. Similar to style. Think of the way that you can recognize a pop singer on the radio without hearing who it is first. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Let your voice be heard! Bonus AP Language and Composition Terms Here are 18 bonus AP Language vocabulary terms that, while not absolutely essential to your success on the exam, will be very helpful. They identify some common but obscurely named rhetorical techniques and some additional rhetorical and argumentative strategies. These terms also each have a definition and an example or explanation. Bonus Rhetorical Terms Terms Definition Example/Explanation Alliteration Using words with the same first letter repeatedly close together in a phrase or sentence. "She purchased the pretty purple parka." Allusion Making a brief reference to the cultural canon- e.g. the Bible, Shakespeare, classical mythology, etc. "Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, George was not good at resisting temptation." Anecdote Offering a brief narrative episode. This device can serve many functions in a text- for example, introducing an issue, serving as evidence, to illustrate a point, and so on. "When I went to buy my morning coffee, I ran into an old friend. He told me he had won the lottery and he was about to buy a yacht. Two months later I heard he had declared bankruptcy." Concession Agreeing with the opposing viewpoint on a certain smaller point (but not in the larger argument). â€Å"While I admit that hybrid cars have higher carbon production costs than conventional automobiles, this is dramatically offset by the much-smaller lifetime carbon footprint of the vehicles.† Didactic A text with an instructive purpose, often moral. Aesop's fables are an example of a didactic work. Euphemism Referring to something with a veiled phrase instead of saying it directly "She let Bob go," is a euphemism for "she fired Bob." Exemplification Providing examples in service of a point. â€Å"The Town Beautification Funds are being sorely misused; the streets are full of litter, the parks are full of broken equipment, and City Hall's facade is drab and crumbling.† Hyperbole Overstating a situation for humorous or dramatic effect. "My backpack weighs tons!" Idiom A commonly used phrase that signifies something very different than its literal meaning. "This costs an arm and a leg!" is an idiom which means "This is very expensive." Onomatopoeia Using "sound-effect" words (e.g. "clap," "buzz). "We heard an ominous hiss from the kitchen." Paradox A phrase or assertion that appears to contradict itself (but the contradiction itself may have its own meaning). Paradoxical phrases include "dark angel," "fresh rot," "blissful hell," etc. Parallelism Repeated structural elements in a sentence. "We went to sea; we went to war; we went to bed." Parody Using the form of something to mimic and make fun of it. Weird Al is the master of the musical parody genre. Personification Giving human characteristics to a nonhuman object or idea. "The sun was shining happily today." Sarcasm Mockingly stating the opposite of what you mean. Easier to convey in the spoken word than via writing. "Did you come up with that all by yourself?" might be delivered sarcastically after someone delivers a poorly-thought out idea. Satire A genre of humorous and mocking criticism to expose the ignorance and/or ills of society. Stephen Colbert is a popular modern satirist. Synecdoche Referring to one part of something as a way to refer to the whole. "Ask for her hand" is a synecdoche for marriage; the "hand" stands in for the whole woman. Understatement Deliberately minimizing something, usually for humorous effect. "My mom's a little bit irritated I crashed the car- I'm grounded for the next twenty-four months." The Angry Storm: a story of personification. How to Learn and Use AP Language Terms You might be tempted to bust out some flashcards, do some aggressive memorization, and call yourself finished. However, that's really only the first step of the three-step process of actually learning AP Lang terms. Step 1: Learn Rhetorical Terms As you initially try to familiarize yourself with these terms and what they mean, it's fine to make flashcards. You could use the term on one side and the definition on the other, or the definition and the example from the chart on one side and the term on the other- whatever's easier for you. You could make physical flashcards if you like to learn things with a tactile element involved, but for the sake of convenience you might consider making online flashcards at a site like Quizlet, where a free account lets you make and save flash cards and then quiz yourself with a variety of games and strategies. When you know the terms and their definitions inside and out, you're ready to move on to the next step. Step 2: Identify Rhetorical Strategies and Devices Next, you need to work on identifying rhetorical strategies and devices in actual written works. Make an effort when you read to seek out examples of the different rhetorical techniques at work. And think about the larger context of the piece: what's the author's purpose in writing this piece? Is the speaker the same as the author? What genre is it? What devices are being used repeatedly? You might try jotting down your thoughts about how pieces you read are using rhetorical devices. When you feel you can consistently identify these strategies at work in the writing of others, it's time to try your hand at using them yourself. Step 3: Deploy Rhetorical Strategies and Devices Once you feel you have a handle on identifying a given device/concept in other pieces, it's time to think about using it in your own writing. Consider your own purpose and argument when you write. Think about audience. Deploy hyperbole and irony. See what works and what doesn't. Trying to apply the terms will help you learn the concepts much better than simple memorization. Deploy rhetorical parachutes! Final Thoughts: AP Language and Composition Terms There are so many rhetorical terms that it can be hard to determine which ones you need to know for AP Language and Composition! This list gives you an overview of all the essential AP English Language and Composition vocabulary. When you're trying to learn these concepts, it's better to try to apply them- by seeing how other authors use them and using them in your own writing- than to just memorize the terms and their definitions. The important thing is to understand the concepts, not just know the terms! What's Next? If you're also taking AP Literature, see our ultimate guide to the AP English Literature test and our AP Literature Reading List. Make sure to also refresh your understanding of point-of-view in literature with this primer and take a spin through our list of the literary elements you'll find in every story. Studying poetry in a(n) English/Literature/Language Arts class? Whether you're reading "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas or a Shakespearean sonnet, you're going to want to make sure you know important poetic devices and terms like assonance and iambic pentameter, just to name a few. We can help if you're not sure how to study for AP exams. Looking for practice tests? See our complete lists for AP Human Geography, AP Literature, AP US History, AP Chemistry, AP Biology,AP Psychology, and AP World History. Or see our guide to finding the best AP practice tests for any exam. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The evolution essays

The evolution essays In nature evolution occurs throughout various different things. Also evolution occurs in technology. Take for instance, ATM was an evolution of frame relay, and frame relay was an evolution of packet switching. Evolution happens everywhere but in technology it happens all the time. Packet switching technology breaks down messages into fixed-length pieces called packets and sent through a network individually. In packet switching messages are segmented into packets of a pre determined size before they are sent. This process is called packetizing. The packets are normally 1000 bytes long. There is a lot of error protection in the packet. Packet switching networks are made to run several alternative high-speed paths from one node to another. For instance if a node from San Francisco is trying to send a message to Los Angeles and the connection is busy or down, it will redirect its message to Denver then to Los Angeles as an alternative route. Frame relay is packet switchings next of kin. Frame relay evolved from packet switching. Instead of sending packets frame relay sends frames. A frame has a one-byte header, two addressing and control bytes, a variable-length data field (1-64000 bytes), a 16-bit cyclic redundancy check, and a termination byte.Tcom book. In frame relay, there is hardware, on both ends of the connection that builds and breaks down frames. They do this through all kinds of data streams, LAN packets, digital voice, and asynchronous terminal input and the hardware writes the frames serially. The reason frame relay is more popular and better evolved than packet switching is that it uses commonly available circuits, which provides good throughput, and has low latency and is easy to configure. Packet switching is only good for data transferring and is sent through one type of line. Frame relay sends more information faster and through multi forms of connections. This makes packet swi ...

