Employees contribution in customer satisfaction, customer retention Dissertation

Employees contribution in customer satisfaction, customer retention and customer loyalty in SME retail organization like SUPERVA - Dissertation Example The peripheral economies have not been able to restructure their economies and introduce reforms to enhance productivity and competitiveness of their economies. 1.1.2 The Irish Economy The Irish economy has been one of the most successful in the world but it has also been among the hardest hit during the economic recession (European Commission, 2012). Up to 2007 Ireland experienced strong economic growth and the living standards in Ireland caught up with the world standards. This occurred as more number of workers entered the labor market. Additionally, higher levels of education resulted in better productivity. EU being declared as a single market made Ireland an attractive destination for inward investments. Between 2002 and 2007 the economy experienced high growth rates but this was at the cost of the Irish households building up personal debts. The real estate sector surged forward to due to increase in bank lending. Due to this, the balance sheets of banks grew disproportionatel y large compared to the size of the economy. In addition to the deposit base, the introduction of the Euro encouraged short-term borrowing from overseas. Risky lending practices by the banks proved to be damaging for the economy and this was evident when the property bubble burst (European Commission, 2012). Because of these anomalies the Irish banks were vulnerable to the global recession in 2007. The collapse of Lehman Brothers, investment bankers of US, led to severe tension in the global financial markets which led to deposit outflows at the Irish banks. 1.1.3 SME Retail sector in Ireland The retail sector in Ireland comprises of over 20,000 food and non-food retailers, mostly SMEs, being both Irish and International in origin (IBEC, 2012). The retail sector employs over 240,000 employees. Retailing offers people career in their own locality. The retail SMEs have invested heavily in the sector in the last decade. As a result of recession, the retail market has shrunk by over one -fifth in the terms of value. The retailers were forced to reduce prices, which in turn impacts the overall profits. However, the operating costs have not been affected due to inflexible rents, hourly pay rates, local authority charges and property service charges. The shrinking of the retail market compelled the retailers to seek help from the government. To enhance consumer spending, focus on employees has been considered a valuable agenda. This is based on the recommendation of Irish Business & Employers Confederation in its election manifesto ‘Delivering the Jobs Agenda’ (IBEC, 2012). 1.2 Competitive advantage through people Human resources are now considered valuable assets as there has been a rise in the status of knowledge workers (Sheehan, 2005). Based on the resource-based view of the firm, human capital has become the source of competitive advantage as Koch and McGrath (1996) contend that a highly productive workforce possess attributes that make it a highly v aluable strategic asset. This has led to the recognition of and commitment to human capital development; this has also caused the shift from traditional personnel management to refined HR practices. Competitive advantage can also be gained by recruiting people from diverse backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, age, gender and other individual characteristics (D’Netto and Sohal, 1999). 1.3 Motivation for Research Retailing is intensely competitive in Ireland as anyone can open a store. This has brought in many new

Dis Post Poll 211 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dis Post Poll 211 7 - Essay Example Modern societies also exhibit social structural differentiation with distinct definitions of political and national institutions. Modern societies also have a differentiated political structure and secularized political culture. Many modern societies are in a position to advance the political system of a society (Crain 67). Promoters of the modernization theory highlight that modernization occurs in phases. The five phases include the existence of a traditional society, the emergence of preconditions for takeoff, the real takeoff process, the drive to maturity, and finally the emergence of a high content consumption society. Modernization theorists reveal that the process began in Europe and America. The modernization process is highly transformative. The modernization process has been moving to the traditional societies in other continents. However, the completion of the process will take a long time. Other theories such as the theory of dependency and the theory of world systems do not explain the existence of income gaps effectively. For example, the theory of dependency cannot explain why countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China have the highest level of economic growth, yet they do not appear in the list of the developed countries (He 34). In addition, the theory of globalization does not explain why there is increasing income inequality in both developed and developing

