Asian union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Asian union - Essay Example The Travel and Tour unit focuses on providing holiday, ticketing and travel services for clients in the UK and it has connections with airlines, hotels and other hospitality institutions in Asia and North America to provides clients good traveling and holiday services. There are numerous airlines around the world that partner with Asian Union to provide good carrier services to clients who need them. The Freight Service is provided by Western Freight Services which is a subsidiary of Asian Union Ltd. The Freight Service includes air and sea transport of goods and services for a wide customer base. It arranges for both regular and irregular products to be shipped and flown to different destinations around the world. The freight service also includes custom clearance and distribution of goods to their final destinations around the world. Asian Union also runs a money transfer agency that partners with Western Union to provide the best money transfer services for clients. This service t argets people sending money to Asian countries that have exotic currencies that are often not available in the UK. Targeted countries for their service include: Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India. The company seeks to grow a distinct money transfer service that will incorporate all the customized needs of various destinations in the Asian region of the world. Asian Union is located on West Hendon Broadway. It is a suburban section of Northwest London that is a popular spot for many travel and tours as well as financial institutions. This section is known for the collectivity of the travel industry as well as international linkage businesses like freight services and money transfers. Find below an extract of the map of the Hendon area of London for further analysis: Point A: 174 West Hendon Broadway London NW9 7AA, UK. West Hendon Broadway is an elite street on London that is close to various affluent neighbourhoods of North London. There are at least 15 travel and related-servic e providers that are located within a 1-mile radius around the location of Asian Union Ltd. The location adds up to the competitive strengths of Asian Union Ltd since it is also highly accessible from various parts of London, and there is a thriving Asian community living just a few miles away from its location. Situational Analysis Asian Union Ltd is affected by numerous elements of the business environment. Each of these components of the external environment has some influence on the operations and activities of Asian Union and it affects the profitability, survival and growth of the business by posing some kind of threat or acting as some form of opportunity for improvement. These environmental factors can be analysed using the PEST model. Political Anti-Money Laundering UK's new Anti-Money Laundering Laws (AML) which seeks to prevent criminals from transferring funds from illegal activities has a major influence on the money transfer service that Asian Union transfers. Also, An ti-Terrorism laws makes it impossible for Asian Union to deal with certain blacklisted persons. Under this law, Asian Union cannot transfer over ?10,000 from a given customer without asking for the customer to disclose the source of funds and tax returns on the amount. Opportunities: This

Cost-Quality Relationship Essay Example for Free

Cost-Quality Relationship Essay There are three types of costs when quality considerations are made: Appraisal Costs, Prevention Costs, and Failure Costs. These costs are affiliated with the efforts of process improvement and are also known as quality costs or cost of quality. Appraisal costs are associated with measuring, evaluating or auditing products and services to satisfy quality and performance requirements set by the company. Examples of this cost include inspection and testing of purchases material, final inspections, audits for products and services, and testing equipment. Prevention costs are associated with all activities designed to prevent and stop poor quality in the products and services provided to the customers. Examples of this cost include new product review, supplier surveys, capability evaluations, improvement projects, education and training. Failure costs result from products and services that did not meet the quality standards and requirements set by the company. They divided into two categories: Internal Failure Costs and External Failure Costs. Internal failure costs occur before delivery and shipment of product and/or before services are performed to the customer. Examples of this cost include scrap,  rework, retesting, re-inspecting, reviewing the material and downgrading. External failure costs occur after delivery and during or after providing the service to the customer. Examples of this cost include reviewing and processing customer complaints, customer returns, claims based on warranty, and recalls. The total quality costs are the sum of the appraisal, prevention, and failure costs. This will represent the difference between the actual costs of the product and/or service. The trade-offs between the appraisal, prevention, and failure costs are relevant. Some believe when the prevention costs are increased , the appraisal and failure costs will decrease substantially. This means that the total costs will be lower. Others say that if they spend too much on quality, it will reduce the money available for other projects such as upgrades to technology.

Somatoform Disorder or Culture-Bound Syndrome: Manifestation & Symptom

One of the ongoing controversies about the relationship between culture and psychopathology has to do with the long-reported tendency of Asian psychiatric patients to primarily manifest and express psychological distress with somatic symptoms. Cultural differences in symptom expression have been the focus of studies on somatization. â€Å"Somatization is a term originally tied to a psychodynamic theory of illness causation in which psychological conflict was transformed or transduced into bodily distress† (Kirmayer & Young, 1998). Young & He (2002) imply that the absence of organic findings to explain patients’ reported symptoms suggest the possibility of a somatoform disorder. However, the common complaints usually do not satisfy the stringent DSM-IV-TR criteria for somatization disorder and can be categorized more closely to undifferentiated somatoform disorders. The most common theories propose that the low rate of reporting psychological problems and high rate of ov eremphasizing bodily symptoms among Asians compared to other ethnic groups may reflect cultural rather than cognitive preferences (Lin & Cheung, 1999; Chun, Eastman, Wang, & Sue, 1998). This is most evident in studies of various culture-specific syndromes such as the two Korean folk syndromes listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000): hwa-byung and shin-byung. Hwa-byung is literally translated into English as â€Å"anger syndrome† and attributed to the suppression of anger, disappointment, grudges, and unfulfilled expectations and the symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, panic, fear of impending death, dysphoric affect, indigestion, anorexia, dyspnea, palpitations, generalized aches and pains, and... ...that this view of somatization as a mark of psychological primitivism can be used against the patients by disqualifying and invalidating their somatic symptoms and expressions of distress. I recognize that issues that are relevant to the mental health of any cultural or ethnic group is multidimensional and complex. Despite the impossibility of generalizing any individual’s experience over that of another, I believe han is undeniably embedded in the deepest alcoves of the Korean psyche and soul which shapes and operates on so many levels—from the largest and highest historical-national level to the personal innermost-mindset of a Korean individual. In this brief and space-limited paper, I selectively reviewed research findings that were most relevant for further exploring the meaning of somatization and expression of han by Koreans in the field of psychopathology.