The Inspector directs on stage and manipulates audiences response Essays

The Inspector directs on stage and manipulates audiences response Essays The Inspector directs on stage and manipulates audiences response Essay The Inspector directs on stage and manipulates audiences response Essay Essay Topic: Literature I think that this play is very good at getting Priestley points across. After I had read the play it immediately made me think about the way I treat people. This is because in my view the way the message is delivered through the use of the character Inspector Goole, also the harsh reality of the story about the young girl, Eva Smith, and about her committing suicide. This is quite a selfish way to interpret the play and changing your ways, also the play is about not being selfish, looking after each other and working as one body, this is quite ironic. The way the inspector challenges Mr Birling, although Mr Birling is a powerful man. The inspector isnt afraid of who the inspector knows how do you get on with the chief constable? Perhaps I ought to warn you hes an old friend of mine. This doesnt scare the inspector which appeals to the reader. Also as soon as the inspector walks in the lighting changes from cosy to a harder light. This shows the presence of the inspector it shows that as soon as he walks in the atmosphere changes. Priestley wrote this play in 1947 but set it in the year 1912 just before the First World War and in the year of the titanic sinking. This technique called distancing. It enables the audience to think about times by reflecting on the past. He uses to help get his point across and also it helps give the impression of Mr Birling being pompous and stupid. This is as he refers to the titanic and calls it unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable he also comments on the thought of war, youll hear some people saying war is inevitable. And to that I say fiddlesticks. This makes Mr Birling look stupid as the audience of the time know that there has been a war, two wars. They are also aware that the titanic did sink. This helps to get Priestleys point across as; if Mr Birling looks stupid then it shows capitalism is stupid. The way in which it is set back in time adds to the importance of changing ways, as the end the inspector talks about if men dont learn there lesson soon then they will be taught it in blood and fire and anguish. This refers to the war and it gets the audience to think have they learned there lesson, as they will have probably lived through two wars and wont want to see anymore. The play was written just after the second war, in 1947, but everyone would still be feeling the effects of it. This helps Priestley to get the audience to reflect on their lives and to see what mistakes they have made and make them want to change as they wont want to go through anymore big ordeals like a war. Priestley had many time theories and influences while writing this play which helped him set it in a good way to get his message across with effectiveness. He was fascinated by the theories of time and he got his influences off P. D Ouspensky and J. W Donne. P. D Ousepensky believed that after death we entered the same life and are trapped in that cycle until we can learn from our past mistakes and break out of it. J. W Donne believed some people have the ability to see into the future and see the consequences of their actions. This second theory is visible in the play as after the Birlings are visited by an inspector, Inspector Goole, and questioned by him. After they have found he was fake, the police station ring up and say that an inspector will be on his way round to question them about a girl who has recently committed suicide. This gives them a chance to do the right thing and tell the inspector everything. Even though they have the chance to tell the inspector everything and do the right thing, the audience get the impression that only Sheila and maybe Eric will actually go through and admit what they have done. Even though none of the things happened are crimes against the law but just moral crimes, the Birlings are too ashamed to admit what they have done. Priestley has used Sheila as the character to help reinforce his point and she is what Priestley wants the audience to do. This is as she changes her views because of the events that happen in the play. This is what Priestley wants the audience to do think about what theyve done and change their views because of the play as they wouldnt want to think that they have made someone feel that bad. This play is still relevant to audiences in modern times as not everyone now treats people fairly. The difference is that in the modern era employees have unions, to protect them against unfair decisions from employers and give them more rights for all aspects of working, and national insurance cards and numbers. In 1912 when this play was set these things were just starting to begin. Before the inspector arrives to the Birlings house the mood is very natural and its very realistic. This is as the play is set in real time which means whatever happens on the stage would have took the same amount of time in real life, so it isnt set over weeks or months. As the play is set in real time it makes it seem much more realistic to the audience which would therefore shock them more. This is what Priestley wanted as it would make the audience go away from the play and think about how they treat people. That was also what Priestley wanted the audience to do. In the stage directions it comments that the Birling family and Gerald have had a good dinner, are celebrating a special occasion, and are pleased with themselves. It also comments that the lighting should be pink and intimate until the inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder. This shows that the atmosphere is going to change when the inspector arrives, from the nice relaxed one to a very uneasy tense atmosphere. The opening stage direction also gives a lot of information about the characters and household. This gives us some clues about what the family are like and it would have given the audience some visual clues, which would have given them a little impression of the characters. From the first act we learn a lot more about the characters and the pleasant relaxed mood is continued through. In the first act Birling gives lots of advice to Eric, Sheila and Gerald. He thinks he knows more than he actually does like calling the titanic unsinkable and commenting that war is never going to happen. Also he gives his advice as the capitalist and industrialist representative. He tells his children that they should look after there selves and family none of that community and nonsense this shows he is a strong believer of the capitalist views. When the inspector arrives it is just after Mr Birling has made a big speech on looking after himself- and his family too, of course and also on capitalist vs. labour, which it is like when the inspector comes as Mr Birling shows the view of a capitalist and industrialist, whereas the inspector shows the view of a socialist. Birlings speech before the inspector arrives shows that the two are going to have completely different views. As the inspector is a socialist and believes in collective responsibility and looking after everyone, whereas Mr Birling believes that we should just look after ourselves and family. The inspector is shown in the play to be the antithesis of Mr Birling and this causes Mr Birling to not like the inspector. The inspector believes Mr Birling is wrong for discharging Eva Smith and comments about her asking for higher wages saying they might but after all its better to ask for the earth then take it. This shows that there wasnt anything wrong in just asking for higher wages. Although Mr Birling is a strong believer of the capitalist views when the Eric brings up the speech Birling has just gave on looking after yourself and family, Birling is keen to dismiss it and not talk in front of the inspector about it. This shows that although he has strong beliefs he knows the inspector has the opposite views and it shows that Birling is afraid to confront him about it. At the start of this play we are led to believe that it is going to be a murder mystery play but instead we find out it is a morality play. The reader wouldnt find out it is just going to be a morality play until it as finished. This would have made the ending a bit of anticlimax for the audience as they would have been expecting a big mystery to unravel whereas it ends more abruptly but it does have the added mystery of what is going to happen when the real inspector visits them. The inspector is at The Birlings household to investigate the suicide of a girl called Eva Smith. He goes into depth about the incidents running up to the death of this girl. This seems odd to the audience as they would have wondered why the inspector is asking questions about her being discharged from work as it bears no reference to her death and its not illegal so the inspector didnt need to investigate that. Also the other events running up to her death like her getting fired from her department store job, in Milwards, her relationship with Gerald and also her conversation with the group that helps women headed by Mrs Birling werent necessary in investigations. The only person out f the Birling family that the inspector needed to talk to was Eric, this is as his involvement with this girl, Eva Smith, was the only one out of the familys involvements with her that was illegal. But the way Priestley does these investigations into the other events such as Sheila getting her fired makes it seem like the events were illegal. Also the way Sheila feels extremely bad for what she has done helps add to Priestley getting the point across that all of these events were wrong. This helps him in his dramatic purpose as it helps make the audience feel that these events were bad. The audience would have been of similar class to Mr Birling so if Priestley could make them see that these events were wrong them it would change society dramatically. When the inspector is questioning his manner is very direct and forthright. He isnt scared of Mr Birling and still uses this style when questioning Mr Birling. Mr Birling tries to intimidate the inspector but the inspector isnt fazed by it and he carries on his style of questioning. This would have seemed very strange to the audience as the manner of the inspector is very rude and not like the manner of normal inspectors. Even when Mr Birling comments that he is very good friends with the chief constable and that he plays golf with him regularly the inspector isnt intimidated by this and answers dryly to him and very sarcastically as if he is mocking Mr Birling. The inspector contradicts, undermines and over-rules Mr Birling. He is always in control of the situation and it never seems that Mr Birling is in charge of the two. When Mr Birling is trying to ask why should you come here inspector- the inspector cuts right in which shows that he is in charge and it shows that he is the superior of Mr Birling so Mr Birling should speak when the inspector tells him too. The inspector is like this all the way though the play with Mr Birling and although Mr Birling tries many times to tell him that he doesnt like his manner and he should show respect, Birling I dont like that tone, the inspector pays no attention and carries on with his ways. The way he criticises the lack of care from Mr Birling and his manner is not what you would expect from a normal inspector. When the inspector is questioning Sheila he uses grisly details of Eva Smiths death which works as a shock tactic, not only to Sheila but to the audience as well. He uses some very emotive language which helps the audience and Sheila feel extremely sorry for Eva Smith. Throughout questioning Sheila he uses phrases and words like burnt her insides out and died, after several hours of agony this is the type of emotive and grisly language he uses too shock Sheila. She is different to her dad, Mr Birling, as she is very willing to accept responsibility for Eva Smiths death. This is how the inspector introduces collective responsibility to the family, through Sheila as she is willing to accept responsibility. As soon as she realises her connection with Eva Smith she feels extremely guilty and is willing to talk about why she got her sacked, but she doesnt try and justify it. When the inspector has finished investigating Sheila and moves on too investigating others then she acts as an assistant to the inspector. She tells her family that there isnt any point trying to pretend you didnt know her as the inspector will just cut you too pieces and prove you did. She asks questions of her own which helps the inspector in questioning, although she doesnt realise it does. Go on mother you might as well admit it Yes she is why? . She does this to help make her family see the same pint of view as her. Sheila is the first to realise that the inspector is not normal and is probably a fake. She says that its queer very queer when talking about the inspector to the family after he has gone. Although after they find out the inspector isnt real and all the family are happy, she still feels extremely bad and tells her family that we should change our ways although the inspector wasnt real he still spoke some truth and we should realise that we are treating people wrong. She isnt afraid of admit she is wrong and this is who Priestley uses to get his point across and help audiences to think about their personal experiences and change. The inspector isnt just bothered about facts that prove legal guilt but more of moral responsibility. This fits in with Priestleys underlying message as he wants people to change their views and think more about if they are being morally correct. The inspector, in his final speech, talks about there may be only one Eva Smith but there are millions more like her he is talking about social classes there and telling the Birlings and the audience that we need to help them. He doesnt just question the family but he also questions the class system and the attitudes they represent. He uses the family to show what is going wrong and right with the country. He uses Sheila to show that the young are changing there views which is good as they will pass it down so will mean that the problem might have disappeared in future years. But he also talks about poverty and that rich business men, like Mr Birling, arent doing anything to help the poor. In the inspectors final speech he predicts the first and second world wars which acts like a symbolism. He comments that if men dont learn there lesson soon they will learn it in blood and fire and anguish. This shows he predicts there will be a war if men carry on their ways. When the inspector leaves we still dont find out who he is. This leaves it as a bit of a mystery but he still makes a dramatic impact on the characters and audience. The way he isnt a real inspector adds to the dramatic impact. From the stage directions after the inspector leaves it shows how much of an impact he has had on the family and on the audience. Immediately after he leaves the family are stood there in thought. This is shown in the stage directions as it comments on all characters such as Sheila were it says Sheila is still quietly crying. This time were all the characters are in thought acts like a time for the audience to reflect on pass experiences and think about how they are going to treat people in future. The younger generation react to the inspector better then the older generation as they are much more willing to change their views and accept that the inspector is right, whereas the older generation feel that they dont have to change their ways as the inspector wasnt real so none of it counts. There is a final twist at the end of the play when they find out that a real inspector is coming around to ask them a few questions concerning the suicide of a girl. This would appeal to the audience as they would have wanted to see some justice. This is the effect of the inspector as even though the crimes werent legal crimes and just moral crimes the audience see them as crimes that should be punished. At the end of the play I immediately thought about how I treat people. It showed that Priestleys achieved his dramatic purpose. Although the inspector is not a realistic person it doesnt take anything away from the point of the play. After the play I didnt feel that because the inspector wasnt realistic that there wasnt anything to think about I still considered it very real and that it is important to think about personal past experiences and think about your views. I think the way the underlying message is put across is very clear and I think it would have challenged peoples thoughts. Priestleys techniques of getting his message a very successful and which makes the message clear and precise. I think this play is very good at getting its message across. Although it isnt as action packed as a modern audience would expect I still think it would be a good play to see and it would definitely help you to change your views.