Agile Development And Variation In SCRUM Sprint Information Technology Essay

Agile Development And Variation In SCRUM Sprint Information Technology Essay In Agile development SCRUM is highly acceptable approach. And main body of SCRUM is driven by the sprint. Activities in the SCRUM sprint are sprint meeting, sprint review, sprint backlog, development, acceptance testing, scrum meeting, sprint retrospective, and final shippable work product. it is observed that there are still missing activities that can be accommodated to improve the sprint. The research suggests some more activities that can be accommodated from other agile methodologies such XP, DSDM, and RUP/EUP. The new approach will enhance the sprint capability. KEYWORDS: Agile development, SCRUM, Extreme Programming, Rational Unified Process, Dynamic Systems Development Method INTRODUCTION Agile development is a group of methodologies where requirements and solutions develop through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional, cohesive teams. The main focus is on creating working software that could be handed over to the customer quickly rather than spending a lot of time writing specifications up front. Agile focuses on rapid iteration, with continuous customer input throughout the development lifecycle. In this paper we introduce a development process, in this process we have identified the missing activities in the SCRUM and collaborated the activities that are available in other Agile methodologies such as XP, DSM and RUP RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The methodology selected for this research is based on the qualitative analysis of the agile frameworks available in the industry. AGILE Agile has evolved as a light weight software development methodology against the legendary heavy weight software development methodologies such as waterfall, spiral, rapid prototyping, incremental. Agile methodology is based on iterative and incremental development that break tasks into small increments with nominal planning called iteration. Iterations are short time frames that typically last from one to four weeks. Each iteration involves a team working through a full software development cycle. AGILE ALLIANCE In spring of 2001, 17 software developers met at UTAH to see whether there was anything in common between the various light methodologies such asAdaptive Software Development, XP, Scrum, Crystal, Feature driven Development, Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM). AGILE MANIFESTO We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan [Martin C. Robert , Agile Principles, Patterns, and Practices in C#, Martin Micah, 2006] SCRUM Scrum is an incremental iterative process. In Scrum, product development is done in iterative cycles called Sprints. Sprints are typically 1-4 weeks in length, and the time box is not extendable, i.e. the backlog items that could not be completed in one sprint are catered in the next sprint. Once a sprint date is committed it is never extended. At the start of a Sprint, there is a sprint meeting in which priority items of product backlog are selected and team calculates the efforts and commits to complete them in the Sprint. Every day there is a daily standup meeting in which team reports the progress to each other and update simple visual representations of work remaining in sprint burn down chart. [The Scrum Papers: Nuts, Bolts, and Origins of an Agile Process Jeff Sutherland, Ph.D. Ken Schwaber Co-Creators of Scrum, 2007] [Deemer.P and Benefield.G, SCRUM PRIMER, 2006] EXTREME PROGRAMMING Extreme Programming is an agile development methodology that focuses on the critical activities required to build software. Like other agile methodologies it also supports the development in little iterations after a work product is available to be released. Unlike traditional SDLC, extreme programming does not support different phases of requirement gathering , analysis, design and development rather it advocates a environment where the client is the part of the team and all the phases of SDLC are executed simultaneously in iterative incremental order. DSDM Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) is a software development method originally based on the methodology for rapid application development. DSDM is an incremental and iterative methodology that focuses on continuous user collaboration. Its goal is to deliver software systems on schedule and according to the financial plans while adjusting for requirement changes along with the development process. Among all agile methodologies DSDM is a fundamental methodology of Agile Alliance. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSDM ] RUP The Rational Unified Process (RUP) is an iterative software development process framework created by the Rational Software Corporation, a division of IBM since 2003[http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/IBM-Acquires-Rational/]. The RUP is a four-phase (inception, elaboration, construction, transition), prescriptive process whose scope is software development. The EUP extends the RUP to make it a full-fledged IT process. The EUP adds two phases, production and retirement. Not only do you need to develop systems, you also need to run them in production and potentially even remove them from production at some point. [The Object Primer, Third Edition,Scott W. Ambler 2004] COMPARISON Although there are many other agile methodologies such as Feature Driven Development, ICONIX, PRINCE2, Lean Software Development and Crysatal but for the comparison of the activities we have selected four most used agile methodologies which include Extreme Programming, SCRUM, DSDM and RUP. eXtreme Programming is a revolutionary methodology which focuses on the cross functional software development process and addressing the core software engineering practices such as analysis, development and testing. It makes XP a substantial difference to the quality of the end product. SCRUM is also an agile framework, which focuses mainly on how to manage tasks within a cross functional team environment. Before AGILE there was a light weight methodology called DSDM. When Agile was devised many of the DSDM principles were integrated in the agile development methodology [http://www.agile-software-development.com/2007/02/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-agile.html] Planning And Requirement Gathering In extreme programming, in order to plan a project, we must know something about the requirements, but we dont need to know very much. For planning purposes, we need to know only enough about a requirement to estimate it. In SCRUM same is being handled by Product Owner And Team mutually agreeing on the development of the planning of the items based on the product backlog. In DSDM there is a separate Elaboration phase to gather the requirement and plan the phases accordingly. RUP has an Inception Phase, Business process re-engineering is a very complex endeavor, and the RUP only provides techniques for business modeling, not for the supporting process. If, however, the business process is simple or well understood, its possible that work on it may be undertaken in the inception phase. If this is the case, a more complex inception phase will be required. [www.scribd.com/doc/41162/Planning-a-project-with-RUP] Specification Artifacts The test cases and code evolve together in extreme programming, with the test cases leading the code by a very small fraction as a result; a very complete body of test cases grows along with the code. These tests allow the programmers to check whether the program works. Major artifacts in SCRUM are Sprint backlog, Product Backlog, Sprint Burn down Charts. Product backlog contains [Deemer.P and Benefield.G, SCRUM PRIMER, 2006] features (enable all users to place book in shopping cart), development requirements (rework the transaction processing module to make it scalable), exploratory work (investigate solutions for speeding up credit card validation), and known bugs (diagnose and fix the order processing script errors). DSDM has a number of artifacts that are created and evolves with the project. These artifacts include Feasibility Reports, Non-Functional Requirements, Business requirements, Review meeting records, Systems Architecture Definition, Development Plan, Functional Model, Implementation Plan, Test records, User documentation, Project Review Document. In RUP Use case model, Supplementary requirements, Use case (Describes a service provided by the system), User interface prototype (Simulates the user interface, as defined and testable by users) Functional test (Tests the functionality needed to meet a particular requirement), Development environment (Sets up the development environment and manages changes to this environment) Progress To measure the team progress in extreme programming there is a steering team, record progress chart is used. SCRUM meeting, burn down chart in SCRUM, Big visible charts in DSDM and in RUP defined sources for project indicators. Defined thresholds for the project indicators. coding In extreme programming Code is written by pairs of programmers working together at the same workstation. One member of each pair drives the keyboard and types the code. The roles change frequently. In SCRUM same is done according to the willingness And Commitment Of Team. In DSDM initially a Design Prototype is created which is tested by the customer after the validation of Design the tested System is handed over to the next phase. In RUP Coding is done on the bases of the available use cases, lengthy use cases may be divided in to several iterations [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSDM#Stage_3:_Design_and_Build_Iteration http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RUP] Testing As discussed earlier in extreme programming All production code is written in order to make a failing unit test pass. Write the code that makes that test pass. For SCRUM Acceptance testing is done at the end of each SPRINT. In DSDM, throughout project life-cycle Testing is done regressively. And same goes for RUP. Review The details about the user stories are captured in the form of acceptance tests specified by the customer. The acceptance tests for a story are written immediately preceding, or even concurrently with, the implementation of that story. The review meeting in SCRUM is called Sprint Retrospectives. In DSDM test records are developed according to the user documentation and checks the correctness of the designed system. For review purpose testing and reviewing are the main techniques used. Reviews are not available in RUP Iterations In XP iteration is usually 2 weeks in length and represents a minor delivery that may or may not be put into production. The iteration plan is a collection of user stories selected by the customer according to a budget established by the developers. In Scrum it is called Sprint Cycle which is usually of the length of 4-6 weeks and does not vary. In DSDM there is only one iteration in which complete build is developed. In RUP iterations are not time oriented rather there are use cases that help in determining the timeframes of iteration. Release Management XP teams often create a release plan that maps out the next six or so iterations. That plan is known as a release plan. A release is usually three months worth of work. In SCRUM 2 -3 sprints and as decided by product owner. In DSDM there is a single release concept that is sent to the customer in the entire project as it is adept in SDLC. DSDM is also unique in that it categorizes time boxes depending on their function: Investigate, Refine, Consolidate. The activities of RUP include Release handover, training the end users and to facilitate in User acceptance testing of the system. Customer Collaboration In XP customer is the part of the team. Customer is virtually present in the vicinity and he is always present to facilitate or elicitation of the requirements. [Kent Beck, Extreme Programming Explained, First Edition September 29, 1999 ]. In SCRUM product Owner can be Customer, in DSDM Executive Sponsor is called the Project Champion. It is a vital position from the user organization since it has the responsibility to facilitate all the requirements in the requirements elicitation. In RUP Customer collaboration is done throughout the project phase Project Management In XP Project management is done through Inter team coordination, A pair has the right to check out any module and improve it. No programmers are individually responsible for any one particular module or technology. Everybody works on the graphical user interface. In SCRUM Product Owner and Scrum Master are the facilitators. In DSDM there is a project Manager who can be a in-house IT Staff or a client. In RUP the Project manager plans the phases of the entire project along with the iteration plan which describe the iterations. Deployment: In RUP the purpose of deployment is successful delivery of the working software to its end users. It includes packaging, distributing and producing external releases of the software,. Support In RUP: Software release installations and technical support to the client or end user Architecture DSDM makes an architecture phase compulsory. In Business Study RUP make it able to agree on development priorities and a SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE DEFINITION are developed ACTIVITIES BENCHMARK Following is the benchmark of all the above discussed agile development project lifecycle activities PRACTICES XP SCRUM DSDM RUP PLANNING/REQUIREMENTS User stories product owner Product Backlog Elaboration Phase and feasibility studies Inception Phase and Business modelling ARTIFACTS Test case Archives Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, burndown charts Feasibility Report, Outline Plan, Business Area Definition Use case model, User interface prototype, Functional test PROGRESS steering team, record progress scrum meeting, burn down chart Big visible charts Defined thresholds for the project indicators. CODING Pair Programming commitment of team Prototype designing and evolution commitment of team TESTING write the code that makes that test pass. Acceptance Testing Throughout the project life-cycle. Testing occurs throughout the project REVIEW acceptance tests for a User story sprint restrospective correctness of the designed system by review and testing Not Available ITERATION 2 weeks in length 4 -6 Weeks in length Single Iteration Iterations are not time based RELEASE Release consists of 6 Iterations 2 -3 sprints and as decided by product owner Single release Single release CUSTOMER COLLABORATION Part of the team Product Owner can be a customer Executive sponsor; This role has an ultimate power to make decisions collaboration throughout the project phase PROJECT MANAGEMENT Project manager is Big Boss Product Owner Could be client or any one from the staff Phase plan by the team DEPLOYMENT Not Available Not Available Not Available Software Packaging and Distribution SUPPORT Not Available Not Available Not Available Software release installations and technical support to the client or end user ARCHITECTURE Not Available Not Available Architecture phase compulsory In Business Study architecture is defined ACTIVITIES COVERED IN SPRINT Sprint is a complete cycle of activities. This activity is time boxed, which means that the time allocated for a sprint cannot be varied and team has to provide a tested and working work product at the end of the sprint. The sprint backlog items that could not be completed in the sprint are catered in the next sprint. The activities in SPRINT are as follows Sprint burn down chart Design Development Testing Daily stand up meeting WHAT COULD BE ACCOMODATED IN SPRINT Things that could be added in sprint could be more customer collaboration, focus on the system architecture

an american story :: essays research papers

On November 25, 1986 at five minutes past noon, President Ronald Reagan marched into the White House briefing room to announce that Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North had been relieved of his duties on the National Security Council staff for supplying arms to the Iranians. By Stephan Perry It began in 1961 when Oliver North joined the Marine Corps, never knowing what he was in store for. Combat-decorated Marine, best selling author, founder of a small business, host of a nationally heard radio show, inventor with three U.S. patents and former candidate for the U.S. Senate, Oliver North is returning to newspapers with his hard-hitting column. â€Å"Ollie†, as he prefers to be called, was born in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and served 22 years as a U.S. Marine. His awards for service in combat are the silver star, the bronze star for valor and two purple hearts for the wounds he received in action. Assigned to the National Security Council staff in the Reagan administration, North was involved in planning the rescue of 804 students on the Island of Grenada and played a major role in the daring capture of the hijackers of the cruise ship Achille Lauro. After helping to plan the U.S. raid on Maummar Qaddaffis, terrorist based in Libya, he was targeted by Abu Nidal, the world’s deadliest assassin. North’s involvement in the Reagan administration’s support for the anti-communist freedom fighters in Nicaragua and the rescue of American hostages held in Beirut Lebanon, catapulted North into international prominence. North has lectured at Oxford and many other colleges and American universities. He is controversial and committed, but retains the charisma that shocked the world during the so-called Iran Contra hearings and in his 1994 campaign for U.S. Senate. North believes that â€Å"We can disagree without being disagreeable.† The Iran Contra affair is the name of the major United States foreign policy scandal in the 1980s. It involved two secret operations by the executive branch of the government. The operations were 1) the sale of military equipment to Iran and enemy of the U.S.; and 2) The provision of the military aid to Contra rebels in Nicaragua, which Congress had banned. The two operations were connected by the use of profits from the Iranian arms sales to aid the Contra rebels. After United States president Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, he claimed the Sandinistas had set up a communist dictatorship.