Moma Visit – Compare and Contrast Paintings

MoMA visit – Visual analysis Art is an effective way to express beauty. Artists have different ways to express their ideas and communicate nonverbally through their work. In the Early Modern Art period, artists were free to create their pieces in diverse ways that never had been done before. For this essay, I chose the works of two artists of this period to compare and contrast so that the diversity of Modern art can be demonstrated.Even though Vincent Van Gogh and Rene Magritte was born forty five years apart from each other and had different styles, I am interested in analyzing â€Å"The Starry Night† (Vincent van Gogh) and â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† (Rene Magritte) after my trip to the Museum of Modern Art. At the first analysis, I would like to discuss the famous painting â€Å"The Starry Night† (1889) by Van Gogh. This painting is in oil on canvas and has the dimensions of 73. 7  cm ? 92. 1  cm. Van Gogh depicts the town in Rhone under gasligh t and reflected in the blue river.As it is displayed at MoMA, â€Å"The Starry Night† attracts a great number of visitors to its mysterious blue spirals. The focus of the painting is quite high as the first point drawn to the viewer is at the sky. The spirals meet with each other and the yellow stars are bright throughout the dark blue sky. Van Gogh uses thick brush strokes to draw the mysterious spirals, which occupy most of the center of the painting. The enormous spirals are reproduced images of moving waves in the ocean, but also induce a whirling movement. This technique plays a significant part to create the chaotically moving effect for the picture.Most people who see this picture for the first time feel that the whole scenery somehow shifts, even though it is a still life painting. Moving my view point from the mysterious spirals, I can see the big, extremely dark green cypress tree located in the right part of the picture. Cypress appears in Van gogh’s picture often such as in the â€Å"Cypresses† and â€Å"Wheatfield with cypresses. † Unlike these two pictures above, he uses similar sinuous curves tortured from full cycles one after another in this one to reproduce the brush stroke he uses in the spirals.In the bottom one third of the painting, Rhone town at midnight is peaceful in blue. The clearest part we can see at this town is the church and its bell tower. Although the church only consists of simple sketches, it seems to be the most complicated fragment in the painting. The bell tower points up to the sky and draws attention of the viewers to the spirals once again. Secondly, the next painting I would like to mention is â€Å"The Empire of Light ii† (1950) of Rene Magritte. Its dimensions are of 78. 8 x 99. 1 cm. Magritte wants to demonstrate a nocturnal scene under a daytime sky.When I first saw the painting, the initial thought that came through my mind was to admire the peaceful scenery of an ordinary small town. Then I noticed the paradox in the painting. The upper half of the painting is the light blue sky of a peaceful day with floating white clouds. However, the bottom half is a small town at midnight. Houses and trees are all covered with dark hue as if it is late at night. The town looks as if it has already gone to sleep. The thin and precise brush strokes that Magritte adroitly use make the picture look as real as a photo. The closer and longer I look at the painting, the more confused I become.The serenity of the deep-sleeping town, which is dimly lit by the antique street light, along with the floating clouds, makes me feel so calm and peaceful that I am persuaded into its reality. However, I am still able to notice the contrast between day and night in two halves of the painting. This confusion is the result of the eyes tricked to believe in what we see. The placement of day and night remarkably reminds us about our conscious mind that we use in everyday life, and about our lit unconscious mind that waits for us to use it to brighten our senses.This painting conceals Magritte’s psyche that â€Å"The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown. † On the one hand, there are similarities between two paintings that I notice. Firstly, both painters use oil on canvas for the paintings. They also have the approximate dimensions of about 70cmx95cm. Secondly, mystery is an important fact that makes the two paintings worth seeing. People cannot resist taking a look at the spirals and following the moving effect of the whole picture when seeing â€Å"The Starry Night. The spirals themselves are mysterious since they are echoed the movement of ocean waves. Similarly, ‘The Empire of Light, ii† makes spectators wonder the reality of a nocturnal scene of a small town under a sunny day. Their minds are tricked to believe in the true-to-life scene as well as to question th e paradox. In addition, luminosity is created successfully in two paintings. In â€Å"The Starry Night†, the moon and the stars illuminate the sky as stars and moon are in concentric circles and contrary to the dark blue sky surrounding.The moon is placed at the top right corner of the painting, where the sun usually appears, and produces light together with the stars. Correspondingly, in Magritte’s, light comes from the title of the painting itself. The lamppost, as well as the windows’ dim light, creates the luminosity standing alone in the dark night. Finally, even though both paintings have no sign of human and animals, motion still appears clearly. The whole â€Å"Starry Night† is a chaos, moving and moving freely, while the floating clouds in the sunny sky in the upper half of the painting prevents â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† from lacking in movement.On the other hand, each picture has its own quality. The first difference between the two paintings is the brush stroke. Vincent van Gogh uses the thick brush stroke in â€Å"The Starry Night,† especially when painting the spirals and the cypress, while Magritte’s extremely thin brush stroke appears everywhere in the painting. As a result, the surfaces of two paintings are different; rough in â€Å"The Starry Night† and