Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia Essay

Acquisition in the mining sector of Austrailia - Essay Example To strengthen their financial position dominant players of this industry across world, and especially in Australia turned to mergers and acquisitions. Year 2011 witnessed global mergers and acquisition of $.162, 439 million with 43percent higher than previous year in terms of value (e Ernst & Young, 2012). In Australia alone, total value of M&A deals in mining and metal sectors in year 2011 was $.38, 594 million as compared to $.23, 469 million in the year 2010. Mergers and acquisitions in mining and metal sectors of Australia also witnessed large inbound and outbound deals. This report sheds lights on the aim and objective of these deals based on two case studies from Australian mining sector. Case studies used for the purpose are: Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million). Both deals been successfully completed in year 2011with both parties of two deals belonging to same continent. The two case studies witnessed ove rall aim of acquisitions by two firms to enhance their resource base, increased synergy in their operations and undertake low risk transactions. The capital agenda guiding these transactions was to preserve, optimize, raise and invest capital (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources was mainly driven by motif to increase it resource base. BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining was aimed to improve synergy and efficiency in operation with undertaking contractor firm within BHP Billiton’s umbrella. Successful completion of deals benefitted both parties as well as their shareholders. In the end with reference to the academic literature both deals are discussed to extract level of alignment and support from literature. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA 4 ATLAS IRON ACQUIRING GIRALIA RESOURCES 8 DEAL DETAILS 9 BHP BILLITON ACQUIRING HWE MINING 12 DEAL DETAILS 12 SUPPORT FROM LITERATURE 13 TRANSACTION ALLIGNMENT W ITH LITERATURE 15 CONCLUSION 16 REFERENCES 17 INTRODUCTION Australia stands on the leading position on mega acquisitions table with Australian BHP Billiton acquiring Petrohawk Energy of US (Oil & gas sector) with $.11, 776 million in cross border acquisition (e Ernst & Young, 2012). Mining sector of Australia also remained active to enhance its capacity, strengthen operations and portfolio. With considerable activity of Australian companies in acquisitions in the year 2011, this report will explore various areas of these acquisitions. Two inbound acquisitions deals in Australia with Atlas Iron acquiring Giralia resources ($.805 million) and BHP Billiton acquiring HWE mining ($.732 million) in focus, following areas are explored and discussed in this report: Were both deals able to achieve success completion within defined time? Details of both details. Type and level of discrepancy arisen, if any. For instance resistance from management or shareholders etc. Overall aim of the acquis ition Benefits to the acquirer and Benefits to the target firm (acquired firm). Level of support these deals can leverage from the academic literature. ACQUISITION IN THE MINING SECTOR OF AUSTRAILIA In the year 2011, the mining and metal sectors have successfully emerged as strong sector with growth trend after riding the high global economic uncertainty. Among other options to raise capital, mining sector provided an ideal environment for mergers and acquisitions specifically; however, while total deal value was up 43% on the prior year to $162.4bn, volumes were down 10% to 1,008 deals, highlighting the difficulty in evaluating, financing and executing deals (e Ernst & Young, 2012). (e Ernst & Young, 2012) (e Ernst & Young,

English for Hospitality and Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English for Hospitality and Tourism - Essay Example We have prepared for you the most interesting five-day package of touring Hong Kong. Prepare to be enthralled with the architecturally advanced cityscapes of Hong Kong to its serene and culturally- preserved landmarks, museums, and monuments. Get ready to be exposed to how Hong Kong manages to balance and preserve its rich Eastern culture and history while being updated with a Western tradition and lifestyle. Full Day: Man Mo Temple where ancient beliefs of literature (man) and martial arts (mo) is discovered, Victoria Peak which overlooks Hong Kong's famous skyline, Aberdeen Fishing Village and Boat Community where famous floating restaurants are located, Jewelery Factory in Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Stanley Market for bargain-shopping of souvenirs and other Hong Kong memorabilia, Lan Kwai Fong (*Lunch will be at Stanley Market) AM: Tai Fu Tai Mandarin's Mansion where a vast collection of artifacts and historical memorabilia is preserved, Fan Tin Village where traditional villages and lifestyle can be explored, Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall, Lo Wai Walled Village, Tai Po Market, Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees PM: How is the night life in Hong Kong Find the answ... Then enjoy the Night Harbour View at Stubb's Road where the different lights and glitter of Hong Kong's harbor can be witnessed. Tour Price: HK$480 (adult), HK$380 (senior/child) DAY 3 Full Day: Yuen Yuen Institute where monasteries of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism can be found, Tai Mo Shan lookout which is Hong Kong's highest mountain peak, Fanling Walled Village, Luk Keng Road lookout, Bride's Pool Falls, Sam Mun Tsai fish farming zone (* includes Chinese lunch) Tour Price: HK$395 (adult), HK$345 (senior/child) DAY 4 Full Day: Step aside from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong's city life and experience the relaxation, reflection, and nature-tripping in Lantau island, the largest island in Hong Kong. The tour starts off with a ferry ride to Lantau Island, then bus ride to Po Lin Monastery, and the 2-hour adventurous downhill walk to Tai O Fishing Village Tour Price: HK$600 (includes transport and lunch) DAY 5 Full Day: Hong Kong Disneyland which includes the themed parks of Main street, USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland (*includes round-trip transfer from hotel to park) Tour Prices Mon- Fri: HK$520 (adult), HK$440 (child), HK$400 (senior) Sat- Sun: HK$580 (adult), HK$490 (child), HK$440 (senior) (United States) For tour operators and agents: This five-day package includes air travel through the Cathay Pacific Airlines. A round trip flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong approximately costs USD3,077.02 (http://www.cathaypacific.com). This of course varies depending on what state the flight to Hong Kong would come from. Accommodations will be arranged at The Peninsula Hong Kong, a five-star hotel located at the city of Kowloon. Its average nightly rate falls from HKD 3,200 for the Rack Rate to HKD 13,030 for the Value the