Emerging risks from climate change Research Proposal

Emerging risks from climate change - Research Proposal Example The key characteristics of climate change are the following ones: ‘uncertainty, complexity and potential for dangerous consequences’ (Jubb, 2010, p.1). In a report published by the Parliament, House of Commons (Britain) it is noted that ‘the timescales of climate change is long and its extent is uncertain’ (Yeo, 2010, p. 110). In practice, it seems that high-emitting countries are likely to face more challenges when trying to control the effects of climate change – Saudi Arabia belongs in this category (Harman 2011). At the same time, not all countries worldwide are adequately prepared for handling emergencies related to climate change; in a relevant report of Ernst & Young it is noted that Saudi Arabia has not, yet, established rules governing the reduction of gas across the country (Ernst & Young 2009). Moreover, Saudi Arabia is among the countries that have not yet ratified the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (The Canadian Pre ss, 2011).

Investment Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment Fundamentals - Essay Example The index was developed by Charles Dow in 1884. Edward Jones also made major contributors towards the creation of the DJIA. On October 27, 2009 at 1:15 P.M. eastern the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 9893.81 (Yahoo, 2009). The all time high for the index occurred prior to the start of the current economic global recession. On October 1, 2007 the Dow Jones Industrial peaked at 14,087.55. Many analysts believed that the stock market was inflated at the time which is the primary reason why it went down so much afterwards. A list of the 30 companies that compose the Dow Jones Industrial Index is illustrated in the table below. The Standard and Poor’s composite index was developed in 1957. The index is composed of 385 industrial stocks, 15 transportation stocks, 56 financial stocks, and 44 utility stocks. The companies that compose the index are generally considered the most prestigious companies in the marketplace. Due to the fact that the S&P 500 includes such a broad base of leading listed and OTC stocks the index is held in high regards by market analyst and institutionalized investors (Teweles, et. al. 1992). The great thing about this index is that is able to cover a greater scope of industries in comparison with the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 represents stocks across 86 industries. Just as in the DJIA the value of the index is based on points not dollars. As of October 27, 2009 at 1:49 P.M eastern time the S&P 500 was valued at 1063.93 (Yahoo, 2009). The acronym NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. The NASDAQ is a system for providing a network of competing brokers and dealers electronically with current price quotations to enable them to operate in effect as a stock market without a trading floor (Teweles, et al. 1992). The trading activity that occurs at the NASDAQ is considered over the counter activity (OTC). Companies that cannot afford to registered