Double Trouble Mystery

It all started on one bitterly cold December morning, I do believe that it was the week before Christmas when myself and Dr Daniel Barnet were suddenly awoken by a knocking at the door, the Dr was the first to rise as I always take my time, as I lifted myself from the bed I could hear the voice of a lady, the voice seemed familiar but I could not for the life of me think who it was, I wrapped my dressing gown around me and opened the chamber door, the morning sunlight was protruding through a small gap in the curtains. As I walked down the hall way the voice became evermore familiar but still I could not muster as who the woman was. As I slowly stepped down the stairs I could hear that Dr Barnet and the lady were not alone. I reached the bottom step and turned the corner only to my surprise it was my sister and her faithful dog Simon. I could not believe my eyes that my own sister of the higher class would be seen with the middle classes such as my self and Dr Barnet. Dr Barnet said I would like you to meet my associate Professor Williams, as my sister turned round to look at me I could see in the way that she looked that something was not right. Her eyes finally made contact with me, the sun shining through the window lead my eye to the tear which was now forming in her eye; she ran over to me and sobbed its Chris, its Chris. Being her brother I instantly said calm down Rose what has happened to Chris. She burst out into floods of tears; Daniel sat her down and told her to start from the beginning of what had happened. While Dr Barnet was calming down my beloved sister I went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Seconds later I heard Daniel call me in, so I put down the tea pot and plodded into the lounge, an instinct told me that I should go and sit next to Rose as she needed my support. In trying to do so Simon her faithful dog jumped up and sat next to her leaning over her as if she needed protection. I pulled a chair up to the side of her and said Rose can you tell Dr Barnet and I exactly what is wrong, â€Å"it all started last week when I had told Christopher that I wanted to throw a candle lit supper for a few acquaintances, but Christopher being Christopher refused to let me have it so I said to him that if he didn't let me have the party terrible things would happen to him.† explained Rose. â€Å"Go on† replied Daniel â€Å"as I was saying I told him that bad things would happen if he didn't let me have my candle lit supper, hoping that he would let me have it like he usually does, but this time he stuck with his original answer of NO, so I tried to convince him that it would be a fun evening leading up to Christmas but he would not have any more talk about the party, and since me saying that bad things would happen if he didn't let me have the party bad things have been happening, firstly Christopher's mother passes away and leaves nothing to him in her will, as she said that he was too greedy and only wanted to inherit the land or the money.† Dr Barnet asked Rose â€Å"when did Christopher's mother pass on† â€Å"On Friday was when she passed away† replied Rose Do proceed with the story I added taking notes as the story was being revealed. â€Å"after Christopher's mother's funeral we went round to his mothers estate, and went to tidy up all her belongings, Christopher found this very hard and could not bare to do any more as the sudden death of is mother had caused him to have severe psychological problems, this caused him to start drinking. He never drank not even on special occasions. He started acting like a child which our ten year old son Thomas found strange, seeing as Christopher had taught Thomas how to be a gentleman. Now Christopher had started drinking he would spend more and more time out of the house, one night he did not return† â€Å"Can you remember which night this was?† asked Dr Barnet â€Å"I believe it was Tuesday night that he did not return home.† â€Å"Has he ever done anything like this before† I added â€Å"Not to my recognition† replied Rose. â€Å"Please continue.† said Daniel. Well I telephoned the office in which he works and he was there but in a very important meeting on which the business' finance could depend. That night he returned home and was fine but he did not act his usual self. He did not give me the normal peck on the cheek and walked straight past Thomas as if he didn't actually exist. He went straight upstairs, got into bed and went to sleep without saying a word.† That is certainly unlike Christopher to ignore Thomas as they have such a good father son relationship. I said calmly even though rage was building up inside of me because of the way that Chris could treat my only sister. She continued with the ever amazing story. â€Å"The next morning he woke up did not say a word, went straight downstairs after getting dressed had his breakfast and went straight off to work. This was breaking his usual routine. As he would normally lounge around in his dressing gown before having breakfast, once he'd had breakfast with the family he would let Thomas use the bathroom first then he would use it. They would both get dressed and Christopher would take Thomas to school on his way to work. Thomas was so disappointed that his dad had ignored him and not taken him to school.† My blood began to boil could not hold in the hatred for this man any longer, he had been treating my sister and my nephew so badly I could just kill him. â€Å"Since then I have not heard or seen of him I thought he was staying at the office and doing over time to raise funds for Christmas to buy little Thomas his Christmas presents, that is why I have come to find you,† Do you have any more information about where he could be or anything that could get us started. Asked Dr Barnet. â€Å"Well there was a report that noises were heard near my husbands late mothers house, but I dare not go there as I do not have the company of a man who I stronger that I.† replied rose in a tearful kind of way. Dr Barnet and Rose sat down to talk about what Daniel and myself will have to do. Whilst all this was going on I decided to have a low fat breakfast as I had noticed that I was getting to be a bit on the large side. So toast and butter it was even though I found it hard to resist the preserves. Dr Barnet had arranged for us to meat Rose outside the house of her husband's late mother at 10:30, we arrived at about 10:15 to get a quick look at the neighbourhood surrounding the estate. There was a drive to the house about fifty metres long which had a Rolls Royce standing proudly at the top of the drive. The house was of Victorian build with a distinct window which overlooked the street, this window was situated in the attic, and Dr Barnet said to me that he just saw the blind move. At that point Rose turned up to let us into the home. The first thing we noticed was a family photo with Christopher on his father's shoulders and a boy who was identical to Christopher standing net to his mother along with his older brother Scott and sister Lyn who now owned the house. As we walked through the house there was a feeling that we should not be her but Dr Barnet said that I was only imagining it. We found another photograph of the two identical boys one of which being Christopher. When we reached the first floor of the house we found the wallet of Christopher and in it there was a business card saying: Christopher Smith accountant's office of the Perm Wigs Corporation. But a Bank card with the name Robert Smith on it. We finally managed to comb our way to the top floor and still nothing. Dr Barnet decided that we should look in the attic as he thought that he saw the blonds move. As we walked up the narrow stair way full of cobwebs and dust the floor boards creaked when we neared the summit we were blinded by the sunlight from a gap in the roof where a tile had blown off. The attic was full of boxes some of which were coffin shaped. And covered with white sheets, some of which had turned a brown colour over time. We searched through all the boxes and under all the sheets we had given up hope of finding any more clues until Rose stumbles upon a closet situated behind a large stack of boxes. There was no dust on these boxes so they had not been left in that spot for any length of time. Rose slowly turned the handle o the door and it opened with a creak. Behind the door there was a white cloth covering something. There was a red stain on the cloth which had started to turn a dark brown colour it looked as if it was blood. As Rose took hold of the corner of the cloth and pulled it. She exposed the badly beaten body of her husband who had been killed by means of extreme torture and being savagely attacked by a sharp object. I concluded that he had been tied up at one point as he seemed to have burns on his wrist but Dr Barnet said that he thought he had been shackled with chains as the burns looked like a chain pattern. Rose smith identified the body and said that she believed it to the body of her husband Christopher. By now Simon the Saint Bernard was jumping around getting agitated as he did so he bumped into a wall which was inside the store cupboard, the wall opened it was on a hinge and in this room we found a candle which was alight and a red rose in front of a picture of which we thought was Christopher and a tape player was on with the queen classic the show must go on playing. There was a small coffee table on the far side of this hidden room and sitting at it was Christopher but we thought that he was the dead person we found. Rose ran over to him and said in a soft voice Christopher and he turned round with tears streaming from his eyes with a piece of paper in his hands that says at the top last will and testimony. He is muttering â€Å"sorry mum I didn't mean to do it. Please for give me.† Rose slapped him round the face and asked him what he didn't mean to do to his brother Rob, He replied in a tearful way I killed Rob I killed Rob, â€Å"Who is Rob?† asked Dr Barnet My identical brother my mothers favourite son and he got the rolls and all of mothers money and I got nothing so I wanted it all for myself so I ties him up in chains and attached it to the mains electricity and I whipped him with grandfathers sabre which he used in a fencing competition. I called the authorities and they dealt with the matter so all the clues we found could not have helped us in any way as they were identical twins and we could not tell the difference and that was only down to the split personality of one greedy man who was not happy unless he had everything. Since then I have looked after my sister and I now live with them taking care of them until Christopher is finally classed as a sane person and he can once again look after his family. That was the tale of the double trouble mystery. Another mystery solved for the ever expanding case book of world famous Professor Williams and Dr Barnet.

Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation

Physics Lab Report Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation For Mr. Williams SPH3U1-02 Sept. 13/10 Written by: Dong Chang, Gloria Chan, Sanjay Tanirige, and Waleed Shehzad Image credits Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to determine the amount of time in seconds that it takes to walk a distance of 84 metres on the running track. In addition, the person that is the most reliable to perform this test will have to be determined. Hypothesis We hypothesize that it will take approximately 103. 7 seconds to run the 84 metre of track by an average person. This value was derived from the average time that it takes to walk one metre from the person with the most average walking speed out of the group. Procedure Materials and Apparatus: †¢ Metre Stick †¢ †¢ Method Part A: Finding most reliable walker 1. Place the metre stick on a sufficient space on the ground with some distance before and after it. Let the zero metre mark be the origin. 2. Start walking some distance before the origin (in the negative x-axis area).When the person’s stride is over the origin, the stopwatch is started. The person will keep on walking and maintain the same speed and heading with no acceleration until they have walked some distance past the 1 metre mark. Stop the stopwatch once the person’s stride is over the 1 metre mark. 3. Record the time that it takes to perform the action of walking 1 metre. Repeat Step 2 two more times so that you have three trials. Find the average time that it took the person to walk the 1 metre. 4. Repeat Steps 1-3 for each member of the roup. 5. Find the average that it takes for all members of the group to walk 1 metre by adding their averages and dividing by the amount of people in the group. Stopwatch with accuracy of 1/100 seconds Pre-marked area 84 metres long Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation 6. The person that has the closest personal average to the group average will be the most reliable walker for the group. Part B: Finding the time that it takes to walk 84 metres 1. Mark the 84 metre track with the start and the finish. 2.Using the most reliable walker found in Part A, start walking some distance before the start line in order to achieve a constant velocity and have zero acceleration. Start the stopwatch when the person’s stride is over the start line, and stop the stopwatch when the person’s stride is over the finish line. 3. Record the time that it takes the person to walk the 84 metre length of track. Observations Record of the amount of time in seconds for a person to walk one metre. Walker Time 1 (seconds) 0. 90 0. 93 1. 08 1. 28 Time 2 (seconds) 1. 23 1. 16 1. 10 1. 08 Time 3 (seconds) 1. 6 1. 16 1. 18 1. 18 Time Average (seconds) 1. 13 1. 08 1. 12 1. 18 Dong Chang Gloria Chan Sanjay Tantirige Waleed Shahzad Therefore, the total average of everyone’s time to walk one metre is: (1. 13s+1. 08s+1 . 12s+1. 18s)/4 =4. 51s/4 =1. 275s ?1. 3 seconds The person with the closest personal average is Dong Chang, with an average time of 1. 13 seconds.Therefore, he is the most reliable to run the test. Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation The average time of the most reliable person to walk one metre. Walker Dong Chang Time (seconds) 1. 21 1. 37 1. 19 1. 5 1. 17 1. 28 1. 18 1. 12 1. 21 1. 25 Therefore the average of the time to walk one metre is 1. 233 seconds. To estimate the time it takes to walk 84 metres: Let x be the estimated time to walk 84 metres x=time*distance x=1. 233 seconds * 84 metres x=103. 572 seconds x ? 103. 57 seconds Therefore we estimate it would take 103. 57 seconds in order to walk 84 metres. Actual result of test to walk 84 metres: 106. 75 seconds Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation Percent Deviation of Test [(experimental value – theoretical value)/theoretical value] * 100% [(106. 5s-103. 57s)/103. 57s]*100% =(3. 18s/103. 57s )*100% ?3. 07% Therefore the deviation is 3. 07% away from the hypothesis. Percent Difference of Trials (maximum difference in measurement)/average measurement * 100% [(1. 37s-1. 12s)/1. 233s]*100% =(0. 25s/1. 233s)*100% ?20. 3% Therefore the difference between the trials was 20. 3% Analysis 1. a) How did you choose the walker? We first had each person walk 1 metre three times each and timed them. An average time was assigned to each person based on their performance.Then we found the average that it takes for all members of the group to walk 1 metre by adding their personal averages and dividing by the amount of people in the group. The person that has the closest personal average to the group average will be the most reliable walker for the group because they are the most average. b) How did you design your classroom trials? We placed the metre stick beside the straight surface of the wall so that the walker can walk perpendicular to it as to not have any change in direction while conduction the trials.We set the 0 metre point of the ruler as the origin, and that was where we would start timing and we set the 1 metre point to where we would stop timing. The walker would start walking before the origin so they can maintain a constant velocity and have zero acceleration. When their stride is over the origin, we would start timing, and then their stride Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation is over the 1 metre mark, we would stop timing. We did this three times each for every group member to find who was the most reliable walker, and ten times more for the most reliable walker. . a) How did your classroom trials approximate the final verification? Our classroom trials help us obtain a proper hypothesis that was extremely close to our final test during the final verification.By using mathematical models and calculations with real world small scale measurements, we were able to predict the outcome of the experiment down to approximately 3% off. Howev er, such trials seem mundane for such a low scale experiment which would probably have been done a lot faster if the final verification was done earlier. ) Who was the most reliable walker? Why? Dong Chang was the most reliable walker because his personal average time to walk 1 metre of distance is the closest to the group’s total average to walk 1 metre. On average, the total group took 1. 275 seconds to walk 1 metre, with Dong’s time of 1. 30 seconds average the closest. 3. a) How accurate was your estimate? Our estimate was very accurate and only presented a 3. 07% deviation (see observations for calculations) from the final verification time. b) Area your results reliable to science?Our results are reliable to science due to the good design of our trials and experiments. We had a 3. 07% error, which is less than the 5% that would deem our results acceptable to science. Conclusion In physics, motion is a change in location or position of an object with respect to ti me. In this experiment, the walker exerts motion in order to change their position down a track. We were able to estimate the amount of time that it takes one to travel a certain distance with a set of scaled down trials. Distance Time Walking Relationship Experimentation