Characteristics Of Mega Events Criminology Essay

Characteristics Of Mega Events Criminology Essay Mega-events, such as the Olympics, are highly prized by national and civic planners, and simultaneously hold political, economic and cultural happenings Boyle and Haggerty, 2009. They are global spectacles, used by nations to impact directly on urban generation and international standing (Alhert, 2006). Their nature is one that is non-routine, and of limited duration, requiring management of large movements of visitors, co-coordinators, and athletes. Characteristics of mega-events makes them exceptional (Fussey and Coaffee, 2012), demanding organisation and planning that requires significant alteration to the governance of the host city or country. This, and the vulnerability that follows from this, makes them a key target for security practices. The pressures faced by host nations from international committees, such as the International Olympics Committee (hereafter the IOC) plays a significant role on the domestic security arrangements (quote) The appeal of hosting the Olympics is one that invokes inspirational images of athletes competing in idyllic settings (Burbank et al, year). The Summer Olympic Games have been called sport mega-events, because of their scale (Roche, 2009). London 2012 alone saw an extra 260,000 visitors to the capital (The Week, 2012). They are highly visible, deeply symbolic occasions that take place in large cities, combining intensive media coverage with astringent security and surveillance strategies (Boyle and Haggerty, 2009: 257). The exceptional nature of these events requires examination of the threats they face, the worlds counter-terror measures, extensive surveillance technologies, and how these intensified measures are often legitimized in perpetuity as part of the legacy of the games (Coaffee etl, 2011:3314). Further to this, the essay will go on to show how surveillance technologies are subsequently deployed across large swathes of populations, highlighting the prominent point of the public and private sector surveillance. (THIS IS HOW I HAVE ARRANGED THIS ESSAY! WHEN YOU FINISH READING CAN YOU LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK I SHOULD TALK ABOUT HOW I USED DIFFERENT PHILOSPHERS THEORIES, OR SHALL I JUST KEEP THAT IN THE MAIN BODY?) Traditional Risk Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a shift in national and international threats. Where national borders were considered then to be the primary area to be secured (Quote!), more recently, ballistic missiles have taken a side line to more topical city threats, such as dangerous backpacks on the London Undeground, high-jacked aircrafts and attacks on subways. The way cities are demonised in terrorist rhetoric, for example, means mega-events intersect with a range of complex global processes. ( am I making sense So theres a link between the threats to these cities and then going on to them hosting mega events!) The scale of the Olympics makes them susceptible to these inherent complexities, most notably seen in the terrorist attack on the Israeli national team in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Such events demonstrate to the extremes of societal risks that are observed in their duration. With this said, traditional hazards, such as the adaptation and logistics of mega-events through infrastructure seen in the construction of venues, present external risks, as they alter the urban environment, and have ecological impacts. (Bubank et al, 2002). These risks have moved away from natural hazards towards man-made risks (Beck, 1992), and are ever-present, regardless of political context. New types of Risk Deterritorialization contributes to the global development of the Olympics, which in turn, gives way to global telecommunication, international travel and the migration and passage of goods across borders (Jennings, 2012), all elements that lead to the contagion of risk. This Olympic globalisation has produced a global industry of risk assessment and risk management. In 1996 the Atlanta Olympics saw the Clinton Administration along with his counter-terror team anticipate a plan for a hijacked plane being flown into the main stadium (Clarke, 2004). Post 9/11, the climate of insecurity (Yu et al. 2009: 392) has affected security planning further, and games that are perceived to display a high-risk naturally leads to an advanced security posture, with the planning of London 2012 being the most recent instalment. Some scenarios may seem bizarre and outlandish to a non-security expert (Peter Ryan, 2002), and would be considered unthinkable, for example, UFO invasion on the Olympic Park (Kawash, 1997). For the security officials, considering all scenarios, (check commas please!) however absurd, has now become common practice. The extremity of these scenarios is displayed in the U.S, where most military arguments about the future are an obsession with sci-fi, and a ruined future of a cityscape (Graham, 2010). New innovations, like the Boston Dynamics-built AlphaDog LS ( Rundle, 2012), a robot able to cope with all types of landscapes, reinforce these concerns. The attitude of thinking the unthinkable means even the more extreme precautions are permitted in light of perceived threats. All precautions are seemingly accepted by the public. As technology advances, host nations face growing pressure to meet the challenges presented to them by new forms of security vulnerabilities (Corer, 2012). Cyber-terrorism is one such example of new and growing threats. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was faced with 12 million cyber-attacks per day (Ormsby, 2010). This type of threat to the Olympics illustrates the change in both security and globalisation risks very clearly. Taking note of the 2008 Olympic cyber-attacks, the UK government took on an initiative to introduce new cyber-security plans for the London 2012 games, through IT networks, to help prevent internet crime (Home-Office, 2010). In terms of security risk, there was a conscience effort made to ensure the UK government would not over-regulate and restrict the internet. Further to this, the proliferation of real-time risk management technology, an innovation developed from previous games in Athens and Salt Lake City (Quote) into the 2012 Olympics, demonstrated how the UK con sciously put international efforts in the heart of strategies improving cyber security (Ashford, 2012), which is evidence of a consideration of the globalisation risks and effects. Foucaults position on governance, one generated from the governed rather than imposed by the government ( year)) was seen to reconceptualise the role of government. The Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude (2012) quoted that the internet has flourished because it has been shaped by its users, not by governments, with this said, focus should be mainly on the network structure of the internet, where the information-sharing groups collectively form a basis for governance (Beresford, 2003). Conceptually, management of these network structures and sharing-groups which lead to cyber terrorism should focus on deterrence, rather than punishment; once the attack has occurred, no legal punishment will suffice. In short, punishment achieves little, and the impacts of cyber terrorist attacks are much worse, due to the difficulty in stopping viruses spreading around the globe. Again, this is a risk born from the effects of globalisation. Counter Terrorism Threats to mega-events are present in different forms, seen in a diverse range of groups that target them. Right-wing extremists were charged with the intent to cause explosions around the Olympic site in Sydney 2000, and ethno-nationalists who attacked the power supply to the opening ceremony in Barcelona 1992 (Fussey and Coaffe, 2012) are just two examples of threats to mega-events that embody an atypical nature. The threat of international terrorism at a mega-event was first seen with a series of aircraft hijackings and continuing onto the 1972 Munich Olympics when Palestinian Militants Killed 11 Israeli athletes, as previously mentioned. This was the first instance where Olympics and Terrorism were linked in popular consciousness (Cottrell, 2009). It was symbolic, in its demonstration of how terrorism is an eminent threat to all major events internationally. Cities bids for the Olympics have had to demonstrate how well they are able to deal with international terrorism in its many forms. Most recently, the bidding team for London 2012 had to project the citys anti-terrorist resilience before the IOC and international audiences. This practice acts also as insurance in gaining support for large security budgets, estimated to be around US$1.7 billion, in addition to new powers of surveillance and social control. In light of London 2012, UK police and local authorities referred to the hosting of the event as the greatest security challenge that the UK has faced since the Second World War (Graham, 2009). Since 9/11, the war on terror has taken front stage and formed a shadow around the world. The security steps that were taken forward to the London Olympics from Athens 2004 and Bejing 2008 promised to be on an unprecedented scale. Several contextual issues were highlighted about the risk of London 2012 being the site of major terrorist incidents. The recognition of London as a world city has bought it to the forefront of tourism, drawing in visitors and terrorists alike, granted for differing reasons (Ghaffur, 2007) (PLEASE CHECK THIS LINE!). The threat of terrorism to London, and the need for Olympic security, was exhibited in a very short space of time; the debate of security for London 2012 began on July 7th 2005, following the London suicide bombings, just a day after London won the Olympic bid. Londons transport system was overcome by four suicide bombers in an attack that killed 52 people (Guardian, 2010). These events were significant in illustrating the vulnerabilities of London and the Olympics to external threats and contingencies. Further to this, the attacks showed the spatial and temporal displacement of terrorism, where attacks do not need to necessarily take place at the time of the event to cause an impact. One of the more unusual aspects of the international side of sport mega-events is that rather than the more well known international terrorism, many groups that do target events have more local socio-political motives, for example the Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna (Reference ETA, year), contrasting to the more evident international element of the games. Such acts cause instability to the usual global security models used to police these events, (Fussey and Coaffee, 2012). The home-grown radicalism that was blamed for the 7/7 bombings in London can be seen as an example of an act with a local socio-political motive, caused by global issues another effect of globalisation which came to global attention, and had a profound effect on the 2012 Games. Security coming home. The Olympic Games of 2004 were an example of the interaction between surveillance and social control. There was intense monitoring in Athens, which saw interconnected networks of electronic surveillance gadgetry that were web-like, in that it spanned out and was able to expand into the whole city, for example through vehicle tracking devices and motion detectors ( Samatas, 2007)THIS IS MY EXAMPLE TO CLARIFY!These forms of control reflect the idea of Panoptican, from the political philosopher Jeremy Bentham (year) which was later advanced conceptually by Foucault (1997), where he stated that in the contemporary service of social control, the state takes on an all-seeing observation role, probing and monitoring the activities of all citizens. Given the existing level of public and private surveillance in the UK, the superpanoptic approach that was piloted in Athens 2004 was easily integrated into the heart of the 2012 Olympics. London has more public and private CCTV cameras than any other city in the world, and through this, the idea of total surveillance became realistic (Reenie, 2008:4). The 2012 mega-event was a stimulus to the process of totalitarian intrusiveness. (SOUND OK?) Policing has the general role of dealing with disorderly conditions in neighbourhoods, and is present in myriad police strategies, ranging from order maintenance to zero tolerance strategies (Eck Maguire, 2006). The work of the police today is very much influenced by the private sectors and cooperations (Boyle paper) and total-security now becomes part of the spectacle of mega-events. London 2012 saw the Metropolitan Police take conscious measures in ensuring their first steps would be to put technological footprints across London. Advancements in CCTV saw new software that was able to integrate all of Londons CCTV cameras, all able to follow individuals around the city (quote.), putting forward this idea of a surveillance ring (Coaffee, 2004) to allow tracking of the movements of traffic and people. Further to new measures being implemented, such as advanced facial and iris recognition software, able to identify suspects and connect multiple crime scenes (Quote), many public transport vehicles, along with the VIP buses that were used in the London games, had been equipped for the authorities to recognise if drivers were acting erratically, a trend often seen in hijacking. Here, however, lay a fundamental question in what act could be deemed as erratic, and what qualifications personnel should have to make such decisions, and control it. All of this fits well with Foucalts early work on governmentality, and how power only exists when put into action (219) and that it is belonging to institutions rather than the individuals that allow the institutions to function. Put simply, measure to prevent certain behaviour leads to the control of individuals. These technologies (can you tell the ones above?) have been used as a medium to exercise the big-brother state. New machinery that is used allows the incorporation of the police/military apparatus in London, under the pretense of keeping the country safe from terrorism (Morgan, 2008). In keeping with public reassurance, it now does matter too much as to whether or not the security systems actually work, but rather what their proclaimed standards are. Work from Oscar Rays (year) has shown that a large amount of money was spent on equipment in Athens, which did not work. What did work, however, was the aftermath of it being used for surveillance in Greek society. These notions were once again observed in 2012, where governments and security-related interest groups often magnified in the public mind the terrorist threat and climate of fear, all in aid of justifying the use of these control strategies that are used to counter anti-social behaviour and danger from other public spaces, and gain support to introduce identity cards that link citizens to a state held database (Coaffe and Murakmi Wood, 2006: 565). As the Olympics are for a limited period, it is assumed that they are only a temporary security zone, lasting for the duration of the games. This, however, is not the case. As these events are now a recognised target for security threats, society now gives leeway to governments, even if these protections transgress from the constraints that are normally accepted by the citizens, as a result of securtization (Waever, 1995). The London Olympics and its security did not exist in isolation, but in a continuum of the increasing state of security and surveillance. Extra powers the state may acquire are often met with scepticism by citizens, in fear they may become permanent. However, these security measures can be concealed in an object that is seen as the norm for such prestigious events, for example the stadium. IS THIS OK LINKS WITH THE NEXT POINT! The architectural methods of Secure by Design (quote) . They also extend to the outer surrounding areas, where explosives may be hidden; litter boxes and drains (Coaffee, 2010). These methods are far from temporary, but this reconfiguration spreads beyond the time of the event under the title of legacy, where counter-terrorism design features are used to embed security in community areas, thus legacy is often used to legitimate broader and more long-term goals. The advantage of many of these regeneration progammes is that they become a catalyst for the transformations of parts of the city, as was seen in London. The official Olympics website (2012) stated that neglected sections of East London would be redesigned into the East Village, a complex designed to be converted into thousands of affordable homes, a community centre, and grounds for local residents to enjoy sports. THIS BIT IS NOT FINISHED! BUT SO FAR IS IT OK? I AM GOING TO GO ON TO EXPLAIN ABOUT ETHNIC CLEANSING PROGRAMMES. ITS GOOD SO FAR, YEAH. These sort of modifications are not temporaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Military Urbanism- Security Sports have often been linked to the wide discourse of urban growth and regeneration (Schimmel, year!), aiding in a new form of Foucaults Boomerang effect, which has been fuelled by the extending neoliberal globalisation. A form of this affect is the way military and security complexes now try and apply defence-style technologies to the domestic sites of the city. This is mirrored well in light of the Olympics, where high tech security surveillance technology, originally from the battle-field, is now used in mega-events. Military-security complex works in two ways. The first is by implementing direct military-type approaches to security. The failed work of the contractor G4S for London 2012, and the mobilisation of British troops, demonstrated how traditional military approaches will always remain necessary. In this instance, the military were asked to provide an extra 3, 500 troops to guard the London Olympics. These games show that despite new technologies, the Olympic Games continue to appear over-reliant on the armed forces. (Guardian, 2012) The second way is by using the forces of existing military personnel. Working with these approaches does not necessarily mean that one is moving away from the past, ignoring the strength of military practices, but rather adding a contemporary twist to the traditional militaristic and urban transformations (Graham, 2010). These contemporary security strategies work through the blurring of boundaries between military and civilian spheres. With this, there is the entry of military technologies, strategies and logics for the surveillance and control of populations in and around the stadium. London 2012 saw the RAF use drones, carrying laser-guided bombs and missiles, including the Hellfire air-to ground weapons. Urban Militrisation/New Military Urbanism- GLOBALISATION BIT this is keeping with the same subject but globalisation bit. This growing interaction between sports mega events and the military-industry complex also allows analysis to be viewed through the window of globalisation, and marketing. The use of security technologies in mega-events is a multi-billion dollar industry. Lobby groups work hard to convince state leaders into becoming booming homeland security markets, because these markets of technology are growing very rapidly in times of economic decline. These practices allow security companies to pilot and display their exemplary security technologies, in the hope that it will lead to them being transferred into a more routine social environment. This trend was recognised by an analyst for the US-based Security Industry Association: the Olympics not only showcase world-class athletes, they showcase world class security technologies and services from our industry (Bristow, 2008). Israel is one such example. Recognised as the worlds leading participant in the security and surveillance industrial co mplex (Brzezinski, 2004), the countrys long history in dealing with suicide bombers, along with its highly developed and hi-tech economy, gives it the capacity to exploit the climate of fear that surrounds todays major sporting events. With this said, Israels representatives are heavily involved in the planning and facilitation of mega-event security. London 2012 was an example of this as Israeli initiaitves saw aircrafts being used for crowd surveillance, an expertise often used by the Middle Eastern country for population control (Kosmas, 2012). Security companies are not the only organisations that benefit from the Olympics. More international impact is in the form of commercial sponsors, the worlds largest growing form of marketing (IEG Network, 2001). Sponsers are very willing to invest in the games, as they believe the spirit of the spectacle means that spectators are regularly exposed to promotional messages under favourable conditions, where the customers can be relaxed and absorb corporate messages. (Abratt et al, 1987). A by-product of being a sponsor is the ability to temporarily relocate some of the staff to the host nation and allow investments to be made. This is a clear example of globalisation. The paradox here, however, is that once a hallmark is made between the cooperate sponsors and the games, their worldwide officers and staff become targets, which could lead to reluctance to participate. Further to this, the host nations terrorism threat level provides another reason why sponsors may refuse to participate in the events. This causes a massive crossover with countries looking like safe havens of security for a world-wide spectacle. In short, sponsors will be reluctant to participate in events happening anywhere that does not have a high counter-terrorism mechanism. IS THIS ALL OK SO MAYBE SOMEWHERE IN HERE I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT IS IS THE PRIVATE SECTOR TAKING OVER? WHAT DO YOU THINK?! SO IM TALKING ABOUT SPONSERS HERE AND THE FACT THAT THEY WILL NOT BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN ANYWHERE THEY THINK DOESNT HAVE A HIGH COUNTER TERRORISM MECHANISM! Conclusion NOT COMPLETE AGAIN!! ONLY FIRST PARAGRAPH! Mega-events present a special case for understanding the relationship between large-scale security practices and globalisation. It is an illustration of threats related not only to terrorism, but also to organised crime and political protest (Giuillanotti and Klauser, 2012). Securing the spectacle goes beyond the infrastructure, and into the economic sector, national reputation, and the impact of humans (Coaffee and Johnston, 2007). Cities that host mega-events are now expected to show a strong form of anti-terrorist resilience before international audiences (Boyle and Haggerty, 2009). Long after the event has left, surveillance technologies, urban redevelopment, and other transformations, may all remain in place as security enforced measures that structure, frame, and film everyday social life. Mega-events foster a legacy of knowledge, networks, and habits that have a bearing on the lives of not just those who attend, but the citizens of the city, long after the event. These events also display the invisible and visible security all in one, where the likes of infrastructure have an outward projection of security, through embedded electronic devices, hiding the other form ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.cleansing programmes! I ASSUME THIS BIT NEEDS TO BE FINISHED, HAHA. The line between free speech and human rights. Policing the police might take on a role of citizen duty. If the average citizen can be filmed why can the police not? While CCTV is now an every day norm of British society, what is becoming more common is the use of camera phones and social networking. AND THIS BIT! Each mega-event is part of an extensive process, where by the institutions and officials learn and advice on security lessons to their successors. The new hosts hope to improve on their predecessors and each hope to deliver spectacular security (Boyle and Haggerty, 2009), with this comes militarization and coordination that is needed to extend into time and place.