Business communication Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business communication - Coursework Example Considering that communication takes place either verbally or non-verbal such as office memos, reports, legal documents; our choices of words and phrases, tone of the speaker’s voice, as well as our gestures, facial expression and body movements when we communicate with other people reflect our own personality. The same theory and concept applies in business communication. Basically, the use of short paragraphs that is well organized and logical reflects the speaker’s characteristics in terms of being a very organized and logical person. In case the speaker is found of using positive words, the audiences will have the impression that the speaker is optimistic in life. For example: A business communicator who does not have the ability to discuss the subject matter straight to the point is likely to send message to his/her audiences that he/she does not have a clear idea on what he/she is discussing. As a result, the audiences are expected to lose their trust and loyalty with the business

Answering the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answering the questions - Essay Example c. Cubital tunnel syndrome: Is a syndrome that relates to the effect of pressure exerted on the ulnar nerve in the hand; thus, resulting in various problems such as pain, weakness, swelling, clumsiness, and unresponsiveness of the small and ring fingers. In most cases, the syndrome causes pain in the elbow on the arm’s side near the chest. d. Tendonitis: Refers to the tendon inflammation, swelling and irritation on the inside sheath due to the overextending of arms overhead. Given that the tendons attach the bones to the muscles, a degeneration of the tendons (tendonitis) would result in the symptoms of this condition. This condition is also the most frequently diagnosed cumulative trauma disorder (CTD). e. Pronation: Refers to the roll of the foot inward when a person is either walking or running. As a result of this, it provides for the distribution of the force of impact on the foot and leg muscles, and the roll usually takes place at about 15%; thus, coming into complete contact with the ground. However, pronation is crucial to the absorption of shock in a proper sense as it helps in the pushing off the foot from the front. f. Supination: This is a clear opposite of pronation; thus, refers to a condition in which the foot rolls outwards and places more weight on the outside of the foot. It may be considered as an over-pronation given that the forearm or foot and leg would make a corresponding movement to the outwards and faces upwards (Skeat 153). g. Rotation: This term is used to describe the movement of muscles at the body joint in relation to each other, but towards the center of the body and around the central axis. Rotation commonly occurs at shoulder joints. The occurrences of rotation may be referred to in various terms depending on the location of the body where it happens, and the involved muscles such as teres major, anterior deltoid, pectoralis, subscapularis,

Master of science, financial engineer personal statement

Master of science, financial engineer - Personal Statement Example One of the reasons I studied engineering is due my excellent quantitative abilities. I scored a perfect 800 on the math section of the GRE exam. Despite my background in engineering I have realized that pure engineering work might not be what I desire to do with my life. My love for math can be put to better use in a related field. I am interest in applying for the master’s degree program in financial engineering. I want to pursue a degree in financial engineering because this is a growing field that has plenty of jobs available due to the fact that there is a shortage of professionals trained in this field. My background in engineering will only enhance my ability to visualize how to apply finance to optimize the efficiency of an engineering project. All engineering projects require the assistance of accountants and financial people. As a financial engineer I can become the bridge that connects the engineering and accounting/finance departments. My technical expertise in engineering will enable me to speak the language of engineers, while at the same time being able to communicate effectively with the managers and financial people. Upon further researching the salary potential of electrical engineering I realized that even though engineers are paid a very competitive salary which hovers around $60,000 starting out, the field of financial engineering is much more rewarding. The average starti ng salary for a financial engineer is $80,000 to $90,000. Investing an extra two years of my life pursing a graduate degree in financial engineering is an investment that will provide me with a tremendous return on investment. Along with the financial incentive one of the primary reasons that I want to study financial engineering is because the type of work performed by financial engineers is more personally rewarding to me. I love performing pure math and working with numbers. My college counselor told me that based on my math

Answering the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answering the questions - Essay Example c. Cubital tunnel syndrome: Is a syndrome that relates to the effect of pressure exerted on the ulnar nerve in the hand; thus, resulting in various problems such as pain, weakness, swelling, clumsiness, and unresponsiveness of the small and ring fingers. In most cases, the syndrome causes pain in the elbow on the arm’s side near the chest. d. Tendonitis: Refers to the tendon inflammation, swelling and irritation on the inside sheath due to the overextending of arms overhead. Given that the tendons attach the bones to the muscles, a degeneration of the tendons (tendonitis) would result in the symptoms of this condition. This condition is also the most frequently diagnosed cumulative trauma disorder (CTD). e. Pronation: Refers to the roll of the foot inward when a person is either walking or running. As a result of this, it provides for the distribution of the force of impact on the foot and leg muscles, and the roll usually takes place at about 15%; thus, coming into complete contact with the ground. However, pronation is crucial to the absorption of shock in a proper sense as it helps in the pushing off the foot from the front. f. Supination: This is a clear opposite of pronation; thus, refers to a condition in which the foot rolls outwards and places more weight on the outside of the foot. It may be considered as an over-pronation given that the forearm or foot and leg would make a corresponding movement to the outwards and faces upwards (Skeat 153). g. Rotation: This term is used to describe the movement of muscles at the body joint in relation to each other, but towards the center of the body and around the central axis. Rotation commonly occurs at shoulder joints. The occurrences of rotation may be referred to in various terms depending on the location of the body where it happens, and the involved muscles such as teres major, anterior deltoid, pectoralis, subscapularis,

Healthcare Information Systems - Hardware and Software Essay - 1

Healthcare Information Systems - Hardware and Software - Essay Example Moreover, patients also have to be physically available at the time of inspection that may be a daunting task for old and weak patients. However, if the disease is diagnosed at the early stages, life of a patient can be saved. Hence, if the same tasks can be performed by incorporating clinical information systems, the quality of curing diseases will improve significantly. Clinical information systems adds value to clinical practices and provide advantages that may also contribute significant factors affecting on a life of a patient. The factors are demonstrated below: Clinical Information Systems provides health care with quality and value Clinical Information Systems eliminates clinical or medical errors Clinical Information Systems eliminates cost associated with health care procedures Clinical Information Systems improves the productivity of administrative staff of hospitals. Clinical Information Systems decreases paperwork and can be accessible via Internet to anywhere on the pla net. Moreover, the cost related to health care is also an emerging problem (Demographics of aging, n.d). For instance, expenditures in the United States will grow to 15.9% for the health care from the GDP of $2.6 trillion by 2010 (Keynote, n.d). The leadership of a global economy has a caterpillar approach, to address the computerized health care systems. Increment is observed over recent years and some steps are taken for the resolution of these issues. Various computerized applications are developed to improving clinical practices in an organization or hospitals. In an organization, computerized clinical practices are vital to handle the clinical procedures on a daily basis in healthcare organizations. These clinical procedures are utilized to promote productivity of an organization equipped with computerized healthcare systems. Moreover, the contribution of a healthcare system is applied, to utilizing resources and modifying activities of the clinical staff by best practice guide lines. Currently, there are complex diagnostic tools for processing medical records, laboratory reports, various forms are available in print form, and there is a requirement of exchanging information between the clinical staff. This is where the role of clinical information systems makes their presence. Electronic Medical/Health Records, Tele consultation and continual medical education are contributing to the healthcare industry. EHR is defined as â€Å"The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. Included in this information are patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports† (HIMSS - electronic health record (EHR), n.d). The electronic health and medical records maintain health data of a patient to create an individual set of medical data. The data is maintained in an independent set because healthcare provides gain access of EMR from anywhere to diagnose a patient based on the patient’s health information. Moreover, EMR also facilitates to establish a personalized health plan for a patient. Moreover, EMR improves the health planning and policies at the national level by demonstrating the information and services of people or individuals. In addition, EMR system also facilitates clinical procedures, which are mentioned below: Heath insurance companies access EMR