Strategic Perspectives The WritePass Journal

Strategic Perspectives Strategic Perspectives . In the former instance, the company was accused of employing suppliers in its outsourced production strategy who were running sweat shops, an accusation which subsequently led to the closure of one of its factories over poor labour conditions. The company agreed to these accusations taking the position that the misdeeds pointed out amounted to a serious breach to its code of conduct (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). In the latter instance, testimonies and claims of abuse and terror meted on 25 of Zara’s employees, including store managers and staff, were aired in the media.   The company undertook to regularize such situations through the enhancement of supervision of the production systems of its entire network of suppliers (Economist, 2012). 2.1   Stakeholder theory The Stakeholder theory states that, without regard to the fact that some stakeholders would make more contributions to the organization, all stakeholders are entitled to equal treatment (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). Stakeholders include individuals, organizations or groups that have legitimate interest in the business and who therefore affect or are affected by its actions (Nordberg, 2011). With crises and concerns over abuses of human rights, Zara’s corporate reputation and brand equity was hard hit giving it the image of a business entity which neither places sufficient importance to the needs of its stakeholders nor regard to them (Economist, 2012; Buelens, et al., 2011). With the interdependence between the company and its stakeholders, it is essential for an organization, in the recognition of the needs of its stakeholders, to act and reason rationally as well as to make ethical responses. The organization’s leadership is required to have the desire, will and the skill that will ensure that all stakeholders are treated with respect and their voices heard (Buelens, et al., 2011). 2.2   Corporate social responsibility Among the ways in which corporate entities may shore up their reputation and image as perceived by its stakeholders is through conformance and adherence to ethical principles (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). A notable avenue is the pursuit of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is a mechanism integrated into business processes and an organization’s business model that ensures that ethical principles and provisions in law are complied with and monitored (Nordberg, 2011; Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). It entails the deliberate attempts by an organization to do good as a corporate citizen in reciprocation of goodwill it enjoys from society. For success in ensuring adherence to ethical principles and in the endeavour to build up its corporate image and reputation, Zara needs to institute mechanisms towards CSR that would also serve to guide its mission towards a better relationship with its stakeholders, outline its stand on such issues and as well clearly indicate the promis es it intends to uphold for society as an entity obtaining its sustenance within society (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). 2.3   Organizational ethics Organizational ethics is a concept that expresses the values of an organization to its stakeholders (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). It includes written codes of ethics or standards such as Zara’s â€Å"Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Workshops of Inditex† which it claims to have had (Inditex, 2013); systems of reporting which are guarded with confidentiality; as well as ethics training and advice (Buelens, et al., 2011). Despite its claims of written codes of conduct, it is evident that they were not complied with, respected and adhered to. For its success in entrenching organizational ethics, Zara should endeavour to institute elaborate systems traversing the entire organization and its partners that enable the maintenance of requisite ethical standards (Nordberg, 2011). 3.0 Zara’s levels of strategy 3.1   Business level strategy of Zara The primary aim of a business in the competitive business environment, underpinning its goals and objectives of sustenance and growth, is to develop an edge over rival firms building on its resources and competencies. Porter fronts three generic strategies which a company can employ in its pursuit of competitive advantage over its rivals (Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004). They include cost leadership, in which a company seeks to offer similar value with a lower price; differentiation, achieved by a company when it offers benefits different from and of more value than those of its competitors; and, focus on either of the two (Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004). A company can pursue a hybrid of both strategies simultaneously, achieving differentiation and a price lower than its rivals. Zara pursues a hybrid strategy seeking to exploit both cost leadership and differentiation strategies. Its closest and most comparable rivals challenging its market presence and competitive advantage include Gap, HM and Benetton though Zara sits closest with HM in the more fashionable and less priced segment. Zara is however considered to be more fashionable among the three, a position the company intends to sustain and exploit (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). Its strategic venture into the low-cost segment through its Lefties brand of stores illustrates its pursuit of a clear cost leadership strategy enabling Zara to tap into lower market segments meeting the need of customers in the current harsh economic times (Inditex, 2013). This ensures that the company is still better placed to sustain its growth and profits even with unfavourable shifts in the economy and consumer spending. However, Zara primarily pursues a differentiation strategy through significant focus on competitive strategies that enhance overall efficiency in its entire value chain (Economist, 2012; Inditex, 2013). Zara’s value chain, which is often tweaked to enhance efficiency and performance, is a major platform upon which the company derives its differentiation from rivals. Enhanced efficiency is enabled by vertical integration and therefore control of crucial processes; employment of technology to coordinate suppliers, production and distribution processes; outsourcing of intensive tasks; as well as its finely-tuned logistics and just-in-time manufacturing strategy which shorten response time and enable the achievement of greater flexibility in variety, frequency and amount of new styles produced (Economist, 2012; Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). The constant refinement of operations in pursuit of continuous efficiency gains including leveraging on technology to enhance crucial production processes has enabled the company to reverse the trend of costs rising faster than revenues. Enhanced efficiency and attendant effectiveness lead to the minimization of costly errors, reduction in costs which consequently enables the enhancement of bottom line and price (Inditex, 2013; Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). Zara also derives its differentiation from its effective market intelligence and focus on continuous awareness and understanding of the customer. Customer feedback through personalized ‘word-of-mouth’ interactions with staff at store level used to assess their preferences and wants is used to guide design and development, as well as other essential improvements (Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). Unlike its competitor’s reliance on electronic consumer data, this has enabled quick turnaround of merchan dise through quicker replenishment of popular items and removal of slow-selling lines enabling Zara to generate more cash, reduce inventory and eliminate the need for significant debt on held inventories which has a direct impact on costs (Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). These strategies and the resultant efficiency have enabled the company to achieve enhanced return visits by customers far greater than the industry average on several indices, a significant competitive advantage (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). They have also enabled Zara to incur significantly less expenditure on advertising with the saved revenue being redeployed to enhance competitive advantage (Inditex, 2013). 3.2   Corporate level strategy Corporate level strategy as the highest level of strategy in an organization is concerned with the overall scope, seeking to add value to constituent businesses/ elements within the entire organization (Lynch, R., 2006). In its pursuit of competitive advantage in the hostile business environment characterized by intense competition and economic challenges, Zara has adopted a growth focus in its corporate strategy. This is evidenced by its pursuit of vertical integration, market penetration, market development and product development strategies in an attempt to sustain its growth and strategic positioning in the fashion industry (Lynch, R., 2006; Inditex, 2013). Guiding these strategic decisions and particular choices, the Ansoff matrix highlights scenarios in consideration of the existence or newness of products or markets (Christodoulou and Patel, 2012; Mintzberg, et al., 2008). Existing product New product Existing market Market penetration Product development New market Market development Diversification Ansoff matrix 3.2.1   Market penetration and market development Zara is hindered by constraints resultant from its Spain-centred model, a major weakness in its endeavour to sustain growth and to maintain its strategic positioning (BloombergBusinessweek, 2009; Economist, 2012). An outward focus towards market development is essential. This has necessitated international expansion and the exploitation of untapped markets including North and South America, Asia, Middle East, Africa and the rest of Europe, particularly Italy.   Enabled by the construction of additional distribution facilities in Zaragoza, Spain and in South America, as well as the upward scaling of its logistics processes to enable the realization of economies of scale in the strategic expansion, the company has spread out into Asia, America, Australia, India and Africa (BloombergBusinessweek, 2009; Economist, 2012). The company has also sought to achieve market penetration in its development of virtual stores, tapping into the opportunities in internet retailing and marketing through online stores and boutiques. Available in ten countries and seeking entry into the USA and Korea, the company has since 2010 sought to exploit this model venturing into this field (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). 3.2.2    Product development For a company to survive and grow in the fast changing fashion industry, it is essential that a business keenly enhances product development, matching or beating its rivals in output and production of new items. Zara has endeavoured to maximize its throughput of new items keeping merchandise in stores always new and fresh. This frequency, enabled by just-in-time manufacturing and focus on limited runs, also ensures that products do not stay long enough risking replication or imitation (Inditex, 2013; Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). The active pursuit of market intelligence and awareness and appreciation of customer preference ensures that the company does not become complacent and unresponsive thereby losing its track in the fast changing and intensely competitive industry (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007; Thompson, et al., 2008). 3.2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vertical integration To enhance control of the entire business and its processes, achieve stability of production and thereby strengthen its competitive position, Zara has pursued vertical integration strategies. These include forward integration through the investment in distribution facilities and specialty stores, as well as backward into production and manufacturing facilities. Zara has also developed subsidiaries that manage its purchases of fabric and dyes (Inditex, 2013). The company has undertaken this strategy in an endeavour to minimize its exposure to expensive distributors and suppliers and the inefficiency attendant to the lack of complete control of especially crucial processes. 4.0 Recommendations Zara in its performance and strategic positioning can be considered to be a success. However, the company cannot afford complacency and should endeavour to maintain its competitiveness and to sustain its position in the fashion industry into the future. At its strategic position and level of maturity and given the slow growth of the fashion industry and attendant economic challenges (Economist, 2012; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009), a number of strategies are suggested for Zara to pursue for its sustenance into the future. Among these strategies is Diversification either into a business that also deals in fashion or to an unrelated field adding value and broadening present business. Also recommended is the strengthening and sustenance of its successful strategies such as efficiency in its entire value chain which has been the primary factor that has enabled its differentiation; Market Development in its international expansion and exploitation of new markets; and Market Penetration in the exploitation of the boom in the information technology field, enhancing its virtual platforms and stores. Such ventures have the potential of being important avenues through which the company can acquire additional revenue, as well as, reducing its exposure to vulnerabilities of its centralized model and complete focus on a single line of business. 5.0 Evaluation of strategies A simple and straightforward criteria used to evaluate strategy is the Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility model (SAF). It offers a process of rationalization to assess importance, priority and likely success of each strategy identified (Haberberg, A., and A., Rieple, 2008; Thompson, et al., 2008). This report evaluates two strategies identified above including: diversification and continued market development. 5.1   Suitability Suitability is concerned with the rationale of the strategy and its overall fit in the organization’s mission (Thompson, et al., 2008). At the company’s level of maturation, with regard to the Industry Life Cycle (ILC), and stature in the fashion industry, diversification is highly recommended as a priority strategy given that its strong competitive position in the fashion industry is constrained by slowed growth in the market. This strategy would enable the broadening of present business to include complementary products (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). Continued market development is also recommended for Zara enabling it to tap into new markets enhancing its growth and ensuring its sustainability. These strategies would generally also enable the company to lower its vulnerabilities to financial and political factors that could affect it given its centralized model, as well as risks attendant to the fashion industry (Economist, 2012; Mintzberg, et al., 2008). 5.2   Acceptability Acceptability deals with the expected outcomes of the implementation of strategy and expectations of stakeholders (Thompson, et al., 2008). Diversification, if pursued, would enable the capturing of cross-business strategic fits such as the creation of new competitive strengths and capabilities, the sharing of facilities to reduce costs, and/or the spreading of risks across diverse businesses (Christodoulou   and Patel, 2012). Market Development and entry into new territories/geographical areas and distribution channels enable the company to exploit markets that are not saturated, utilising its surplus production capacity. These strategies would enable the generation of additional revenue and the securing of shareholder interests which contribute to the enhancement of shareholder value (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). They would also reduce risks due to Zara’s centralized mode of operations. 5.3   Feasibility Feasibility is concerned with the capacity of the organization to implement the strategy, especially focusing on the availability of resources (Thompson, et al., 2008). With Zara’s success in the fashion industry and, consequently, availability of adequate financial and organizational resources, as well as the consideration of the diminishing prospects of growth in the fashion industry (Economist, 2012; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009), diversification should be a priority strategy for Zara. Its surplus financial and organizational resources can be exploited to enable the company’s sustenance and growth. These surplus resources can also be utilized in pursuit of Market Development. Its highly efficient distribution system can be scaled up, such as in its present initiative to develop additional distribution facilities (Inditex, 2013), to build the company’s capacity to exploit the opportunity offered. Zara has successfully found activities that matter to customers and has significantly enhanced key activities enhancing its key activities. However, to sustain this strategic position and achieve necessary growth into the future, the company needs to pursue appropriate strategies as outlined above especially diversification, market development and the continuous pursuit of efficiency gains. 6.0 References BloombergBusinessweek, 2009. Zara Looks to Asia for Growth. August 26 Buelens, M., K., Sinding, C., Waldstrom, R., Kreitner, and A., Kinicki, 2011. Organisational Behaviour, 4th Edition: McGrawHill Higher Education Carpenter, M., and W., Sanders, 2007. Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective. Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall Dricscoll, D., and W., Hoffman, 2002. Ethics Matters: How to Implement Values-Driven Management Economist, 2012. Inditex Fashion forward Zara: Spain’s most successful brand, is trying to go global. Mar 24th. LA CORUÑA Haberberg, A., and A., Rieple, 2008. Strategic Management: Theory and Application, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Inditex, 2013. Zara. Viewed from: inditex.com/en/who_we_are/concepts/zara Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004. â€Å"The Applicability of Porter’s Generic Strategies in the Digital Age: Assumptions, Conjectures, and Suggestions.† In: Journal of Management, 30, 5 Lynch, R., 2006. Corporate Strategy, (4th ed.), Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Mintzberg, H., B., Ahlstrand, and J., Lampel, 2008. Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management , 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Nordberg, D., 2011. Corporate Governance: Principles and Issues. London: Sage Publications. Christodoulou, I., and Z., Patel 2012. BKEY 601 Strategic Perspectives, McGraw Hill editions. Thompson, A., A., Strickland, and J., Gamble, 2008. Crafting and Executing Strategy: (16th edition), Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill

Term Paper Social Work Ethics Essays

Term Paper Social Work Ethics Essays Term Paper Social Work Ethics Essay Term Paper Social Work Ethics Essay Scenario one speaks about a single unemployed mother of two children who is thinking about having an abortion. She decides to make an appointment with a Social Worker about it, however that Social Worker decides that it’s not in the best interest of the client, doesn’t care about her wants and hands her a church pamphlet. Right away I see that there is a direct infraction, as a Social Worker one should never speak of their own beliefs and values when working alongside with a client. A Social Worker should always put what the client wants, within reason, first, as an act of self-determination for the client. The infraction that I found in the Code of Ethics is the third principle â€Å"Responsibility to Client†, specifically looking at the sub-principles 3. 1 and 3. 4. 3. 1 Speaks of how College members must â€Å"provide clients with accurate and complete information regarding the extent, nature and limitations of any services available to them† (pg. 11 Code of Ethics). As a member of the College, we as Social Workers have a duty to provide all resources available to a client, even if it may not agree with our own personal values, attitudes and beliefs. I also believe that we are responsible to provide accurate information; as a Social Worker I would not turn away a client looking for resources and tell her to go to a church, specifically my own church, and to seek God and forgiveness for thinking of abortion. I think it is important to deal with each situation without any hidden agendas and to look for the best possible outcome for the specific clients requests. 3. 4 Discusses how College members â€Å"do not discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, political affiliation, national origin etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 11, Code of Ethics). I think this was appropriate as a sub-principle as it speaks of how this Social Worker in the scenario brings in their own personal values, attitudes and beliefs and uses them against the client seeking professional help. I believe it is a direct infraction of one’s religion and rights as a person. As a Social Worker, I would have spoken to Mrs. Tremblay thoroughly to make sure that this is what she wants, as it is a permanent decision and I would want to make sure that this decision was made purely from her decision and not based on what I have to say. I would have given Mrs. Tremblay resources that are available that she may have wanted, such as hospitals, support groups, counseling services etc, and well as letting Mrs. Tremblay know that if she ever needs extra support that I would be available with a non-judgmental ear. Scenario two speaks of how Mr. Smith feels â€Å"blue† and see’s a Social Worker in therapy, however that Social Worker tells Mr. Smith that he/she is specialized in Mental Health, and diagnoses Mr. Smith with a depressive episode of Bipolar Affective Disorder, and tells the client to start group therapy and take a week vacation to help alleviate the symptoms. From reviewing the case, it would have to depend on whether or not this Social Worker has a Doctorate Degree in Social Work to be able to diagnose the client or not (as mentioned in the footnote from the Advertising principle) however from reading the text, I feel as though this Social Worker believes that he/she has just specialized in the field of Mental Health, and not earned a Doctorate in the field. I found that the infraction happened under second principle of â€Å"Competence and Integrity†, under â€Å"Competence† with the sub-principles 2. . 1 and 2. 1. 3. 2. 1. 1 Discusses how â€Å"members are responsible for being aware of the extent and parameters of their professional scope† (pg. 5, Code of Ethics). I believe that this is a direct infraction to what happened in the scenario. Since the Social Worker believes that they are specialized in the field because it is an area of practice that they have worked in seeing many patients â€Å"like him†, h owever does not have the appropriate credentials, the services are beyond the member’s professional scope of practice. As a Social Worker, and a member of the college, I would follow what the sub-principle says, and recommend for a particular service, refer Mr. Smith to other professionals who are able to legally diagnose Mr. Smith. 2. 1. 3 Discusses how â€Å"College members maintain current knowledge of policies, legislations programs and issues related to the community in their area of practice† (pg. 6, Code of ethics). I think that this was an appropriate sub-principle as it describes that any member of the College should have full knowledge of their boundaries regarding what and what they are not allowed to discuss with clients. If I were the Social Worker in this scenario, I would have talked to Mr. Smith about how he is feeling, to try and see which professional I could recommend Mr. Smith to. I would take notes on what we talked about, such as Mr. Smith feeling withdrawn, poor appetite and loss of sleep and referred him to the professional I feel would fit Mr. Smith the best. I feel as though it would possibly be beneficial to continue seeing Mr. Smith to talk about how he is feeling, and create goals with him if he wanted to continue our services together, however I would not ersonally diagnose Mr. Smith since I do not have a specific Doctorate in that area. Scenario three discusses that an Aboriginal girl is having troubles at home, and was picked up and brought to the Social Workers office. The Social Worker feels conflicted because the family is an â€Å"upstanding† family in the community and that Social Worker cannot believe that they are having family troubles. The Social Worker calls to let the family know that they have the child. With this case, I see that there is a slight of a conflict of interest and a judgment made seeing how the family is an â€Å"upstanding family† and that the Social Worker â€Å"cannot believe that they have having problems†. However, I feel as though there wasn’t an infraction made seeing as the Social Worker on the case did not provide any services to the family. The Social Worker was the Worker on hand who initially greeted the child upon the drop-off, therefore has a Duty to Report. The principle that I found this case was a part of was principle of Integrity found under the second principle, and the sub-principle is 2. . 1. 2. 2. 1 Speaks of how â€Å"College members do not engage in professional relationships that constitute of a conflict of Interest†¦ College members do not provide any professional service to a client† (pg. 6, Code of Ethics). Since the Social Worker only performed what their specific task was, and did not provide any profession al service to that child, I believe that no infraction was created. If I were a Social Worker on Case, I would have called the family to let the child know that they were in my current care, however I would not engage in any professional relationships since it is a conflict of interest. I would speak to another coworker or supervisor to discuss this conflict, I would write a brief case note describing that I was initially at intake, that I could not continue my professional duty as a Social Worker due to the conflict of interest, and I would write who I passed the case along too. I would also include a signature from my coworker as a trail in case the notes were ever subpoenaed to court. Scenario four discusses how a Social Worker is a full-time worker at a large family counseling agency and maintains a private practice two evenings a week in his/her home office. Since the office has a six month waiting list for services, management asks you to take referrals in your private practice. In this case, there is no infraction. The Social Worker on case is accepting referral’s from other employee’s which is mentioned in the Footnotes of the principle â€Å"Responsibility to Client† which mentions that â€Å"College members may accept referrals from their employees†(pg. 12 Code of Ethics). However, if the case was that the College member is â€Å"soliciting their employer’s clients for private practice† it would be a violation of the sub-principle 3. (pg. 11, Code of Ethics). If I were to be the Social Worker on hand in this case, I would make sure that the only clients I spoke to in terms of coming into my private practice were strictly those who were referred to by other members of the College. I value and believe in the help that can be received when asked for, and by allowing other members to be part of this â€Å"helping movement† we are aiding in their own goals to be reached which helps one with their own values of self-determination. Scenario five discusses how Mr. Smith wants his Social Worker to write up an illness certificate so that he can have a few weeks off work, however Mr. Smith has no problems that would justify getting that time off work, but that Social Worker feels that a week off from work is good for everybody in general. Reading through this I see right away that there is an infraction. There is no reason that Mr. Smith should get a week off work because he has made some progress in therapy, and has been working well on his problems. I see the infraction under the Fourth principle of â€Å"Social Work and Social Service Work records† under the sub-principle 4. . 2. 4. 1. 2 Discusses how â€Å"College members do not make statements in the record†¦ record, issue or sign a certificate, report or other document†¦ that is known to be false, misleading or inaccurate†(pg. 15 Code of Ethics). In this case, the Social Worker feels as though Mr. Smith would benefit from having this week off and decides that it is a good idea, though Mr. Smith has no problems that would qualify him for this week off. In my own opinion, if I were the Social Worker in the case, I would continue to motivate Mr. Smith with his new found self-determination, especially when he is continuing to progress and complete goals that were initially set for him, why would a week off be beneficial. I feel as though that week off may set off a pattern that could lead him back to ground zero. I do not find it appropriate to fill out false information, especially when it could be documented and subpoenaed back to court and could be shown that I went out of my way to favoritize a client because he has made some substantial work in therapy. I would continue to motivate, encourage and work alongside Mr. Smith until he no longer is in need of my services. Scenario six discuses the case of a Social Worker who works in a private practice in a rural town of 5,000 and how a member of the same board would like you to talk to his son since he is having behaviour problems. I see this as an infraction of the second principle â€Å"Integrity† under the sub-principle 2. 2. 1, seeing as the Social Worker and the client know each other on personal terms, it is a direct conflict of interest. . 2. 1 Discusses how â€Å"College members do not engage in professional relationships that constitute a conflict of interest. where College members do not provide a professional service to a client†(pg. 6, Code of Ethics). In this instance, though the Social Worker in the case may be the only Social Worker in the town, he is still one of the few professionals, which means that there are other professionals that may assist his friend Barry and their child. The reason that I find it so important that we do not work with friends, acquaintances, or anyone of the sort that we know outside of our professional spectrum is biases. You cannot work with a client that you know because you will not be able to take a look at the situation with a blind eye. As a side point of the sub-principle, it mentions that doing so, â€Å"avoids conflicts of interest and/or dual relationships with clients† (pg. 6, Code of Ethics), this means that as a Social Worker, having a professional relationship will never interfere with your personal one. It also discusses how â€Å"if the conflict of interest does arise, declaring the conflict of interest and taking appropriate steps to address it could eliminate the conflict† (pg. 6, Code of Ethics), which means that discussing the conflict of interest could avoid the whole situation entirely. If I was the Social Worker working on this case, I would discuss with my friend Barry that there is a conflict of interest and I would not be able to fully give his son the appropriate counseling required because I would be going into the counseling sessions with a hidden agenda. Since the scenario discusses that the Social Worker is one of the few, I feel like I could still reference Barry’s son to other professionals that could still talk to him about the issues that are going on. Scenario seven discusses how there is a custody dispute where both ex-spouses agree to pay 50% of the costs, however something arises where the husband pays his and her halves of the cheque and the social worker decides that since the bill has been paid out in full, there is no need for further discussion about the money issues. From reading on about he case, I read that there is most definitely an infraction, under the principle â€Å"Fee’s† and the sub principle 6. 1. 6. 