The Final Episode of Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Es

The Great Importance of the Final Episode of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the things many critics of Huckleberry Finn   just can't seem to understand is the final episode of the novel where Tom returns and sidetracks Huck from his rescue of Jim through a long series of silly, boyish plans based on ideas Tom has picked up from Romantic novels, such as those of Walter Scott.   Critic Stephen Railton dismisses these final chapters as "just another version of their Royal Nonesuch" (405); referring, of course, to the silly play put on by the Duke and Dauphin in chapter 23.   From one point of view, this whole "evasion" sequence seems funny and humorous in the traditions of frontier and southwestern humor.   Twain had a reputation as a humorist, and some of his readers got a big laugh out of this section.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many, however, are put off by it; think it seems out of place in this novel which deals with so many serious, adult subjects; who's theme is man's inhumanity toward man but still able to be surpassed by the simple friendship developed between a white boy and a Black slave on a raft.   To many, who don't look too deeply, this final episode seems out of place, anticlimactical, undermining, or just downright abhorrent.   Philip Young called the ending "irrelevant" (Gullason 357).   Leo Marx called it a "flimsy contrivance" (Gullason 357).   And William Van O'Connor called it "a serious anti-climax" (Gullason 357).   That's just a small sampling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But can it really be just some silly nonsense, some "Royal Nonesuch"?   Can we really think so little of Twain to believe that he would just abandon the seriousness of ... ...d E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   305-309. Railton, Stephen.   "Jim and Mark Twain:   What Do Dey Stan' For?"   Virginia Quarterly Review 63.3 (Summer 1987):   393-408. Rubenstein, Gilbert M.   "The Moral Structure of Huckleberry Finn."   College English 18 (Nov. 1956):   72-76.   Rpt. in Clemens, Samuel Langhorne.   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   An Annotated Text, Background and Sources, Essays in Criticism.   Eds.   Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   378-384. Stallman, R. W.   "Reality and Parody in Huckleberry Finn."   College English 18 (May 1957):   425-426.   Rpt. in Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   An Annotated Text, Background and Sources, Essays in Criticism.   Eds.   Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   384-387. The Final Episode of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Es The Great Importance of the Final Episode of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the things many critics of Huckleberry Finn   just can't seem to understand is the final episode of the novel where Tom returns and sidetracks Huck from his rescue of Jim through a long series of silly, boyish plans based on ideas Tom has picked up from Romantic novels, such as those of Walter Scott.   Critic Stephen Railton dismisses these final chapters as "just another version of their Royal Nonesuch" (405); referring, of course, to the silly play put on by the Duke and Dauphin in chapter 23.   From one point of view, this whole "evasion" sequence seems funny and humorous in the traditions of frontier and southwestern humor.   Twain had a reputation as a humorist, and some of his readers got a big laugh out of this section.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many, however, are put off by it; think it seems out of place in this novel which deals with so many serious, adult subjects; who's theme is man's inhumanity toward man but still able to be surpassed by the simple friendship developed between a white boy and a Black slave on a raft.   To many, who don't look too deeply, this final episode seems out of place, anticlimactical, undermining, or just downright abhorrent.   Philip Young called the ending "irrelevant" (Gullason 357).   Leo Marx called it a "flimsy contrivance" (Gullason 357).   And William Van O'Connor called it "a serious anti-climax" (Gullason 357).   That's just a small sampling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But can it really be just some silly nonsense, some "Royal Nonesuch"?   Can we really think so little of Twain to believe that he would just abandon the seriousness of ... ...d E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   305-309. Railton, Stephen.   "Jim and Mark Twain:   What Do Dey Stan' For?"   Virginia Quarterly Review 63.3 (Summer 1987):   393-408. Rubenstein, Gilbert M.   "The Moral Structure of Huckleberry Finn."   College English 18 (Nov. 1956):   72-76.   Rpt. in Clemens, Samuel Langhorne.   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   An Annotated Text, Background and Sources, Essays in Criticism.   Eds.   Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   378-384. Stallman, R. W.   "Reality and Parody in Huckleberry Finn."   College English 18 (May 1957):   425-426.   Rpt. in Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   An Annotated Text, Background and Sources, Essays in Criticism.   Eds.   Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long.   New York:   Norton, 1961.   384-387.