smooth in â€Å"The Empire of light, ii. † Also, while â€Å"The Starry Night† has an open shape, â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† is closed-shaped. In â€Å"Starry Night,† there are no edges coming between the stars and the sky.They just merge with one another and create a beautiful â€Å"Starry Night. † However, the thin brush strokes in â€Å"The Empire of Light† identify all objects distinctively. Edges are clear between houses; clouds and sky are clearly recognized. Thirdly, although both painters use blue, the hue, value and intensity are different. Blue is the spiritual color in â€Å"Th e starry night,† and Van Gogh uses blue that varies from the darkest in the town to the lightest in the inside of the spirals. Blue is also diverse in the sky, together with yellow to make a sky lively.Magritte, however, uses just one value of light blue to paint his sky in a sunny day and the sky looks serene. Last but not least, even though both paintings depict the same subject of a small town at midnight, each painting represents a different style. While â€Å"the starry night† of Van Gogh follows post-impressionism – a style that combines the elements of Impressionism with those of non-Europe to create their own way – â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† of Magritte is surrealist, whose purposes are to describe the irrational, to examine perception and to create the word and image relationship.In conclusion, â€Å"The starry night† of Vincent van Gogh and â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† are expressions of aesthetic values. The paintings, either post-impressionist or surrealist, represent the painters’ own way of self-expression and their own way to communicate with the spectators nonverbally. Reference 1. Van Gogh’s letters http://vangoghletters. org/vg/letters/let693/letter. html http://vangoghletters. org/vg/letters/let782/letter. html 2. Magritte’s quotes http://www. rene-magritte. org/rene-magritte-quotes. jsp 3. Other http://www. moma. org/collection/object. php? object_id=78456 http://www. all-art. rg/art_20th_century/magritte1. html The starry night – Vincent van Gogh The Empire of Light, ii – Rene Magritte Claude Monet – Contextual factors influenced his style Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French artist, who was considered a leader of the Impressionism movement as this style was named after his painting â€Å"Impression, Sunrise† (1872). He is one of the typical artists to mention when we discuss the Early Modern art era. I would like to analyze the contextu al factors that affect his style of painting. First of all, the political circumstances in France from 1870s had effects on Monet’s style.During the Franco-Prussian War (1871-1872), Monet came to England with Pissarro for shelter. He met the dealer Durand Ruel, who then became a great advocator of the Impressionists. Also in England, Monet had chance to study the works of John Constable and Joseph Mallord William Turner, which inspired his innovations in study of colors. After spending a summer (1971) in Amsterdam, Holland, he returned to French, which was damaged by the civil war. He stayed in Argenteuil, which was an industrially growing town near the Seine river until 1878.From 1872-1878, Argenteuil was a center for Impressionist painters to gather after Monet published his painting â€Å"Impression, Sunrise† depicted the Seine river. In addition, innovations in painting manufacture were introduced in public in 19th century. In 1841, John Rahn invented the collapsib le tin paint tube, which revolutionized the color palette and technique of  plein-air oil painting  by offering a range of pre-mixed colors in a convenient medium. This is a major factor to emerge Impressionism. Monet used this plein-air painting as a elementary principle of his art in 1860s,.He sought to combine his Realist investigation with the possibilities of creating a new style of painting. In the paintings produced at La Grenouillere at 1869, Monet found a way establish a challenging tension between appearances and painterly invention that proved sufficient basis for the developed Impressionist manner of the 1870s and after. In 1870s, Monet’s brush stroke became smaller and more diverse. He also tried to conduct experiments to control value contrasts. These experiments with color were played off against and within a traditional framework, essentially perspectives in nature.Finally, 19th century marked the emergence of photography, which had a major effect on Moder n Art. In the first half of the century, cameras were introduced continuously and rapidly improved. For example, in 1814, Joseph Niepce used his  camera obscura  to take picture, but the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded. In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer invented the  Collodion process, in which images required only two or three seconds of light exposure. Thus, painters were in need of seeking new techniques to innovate their painting. They had to prove that paintings might not be replaced by photos.Thus, Monet sought a way to break the old rules of traditional painting. His brush strokes became thinner; the closed shape in traditional painting became more open as the boundaries between objects were more obscure, as we can see in his â€Å"Impression, Sunrise. † According to the contemporary critics, the painting was rather a sketch than a complete work of art. However, this painting was the first impressionist to be presented. In conclusion, t he political circumstances and developing technique are two crucial factors that affect the style of Monet Claude.After his first painting in 1972, Impressionism became his style for his later life. Work cited MoMA – Monet Claud’s biography http://www. moma. org/collection/artist. php? artist_id=4058 http://www. claude-monet. com/index. jsp House, John, et al. :  Monet in the 20th century, page 2, Yale University Press, 1998 http://www. visual-arts-cork. com/artist-paints/colour-palette-nineteenth-century. htm http://library. brown. edu/cds/paris/finearts. html#impressionism http://inventors. about. com/od/pstartinventions/a/Photography. htm