Impact on Women and African-Americans Essay Example for Free

Impact on Women and African-Americans Essay These changes included more rights and jobs to many different men and women in America that would help change America into what it is today. At the time of World War I, Many whites were recruited in the military and sent to Europe. The result was a demand for workers in all types of jobs. Many African-Americans facing a plight in the south because of drought, loss of jobs, and racial discrimination immigrated to northern cities like New York, St.Louis, and Chicago. Between 1910 and 1930, over hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved. In northern cities African Americans could work at steel mills, munitions plants, stockyards, and the new automobile assembly line opened by Henry Ford specifically for African Americans. The African Americans that had moved to the city lived in poor slums, also known as ghettos. The African Americans usually lived in one-room kitchenettes. Many African-Americans took the opportunity to start new business such as hairdressing. With many African Americans succeeding in â€Å"areas of finance that whites considered too risky† . The whites discriminated against African Americans because African-Americans competed with whites for jobs because they work for less and are sometimes used as strikebreakers, or people who would be hired when workers in a union went on strike. Instead of Migrating to the north many Africans joined the effort to help the war. There were 2 sides that had different opinions about the war. On one side was W. E. B. Du Bois who believed that â€Å"African-American support for the war would lend strength to calls for racial justice. On the other side there was William Monroe Trotter, who believed that African-Americans should not support the American government who was racist towards the African-American community. Eventually 367,710 African-Americans were drafted into the war and were separated into black only regiments. Before the war many women worked as housewives and only worked in the textile industry. During the war, many men who went off to war got replaced by women in their workplace. Women now worked as sellers, elevator operator, chauffeurs, street car conductor, railroad worker, and even farm workers. Many women started working as telephone receptionists and telegraph workers, because many jobs believed that women were more apt than men to do that kind of work. The government also had the need for women to get government jobs. Government jobs open at the time were clerks, stenographers, and telegraphers. Because of World War I, many women were in demand in the job market and soon women enrolled in courses of higher education. Women started learning more about mathematics because women were dominating over the many industries at the time. Newspapers even started articles designed for women. With higher education some women even advanced in the medical field and law field to become doctors, lawyers, and bankers. When women started working in factories, they faced hardships in working conditions. There were dangerous fumes and explosive dangers. There was always the risk of accidental explosions. It was even harder for mothers because there were not any child care policies offered by many companies. Women soon began making unions, such as the National Women’s Trade Union League, where women met and found ways to help raise women wage and have better work conditions. Some women were among the soldiers in the battlefields. Many women who worked on the frontlines were nurses, and the usual requirements were 16 years of age and plain looking. Women who were nurses learned basic medical procedures and helped wounded soldiers with treatment and sometimes helped bath and organized time off for soldiers. Women also cooked in the frontlines as well as driving ambulances. The women effort in war also spread to the weapons industry. Many women worked with ammunition while men were gone. Women that worked with ammunition had to face dangerous working conditions in factories with explosives. Women worked well with machines and were soon renowned for their skills in operating and being fast learners. Women worked on spreading peace. Many women volunteered in the Red Cross and their facilities. The women in the Red Cross aided the war efforts by working as nurses, by rolling bandages, knitted, socks and worked hospitals for the military. Women also pushed for peace movements. A famous woman, Jane Addams was one of the founders of the Women’s Peace Party and was still actively participating even after the United States entered into the war. The impact of women on the war finally led to the 1919 pass of the Nineteenth amendment that was made to help the women’s suffrage cause, it said that states could not deny any citizen the right to vote because of their sex. In the 1920s most immigrants came from southern and Eastern Europe. Most of these immigrants did not speak any English and were therefore discriminated against. Anti-immigrant feelings arose because many of the Americans believed these new immigrants would not be loyal to their country. Soon organizations like the Committee of Public information (CPI) emerged. The CPI set up Loyalty leagues in other countries to promote more care for America among immigrants. We see that WWI helped open the doors for many opportunities to people of all sex and race. Women gained new rights and were more respected in the economy. African-Americans found more jobs, and immigrants learned about the Americas and its greatness even before arriving in America.