How Steinbeck Presents the Character of Curley’s Wife

eys Examine how Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in ‘Of mice and men’ . Refer closely to the text in your answer to support your views. Throughout the novel Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in a number of ways. Initially he tells us that she is a beautiful girl who is lonely and she is the only female on the ranch. Steinbeck explains that she is presented as a sexual object for Curly. Even though she is the boss’s son’s wife she is still low in the hierarchy within the ranch. She clearly uses her sexuality as a weapon and is seen as a sexual predator.This is shown as she wears a lot of red and ostrich feathers. The red signals love, danger and sex. Unfortunately her sexuality has no impact on the farm because everyone is scared of being friendly or seen with her due to her husband’s power. She is flirtatious ‘you guys seen Curly anywhere? ’ She asks this just to be able to enter the stable to be with the men and this is used a decoy to get her to be able to socialise with the men. Stein beck is giving the reader a negative image of her, almost as a sex slave.We see this negativity in other character’s description of her: George states she is a ‘rattrap and a tramp’ , Lennie calls her ‘ purdy’, Candy states ‘ well that gloves full of Vaseline’ this refers to the idea that Curley wife is merely viewed by all as an object of sexual desire yet men are wary of her and avoid contact where possible. She seeks out greater weaknesses in others in order to protect herself or to survive. This she does with her appearance: ‘full rough lips, heavily made up eyes, finger nails red, her hair hung in little clusters’ . Her choices of clothes are very feminine and tempting desire.She wants to be admired and noticed. Her actions and mannerisms are also very sexual ‘leans against the door frame so her body is thrown forwar d. ’ Steinbeck is trying to present the character as a tease and an object of desire. This however clearly shows that she is a beautiful and desirable women who is merely seeking reassurance and love. Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife as not being important. This is evidenced by the fact she has no name and is only defined by her relationship with Curley. This is quite sad and emphasises that she has no real family, friends and is the only female.She is Curley’s possession and is used in the novel to show his masculinity and that she is trapped in a loveless marriage. Yet despite being unimportant she has a big impact on George, Lennie and Candys future dreams – they disappear on her death. Steinbeck shows the hierarchy of people clearly in the novel. Curley’s wife has little power as men are portrayed as more important. This is shown when Curley orders her to go back to the house and he treats her as a possession. Sadly the novel refers to her back ground as not being happy as her mother instructed her not to marry Curley but she did.Curley’s wife is shown as a lonely character who is desperate for companionship. She flirts with the men on the ranch and forces her company on them. Sadly she pays the price for her need of company when she encourages Lennie to stroke her hair and he overpowers her and accidently kills her. The American dream is key to the novel – this means everyone should have equality and hope for the future. Curley’s wife has a dream of becoming a Hollywood star, ‘says I was a natural’ and ‘I could have been in the movies’ This is still her dream to escape from the ranch.This emphasises her innocence as she still believes she will get her chance in life and these were her last thoughts before she was killed by Lennie. Steinbeck shows Curley’s wife as a victim – sweet and innocent in death. No one is sad for her – they only worry about Lennie- George is only worried about Lennies mistake, Curley wants revenge and to be seen as a strong man ‘I’m gonna shoot the guts outta the big bastard’ Throughout the novel no one shows her any sympathy: Candy is angry as his dream has been shattered now ‘you god damn tramp†¦. you messed things up’. She has lived a life without love and without achieving her dream.

Merck company

At present, the company is organized into three divisions: 1) pharmaceuticals focusing on innovative prescription drugs; 2) pharmaceuticals centred on generic prescription drugs; and 3) consumer health comprised of different activities such as health and medical nutrition including genetic engineering and the development of products. 2) The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by stiff competition. The international competitors of Merck are international, research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that also sell branded, patent-protected, prescription medicines. However, because Merck is ahead in research and development, specifically in technologies, these create leverages for the company to be at the top. Technologies help the company ease working loads; make them faster and more accurate. 3) Research is advancing at a rapid pace. The application of research provides the opportunity to improve productivity, quality, and cost control in education and research, security of health-related information, and reimbursement through new product development at Merck. While these advances in research promise huge benefits such as higher quality medicine, enhanced workflow and increased efficiency, there is also the potential for precious resources to be squandered and the added pressure of patient welfare at stake. While Merck’s research systems were intended to steam line financial management and automate manual processes, Pharmaceutical Industries now require much greater functionality. The modern Pharmaceutical Industries is expected to link administrative, laboratory, financial and clinical data to provide faster diagnosis and better treatment. The application of research at Merck would highlight the potential benefits of new product development in increasing access, improving quality, and reducing costs. While there is consensus that result will result in substantial cost savings, new product development can quantify the magnitude of the savings of Merck in a way that is scaleable to nationwide implementation. 4)  With the mission statement of Merck, the company aims to provide high margin generic drugs. This objective resonate their mission of lowering or controlling the costs that they would pass onto their consumers. In order for Merck to achieve their objective, they must be able to find ways of lowering their production costs so that they will be able to lower the cost that they will pass onto their consumers. One of the policies that they implemented to see this through is by focusing on research to develop and maintain technologies. For example, Merck invested in information technology. This allowed them to create a web-based system that improved the company’s management of inventories and orders by enhancing their speed and accuracy. By lessening the margins for errors, Merck will also be able to lessen their production cost. 5)  The website of Merck is able to adhere to the basic rules so as to ensure that the website created will be accessible.   The patients and caregivers website of Merck is easy to read, easy to navigate and easy to find.   In addition, the layout and design of the web is consistent throughout the site, plus the website and the needed information regarding the medicines is quick to be downloaded. This absolutely contributes to understanding Merck’s product line. REFERENCES Corporate Responsibility: Committed to make a Difference. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://www.merck.com Patients & Caregivers: Comprehensive medical resources to keep you educated and informed. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://www.merck.com/product/patients_caregivers.html       Merck Company IntroductionThe healthcare industry is composed of many different players who have the same goal which is to ensure the well-being of people, particularly with regards to their health.   One such player in this industry is pharmaceutical companies.   This paper will be analyzing the products of Merck Pharmaceutical Company concentrating on the importance of research in the development of their products.   It will also be presenting the company’s mission statement and how consistent the company is in relation to its mission statement.   Furthermore, it will analyze on whether the company’s patient and care-givers site is helpful to the company’s target audience or otherwise.Overview of Merck CompanyIn order to analyze Merck Pharmaceutical Company comprehensively, an overview about the company and its mission statement must first be established.Merck & Co. Inc. was established in 1891 with the concern on prioritizing the needs of patient that have been othe rwise not met during this period.   The company primarily produces vaccines and medicines as well as delivering these to those who need them the most (â€Å"About Merck† 2008).Merck & Co. Inc. is also a global research pharmaceutical company.   Its mission is â€Å"to provide society with superior products and services by developing innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life and satisfy customer needs, and to provide employees with meaningful work and advancement opportunities, and investors with a superior rate of return† (â€Å"Mission Statement† 2008).   The company is committed to the preservation and improvement of human life by maintaining high standards in its ethics, particularly in research in order to attain their mission (â€Å"Mission Statement† 2008).Products of Merck CompanyBecause of their continuous research, the company has been able to release new products for the betterment of today’s society.   The most r ecent product of the company that was licensed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States was Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccination.   The company announced the release of the vaccine on March 19, 2008 (â€Å"Product News† 2008).Gardasil is a vaccine that was developed in order to prevent the development of cervical cancer, dysplastic lesions and genital warts among females from age nine to twenty-six.   Based on their research, they had discovered that these diseases were caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 (â€Å"Product News† 2008).Importance of Research to MerckResearch is extremely vital to the progress of Merck as a pharmaceutical company.   Through their constant and meticulous research, the company is able to create medicines that have become important in today’s society.   The company’s research resources include the acquisition of the most advance tools in the market, chemistry, genomics and computeriz ed molecular modeling.   These resources allow the company to remain at the forefront of discovery in their industry (â€Å"Our Research† 2008).Because of the technology advancement and their meticulousness in hiring employees in their research and product development department, the company is able to create products that are able to satisfy the needs of their customers.   At the same time, the availability of the most up-to-date technology allows the company’s researchers to work in an environment for them to create meaningful and advancement opportunities. As a result, they are able to improve and preserve human life in today’s society as well as meeting the company’s mission statement and values (â€Å"Mission Statement† 2008).Patient and Caregivers’ SiteSince the company produces vaccines and medicines, there is always the possibility that it may be inappropriately administered which would cause adverse side effects to the patient w hich would not just aggravate the medical condition of the patient, but may also cause the caregiver to lose his or her license to practice.In order to prevent this, the company had provided a patient and caregivers’ site in order to properly educate the consumers of the company’s products on side effects, dosage, manner of administration and situations when the product could not be used.   The website is extremely helpful for both patients and caregivers.   The main page presents the names of the products so that the patient or the caregiver is able to locate more information about the medicine or vaccine.The page that discusses the medicine or vaccine is presented in two forms: one is written in a simple and straight-to-the-point manner so that the average individual without any background in medicine would be able to understand information about the product comprehensively.   It is also presented in a more technical and scientific way which can be comprehended only by someone who has a background in medicine such as a caregiver (â€Å"Patient & Caregiver U.S. Product Web sites† 2008).ConclusionFor a company such as Merck & Co. Inc., research is extremely vital in its operations since it is only through research that the company would be able to create products in order to meet their mission which is to provide superior vaccines and medicines in order to improve the quality of human life.   One such example of this is the release of Gardasil, a vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases among females from occurring.   For patients and caregivers who would need information with regards to their products, the company provided a website where information about a particular vaccine or medicine would be understood by both patients and caregivers.ReferencesMerck & Co., Inc. (2008). About Merck. Retrieved on 08 April 2008, fromhttp://www.merck.com/about/.Merck & Co., Inc. (2008). Mission statement. Retrieved on 08 April 2008, fromhttp://www.merck.com/about/mission.html.