Advertisements are a Waste of Resources

In a competitive economy, companies seek to persuade consumers to buy their products or to avail their services. It is impractical to think that companies should only stock their warehouses and wait for consumers to come knocking on their doors. If this is what businesses did, there would be an economic waste in terms of products being produced but not being bought.The critics of advertising attack the form of competition it provokes by saying it results in duplication and waste. It is equivalent to an arms race in the sense that a certain pattern might exist within an industry or sector concerning the extent of advertising. So if one competitor increases the extent to which it advertisers, others feel it is necessary that they do the same or at the very least engage in some form of advertising in order to maintain its market share or face the prospect of losing it.The advertisement rates during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 6 might be an example to some advocates who believ e advertising is a waste of resources. In this case, the resource alluded to is money. A ten-second advertisement spot cost between Rs 4-4.5 lakhs, while the associate sponsors of the event PepsiCo and Vodafone shelled something between Rs 40-60 crores each.These are nothing short of extortionate rates but companies must be having evidence to show that such rates are justified. It should however make marketers ask themselves an important question. Should they spend money on making a brand promise through advertising, or should they focus on keeping their brand promise by means of delivering what consumers want. However, although competition in advertising involves such waste, it is also a driver of innovation and setting new benchmarks. Competition is vital as it far outweighs its negatives with its positives and is a necessary requisite of a successful economy.There are some companies that literally manage to survive by spending almost nothing on advertising. Zara uses this strateg y and does it by employing a strong in-store experience and keeping their shelves stocked with the latest fashion through quick production methods. One might say Zara is more focused on keeping their brand promise. Marketers would agree that advertisements should not be made simply to create a buzz, but to help in the generation of sales.An important point to consider is the brand life cycle, as the role played by advertising depends on it. A new brand may find advertising a very important function so as to target potential consumers. At this stage, brand recognition is critical and advertising is the only way to build it when there are new products or services to offer. A mature brand on the other hand might want to further its reach through advertising or may even be trying to bounce back from a recent decline in sales.But is advertising a waste of resources? To answer this question, it must be kept in mind that advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum.It has to be considered as one of the alternatives available in the marketing of products and services.The decision doesn’t lie at the extreme end of whether to advertise or do nothing, but is rather to either engage in advertising or in some other form of sales effort. It is one part of the marketing effort which includes packaging, servicing, direct selling, pricing and is generally undertaken when it can justify being the most effective and economical method to appeal to customers.It is a vital function if you consider its reach and ability to communicate with all potential customers and is therefore used widely by many companies. If a company decides to substitute advertising with another method that might prove to be less efficient, it would result in economic waste. The use of resources for advertising to differentiate products from competitors would not always mean that its use has been diverted. On the other hand and quite frequently, it denotes the use of resources that would otherwise be i dle and thus avoids the waste that comes with such idleness.

The Greenback Party essays

The Greenback Party essays The campaign had consisted mostly of persons with agrarian interests. They were people whose lives centered around their land and culture. In addition to this, they had a desire to maintain an increase the amount of paper money in circulation. This campaign was the beginning of the Greenback movement. The withdrawal by anti-federalists had opened the way for monetary changes by the Union government. Greenbacks first came into existence when the U.S. Department of Treasury was given the right, in 1862, to issue notes that were not changeable into specie (hard money like gold or silver) but were authorized as legal tender for most purposes. Although the Norths record on inflation stands up well in comparison with the experience of triumphant countries in later wars, the Greenbacks worth in gold fell to half the supposed value. Their use had in any case only been intended as a temporary measure and the government started reducing the number in circulation; however, this had coin cided with and reinforced a depression that led to the formation of the Greenback Party in 1875, which had campaigned for an increase in note circulation. Between 1862 and 1865, the U.S. Government had issued more than $450,000,000 in paper money that was not backed by gold (greenbacks - legal tender notes) to help finance the Union cause in the American Civil War. The idea that preserving a flexible supply of paper money served the interests of working people, while paper money backed by specie benefited only the rich. After the war, economic conservatives demanded that the government retire the greenbacks, but the farmers and others who wished to maintain high prices opposed that move. It was in 1868 that the Democrats gave partial support to the Greenback movement by endorsing a plan that called for the redemption of certain war bonds by the issuance of new greenbacks. The Greenback Party which by 1878 had 482 clubs, incl...

Poes Place in the World essays

Poes Place in the World essays In human nature there exists a morbid desire to explore the darker realms of life. As sensitive creatures we make every effort to deny our curiosity in the matters that frighten us. Edgar Allan Poe was a master of his craft, gifted with the talent of introducing each reader to his or her own subconscious fears. Poe was the first writer in American literature who introduced horror, death and mystery into poetry. A look into Poes childhood might shed some light on where his fascination with death came from. Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to drifting actor parents. His father abandoned his wife and three children, soon after Poe was born, leaving her to support the family as best as she could. The family traveled for a few years, looking for a comfortable place to settle down, until the end of 1811, when Poes mother became ill and passed away. The children were sent off into foster homes and Poe was placed into a residence of a well-off, yet unsupportiv e merchant named John Allan (Johnson 1). John Allan was emotionally detached from Poe, refusing to legally adopt him. All these events that occurred when Poe was very young would trigger feelings that came out in his writing and his lifestyle. Even though Poe was condemned to be a drunk, he delivered America emotional and spiritual literary poetry. Bombed by critics accusing Poe of being an alcoholic, in actuality Poe only drank during times of desperation and emotional need. During his early years as a writer, Poe developed an intolerance for alcohol and apparently never liked it at all. According to Poes classmates at the University of Virginia, Poe would usually be satisfied with one or two drinks. His reputation as a drunk started when he was working on the Messenger in Richmond, Virginia. There, Poe was easily sidetracked as he would meet friends at a local bar and often not come home until the early hou...

NaNoWriMo 2019 How to FINALLY Write Your 30-Day Novel

NaNoWriMo 2019 How to FINALLY Write Your 30-Day Novel 30 Days, 41 Tips: How to Win NaNoWriMo 2018 Another November, another chance to break a lifetime of bad habits and write that novel you always knew was inside you. For those out of the loop,  National Novel Writing Month  (or NaNoWriMo) is an annual competition where writers must write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days (hence, the name).It sounds intense, but  thousands of writers take part in each year. Not only like, but many of the drafts writing during NaNoWriMo over the years have turned into bestsellers - like Hugh Howey's Wool and  Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants.Whether you're a  NaNo  virgin or a  WriMo  veteran, you can always do with a helping hand and some top advice. To help you with this year's competition here are 41 Top NaNoWriMo tips from authors and editors:Are you a NaNoWriMo veteran? If you have any advice for writers about to take part in the competition, please share it in the comments below.