Apple Inc Market Analysis

Apple Inc Market Analysis According to Kotler Marketing is not like Euclidean geometry, a fixed system of concepts and axioms. Rather, marketing is one of the most dynamic fields within the management arena. The marketplace continuously throws out fresh challenges, and companies must respond. Therefore, it is not surprising that new marketing ideas keep surfacing to meet the new marketplace challenges. (Varadarajan, 2009) Product, price, promotion and place are factors that, within limits, are capable of being influenced or controlled. Marketing strategy can be viewed as reflecting a marketing mix of these four elements. (OShaughnessey, 1984). Market planning involves the logical sequence and a series of activities leading to the setting of marketing objectives and the formulation of plans for achieving them. Marketing tools are used in the realisation of market plans. This paper aims to critically evaluate how Apple Inc could use some of the main strategic marketing tools (Product Life Cycle, Ansoff Matrix, Boston Matrix etc) to develop and manage its products and product portfolios. Some of the advantages and limitations observed will also be discussed. 1.1: BACKGROUND OF APPLE INC Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the aim of providing user-friendly computers to a set of computer hobbyists (David, 2007; pg 2-3). The first computer they made had no keyboard or power supply and they were able to sell about 200 of such computers which they called Apple 1 (International directory of company history, 2001). Later that year, they began working on Apple II with the intention of reaching a greater market segment. Apple II was a success and made more than $1 million in annual sales. Apple II stored information on cassette tapes and that made them very slow. Apple improved on this memory problem in 1979 with Apple II+ and made 400% more sales than that of the previous year. (International directory of company history, 2001) Apple III was launched in 1980 to break into the office market dominated by IBM. However, the computer was released without adequate testing and many of its unit were defective. Production was stopped and the problem was fixed but Apple III was not as successful as Apple II in the market and it was discontinued in 1984. (International directory of company history, 2001) The company forged ahead despite the failure of Apple III and released more than 40 software programs. It became the first personal computer to reach $1 billion in annual sales in 1982. (International directory of company history, 2001) Steve Wozniak left Apple in 1983 and John Sculley was hired to be the Company president. Steve Jobs was eventually forced out of the company too. Apple turned down Microsofts appeal for the license of their Macintosh operating system. Microsoft went on to develop DOS operating system which soon became the international operating standard for more than 90% of all personal computers in the world. (David, 2007; pg 2-3) Apple experienced a lot of problems with poor management and failed products over the next couple of years and its financial losses reached a staggering $1 billion in 1997. Its share price fell from $70 in 1991 to $14 and its lost majority of its market share. (International directory of company history, 2001) Steve Jobs returned as the CEO of Apple in 1998 and began making efforts to right all the wrongs that had been made over the years. He instantly forged a relationship with Microsoft which included the release of Macintoshs version of Microsofts popular office software (David, 2007; pg 2-3). He went on to eliminate 15 of the companys 19 products (International directory of company history, 2001) as they were not making profits. He introduced the iMac, a sleek and colourful computer in 1998 (David, 2007; pg 2-3). The iMac was a great success and Apples annual sale for that year was $5.9 billion. They experienced continuous growth and their stock made a 140% increase to $99 by the end of 1999 (International directory of company history, 2001). The iPod was introduced in 2001 and over 100million units has been sold. The iTunes online store was launched in 2003. It is a platform where people can download music and pay for it and it has gone on to become the biggest online music store recording more than 4 billion downloads. In January 2006, the Mac book Pro was launched (Anonymous, 2008). In January, 2007, the iPhone and Apple TV were launched and Apple Computer Inc became Apple Inc to accommodate its wide range of products (Anonymous, 2008). 1.2: THE MARKETING MIX According to Professor Peter Doyle, the selection of the target market and design of the marketing mix are the two key decisions that determine the success of a firm in a new market (Baker, 2007). Marketing comprises of a number of elements and the relationship/interdependencies between these elements is referred to as the marketing mix (Cartwright, 2002). The marketing mix is made up of four basic components that can be combined in a number of ways to achieve different end results (Baker, 2007) and these are Product, Place, People and Promotion. Only the product will be discussed in details for the purpose of this paper. 1.2.1: PRODUCT A product has been defined as tangible in the past but we are at the age where that definition is no longer adequate as it does not completely capture the whole essence of a product. A product is defined as a combination of both tangible and intangible properties for the sole purpose of customer satisfaction (Baker, Marketing Strategy and Management, 2007). A product is more than just the food a customer eats at a restaurant; it includes all the services rendered such as convenience, speed, mobility etc (Cheverton, 2004). 1.3: THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE A typical product goes through different stages in its life time and this is referred to as the product life cycle. This is illustrated with the diagram below: INTRODUCTION: The introductory stage is crucial to the life of a product. It is advisable for companies to invest a lot of money into advertisement at this stage to ensure they are able to make sufficient impact upon entry into the market (Cartwright, 2002). The rate of growth and investment at this stage is inversely proportional (Cheverton, 2004). GROWTH: There is a change in marketing strategy at this stage and the cost on advertising reduces as the customers are aware of the brand (Assael, 1985; Pg 308) resulting in a lot of market growth. A lot of sales are usually generated at this stage due to customer awareness. It is usually very good to be the first company to pass through successful unchartered water. However, as soon the success become obvious, other companies will wish to enter the market (Cartwright, 2002). MATURITY: This is the most profitable stage. However, the product is capable of little or no further developments. An effective marketing mix is essential for survival at this stage as competition becomes stiff and competitors will do anything to survive in the market (Baker Hart, Product Strategy and Management, 1999; Pg 97 100). There are too many players in the market at this stage and it is imperative for organizations to come up with new products or improvement on existing products (Cartwright, 2002). DECLINE: With decline in sales, impending death is inevitable and the company can either re-design the product or totally withdraw it (Assael, 1985; Pg 308). 1.3.1: ANALYSIS OF THE IPHONE FAMILY USING THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything these were the words of Steve Jobs at the launch of the iPhone in January, 2007. Jobs had noticed an opportunity in the mobile handset market two years prior and set Apples Engineers in motion to develop the iPhone (Grossman, 2007) which was to save people the stress of carrying both an MP3 player and a phone and the cost of purchasing the two items. The iPhone marked Apples entrance into the mobile handset market. It combines the features of the iPod, smart phones and mobile computing into one device. The user interface is built around a new input technology called multi touch and the only physical button on the iPhone is the home key; every other feature is virtual (Honan, 2007). INTRODUCTION: The build-up to the introduction of the iPhone was second to none. It generated over 69 million hits on Google prior to its launch (Koeppel, 2007). The popularity translated to huge sales and Apple reported selling more than one million iPhones within the first quarter (Financial Statements, 2007). There were some mistakes with the marketing strategy for the iPhone and the obvious one was in the price slash just three months after its introduction (Vertygo Team, 2008). The early adopters were outraged but Steve Jobs made efforts to pacify them by offering $100 store credit that customers could use in purchasing at retail Apple stores or online (Mickalowski, Mickelson, Keltgen, 2008). GROWTH: Apple Inc introduced iPhone3G a little over a year after the first iPhone was launched. The iPhone 3G was compatible with 3G networks which translated into higher connection speed at half the price of the original iPhone, it promised better battery life and also included a built-in GPS (MacWorld, 2008). Iphone 3G was highly successful and Apple sold more than 11.6 million units of the handset (UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2008). The sale of the Iphone expanded beyond the US and the company had a target of reaching 70 countries before the end of 2008. However, the contract with ATT increased by more than 10% from the monthly charge of the previous model therefore, even though the iPhone3G was cheaper, customers will end up spending more over the two-year contract with ATT (MacWorld, 2008). June, 2009 marked the launch of yet another iPhone this time the iPhone3Gs. The features include: Hands free control, longer battery life. It also included the soft ware iPhone OS 3.0, a new software capable of a lot of functionalities such as copy and paste, MMS etc (Vertygo Team, 2008). It had larger memory capacities and was again cheaper than the previous model. The product was well accepted by the market and Apple sold more than 20 million units of the iPhone and witnessed a growth of 78% from the previous year sale (UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2010). In June 2010, the company again introduced a new iPhone; the iPhone 4. This included such