Free Essays on Sex,Drugs And Rock And Roll

Since its emergence as an art form, Rock & Roll has become one of the most feared plagues to ever infest the planet. With beats intended to incite excitement and lyrics about pressing issues, there’s no telling how much Rock & Roll could’ve potentially corrupted the youth of the world, be it 1950, 2002, or anytime in between. Fortunately, the full destructive power of this entity that is Rock music has never been reached, thanks in part to the bravery of such freedom-fighters as the PMRC, Joseph Liberman, and church leaders at every corner of the nation. These courageous individuals stepped up to the task of imposing rules and ideas on everyone else’s children, and thusly they’re like parents to all of us. These people have heard the phrase â€Å"Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll† at one time in their careers as professional parents and choice-makers for all of us, and they understand how â€Å"hip† these three things have become with young, impres sionable children. If sex is bad, and drugs are bad, then so too must be Rock, the latter of which causes exposure the priors. A typical argument from such a person usually consists of â€Å"Letting our (your) children become aware of these things is risky business. We, as parents, do not want to talk to them about these problems, because that would require too much responsibility on our parts, so instead we must erase from existence anything that could conceivably inform our kids on the pros and cons of such issues.† Of course, when they say this, they are only speaking of such mediums that youth find pleasurable, such as Rock music and videogames. They often fail to include the use of literature in their arguments because, â€Å"Hey, kids are too dumb to want to read anyway.† And let’s face it: as far as slogans go, â€Å"Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Time Magazine† just isn’t very catchy. So I implore you not to judge these people too harshly. Th ey have just as much the right to be idiots a... Free Essays on Sex,Drugs And Rock And Roll Free Essays on Sex,Drugs And Rock And Roll Since its emergence as an art form, Rock & Roll has become one of the most feared plagues to ever infest the planet. With beats intended to incite excitement and lyrics about pressing issues, there’s no telling how much Rock & Roll could’ve potentially corrupted the youth of the world, be it 1950, 2002, or anytime in between. Fortunately, the full destructive power of this entity that is Rock music has never been reached, thanks in part to the bravery of such freedom-fighters as the PMRC, Joseph Liberman, and church leaders at every corner of the nation. These courageous individuals stepped up to the task of imposing rules and ideas on everyone else’s children, and thusly they’re like parents to all of us. These people have heard the phrase â€Å"Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll† at one time in their careers as professional parents and choice-makers for all of us, and they understand how â€Å"hip† these three things have become with young, impres sionable children. If sex is bad, and drugs are bad, then so too must be Rock, the latter of which causes exposure the priors. A typical argument from such a person usually consists of â€Å"Letting our (your) children become aware of these things is risky business. We, as parents, do not want to talk to them about these problems, because that would require too much responsibility on our parts, so instead we must erase from existence anything that could conceivably inform our kids on the pros and cons of such issues.† Of course, when they say this, they are only speaking of such mediums that youth find pleasurable, such as Rock music and videogames. They often fail to include the use of literature in their arguments because, â€Å"Hey, kids are too dumb to want to read anyway.† And let’s face it: as far as slogans go, â€Å"Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Time Magazine† just isn’t very catchy. So I implore you not to judge these people too harshly. Th ey have just as much the right to be idiots a...

The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs

The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Finding a dedicated creative writing program at a school you're excited about can be a real challenge, and that's even before you start worrying about getting in. Nonetheless, there are some great options. In order to help you find the best school for you, this list rounds up some of the best colleges for creative writing in the United States. The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria You should never take college rankings as absolute truth- not even the very official-seeming US News ones. Instead, use these kinds of lists as a jumping-off place for your own exploration of colleges. Pay attention not to just what the rankings are but to how the rankings are determined. To help with that, I'll explain how I came up with this highly unscientific list of great creative writing colleges. I started by narrowing my searchdown to schools that offered a specific creative writing major. (If you don't see a school you were expecting, it's likely because they only have a minor.) // In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria: #1: MFA Ranking- If a school has a greatgraduate creative writing program, it means you'll be taught bythose same professors and the excellent graduate students they attract. Schools with strong MFA programs are also more likely to have solid alumni networks and internship opportunities. However, many schools with great undergrad programs do not offer MFAs, in which case I simply focused on the other four options. // #2: General School Reputation - The vast majority of your classes won't be in creative writing, so it's important that other parts of the school, especially the English department, are great as well. // #3: Extracurricular Opportunities - One of the key advantages of majoringin creative writing is that it can provide access to writing opportunities outside the classroom, so I took what kind of internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines the school offers into consideration. #4: Diversity of Class Options - I gave extra points to schools with a variety of genre options and specific, interesting classes. // #5: Alumni/Prestige - This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers? Certainly it's less important than what kind of education you'll actually get, but having a brand-name degree (so to speak) can be helpful. The Best Creative Writing Schools Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of schools! The exact numbering is always arguable, so look atit as a general trend from absolutely amazing to still super great, rather than fixating on why one school is ranked #3 and another is ranked #4. #1: Northwestern University Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program boasts acclaimed professors and an unparalleled track record of turning out successful writers (including Divergent author VeronicaRoth and short-story writer Karen Russell). Outside the classroom, you can work on the student-run literary journal, intern at a publication in nearby Chicago, or submit to the Department of English's yearly writing competition.The university is also home to a top journalism program, so if you want to try your hand at non-fiction as well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so. // #2: Columbia University Like Northwestern, Columbia is home to both a world-class creative writing program and a top journalism school (plus one of the best English departments in the country), so you have a wide range of writing-related course options. Columbia also benefits from its location in New York City, which is bursting at the seams with publishing houses, literary journals, and talented authors. Columbia University's Low Library (Wally Gobetz/Flickr) #3: University of Iowa TheUniversity of Iowa's big draw is the infrastructure of itsgraduate Writers' Workshop, which is often considered the best MFA program in the country. As an English and Creative Writing major here, you'll take classes from great young writers and established professors alike, and get to choose from a wide range of topics. This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus.You'll also have access to the university's impressive literary community, including frequent readings, writing prizes and scholarships, and the acclaimed literary journal The Iowa Review. #4: EmoryUniversity Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program, which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers. Students herehave the chance to attend intimate question-and-answer session with award-winning authors, study a range of genres, compete for writing awards and scholarships, and work closely with an adviser to complete an honors project. #5: Oberlin College A small liberal arts school in Ohio, Oberlin offers very different advantages than the schools above do. You'll have fewer opportunities to pursue writing in the surrounding city, but the quality of the teachers and the range of courses might make up for that. Moreover, it boasts just asimpressive alumni, including actress and writer Lena Dunham. // #6: Hamilton College Hamilton is another small college, located in upstate New York. It's known for giving students the freedom to pursue their interests and the support to help them explore topics in real depth, both inside and outside the classroom.Hamilton's creative writing program takes full advantage with small classes and lots of opportunities to intern and publish; italso has one of the best writing centers in the country. #7: Brown University Brown's Literary Arts programoffers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major. For the major, you must take four creative writing workshops andsix reading-intensive courses, which span an array of departments and topics,from music and literature to Middle East studies and Egyptology. Part of Brown University's campus(Chuck Roberts/Flickr) #8: Washington University in St. Louis Washington University has an excellent creative writing MFA program, lots of super specific class options, and a number of scholarships specifically earmarked for creative writing students. #9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT might not be a school you generally associate with writing, but it actually has an excellent program that offers courses in digital media and science writing, as well as creative writing, and provides plenty of guidance on how graduates can navigate the tricky job market. Not to mentionthe school is located inCambridge,a haven for book lovers and writers of all kinds.Still, MIT is probably not the best place for you if you hate science of all kinds. #10: University of Michigan University of Michigan is one of the best state universities in the country and has a top-notch MFA program. If you're looking to attend a big school with a great creative writing major, this is a fantastic choice. #11: Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins is another school that's known morefor engineering than it is for writing, but, like MIT, it has a dedicated writing program. As a major here, you must take not only courses in prose, poetry, and literature, but also classes on topics such as philosophy and history. #12: Colorado College Colorado College is a small liberal arts school known for its block plan,which allows students to focus on one class per three-and-a-half-week block. The creative writing track of the English major includes a sequence of four writing workshops and also requires students to attend every reading of the VisitingWriters Series. Bonus School: New York University I didn't include NYU in the main list because it doesn't have a dedicated creative writing major, but it's a great school for aspiring writers nonetheless, offeringone of the most impressive creative writing faculties in the country and all the benefits of a Manhattan location. Washington Square Park at NYU How to Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You // Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. (The football fans are completely terrifying, for one thing.) So where should you go then? Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking at creative writing programs to help you determine the best school for you: Does It Have Courses You’re Interested In? Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want toavoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different.For example, if you want to writesonnets but the school focuses more on teaching fiction, it probably won't be a great fit for you. Also, don't forget tolook at the English courses and creative writing workshops! In most programs, you’ll be taking a lot of these, too. What Opportunities Are There to Pursue Writing Outside of Class? I touched on this idea in the criteria section, butit's important enough that I want to reiterate it here.Some of the best writing experience you can get is found outside the classroom,so seewhat kind of writing-related extracurricularsa school has before committing to it. Great options include getting involved with the campus newspaper, working on the school’s literary journal, or interning at the university press. Who Will Be Teaching You? Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? Check teacher ratings on Rate My Professors (but make sure to read the actual reviews- and always take them with a grain of salt). If you’re looking at a big school, there’s a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: a lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students.Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has. If there’s a great creative writing MFA program,then the graduate students are likely to be better writersand more engaged teachers. What Are the Alumni Doing Now? If you have a sense of what you want to do after you graduate, see if any alumni of the program are pursuing that type of career. The stronger the alumni network is, the more connections you'll have when it comes time to get a job. What About the Rest of the School? Don’t pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it. Most of your time will be spent doing other things, whether hanging out in the dorms, exploring off campus, or fulfilling general education requirements. Many schools require you to apply to the creative writing major, so make doubly sure you'll be happy with your choice even if you aren't accepted to the program. What's Next? Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you?Read our post on the pros and cons of the majorto help you decide what path to take in college. For more general advice about choosing a college,check out our complete guide to finding the right school for you. Some major factors to consider include deciding whether you're interested ina small college or a big university, an in-state or out-of-state institution, and a public or private school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Revenons ànos moutons - French Expression