Children of Heaven Analysis Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children of Heaven Analysis - Movie Review Example Even though the boy is a small child himself, it is the family value in the culture depicted in the film that compels him to feel responsible for his younger sister (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). The girl also looks up to him as a protector and as the one who can solve all of her problems (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). The father of the boy is depicted as a poor laborer who loves his family and children and is always thinking about ways to improve their lives (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). Though the father seems to be unmindful to the words of the boy when the boys asks him to buy a pair of shoes for his sister, towards the end of the film, the father is seen returning with a newly bought pair of shoes (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). This is another example of the bonding and concern that runs deep within this family. The social network in the neighborhood in which the boy and his family lives is presented in the film as a closely knit community where everybody knows everybody and th e general mood is of friendly coexistence. The cobbler seen in the first scene is very cordial with the boy (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). ... There is kindness sprinkled throughout this film as if suggesting that people are normally good. Apart from the small vices like the grocer not using his weighing machine to weigh the vegetable he sells to the boy, the people depicted in this film are generally simple and harmless. When the girl loses one of her shoes in the sewage canal, the stranger who sees her crying, come to help (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). He along with another laborer saves her shoe from the sewage canal (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). They urgently attend to her problem just because they are also poor people and know how valuable even an worn out shoe can be for a poor little girl in their neighborhood. Similarly, the rich man who pays some extra money to the father of the boy and girl for the mending work that he does in his garden, represents another example of goodness inherent to the community (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). By sharing his toys with the worker's son, the rich man's grandson also adds his share to this kindness (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). In totality, the film presents poverty and hope as two synchronizing notes in the symphony of humane existence. The physical settings of the film depict a semi-urban neighborhood where poverty coexists along with moderate wealth. The school is presented as a space that instills hope for future. The boy protagonist is a bright student despite his poor background (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). The place he lives presents rather austere livelihood options for his community (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). Yet there is a cleanliness visible in the small world of the poor people here (Majidi and Esfandiari, 1998). Whether it be the oven scene where bread is baked, the

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR - Assignment Example What follows a portion of the meeting’s proceedings: Gus (Accounting Technician): â€Å"You see, the problem here is this new manager is constantly interfering. He gives us a job to do, gives us a deadline, and then before we can get to work, he’s down our necks for no apparent reason.† Our department, all 6 of us, had grown very used to running our show, to holding each other accountable, and for taking on many of the duties that our last boss entrusted us with challenging responsibilities, many of which he himself used to oversee until he saw that we could do it. We earned his trust and he had ours in return. Now, the freedom to make decisions, the ability to chart our own course seems to have vanished. It’s been a shocker, and a disappointing one to say the least†. ... Some days I’m not sure if I’m supposed to actually lead the team, or if I’m expected to function as a Staff Accountant when our Director’s around – after all, he’s calling all the shots around here anyway. It seems I’m not really leading anything.† And when I do give direction to the team, I feel myself snapping at them more than assisting them. It never used to be like that. We got along so well, understood our roles so clearly, and always seemed to have each other’s back when it counted. Now it’s like we can’t stand each other, are always at each other, and can’t wait for quitting time to roll around. Petra: This is helpful, and obviously not easy to for some to discuss. I appreciate your honesty here. Does anyone else have anything to add that I should be aware of? Darlene (Accounts Payable Clerk): I just can’t get over how different the look and feel of our team has become in the last month. As Gus and Wanda have said, we were a pretty well-oiled machine before this new Director stepped in. You could give us a task, offer a deadline, and know that this team would make things happen. Now, everyone is so confused over what is expected that it’s impacting our ability to work together. For myself, I’m finding myself growing so unsure of my own ability to exercise any independent thought for fear of retribution, that it’s just becoming easier to let others take the lead and kind of sit back. I know this isn’t right, and I know I need to get back to the way I once was, but I’m just not sure how realistic that is given our current situation. Besides, when I ever I step in and try to manage, I’m feeling second guessed. I don’t know whether I should be managing or

The Alienation in Urban Taipei in Tsai Ming-liang's Film Essay

The Alienation in Urban Taipei in Tsai Ming-liang's Film - Essay Example (Rivire, 1999, p 81) As he moved to Taiwan at the age of 20 years and chose film direction as profession his filmmaking style-both in terms of the plots and portrayal of characters-largely reflected the sense of alienation experienced by him in youth days as emigrants in Malaysia and the initial and subsequent impressions about the microcosmic and paced worlds of large urban centers rushing headlong toward emotionless and cruel uniformity. Reality probing was a favorite with Tsai from these early years. "I think European films are closer to me because they are about modern life and ordinary, modern men," Tsai told Nanouk Leopold. "And I have the idea they are more realistic, true to life." (Nanouk, 2002) Tsai began with TV dramas (1989-'91) and went to make a TV documentary, about AIDS (My New Friends, 1995), and some features, notable and well known among them being: Rebels of the Neon God (1992), Vive l'Amour (1994), The River (1996), and The Hole (1998). All of these features are set in backdrop of modern day Taipei and have remarkable branding with the primary issue of metropolitan loneliness and isolation. These exceptional and highly critically acclaimed films whose constant refrain reverberate with the reality of emptiness and nothingness in today's urban lives as central theme, invariably leave characters isolated in lonely madness pursuing routine without making much meaning of the numerous developments happening around them in fast paced metropolitan worlds. His above films set in clearly that the protagonists are mesmerised and confused by half grafted Western values in the pursuit of a modern capitalist lives, in fast paced transformation facing their societies which are now torn with occidental and oriental contradictions. The apparent conflicts between age-old Eastern values and traditions and the fast paced West aping civilization and the telling impact of such conflicts on urban dweller of today in term of heightening alienation has been portray ed with startling clarity in these films. This paper examines in detail the sense of alienation portrayed in the above mentioned films of Tsai Ming-liang's. Alienation in The HoleThe Hole catches action in the events that are supposed to have taken place in penultimate days of the year 1999, when an unexplained and mysterious end-of-the-millennium virus affliction with which causes people to behave like cockroaches has compelled the government to quarantine (and stop servicing) large sections of Taipei metropolis. Two characters - played by Lee Kang-sheng and Yang Kuei-mei - live in one apartment complex on flats located on successive floors, and a plumber's fault instead on mending a leak results in a gaping hole between the flats which is the main cause of concern and distress for theses two central actors. The film's landscape is writ with urban desolation and commences in a ramshackle movie theater exhibiting a non decrepit show with little attendance. The backdrop is equally desolate in that it is night and raining hard with not a soul on deserted streets of Taipei. All these i.e... the