1 Discusses how â€Å"College members do not charge or accept any fee which is not fully disclosed† (pg. 29, Code of Ethics). From what I gather from the Scenario, the ex-wife was not aware of what the payment outcomes were, and since both spouses originally decided to each pay 50% of the costs I believe that by the Social Worker accepting the full bill and not discussing it with both parties, he is in fact breaking one of the principle’s under the Code of Ethics. If I was the social worker in this scenario, I would allow for both parties’ to be aware of what is happening in the custody dispute, that way there if one party is not fully accepting of what is going on, we can go ahead to figure out what the next best step is. I believe that it is important to keep both sides completely involved in the case when it, at the end involves both ex-husband and ex-wife. I, as a Social Worker value honesty and view this scenario as not being fair to both parties involved. I also believe that if this instance were to be subpoenaed to court, and the wife finds out that the husband paid her half out, and it shows that I took that money, I feel as though my professional license could be jeopardized due to the lack of honesty. Scenario eight discusses how Rachel has been referred to a mental health agency from a local Child and Family Agency in a first nation community. Rachel has two children between the ages of 5 and 7and is trying to get out of an abuse relationship. Rachel’s sister-in-law (husband’s sister) works for the Child and Family Center, and wants to find out the update on Rachel’s situation. Personally I found this to be a complicated situation, where I would definitely want to discuss with other co-workers about their opinions for extra feedback of the best scenario. Right away I thought of the fact that Rachel’s kids are young, being 5 and 7, as soon as they enter a Shelter for Women leaving abusive relations, Children and Family Services must be called as it is a Duty to Report. However, if Rachel’s sister in law was, for instance the woman who took the initial call, it would be in her best interest to follow the rules of it being a conflict of interest and to pass the call to another worker. In this scenario it also speaks to the fact that Rachel discloses that she is worried that Richard will find out where she is, which is when the Social Worker got a call from the sister-in-law asking for an update. This Social Worker is working in a Mental Health Agency, so the only outcome I can see it being appropriate would be to say that the children are no longer in your care, and that if there is any more details that need to be discussed, a confidentiality form must be signed by all parties included and that information must be relayed to the worker in charge of the case. Therefore, I realized that there was an infraction made regarding the fifth principle of confidentiality, under the sub-principles 5. 1 and 5. 3. 6. 5. 1 Discusses how â€Å"college members comply with applicable privacy and other legislations†¦ use of disclosure of client information including personal information, unless otherwise permitted by law† (pg. 23, code of Ethics). This discusses how unless there was a consent signed by the parties involved that allows for members of the College to speak to each other, nothing should be said that can put any client in risk. Therefore as mentioned earlier, unless there was a confidentiality form signed by all parties, and that Rachel’s sister in law was in fact on the case, this is a direct infraction. 5. 3. 6 Describes how â€Å"College members do not disclose the identity of and/or information about a person who has consulted or retained them unless the person consents† (pg. 24, Code of Ethics). As mentioned earlier, I believe that no information should ever be relayed to any other member of parties involved due to the fact that it can be a direct breach of confidentiality. In my opinion, if information is ever let out to the wrong person, that client can be put in direct harm, and even possibly killed. As mentioned earlier, I would go about this by every precaution available to make sure that my client is in the best situation for safety. I would speak to other co-workers to get a second opinion and I would go about every safety precaution from signing consent forms to discussing with those on the case from all parties involved about what is best for the client, since that is what my main priority is. Scenario nine discusses how a Registered Social Worker with a Master’s degree and 20 years in psychiatric settings has a 95% success rate in treating depression. Many clients tell the Social Worker that they are a Doctor because they believe strongly in the skills used. I found that this is an infraction as the Social Worker is not a registered Doctor and as a Social Worker should firmly state their position in the School of Social Work. The Principles that I found the infractions under are â€Å"Advertising† and the sub-principles 7. 1. 6, 7. 3. 3. 7. 1. 6 States that embers â€Å"cannot claim a special advantage that is unsupported by professional or scientific evidence† (pg. 31, Code of Ethics). Personally I feel like the Social Worker in this scenario is telling his clients that by having a 95% success rate and that many clients refer to the Social Worker as a â€Å"Doctor† when no doctorate degree was ever received is an infraction of that rule. The S ocial Worker should be firm and honest with the clients stating that he is not a Doctor, however they have specialized in the field for 20 years, creating a great rapport with clients among the community. . 3. 3 States firmly that â€Å"College members correct whenever possible, false, misleading, or inaccurate information regarding qualification or services†(Pg. 32, Code of Ethics). I believe that this was a main sub-principle that was being broken. As opposed to the social worker stating that they were in fact not a Doctor, nor did he have a doctorate’s degree, the Social Worker carried on and laughed about the comments being made. As mentioned earlier, the Social Worker involved should have mentioned to all clients calling him â€Å"Doctor†, that he is in fact, just specialized in his field. As a Social Worker in this case, I would only mention what was known as true fact when it came time to speak to clients, if they assumed I was a doctor, I would correct them and state facts such as â€Å"No, not a Doctor, however, I have my masters in Social Work, and I’ve specialized in the Mental Health field for over 20 years†. I believe that honesty is what is important when it comes down to making a rapport with clients, that it is important to me as a Social Worker to be aware of these types of infractions so that there is no gray area in our sessions together as client and Social Worker. Scenario ten speaks of a Social Worker who receives a call from Pat, a potential client, which turns out that the client cannot get services from you however you refer the client to other counseling agencies. Two and a half years later, the social worker meets Pat once again and hit things off, where a sexual relationship begins. Personally, I do not see this as an infraction due to the principle of â€Å"Sexual Misconduct†, under the sub-principles 8. 8. However if circumstances were shorter and it had not been a year, this would be an infraction of 8. 6 due to the fact of the relationship starting at time of referral. 8. 8 Discusses how â€Å"sexual relationships between College members and clients whom the members have provided social work or social service work services are prohibited for a period of one (1) year following the termination of the professional relationship† (pg. 6 Code of Ethics). In my opinion, and from what I have read, the Social Worker and client discussed the situation briefly and two and a half years later have met up once again. I do not see that as a direct infraction, however if it had been short of a year, and the client had by chance worked with the Social Worker at hand to get help, there would be an infraction under the sub-principle 8. 6. 8. 6 Speaks of how †Å"sexual relations between College members and clients at any time during the professional relationship are prohibited. College members do not have sexual relations with any person who they’ve had a professional relationship due to the risk of creating a conflict of interest† (pg. 35, Code of Ethics). Explaining in fact that if Pat and the Social Worker did have a professional and Sexual relationship, they would be creating an infraction directly. As a Social Worker, I value, and believe that is it important to respect clients as people, and not take advantage of the vulnerability they may be facing once taking a step further to discuss deep rooted and personal issues with be, as a Social Worker. I believe that there is a rule placed for a reason and that it would not be fair to any people seeking my own personal help to take advantage of their vulnerability (intentionally or not) and use it while having a professional relationship with the client as well. Scenario eleven discusses how there is a Social Worker in an Aboriginal mental health agency, who has a specific client Mary Lou, who is about to terminate her treatment with the Social Worker since she has completed her goals. As a thank you gift, she has made a dream catcher for the Social Worker out of love and appreciation. Personally I do not feel that there is any infraction in this case, seeing as it was not a sexual misconduct for Mary Lou to give the gift and for the Social Worker to accept it a â€Å"thank-you gift†. Just to be certain however, I would look at the principle â€Å"Relationship to Client† under the sub-principle 1. 7. 1. 7 Discusses how â€Å"College members employed by organizations maintain an awareness and consideration of the purpose, mandate and function of those organizations and how they may limit professional relationships with clients† (pg. , Code of Ethics). I believe that in this statement it displays that College members must keep their relationship in mind when working alongside with clients. I believe that there would be a significant problem if the clients were offering us fee’s on the side, â€Å"tips† almost, or that the client has found an emotional love for the worker, however this is not the case. As a Social Worker, I believe t hat there is nothing better than knowing that one appreciates what you’ve done for them in terms of creating that rapport. I believe that there is a specific reason why we all chose to get into this program, and helping others is a major reason, if it wasn’t, why else would it be? I do not believe that there is anything wrong with a gift of appreciation, especially one that demonstrates their culture. I value the rapport that we build with clients and the things we learn from each of the cases that we work on we are able to learn and grow each time. Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice Handbooks . Toronto : Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion Erosion is the name for the processes that both break down rocks (weathering) and carry away the breakdown products (transportation). As a general rule, if rock is just broken down through mechanical or chemical means, then weathering has occurred. If that broken-down material gets moved at all by water, wind or ice, then erosion has occurred.   Erosion is different from  mass wasting, which refers to the downslope movement of rocks, dirt, and regolith primarily through gravity. Examples of mass wasting are  landslides, rockfalls,  slumps,  and soil creep. Erosion, mass wasting, and weathering are classified as separate actions and often discussed individually. In reality, they are overlapping processes that usually act together.   The physical processes of erosion are called corrasion or mechanical erosion, while the chemical processes are called corrosion or chemical erosion. Many examples of erosion include both corrasion and corrosion. Agents of Erosion The agents of erosion are ice, water, waves, and wind. As with any natural process that takes place on the Earths surface, gravity plays a major role as well. Water is perhaps the most important (or at least most visible) agent of erosion. Raindrops strike the surface of the Earth with enough force to break apart soil in a process known as splash erosion. Sheet erosion occurs as water collects on the surface and moves toward small streams and rivulets, removing a widespread, thin layer of soil along the way. Gully and rill erosion occurs as runoff becomes concentrated enough to remove and transport larger amounts of soil. Streams, depending on their size and speed, can erode away banks and bedrock and transport large pieces of sediment.   Glaciers erode through abrasion and plucking. Abrasion occurs as rocks and debris become embedded on the bottom and sides of a glacier. As the glacier moves, the rocks scour and scratch the surface of the Earth. Plucking takes place when meltwater enters cracks in the rock beneath a glacier. The water refreezes and breaks off large pieces of rock, which are then transported by glacial movement. U-shaped valleys  and  moraines  are visible reminders of the awesome erosive (and depositional) power of glaciers.   Waves cause erosion by cutting away at the shore. This process creates remarkable landforms like wave-cut platforms, sea arches,  sea stacks, and chimneys. Due to the constant battering of wave energy, these landforms are usually short-lived.   Wind affects the surface of the Earth through deflation and abrasion. Deflation refers to the removal and transport of fine-grained sediment from the winds turbulent flow. As the sediment is airborne, it may grind and wear away surfaces with which it comes in contact. Like with glacial erosion, this process is known as abrasion.  Wind erosion is most common in flat, arid areas with loose, sandy soils.   Human Impact on Erosion Although erosion is a natural process, human activities like agriculture, construction, deforestation, and grazing can greatly increase its impact. Agriculture is particularly notorious. Areas that are conventionally plowed experience upwards of 10 times more erosion than normal. Soil forms at about the same rate that it  naturally erodes, meaning that humans are currently stripping away the soil at a very unsustainable rate.   Providence Canyon, sometimes referred to as Georgias Little Grand Canyon, is a strong testament to the erosional effects of poor farming practices. The canyon began forming in the early 19th century as rainwater runoff from the fields caused gully erosion. Now, just 200 years later, guests can see 74 million years of beautifully layered sedimentary rock in the 150-foot canyon walls.