Revenons nos moutons - French Expression Expression: Revenons nos moutons. Pronunciation: [reu veu no(n) ah no moo to(n)] Meaning: Lets get back to the subject at hand. Literal translation:  Lets come back to our sheep Register: normal Variations:  revenons-en nos moutons, retournons nos moutons Etymology The French expression revenons nos moutons, which is a common expression, is from La Farce de Maà ®tre Pathelin, a medieval play written by an unknown author. The eponymous protagonist of this 15th-century comedy deliberately misleads a judge by bringing two cases before him - one relating to sheep and the other to sheets. The judge is very confused and attempts to get back to the case about sheep by repeatedly saying mais revenons nos moutons. Since then, (mais) revenons nos moutons has meant lets get back on track / back to the subject at hand/back on topic. Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Nous pouvons parler de à §a demain  ; pour le moment, revenons nos moutons.  Ã‚  Ã‚  We can talk about that tomorrow; for right now, lets get back to the subject at hand.

The Technology Effects in Human Life Research Paper

The Technology Effects in Human Life - Research Paper Example The paper will focus on the impact of technology to the lives of humans. Technology has transformed the manner in which people perform their function; this has had both positive and negative impact to their lives. According to Hall (2007) has enhanced the manner in which student’s access information. The concept also has enabled the teacher- student interaction. Software development has enhanced tolls that accommodate different curriculum integrated. The technology has enhanced e-learning in that people are able to work and study at the same time. This has in essence enhanced access to information. Different search engines have made information available to different technological users. People can access information regardless of their age or financial status. The internet has increased the literacy levels of individuals by relaying information to direct users at different time. The ability of the tool to accommodate a higher number of individuals at a given period has reduced the connections within schools and other higher learning institution. Technology interacts with different age groups hence ensuring convincing to both young and old. Information seeking has been a tool utilized by different parties in designing their models and technology has enabled the part access this information. Technology has enhanced the manner in which people interact with the household spaces. The televisions, radios and mobile phones have been an effective tool as far as entertainment is concern. These tools have reduced boredom. The interactions with these gargets have reduced the need for human interaction. Technology has enhanced the manner in which people carry out their daily chores. Vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, drycleaner have enhanced the need for human labor in performing duties. This has reduced the amount spend by households in hiring helps. Technology has enhanced multitasking among individuals. People can

Corporate Strategy Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Strategy Case Study - Essay Example Macpac became a leading manufacturing unit of outdoor equipments as there were no other manufacturing industries in New Zealand. The sound internal resources like technology, manpower, innovative ideas and machinery equipments paved the way for the impending success in the this period. Product innovation was another stimulus responsible for the growth. The enormous entrepreneurial energy displayed by the founder also made the success achievable and it was a strong impetus for the rapid growth in the initial stage. In the startup stage, the entrepreneur focused mainly in his vision and available resources. Bruce McIntyre did not make much of an effort on market expansion, market penetration or product development. He efficiently used his internal resources like people, expertise, technology and funding. The growth depended on the company’s ‘international strategy of exporting’. By using acquired skills, knowledge and experience Macpac grew internationally out of challenging conditions of New Zealand. The entrepreneur prioritized customer service which raised a huge demand among the buyers. In 1978, this led to 100% growth in sales figure. In 1987, the export market of Macpac took a new shape. Export in the countries like Holland and Switzerland followed and soon after Germany and United Kingdom markets also were developed. The key factors behind the international success were: Macpac not only pursued a strategy to grow internationally but also concentrated on being a leading name domestically. Honesty and transparency was factor for Macpac’s success. Customers nowadays are very much cautious about what they buy. Many companies fail to prove their transparency and honesty in providing support and facts to the customers. But it was not the case with Macpac. Working as a powerful brand from the initial stage of starting up, Macpac never considered itself less than any strong brands. The attitude of being powerful was a significant

An Analysis Using the ECLS-K dataset, Researching correlations between Statistics Project

An Analysis Using the ECLS-K dataset, Researching correlations between Student Academic Achievement and Parental Involvement - Statistics Project Example For a student, there are many distractions since they are undergoing growth and need to practice different ways of making decisions. These distractions can range from the need to join clubs to intramurals or even soccer. In my opinion, these are social practices necessary in schools but pose a great challenge when it comes to choosing perfect study habits and concentration for learning and achievement of success. From many researches done in the previous years, it is evident that involvement of parents is incredibly beneficial to the success of children and adolescents in both academic and general life learning. With an active family involved, the entire programs involved in early childhood, middle, elementary and even high schools are greatly enhanced, and their outcomes are considered more effective. Although most people relate this involvement with only academic success, the parent-child relation assists also in student attitude, sense of well being, grades, homework readiness, and educational aspirations. This relationship is essential to all students despite their level of study. Statistics have showed that a positive relationship between the parents and their children especially in high schools have caused a decline in the come to of school drop outs with variables like educational aspirations, school retention and homework being the indicators to motivation caused or expounded by parents. This research paper is aimed at providing various types of parental involvement in the academic success of their children, but with regard to other factors. Some of the motivational aspects that are associated to parental involvement are autonomy, school engagement, self-regulation, motivation to read, intrinsic /extrinsic motivation and mastery goal orientation. Student academic achievement can be impacted greatly by parenting practices. Their positive participation in all school activities can be used to

The purpose of food protection and safety Research Paper

The purpose of food protection and safety - Research Paper Example This has been taking root in developing countries due to parasite stimulated food borne illnesses, and presence of many industries that lead to emission of chemical into water sources contributing to the high level of food borne diseases. These factors have led to the formation of rules relating to food protection, and tribal and local agencies to inspect and oversee food establishment, to ensure food protection. The purpose of food protection is essentially to control the number of patients who undergo diagnostics related to poor food protection. This has been through the introduction of models of the food code, program evaluation and scientifically-based guidance. This is in regard to a study carried out by Knechtges (2012). The aim of this food protection strategy is to ensure that people are productive, rather than getting ill from food related health complications, which retards national development. Food protection is purposeful to ensure that there is no burden on communities and their health systems. This is because food contamination leads to a colossal economic and social burden on the people who suffer from the complication and those that care for the sick. This is because – according to a research study by NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Advances in Food Security and Safety against Terrorist Threats and Natural Disasters & Hefnawy (2011) – there is an indication that thirty five billion US dollars were set to cater for medical costs thus causing loss of productivity. Food protection has also to protect the reputation of a nation. This is because illnesses arising from food contamination like cholera and typhoid demean a country in that; it cannot protect its nationalities from food related diseases, hence the country cannot be helpful in terms of regional cooperation and exchanges (Thomasson, 2009). This is due to the suspicion that the foods they sell are not pure. Food protection through biotechnology measures such as crop