features as face time (ability for callers to see each other while making phone calls provided they are both using the iPhone4), 5 mega Pixel camera etc. Building on the success of the previous iPhones, the fourth generation of the iPhone recorded an instant success upon its launch. The company declared more than 93% growth in its iPhone net and unit sales for the year ended September, 2010. This success was attributed in part to the huge demand on the iPhone 4 (UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2009). ADVANTAGES OF THE PLC The PLC helps organizations plan and make allowance for the eventualities of products. The realisation that every product will die if not improved or modified in some ways, help organizations work hard at constantly improving their products. This fact is not lost on Apple Inc and the company strives to constantly improve on its products or add new features to its existing products. Apple Inc is probably the company that understands the importance of the product lifecycle the most and they usually replace their own product with a new product while its still in the growth stage (Average of a year after its launch). The strategy is commendable as it ensures that no competitor takes their position and their market share. DISADVANTAGES OF THE PLC A number of limitations were observed with the PLC and these are: It has no time limits associated with the stages. Thereby making it difficult to estimate exactly what stage a product is in its lifecycle. For instance, in the case of the Apple Inc, the iPhone 3Gs was still enjoying a lot of sales and the introduction of the iPhone4 could have been delayed for a couple of months more to milk the sales of the iPhone 3Gs to the maximum. It can cause a company to kill its own product prematurely because of the need to retain their position in the market. This could be seen in the case of the iPhone 3Gs; with the new iPhone 4, the decline of the iPhone 3Gs is imminent sooner rather than later. Even though every product will decline eventually, the PLC does not take the effect of technology into consideration. The lifecycle of the iPhone could be extended by constant introduction of new applications. Lastly, not every product goes through the stages in the life cycle as it is possible for products to go from introduction to decline etc. 1.4: RISK ANALYSIS USING THE ANSOFF MATRIX The Ansoff Matrix is a strategic marketing tool that proposes ways in which organisations seeking growth can come up with a strategy that encompasses risk analysis, directional policy, portfolio management etc (Lancaster Massingham, 1999); (CIM, 2003). The framework of this tool is shown below: The cells (Strategies) in the matrix are: MARKET PENETRATION: The market penetration strategy has the lowest risk involved and as such the easiest route to take. It involves expansion of sales in existing market and this can be achieved by expanding distribution channels, improving service performance, price slashes, increasing the frequency of usage etc (CIM, 2003); (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). The most important aim is for a company to increase their market share. MARKET DEVELOPMENT: This is a strategy of growth based on entering new markets (countries) and targeting new segments (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). PRODUCT DVELOPMENT: This strategy is based on developing new products for existing markets (Lancaster Massingham, 1999). DIVERSIFICATION: This is the most risky of all the strategies as it involves delving into a totally new market with a totally new product (WMG, 2010) 1.4.1: MANAGING APPLE INC PRODUCT PORTFOLIO USING THE ANSOFF MATRIX MARKET PENETRATION: Although Apple Inc is doing a fantastic job with this strategy; there is still ample room for growth and this can be achieved using the increase in product usage approach (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). Apple could increase the iPhone usage by targeting the older people (50 years and above). They currently do not find the iPhone appealing because it lacks a keypad and as such, it will be difficult to use. A solution is to come up with an iPhone that combines all the current features of an iPhone with a keypad; an iPhone that displays a keypad when slid up might be a good place to start. MARKET DEVELOPMENT: One of the strategies Apple Inc can adopt in increasing its growth is geographic expansion (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). There are still so many countries where the iPhone and iPad are not yet been sold. Acquiring more markets will translate to more sale and ultimately more market share. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: This involves line extensions, developing new products for existing markets, expanding product scope etc. (Aaker McLoughlin, 2007). There is a huge problem usually encountered when using the Macintosh Computers to browse or download software as most vendors are not familiar with the operating system and this could be frustrating for users. It is important for Apple to bridge this technological gap by introducing a more compatible operating system and applications. DIVERSIFICATION: From Computers to MP3 players to iPhones to iPad; Apple Inc knows all about diversification and it has worked for them. Even though it is the most risky of all the growth strategies, if successful, the ROI (return on investment) could be huge. Apple recently entered the tablet market and they own 95% of the market share within just 6months of launching the iPad. ADVANTAGES OF THE ANSOFF MATRIX The Ansoff Matrix is very useful in coming up with a growth strategy for an Organization. Apple Inc explores all the possible growth opportunities and it has helped in their growth and expansion. It has also pointed out areas where there is still room for growth and expansion. LIMITATIONS OF THE ANSOFF MATRIX The limitation observed with the Ansoff Matrix is similar to those observed with the other tools. The tool is not exhaustive enough to be used alone in coming to a marketing decision and as such for effective use, it should be used with other tools such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis etc. 1.5: PRODUCT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS USING THE BCG MATRIX The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a portfolio management tool that helps companies group their products based on the market growth and market share matrix (Kotler et al, 2008)as shown below: The matrix is divided into four segments namely: STARS: These are products with high market share in a high growth market. Their growth rate is rapid and hence, often requires a lot of investment. If market share is retained, they often grow into cash cows (Kotler et al, 2008). QUESTION MARKS: These are products with low market share in a high growth market. They are also referred to as problem children. They usually require a lot of money to maintain or increase their market share. A company usually has two options with such products; invest a lot of money to grow them into stars or just phase out the product (Doyle Stern, 2006). CASH COWS: These are products with high market share in a low growth market. They usually require low investments to maintain their market shares and as such, they usually generate the resources required to maintain other products that require a lot of investment (Kotler et al, 2008) (Doyle Stern, 2006). DOGS: These are products with low market share in a slow growth market and they are usually unprofitable (Doyle Stern, 2006). It is advisable to avoid or totally minimize the number of Dogs in a companys portfolio. 1.5.1: HOW APPLE INC COULD USE THE BCG TO MANAGE THEIR PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Apple has a range of products. The iPhone family and the iPad will be analysed using the BCG matrix. STARS iPhone 4 iPad QUESTION MARKS iPhone 3Gs IPOD Cash Cow FIGURE 1.5.1: Apple Inc BCG Matrix STARS: The iPhone 4 is currently the star product of the company as it experiences high market share in a high growth market (Mobile hand set market). The high market share it enjoys is largely due to the success of the previous models. It is very likely that the iPhone 4 will retain its market share for a while to come as there is currently no product in the market that combines all the features it has for the price it is available for. Another product of the Apple Inc that falls under this category is the iPad. Even though it was just introduced in April 2010, it has enjoyed a passive sale of 7.5 million units already (UNITED STATES SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 2010) and the iPad accounted for 8% of the companys total net sales for 2010. According to Mintel reports, it owns more than 95% of the tablet market which shows that it enjoys high market share in a high growth market. QUESTION MARKS: The iPhone3Gs has lost a huge part of its market share to the iPhone4 and as therefore become a question mark (albeit in the early stages!). It will generate some cash for the company for a while to come mainly because of the reduction in its price. However, with the new iPhone 4 it is unlikely to grow into a star again and it is advisable for the company to phase it out eventually. CASH COWS: The iPod is the companys major cash cow. It has been around for a long time and enjoys huge market share. The growth in the market has reduced with a lot of gadgets that combine MP3 players with their other features. However, it requires little or no further advertisement as people are aware of it and will continue to buy it for a while to come. The resources generated from it can be used to fund other products in the portfolio. ADVANTAGES OF THE BCG MATRIX The major advantage of the BCG Matrix is that it helps companies determine their position in a market relative to their competitors. They can use the result from the analysis to determine what products to invest resources in and what products to phase out. For instance, knowing that the iPhone 3Gs has become a question mark will help the company focus more on the new iPhone4 and reduce the production and advertisement costs that would have been incurred on the iPhone3Gs. Also, the revenue realised from their cash cow (iPod) can be channelled to other products in their portfolio. LIMITATIONS OF THE BCG MATRIX However, there were some limitations observed with the tool. The matrix views each product in a portfolio as independent