The Skin of a Lion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Skin of a Lion - Assignment Example The main character in the novel is one Patrick Lewis and it extends to reveal his fate and his role in the development of a concise plot. Patrick gains recognition as a searcher in the novel and thus it is important to identify the essence of this role. In understanding the role of Patrick in the novel, it is important to appreciate the background from which he grew up to become the strong young man that he was as his role as a searcher not only began later in life but was a dormant characteristic that was not clearly revealed prior to his independence. This is clearly revealed from the fact that Patrick used to live with his father alone in a small town in Ontario (Ondaatje 47). The economic and social conditions in that area were very low as it was the first phase of the 20th century. Patrick witnessed the few developments that people had at the time and wished that he could live in a place with much better conditions. He wished for a better lifestyle after witnessing the amount of hard work that he saw his father putting and the little income that he got. Deep inside, Patrick had the searcher attitude, this is witnessed from the manner in which he consistently asked his father to move, and they go to a better place with better economic conditions. The attitude developed in this aspect showed the symbolic significance of change from him. He was tired of always seeing his mother come at home late in the evening exhausted from his daily job of a dynamiter. This job description involved the crushing and explosion of huge stones to smaller ones in an effort to produce smaller bricks for application in building and involved the construction of bridges. The tedious activity had very many risks that included injuries from the exploding stones. Change was one of the major needs that people in the society required. The government did not prove any significant in the implementation of this because the amount of corruption was rather alarming (Ahrens 26). However, the people did not have the financial power or the unity to make the necessary change that they required. Patrick deeply believed that by uniting people, nothing was too large to accomplish. Patrick in his role as a searcher looked for job opportunities that he could get into in an effort to get a better career and thus assist his father in the payment of the vast amount of bills that they had. However, his efforts to search for a job in order to generate income were rather fruitless from the high amount of corruption that only ensured a select few number of people to obtain valuable jobs in society. After this, he had no option but to enter into the job description that he mu ch loathed. In his beginning years, he had a lot of trouble adapting but from his father’s training, he was able to develop the required traits for professionalism. Later, on, his father died while on the job and this was occasion deeply traumatized the young Patrick. He went on for many days wondering why he had to lose his father but could not achieve any convincing answer. After this, he made a personal decision of quitting the job description that had led to him losing the father and decided to engage in the search of a more professional and less tedious job (Ondaatje 83). Patrick gains the idea of moving to a different town in search of renowned billionaire Ambrose Small. His basis for setting off on this search

CH s 310 - Summary In Your Own Words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CH s 310 - Summary In Your Own Words - Essay Example The song exists in the album Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles produced in 1978 by Los Lobos. El Tilingo Lingo epitomizes the approaches, experiences, and attitude of Mexican laborers and farmworkers. The song El Tilingo Lingo Jimenez comprises outstanding lead melodies based on the rhythmic styles of requinteros like uis DelfiƒÂ ­n and Lino ChiƒÂ ¡vez. El Tilingo involves syncopated and vigorous plucking on twin harps and involves profound play of guitar accompanied with five sequences of strings, which adds the appeal to the listeners. The singers appear lively and all through, they show intricate percussive and unique footwork and the instruments. Singer Conjunto Hueyapan seeks to integrate the zapateado into the son both as separate and integral integrity during the performance. In addition, El Tilingo Lingo Jimenez displays colorful and brilliant lead vocals. They help exhibit elegant jarocho singing panache. Thus, the song is an absolute passion and essential constituent of