Research Design Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Design - Research Paper Example This study design is of great importance since it informs policy formulation and implementation strategies and avoids wastage of resources in starting interventions that would not change the state of the population. In the case of HBP the study type would inform the researcher whether the access to a health facility and follow-up are the major causes and therefore policies and interventions to address the same can be put in place to ensure that the interventions are most effective and do not use a lot of resources. HBP management has proven to be technical and requires behavior changes, good diet, along with a regimen of antihypertensive medications that require medical follow-up. Therefore the black men in urban areas have poor access to health services and do not seek care or remain in treatment and this is considered as a great factor in the rate of disability and death in this population. This study design is important in this particular scenario since in order to understand if the factors expressed are the real cause, one half of the population be exposed to the factors and the other not and then assessed over a period of time in order to determine whether the factors have an effect on HBP management. A cohort study is a type of study design which is used widely in cases where the researcher aims at reaching persons with particular similarities. There are different cohorts that can be described in terms of age or condition being suffered from. Most cohorts are attributed by age and therefore age has been the most common dividing factor in cohort studies. It has been expressed widely in this study where Dr Jemmott focuses on reducing risky sexual behavior, primarily among minority adolescents. This clearly illustrates that the target population of the study are the adolescents who are the cohort in this case. The use of cohort study design is important in ensuring that the target population is actually captured

The Effects of Autism on a Familys Social Participation From a Fathers Essay

The Effects of Autism on a Familys Social Participation From a Fathers Perspective - Essay Example In this study, the researcher conducted a qualitative investigation regarding the impact that autism has on a family's social participation from the father's perspective. The researcher will explain how using the Person-Environment-Occupation model may both increase levels of social participation and increase the overall wellbeing and mental health of family's of autistic children. The nature of Autism, a complex developmental disorder, remains largely elusive up to the present time. However, there have been myriad advances and discoveries regarding this condition (Rutter, 1999). Compared to other developmental disorders, Autism is being diagnosed at a rapid rate with an annual growth rate between 10 and 17% (Autism Society of America, 2007). This disorder has a prevalence rate in one out of every 150 births and affects approximately 1.5 million Americans (Autism Society of America, 2007). There is both a desire to treat the devastating effects of this disorder and a fascination to understand the nature of social interaction of patients with this condition. Large proportions of autistic patients exhibit differences in sensory processing and motor performance that may affect social participation and day-to-day functioning (Chawarska, Klin, Volkmar, & Powers, 2008, 104). In their research, Domingue, Cutler, & McTarnaghan (2000) found that family members that care for autistic children have been shown to have greater difficulty in developing and sustaining vital social connections both at work and at home. Social activities such as dinners, weekend outings, and vacations are greatly reduced and marital difficulties often arise from the difficulty of effectively supporting their autistic child (Fisman, Wolf, & Noh, 1989). In their 2005 study, Rodrigue, Morgan, and Geffken pointed out that fathers have been largely neglected in previous research of families with autistic children. They found that fathers of children with autism reported frequent use of both wish-fulfilling fantasy and information seeking as coping strategies. In addition to this, fathers with autistic children reported a greater financial impact and disruption of family activities when compared to fathers that did not have children with this disorder (Rodrigue, Morgan, and Geffken, 2005). While the researchers found that fathers adapt reasonably well to the needs of their autistic children, they also noted that autism had a significant impact on the family's social participation from the father's perspective (Rodrigue, Morgan, and Geffken, 2005). Cost of Care Numerous costs are involved in the treatment and care of autistic patients. When calculating the price of treatment, it is necessary to include direct medical, direct non-medical, and lost productivity costs. A complete treatment plan for an individual with autism may cost the public $3.2 million over the patient's lifetime (Moldin & Rubenstein, 2006, p. 476). In addition to this, the combined societal cost to treat all individuals with autism may amount to $35 billion over the pa

Research Design Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Design - Research Paper Example This study design is of great importance since it informs policy formulation and implementation strategies and avoids wastage of resources in starting interventions that would not change the state of the population. In the case of HBP the study type would inform the researcher whether the access to a health facility and follow-up are the major causes and therefore policies and interventions to address the same can be put in place to ensure that the interventions are most effective and do not use a lot of resources. HBP management has proven to be technical and requires behavior changes, good diet, along with a regimen of antihypertensive medications that require medical follow-up. Therefore the black men in urban areas have poor access to health services and do not seek care or remain in treatment and this is considered as a great factor in the rate of disability and death in this population. This study design is important in this particular scenario since in order to understand if the factors expressed are the real cause, one half of the population be exposed to the factors and the other not and then assessed over a period of time in order to determine whether the factors have an effect on HBP management. A cohort study is a type of study design which is used widely in cases where the researcher aims at reaching persons with particular similarities. There are different cohorts that can be described in terms of age or condition being suffered from. Most cohorts are attributed by age and therefore age has been the most common dividing factor in cohort studies. It has been expressed widely in this study where Dr Jemmott focuses on reducing risky sexual behavior, primarily among minority adolescents. This clearly illustrates that the target population of the study are the adolescents who are the cohort in this case. The use of cohort study design is important in ensuring that the target population is actually captured

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay The fight to legalize marijuana has been going on for decades now and looks to have no end until the result is that it’s legal. My fight would be for it to be legalized as well. Simply because it’s a drug with more benefits then harm. In some states, and other countries it’s already legal and doctor approved which I believe needs to be applied everywhere. Marijuana users will not stand for marijuana probation, no matter how long it takes, punishments or consequences. One might say press the issue! Make harsher laws! These prohibition views have failed to silence users. Marijuana legalization is a persistent issue that will not just go away. I believe it will be legalized because users are willing to continue to fight until they succeed. This will eventually open people’s eyes that the drug is not all bad. Marijuana has positive attributes; a medical value with very mild side effects. Many people use it because they see it good for them especially those suffering ailments. It relieves pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. I agree that if we do legalize it just for medication that it would leak to other users. But in today’s society many American adults prefer marijuana over alcohol as a way to relax, it has a lot less side effects then alcohol. The use of marijuana in America is a choice that comes with a relatively low dependence rate. Most people develop a tolerance to side effects, and those who don’t usually stop using drugs. Most Americans decide that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risk which the greatest risk is low risk arrest. Legalizing the drug can have more benefits to our county then harming it. If marijuana was legal we could put a tax on it, to make a profit on it. If we look at our crime rate, our law enforcement has more important responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession. By doing this we waste jail space, clog court systems, divert time of police, attorneys, judges, and corrections officials away from violent crime. When I say violent crimes I mean being able to focus on the sexual abuse of children, terrorism and other more dangerous crimes. For my study I looked for a country that has legalized marijuana and their reasons for doing so. I found that it is a common knowledge throughout the world, that in Amsterdam you may just enter a coffee shop and buy drugs; you will be handed a menu with drugs of the day, and there might be even a special on the menu. It is all accessible, for four joints you will pay the same amount for twenty cigarettes. Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam because the government there realizes that it is much easier to control when they make it publicly available. This way they can tax it to generate state funding and ensure that they know where it is and whos using it. Its a much more liberal approach than prohibition, which causes any controlled substance to go immediately underground and leaves the governments jurisdiction. Marijuana being illegal is much like the prohibition of alcohol. The Prohibition was a period of nearly fourteen years of U.S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal. It led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. And unlike alcohol and any prescription drugs, marijuana is not lethal. A study in 2009 by U.S. Department of Health and Human Studies published that 69.7 million Americans are current users of tobacco products, 15 million Americans abuse alcohol, and only 4.2 million Americans abuse Marijuana. Everyday 1,000 people die from smoking related illnesses, 550 die from alcohol related accidents and diseases, and less than 20 die of drug related causes. American adolescents use Marijuana twice as much as their counter parts in Holland where Marijuana is legal. It seems that the temptations to do what you’re not supposed to do are too strong to resist. In conclusion, marijuana should be legal. If we are going to continue to offer these drugs that are more harmful then marijuana then why band one that helps? If continuing to keep marijuana as an illegal substance then users are willing to continue to fight. Like the prohibition of alcohol I don’t believe this fight will end until the users win. Maybe they will think their decision over, and realize it would help us more then it harms us.