How third world countries Infrastructure have a profound effect on Research Paper

How third world countries Infrastructure have a profound effect on Logistics - Research Paper Example The logistic performance of the countries was measured on six components out of which the quality of infrastructure related to trade and transport such as ports, roads, railroads and communication technology topped the list. The other components were the efficiency with which customs and other border control agencies carried out the clearance process, the quality and competency of logistic services, ease of tracing and tracking of consignments, the ability to arrange shipments at competitive price and the reaching of the shipment within time schedule (SC Digest Editorial, 2012). Good quality infrastructure is considered to be the main requirement for sustainable development of a country. Efficient transport system and proper energy, sanitation and communication systems are needed not only for a decent standard of living but also for the economic growth and prosperity of a country (European Commission, 2014). Ondiege et al (2013) studied the less developed countries in Africa and found that they suffer from marked infrastructure deficit which has largely hampered growth prospects. Research done by Razzaque (1997) also showed that the Third World countries not only lacked logistic facilities but developing a good infrastructure in these nations was a daunting task. This was mainly due to rampant corruption, civil wars and lack of funds. In most countries the governments were also not committed enough as projects to improve infrastructure were abandoned halfway through Razzaque, 1997). In order to boost growth and development and respond to the changes in glob al businesses (developing logistics being one of them), the third world countries need to invest in infrastructure. Studies conducted by (Bhattacharya et al., 2012) show that infrastructure is one of the main determinants of logistic costs. Where logistics cost is

The assessment will involve a series of tasks relating to the Research Paper

The assessment will involve a series of tasks relating to the identification, conservation, documentation and interpretation of an art work from the Hatton Gallerys collection - Research Paper Example Light and Ultra Violet radiation (UV) contains some energy that catalyzes chemical reaction leading to deterioration. The two main ways that one can measure the response of light is through Color Rendering Index (CRI) and Color Temperature (CT). CRI may be measured in a scale of zero-100. However, the museum lighting designers have suggested 80-100 so that colors can be viewed properly but does not also affect the painting. The level of light in museum is always measured using light meters in lux or using foot candles. This is the measurement of the intensity of the light over one square meter. Sometimes watercolor painting may be placed on exhibition for some months at a level of 50 to 150 lux and yet they do not show some fading. Lower light levels of 50-150 are important for light sensitive materials like watercolor painting. The extent of damage can always be measured lux hours (lx h) the maximum level of light exposure that watercolor painting can sustain annually is 50,000 lxh. Another very important aspect of protection of the watercolor painting is to ensure that the painting is kept off places that have fluctuation of humidity and temperature. The best temperature that would ensure that watercolor painting is stored safely is that which is around 20 degrees F. Places where temperatures may drop to 40 degrees and goes up to 80 degrees at night and day respectively, may not be the best place to store watercolor Fluctuation in temperature usually has a very severe effect on the watercolor painting. When exposing the painting into light, it should be observed that the painting needs not be kept on light for prolonged period of time, especially with too bright light of all types. Watercolor painting always demand that they are kept in places that are not damp. Damp places usually enhance molding, which has ability to promote coloring change. Sometimes the water color painting may be framed under glass.

EQ Industrial Services (EQIS) Plant Explosion Research Paper

EQ Industrial Services (EQIS) Plant Explosion - Research Paper Example This threatened the lives of people residing near the plant, with evacuation of about 17,000 residents. After the accident, a majority of them had to seek medical attention as a result of the contamination. The plant is a handler of a variety of industrial waste, ranging from household chemicals like sulfur, fertilizer, pesticides and chlorine to paints and solvents. EQ Industrial Services, Inc. is an environmental service company founded in 1997, and is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It provides transportation, remediation, industrial cleaning including hazardous waste disposal and recycling, waste handling services including treatment and storage, and emergency services to its municipal and industrial clients. The explosion caused the evacuation of residents; and two weeks later, a chemical reaction exploded forcing emergency crews to evacuate businesses that were located near the plant. The reaction drum contained a solution of sodium metal that ignites on exposure to air or water. Reports claimed that the fumes from the reaction caused burning eyes, was because of chlorine exposure. Ironically, the State Department of Environment and Natural Resources had approved the company’s cleanup plan a day before. Following the accident, EQ Industrial was pinned down and asked to provide a written report on the cause of the explosion and the precautionary measures it had issued to the public. The Environmental Quality Company, which houses highly toxic chemicals, was also at the fire site. The presence of dangerous chemicals rendered fire fighters helpless, and they were forced to watch the flames die out on their own. The fire saw 18 people hospitalized, including nine residents who complained of respiratory distress and one fire fighter who experienced nausea and respiratory problems, and another eight law enforcement officers. This report will recount on the causes, effects and the recommendations associated with this kind of explosion, which was primarily believed to result from chlorine exposure. Symptoms of the victims of the accident as a result of chemical exposure Pulmonary edema and respiratory distresses are among the effects of inhaling high concentrations of chlorine in such an accident. Patients who are exposed to chlorine are prone to immediate onset of rapid breathing, rales, hemoptysis, wheezing or blue discoloration of the skin. Some patients may experience prolonged pulmonary injury resulting in collapse of the lungs and possible death. The lowest lethal concentration exposure is 430 ppm in 30 minutes duration. Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) is a chemical irritant asthma that may results due to exposure to chlorine. The smaller diameter of children’s airways makes them more vulnerable to corrosive agents than adults - they are also vulnerable to gas due to their increased minute ventilation per kilogram and failure of evacuating exposed areas. Long-term exposure to chlorine can lead to cancer, teeth corrosion, flulike symptoms and a possibility of acquiring RADS. Pathophysiology of chlorine, which was e xposed in this accident Chlorine is a noncombustible gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, with a characteristic greenish-yellow color. The effects of the upper and lower respiratory tract are as a result of chlorine’s solubility to water - this is what caused respiratory complains by some victims. This solubility characteristic cause prolonged exposure as it delays the onset of upper airways symptoms for a number of minutes. Moreover, chlorine is denser than air; therefore, it is near ground level, which increases

Manchester United Take Over Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Manchester United Take Over - Case Study Example Acquiring the Man United brand means more than just owning a trademark. Brand acquisition gives an opportunity for brand exploitation. And nowhere is brand exploitation more rampant and unrestrained than in the United States. As a hunting ground to further the Man United brand image, the US holds vast potential, and this is where Glazer's extensive marketing skills and resources come into play. But the US market is very competitive. Soccer has to contest with traditional American sporting pastimes like baseball, American Football and basketball. Soccer's rising popularity though, over the past ten years due in part to the 1994 World Cup held in the states could make Man United a household name as is the case in other countries around the globe. Even in Asia where Man United has a huge base of fans who neither speak English nor know where Britain is, brand image has rooted itself in the public mindset. Contrary to popular perceptions, Man United already has a fan following in the US, albeit a small one. When they played the Champion World Tour of exhibition games two years in a row the average crowd attendance was over 65,000 for each game, exceeding that of some NFL games. Americans know about the club through soccer telecasts and the products available on the streets. Merchandising had also made business there but in a small way, yet better than all the US Major Soccer Leagues put together (Chris Isidore). With more co-coordinated marketing efforts in the media (cable and DTH), wider coverage of soccer games, increased media exposure to star players and a retelling of past glories and successes, the Man United brand can further cement itself into the American collective conscience, reaching iconic status in a few short years. The mere purchase of the club puts the Glazers half way towards making Man United a household name. But there is still some way to go. There are other advantages in associating with a brand as well known as Man United. It gives Glazer's other businesses better commercial prospects. When a brand publicly joins forces with a marketing juggernaut, the value of both, in terms of market exposure and business opportunities multiplies. For Glazer whose diverse business portfolio at least in the US include food service equipment, packaging and supplies, marine protein, broadcasting, health care, real estate, banking, natural gas and oil protection, Internet publications, stocks, government securities and corporate bonds, the introduction and expansion of these businesses in Britain as a result of this acquisition gains importance (Bill Hutchison). Glazer's ventures may unhesitatingly attract investment in the hopes that the new businesses will pay rich dividends in the future. But these ventures may suffer if Man United's brand persistence is challenged by rivals. Sustaining the brand position therefore requires the footbal l team to maintain a high success rate. The business side of the club must take a back seat to allow team management to