The Skin of a Lion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Skin of a Lion - Assignment Example The main character in the novel is one Patrick Lewis and it extends to reveal his fate and his role in the development of a concise plot. Patrick gains recognition as a searcher in the novel and thus it is important to identify the essence of this role. In understanding the role of Patrick in the novel, it is important to appreciate the background from which he grew up to become the strong young man that he was as his role as a searcher not only began later in life but was a dormant characteristic that was not clearly revealed prior to his independence. This is clearly revealed from the fact that Patrick used to live with his father alone in a small town in Ontario (Ondaatje 47). The economic and social conditions in that area were very low as it was the first phase of the 20th century. Patrick witnessed the few developments that people had at the time and wished that he could live in a place with much better conditions. He wished for a better lifestyle after witnessing the amount of hard work that he saw his father putting and the little income that he got. Deep inside, Patrick had the searcher attitude, this is witnessed from the manner in which he consistently asked his father to move, and they go to a better place with better economic conditions. The attitude developed in this aspect showed the symbolic significance of change from him. He was tired of always seeing his mother come at home late in the evening exhausted from his daily job of a dynamiter. This job description involved the crushing and explosion of huge stones to smaller ones in an effort to produce smaller bricks for application in building and involved the construction of bridges. The tedious activity had very many risks that included injuries from the exploding stones. Change was one of the major needs that people in the society required. The government did not prove any significant in the implementation of this because the amount of corruption was rather alarming (Ahrens 26). However, the people did not have the financial power or the unity to make the necessary change that they required. Patrick deeply believed that by uniting people, nothing was too large to accomplish. Patrick in his role as a searcher looked for job opportunities that he could get into in an effort to get a better career and thus assist his father in the payment of the vast amount of bills that they had. However, his efforts to search for a job in order to generate income were rather fruitless from the high amount of corruption that only ensured a select few number of people to obtain valuable jobs in society. After this, he had no option but to enter into the job description that he mu ch loathed. In his beginning years, he had a lot of trouble adapting but from his father’s training, he was able to develop the required traits for professionalism. Later, on, his father died while on the job and this was occasion deeply traumatized the young Patrick. He went on for many days wondering why he had to lose his father but could not achieve any convincing answer. After this, he made a personal decision of quitting the job description that had led to him losing the father and decided to engage in the search of a more professional and less tedious job (Ondaatje 83). Patrick gains the idea of moving to a different town in search of renowned billionaire Ambrose Small. His basis for setting off on this search

Personal Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Identity - Essay Example In addition, his memories and believes remain unchanged. According to Schmid (2), the resultant person is a convection referring to bundle of mental states and events hence resembling the original person from whom the brain was removed. This can be tested by evaluating the persons memory after the procedure. Thus, person A is the same as person B if and only if A can remember having an experience of B. The procedure done on Gretchen Weirob revealed that a person’s identity does not change if his brain is replaced with a duplicate one. The person’s looks, character, personality, beliefs, habits, desires, and skills remain the same. Therefore, from the success of the procedure done on other people, the results will not be different with me; I will remain the same person as long as my brain is replaced with a duplicate of my own brain. Considering Brain view theory, if I was to undergo brain rejuvenation, I will wake up the same person I was before the procedure. My resultant person will resemble the original person since our brains will be identical. I will be numerically identical to the person I was as long as I do not get another person’s brain. This includes having all the spheres in the new brain identical to the original ones. However, this theory is insufficient and needs to be used in combination with the psychological bundle view theory. This theory compares relationship in the conscious states of a person at different times. For example in my case, my conscious states after the procedure will be appropriately related to what I have now. I will be remembering the same things, relating events to the right experiences thus making the resultant person the same as the original one as defined by the memory proposal theory. If the process is undertaken as required, survival is guaranteed. The brain, which will be place in my skull to replace my current one, will be a complete duplicate. This will enable it

European History (Gender History) Essay Example for Free

European History (Gender History) Essay The history of feminism has developed into a major field in recent years. Scholars from many disciplines and writers in many countries explore the ways in which womens oppression has been represented, discussed, and resisted in the past few centuries. In Burdens of History: British Feminists, Indian Women, and Imperial Culture, Burton characterizes her book as a history of `discourse`. Antoinette Burton has revealed the intensity, the extent, the duration, and the complexity of the concern to understand significant but neglected historical extent of the relationship between feminism and imperialism. Until quite recently, feminist discussion and debate was seen fragmentary. In her work, Burton argues that it is possible to construct a more or less continuous history of British feminism, recognizing imperial feminist ideologies. Antoinette Burton developed an immense interest in the relationship between feminism and imperialism. Burton discusses the endorsement of the racism and imperialist ideals by many white feminists, and the assumption by British feminists of their own particular version of the white mans burden. This interest in the history of feminism and the sense of its expansiveness has come from a number of different fields. The writer explored the ideas, lives, and activities of feminist writers and activists. The novels of Fanny Burney, Mary Hays, Jane Austen and George Eliot, and the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, have thus been encompassed within recent discussions of the history of feminism alongside the novels of Sarah Grand, Olive Schreiner and Virginia Woolf. The feminist underpinnings, or the implications for feminism of a range of political, social, and philanthropic ideas and activities have also been examined and explored. Burton stressed the need to recognize the relationship between changing ideas about the womens role. Burtons book has served not only to expand but also to transform the history of feminism. It made clear both its immense scope and its complexity. On the one hand, it is now clear that feminist ideas and debates have existed and been elaborated more or less constantly over the last two centuries. On the other hand, the question of feminism itself of what it means and what it encompasses has become much more complex. Once feminism meant a concern with gaining equal political and legal rights for women. In Burton’s book, feminism is now seen as at best a small part of what the term covers. In recent literature far more emphasis has been placed on feminist concerns with the sexual oppression of women. They were described as objects of male desire rather than as sexual subjects seeking to articulate and express their own desires. Interrogating the meaning of sexual difference and exploring what it means to be and to live as a woman are major writer’s interests. The book establishes a variety of new challenges for anyone seeking to explore feminist ideas and debates. This is not only because of the changing frameworks. It is also because of changes and new developments which have been brought to the study of history from literary theory and from cultural studies. The shift away from authorial intention towards meaning or readings in discussing literary texts has had a significant impact on thinking about feminism. Antoinette Burton writes about mid-Victorian feminism. She argues that as mid-Victorian feminism was specific in its class base and worked with social and sexual ideals derived from that class, so too it was very specific in its sense of both national and imperial identity. Like Mary Wollstonecraft, many mid-Victorian feminists possessed a powerful sense of themselves, not so much as British, but as English women. This period saw the advent of a new form of imperial feminism. The general sense of the superiority of the West, in terms of the status of its women-which was so central for Mary Wollstonecraft and caused a particular form of feminist orientalism gave way to a specific concern with the status of Indian women. These women were seen as being in particular need and were regarded as the special responsibility of their more enlightened and more fortunate English sisters (29). The close relationship between feminism and philanthropy in the mid-nineteenth century established the framework through which feminism expanded to include imperial projects and ideals. The rate and the importance of imperial expansion in the mid-nineteenth century made the needs of the colonies significant. This occurred almost as soon as the widespread involvement of women in philanthropy came to be accepted. As Antoinette Burton has argued, our magnificent colonies became the natural ground for the practice of British womens philanthropy, offering a whole new range of avenues which provided relief from the constraints on their reform activities at home. Philanthropic work within the colonies also became a source of collective national pride (17). Following on concern about the education of Indian women, British feminists planned a scheme with send trained British lady teachers to India to preside over a number of girls schools. Feminists’ enthusiasm was effective in raising money, and in interesting British women both at home and in India in the reform of girls schooling. After an initial emphasis on sending British women to India, scholarships were provided to train Indian women as teachers as well. The concern about education was followed by one about womens health. There also was concern about the need for the provision of women doctors to Indian women who would not countenance male doctors. Here too, money was raised both in Britain and in India to provide training, initially for British women, but also for Indian women to become doctors. As Antoinette Burton points out, there was throughout all of this some recognition of the abilities and the achievements of specific Indian women. But overall, the schemes directed towards India were seen as ones necessarily begun and mainly carried out by British women on behalf of their less educated and passively suffering Indian sisters. The whole question of British women in India in the nineteenth century has become the subject of increasing discourse. On the one hand, it is clear that the significant numbers of British women who became immensely concerned about the condition of Indian women should to be revised. These women worked, sometimes quite effectively, to keep alive in the public mind their needs and interests. On the other hand, some of these women came to know and appreciate Indian women, and to make themselves mouthpieces for the goals that Indian women set. Other women both in India and in Britain assumed that their own high level of education and development made them the ones best suited to know what Indian women needed. In general, Antoinette Burton argued that the aims and objectives sought by feminists in Britain set the framework for womens emancipation everywhere. British feminists regarded themselves as experts on India after a visit. Their campaigns simply involved the application of British programs to the Indian situation. The British feminists who learned about these missionary struggles could only be strengthened in their own sense of moral and racial superiority. That consciousness, as Antoinette Burton has demonstrated in the context of India, contributed significantly to the domestic culture of imperialism. Unfortunately, feminists who responded by embracing imperialism tended to propagate generalized images of backward and oppressed Oriental womanhood. Burton has emphasized the dangers for British feminism in the assumption that a supposedly superior elite among women could speak for the less privileged and fortunate (210). In particular, the desire to emancipate women could easily become a desire to control them. Ultimately, for Burton, each new venture served more fully as a means for British feminists to show their own fitness for political rights and responsibilities through their preparedness and capacity to take on their own particular imperial burden.