Skodas Marketing Turn Around

Skodas Marketing Turn Around How did Skoda manage this major turnaround in the public perception of the company? Analyse the changes that have taken place [55 marks]. In your analysis, you should use knowledge of management strategies and approaches that you have gained from the module or further study [40 marks]. Please make sure that you give clear and complete references to the sources of any of the concepts or information on the company that you include. In the early 1990s Skoda was a struggling company, faced with a shortage of skilled labour, low productivity, high debts and low sales (North, 2009). Skoda was producing out-dated and unreliable cars, causing its brand to be synonymous with unreliability. VW turned around its fortunes with changes in technology, management practice and marketing. Key to its product offering was the utilisation of VWs common platform approach, another cornerstone was the recognition that the brand required a complete overhaul. Skoda is now a successful part of the VW Company and for the large part has seen strong sales and profit. More recently, tough market conditions have made business difficult with most competitors suffering. Skoda however, has found itself in a stronger position than many; an astonishing achievement considering its poor market position only 20 years ago. Skodas roots are based in early 19th Century Czechoslovakia when Và ¡clav Laurin  and Và ¡clav Klement began to produce their own bicycles. This progressed quickly to motorcycles and eventually automobiles in 1905. It was not until the 1920s when Laurin and Klement became partners with Skoda Works, the conglomerate arms manufacturer and the origin of the enduring name. After the global depression in the early 1930s, Skoda successfully exported models such as the Popular until the break out of World War 2 and the German occupation. During this time the Nazi occupation directed industry efforts towards arms and munitions and hence production in this period sharply fell. Post World War 2, Czechoslovakia fell behind the iron curtain and became part of the centrally planned communist soviet government. Designs were overhauled and updated models were still being developed through until the 1960s. However, at this point western technological advancements overtook that of Skoda and the i nherent inefficiency within the centrally planned economy began to take an effect. Towards the end of the communist regime Skoda were still producing models based on those from the 60s and subsequently became the basis of ridicule for poor reliability and quality (North, 2009). This is essentially the basis of the tarnished brand that had to be rebuilt in order to achieve its current position in the market. Skoda was producing cars that were poor compared to its competition and using technology that was hopelessly out of date (Edmondson, 2007). Ailing Skoda was bought by VW and began to turn Skoda around, largely by integrating it into its own highly successful business model the part and eventual complete sale by the Czechoslovakian government to VW represented an innovation in government foreign business policy (Lengyel Cadil, 2009). In order to compete in western markets in which capacity for cars exceeded demand resulting in a buyers market. In order to survive from competition, it needed to assess its product offering and brand image in the pursuit of market perceived value. In order to address Skodas issues VW re-aligned Company objectives to produce a quality value car and a strong brand image. In order to increase the efficiency and quality of the Skoda production, VW began to train employees in its management methods. Management across different businesses require consideration for organisational culture especially when working within an international setting (Naylor, 2004 pg120-121). The VW management had to deal with differences in business culture. Initially VW training did not improve the productivity of the Czech production plants, as the Czech engineers had adopted a very flexible improvisatory way of working. VW employed strict control on methods and made use lean production methods such as the just in time (JIT) management. Although it is generally more efficient and cost effective (Naylor, 2004, pg 510-511), JIT can involve short delays or pauses whilst waiting for the correct parts to arrive to maintain quality. This contrasted with the Skoda improvisatory style of working. VW took on more of a Human relations approach to its management, and by understanding and respecting Skodas business culture it was able to break down inflexible aspects of the old Skoda culture whilst working with other parts such as their vast and varied experience in order to bring about successful change. The management adapted their management style from a very directive role to include aspects of behaviour in order to deal with the cultural differences and more effectively manage the new workforce (Naylor, 2004 pg 10-11). The management also introduced novel methods to achieve Total Quality Management (TQM), this reduces the number of errors on the production by making everyone responsible for quality control as opposed to only checking for faults at the final stage of the production line and therefore increasing productivity (Naylor, 2004 pg 510-511). To achieve this VW introduced the Red Button which halted the production line when a fault was spotted by a member of staff. This introduction encouraged personal responsibility for fault checking. The knowledge that anyone could halt the assembly line and highlight individual errors combined with the fact that more errors were spotted and corrected before reaching the end of the assembly line resulted in less errors reducing the number of defects. After making changes to the management and workforce to deal with VWs culture, VW began to work with Skoda on its new vehicles, based on the VW common platform approach. The common platform approach allowed many cars to share the structure. This allowed Skoda to immediately take advantage of the latest advancements of VW technology, massively reducing the cost required to produce a new model. The common platform approach allows for innovation at the visible customer-facing parts of the vehicle. Creating a flexible management and employing VWs methodology worked well for Skoda. The result was the creation of cars which were as if not more reliable than VW badged counterparts. The Octavia beat its VW counterpart the Golf in endurance tests (North, 2009). The result of combining VW management and technology with Skoda know-how had resulted in cars that were more reliable than VW was producing on its own. Skoda now produces quality vehicles winning awards across Europe and the world (appendix 2.) including Car of the Year in India 2009 (Skoda, 2009). This high quality production also resulted in high customer satisfaction scoring Skoda highly in independent customer satisfaction surveys. In the 2007 European consumer satisfaction and quality studies, it ranked top ten in France and Germany and in Britain ranked 2nd (Edmondson, 2007). From internal customer research Skoda discovered that 98% of its customers would recommend Skoda to a friend (The Times Online). From the outset and throughout the introduction of the new VW based Skoda models, the branding of Skoda was overhauled. From the outset It was clear initially that Skodas brand was poor in most of Europe, Skoda was associated with cheap poor quality and unreliability and VW spend a large amount of money to Decontaminate the brand image adverts admitted flaws of the past 548 changes and Its a Skoda honest (North, 2009). In 2006 Skoda reviewed its market position and conducted a SWOT analysis. It was clear that the brand was still within a Niche Market an assessment of its brand suggested that although Skoda had been successful at disassociating itself with low-budget and low quality it still had a weak and neutral image compared with its competitors. (The Times Online) It was also clear that Skoda owners were happy about owning a Skoda and. Skoda decided once again to reposition its brand to gain market share in the mainstream car market. Skoda responded with a new marketing strategy, again leaving behind its successful brand defensive tactics. Its new market strategy was based around the happiness of its owners as shown in satisfaction surveys with the confident slogan the manufacturer of happy drivers. Promotion centred on this emotional draw with adverts such as the Cake during the advert the actual car is not shown at any point (The Times Online) This flexible management, commitment to quality and brand recognition gave Skoda the over-haul it needed. Since VWs take 20 years ago, Skoda sales have quadrupled to 650,000 cars and are responsible for 25% of VWs profits. Skoda product positioning was competing with other upmarket brands such as VW and Audi not only on price but also on quality (North, 2009). Skodas success followed the introduction of the Octavia and the Fabia, these were based on VW platforms this allowed the underlying chassis to be based on underlying modern, tried and tested technology. The Octavia beat its upmarket rival the Golf in endurance tests proving that management organisational and cultural changes at Skoda had allowed for the culmination of VW management and Skoda experience had produced a product even better than VW alone. In 2005 Skoda moved to diversify its brand by expanding its range into new and growth markets segments such as MPVs and SUVs allowing it to diversify and increase the size of its target market these also sold well. Similarities with Skoda can be found in Rover. Rover founded in 1877was nationalised in 1970 caused by labour strikes and financial difficulties. It was then privatised and passed around to various parent companies. Its issues with an out-dated and un-reliable product, with poor brand image and financial instabilities were never resolved and resulted in MG Rover declaring bankruptcy in 2004. Skoda was a struggling company, turned around by VW. Key to its success were VWs management strategies combining directive and organisation approach to management VW was able to aid Skoda in producing a competitive product and a strong brand image. Skoda is poised for future growth within both western and emerging markets (Edmondson, 2007). Bibliography (n.d.). Retrieved 03 1, 2011, from The Times Online: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/downloads/skoda/skoda_13_full.pdf Edmondson, G. (2007). Skoda: Volkswagens Hot Growth Engine. Bloombery Businessweek, sep 14 2007. Lengyel, B., Cadil, V. (2009). Innovation Policy Challenges in Transition Countries: Foreign Business RD in the Czech Republic and Hungary. HUMAN CAPITAL, INNOVATION, KNOWLEDGE, Volume 16, Number 1, 174-188. Naylor, J. (2004). Management Second Edition. Prentice Hall. North, P. (2009). The Rise of Skoda . Engineering Automotive, pg 25-26. Skoda. (2009). Skoda Annual Report . Appendix 1. Laurin Klement is the original brand name used by the founders of the bicylcle company they started in 1895 which became Skoda, named after the company founders Và ¡clav Laurin and Và ¡clav Klement. As at the end of 2009, Ã…Â  koda Auto Groups worldwide workforce comprised 26,153 employees including 1,986 temporary employees and 1,336 people employed by subsidiaries of Skoda Auto Group. In 2009 Skoda Auto Groups injury rate was 1.6 injuries per one million hours worked. In 2008 Skoda Auto Group achieved 200,182 million CZK from sales and 10,818 million CZK in profit after tax. In 2009 Skoda Auto Group achieved 187,858 million CZK from sales and 3,462 million CZK in profit after tax Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat and Scania are all part of the Volkswagen group. Source: Skoda Annual Report, 2009

Economics :: essays research papers

Island of Mocha Essay The Island of Mocha in the video is an example of a traditional economic system evolving into a market system. Every person plays a key role in this traditional system. They had fisherman, coconut collector, melon seller, lumberman, barber, doctor, preacher, brownies seller, and a chief. The Mochans got sick of trading goods all across the island just to get the things that they want or needed. The Chief decided that they would use clam shell for currency instead of trading. The first type of economic system that they movie shows is a traditional system. A traditional economy is an economic system in which the allocation of scarce resources and other economic activity is the result of ritual habit or customs. In other words a traditional economy is a barter or trade system, everybody decides WHAT WHEN and FOR WHOM. When the video first starts the Mochans had to trade all over the island to acquire what needed. After a while they had enough of trading the chief decided to switch to currency instead of trade. The economic system that they switched to is called a market economic system. A market economy is an economic system in which supply, demand, and the price system help people make decisions and allocate resources. So with a market economy you decide WHAT WHEN and FOR WHOM. In the movie Pablo the lumberman starts up a company and sells stock to allow him to be able to get all of the supplies needed. Big Daddy had triplets and need lumber to make the nursery bigger, since they switched to a market economy he had no money because the islanders would give the chief a portion of what they had. So Big Daddy had to start a tax in order to pay for the expansion of the nursery. Since all the businesses were all doing so well every business wanted to expand so the demand for lumber was great which caused a lumber shortage, the lack of resources the price when up which cause inflation all over the island. With inflation going on Big Daddy had to do something in order to stop it. The island of Mocha was going in to a recession so Big Daddy took control and put a price freeze on everything. Now the economic system turned into a command economy. A command economy is an economic system characterized by a central authority that makes most of the major economic decisions.