from each other. It is possible to have low market share in a high growth market (Question Mark) and still be profitable. This is seen in the case of the iPhone3. Even though it has lost its market leader position, it will serve more as a cash cow for the company for a while to come because it will continue to enjoy sales rather than instantly becoming a question mark. The matrix judges the performance of products using only growth rate and market share. This is not sufficient as there are a number of other factors that determine the success of a product in a market such as the marketing mix etc. A major determinant in the case of Apples iPhone is the ATT. Customers are not happy with the quality of their network and even though Apple is making profits on the phone; they could be making more if they were with a more preferred network. Therefore, the choice of network provider also impacts on the performance of their products. CONCLUSION The business environment has become highly competitive and it is imperative for any company entering the market to develop a strategic plan based on analysis of the market, customer needs etc. It is often a wise choice for an organization to have multiple growth strategies for their various products and product portfolios. Apple Inc Products and Product Portfolios have been analysed using the Product Lifecycle, Ansoff Matrix and BCG Matrix. Some advantages and limitations observed with the tools have been discussed and recommendations have been made in areas where there is still ample room for growth. There is no stand-alone or all sufficient marketing tool and the full potential of a tool can only be realised when used with one or two other tools. 2.0: THE MARKETING GAME The marketing game was about four companies vying for the number one position in a market that showed excellent room for growth and profit (word processing software). The aim of the game was to be the company that made the most profit after 5 financial years. As four companies were competing for the market shares and profits, it was important for each company to understand the market, the competitors and the market trends and use this understanding to come up with a strategy that will set them apart from the remaining three if they were to make profit and ultimately win the game. WORDSOFT3 Before any decision or strategy could be made, it was important to understand the different market segments and their unique needs and these are summarized below: THE MODERN STUDENTS: This segment consists majorly of college students who are not keen on the technicalities of the software but on the price. For this category, economy is the most crucial factor. THE HOME SCRIBBLERS: This segment consists of a mix of households who use the software for various purposes. This category of users prefers easy to use software and one which is not easily prone to errors. They are also a price-sensitive segment. THE HARRIED TYPISTS: As frequent (not necessarily expert) users of the software, members of this category want software that is easy to learn and use. Price is not a major factor for this category as they are usually not in the position to make purchasing decisions. THE PROFESSIONAL WRITERS: As professionals in their field, this segments primary concern is for software that can save them time and affords them special commands for advanced auditing and formatting capabilities. THE HIGH-TECH MANAGERS: Members of this segment are interested in the latest software and the number of capabilities they offer. They are motivated by social needs for status and esteem. Price is not of concern to this category of users. THE CONCERNED PARENTS: This category of users wants easy to use software that children can learn themselves. 2.1: YEAR 1 In the first year, WordSoft3 targeted the students and home scribblers and the product 10, 4, 3 was manufactured. The 4Ps of marketing (Price, Place, Promotion and Product) were employed in formulating the strategy for the first year. Emphasis was placed on Channel two since it was the channel students frequented more and as such fifteen salesmen were deployed to this channel against the five deployed to channel one. However, the retail price was erroneously set at  £136, which was higher than that for channel one.  £200,000 was spent on promotion and pioneering advertisement was used to raise general awareness about the software market. The Company did not fully utilize its budget and had money in excess at the end of the year. 30,000 units were requested however; only 20,716 units were sold out of the 24,000 units that were produced. Money was therefore lost on inventory transferred. Some of the decisions made paid off and Wordsoft3 made a profit in excess of  £500,000. However, this performance was dismal when compared to the performance of the other three companies and even though profit was made, the year ended on a sour note. 2.2: YEAR 2 The performance from the first year was analysed alongside the market research report and some errors made in the first year were highlighted as follows: Promotion is key in marketing and the amount spent on advertisement was insufficient. This affected the overall performance relative to the other companies. Sales performance was less than actual production hence, the company lost money for inventory transferred. The product was not achieving the desired result in the targeted segments and it was therefore important to re-assess the various segments and manufacture a more needed product. The price set for the channel two market was erroneously higher than that of channel one After careful analysis, it was necessary to re-strategise if Wordsoft3 was to become a Company to be reckoned with. The first step was to reassess the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) and determine what market segment to target and generally try and improve on the performance of the previous year. PRODUCT: It was obvious from the previous year performance that there was a need to manufacture a new product that will target a different segment of the market. It was decided that the typists and managers should be targeted since they made up 47% of the market and the new product 12, 6, 5 was manufactured to suit their needs. PRICE: The retail price was set at  £280 for Channel one since the majority of the target market shopped there and  £240 for channel two to attract students, home and parents. Even though the product was not produced to meet the specifications of the later group, it was decided that they will compromise on product if the price was right. PLACE: Fifteen more salesmen were employed and they were deployed on a ratio 20:15 to channels one and two respectively. PROMOTION: Advertisement will help inform potential customers and there was a chance they will become customers therefore, a loan of  £500,000 was taken from the bank and it was spent solely on advertisement. Indirect advertisement was employed. The decisions made paid off and Wordsoft3 made the most sales and performed well in more segments than anticipated. It sold all the units produced and it became the market leader in four out of the six segments owning more than 25% of the market share and it doubled the profit made in the first year. 2.3: YEAR 3 By the third year, the rudiments of the market had been understood and the decisions for the third year were easier to make. Slight modification was made to the product to be more suited to managers but not enough to deter the typists and writers from purchasing. In addition, the prices were increased slightly from that of the previous year. Thirteen more salesmen were employed and they were distributed evenly between the two channels to increase awareness for the product in both channels and their commission was increased to 8% which was more than the average been paid in the market. The percentage non-selling time was set at 20:25 for channels one and two respectively, thereby raising more awareness for the brand with personal marketing.  £43,000 was spent on sales promotion and  £550,000 was spent on advertisement and direct advertisement was employed to reinforce Wordsoft3 as a market leader. The retail price was set at  £289.77 for channel one and  £259.46 for channel tw o. At the end of the third year, Wordsoft3 made the most sales. It also went on to become the market leader in all the six segments, a feat that had not been achieved previously by any of the other companies. It owned more that 30% of the overall market share and made profit in excess of  £2,000,000. 2.4: YEAR 4 By the fourth year, Wordsoft3 had been able to carve a niche for itself as a reputable and trusted brand. The ease of learning was slightly increased and the product 13, 6, 6 was manufactured. As a result of the volume of sales of the previous year, it was imperative to employ more salesmen. Eight more salesmen were employed and they were shared at the ratio 30:26 to channels one and two respectively.  £500,000 was spent on indirect advertisement and  £14,000 was spent on sales promotion. Wordsoft3 maintained its lead at the end of the third year, selling more than 70,000 units. It made profits of over  £3million and owned more than 35% of the market share. 2.5: YEAR 5 For the fifth year, the price for the products was reduced to attract more consumers since the product has been in the market for a number of years and market research showed that it might be getting to its saturation stage in the product lifecycle. The price was therefore set at  £279.85 and  £250.36 for channels one and two respectively.  £500,000 was spent on advertisement and  £43,000 was spent on sales promotion. The game ended on a very happy note for Wordsoft3 and they totalled a cumulative profit of over  £10million and maintained the market leader position and market share of over 30%. LESSONS LEARNT In retrospect, the failure at the end of the first year was the launching pad for the success of Wordsoft3. It was evident that they needed to re-assess their strategy and determine whether it was strong enough to help them achieve their vision of being the market leader and the company with the most profit after the fifth financial year. They realised the need to better understand the market. The market research gave them the insight they needed to identify possible market opportunities and to focus their resources on it. More money could have been spent on advertisement in the first year. Marketing is all about taking risks