The effect of location decision on a business success

The effect of location decision on a business success 2.1 Introduction Todays competitive market demands companies to deliver their products and services as effectively and efficiently as possible. The distribution strategy is the key to the success. One of the key components of a distribution network is warehouse location. Location decision is considered as a long-term business strategic decision. The correct location decision can resulted in significant improvement in business processes and performance, and bring competitive advantages (i.e. cost saving, service quality, etc.) over its competitors. On the other hand, if a poor location decision was made, it could equally cost the company time, money and opportunity. The location decisions environment is dynamic and normally described as a multi-criteria decision. Furthermore, the globalisation and the rapid evolution of information technology have changed the characteristics of location problems. There are two major trends in facility location selection accordingly to Yang and Lee (1997). First, there has been an increased interest to gain potential competitive edge in the global marketplace. Second, small to medium-sizes communities has become more attractive to many businesses as new facility location. These two trends are influenced by the more advanced communication technology, better transportation infrastructure system, liberalised trade between countries, and so on. This allows company to select their facilities where they think has the most advantages (i.e. in land cost, labour cost, skilled labour availability, etc.). This chapter will start by identifying why a company needs to improve its logistics system, then defining the linkage between the organisations strategy and the logistics strategy, followed by the general roles of warehouse in distribution strategy. Then it will present the influencing location factors companies normally consider when they make location decisions. And finally in the latter section of this chapter, it will present literature reviews of decision aid techniques and model used in location decisions. 2.2 Logistics system and the changing business environment Why do we need to change our logistics operations and strategy? The main reason why we need to change is because the environment we live in is constantly and rapidly changing. In order to survive in this unforgiving environment businesses are forced need to change. There are many factors given by Rushton, et al. (2006) including increasing customer demand, reducing product life cycle, changing technologies, increasing pressures from competitors, and so on. The pressures for change given by Rushton, et al. (2006) are illustrated by the figure 1. Figure 1 Pressure influencing logistics systems 2.3 Logistics strategy Logistics strategy should aim to establish the most appropriate blend of storage and transport at a given customer service level. Efficient logistics and distribution strategies should reduce the total logistics costs and must take into account the interactions of various the various replenishment activities in the distribution chain (Rushton, et al., 2006; Teo Shu, 2004). Chopra and Meindl (2004) suggest there are four drivers to a successful distribution system: (1) Facilities location, capacity, operations methodology, and warehousing methodology; (2) Inventory cycle inventory, safety inventory, seasonal inventory, and sourcing; (3) Transportation mode of transportation, route and network design, and in-house or outsource decision; and (4) Information push or pull, coordination and information sharing, forecasting and aggregate planning, and enabling technologies. Bowersox and Closs (1996) suggest similar points but they also add another driver which is network design. They also claim that classical economics often neglected the importance of facility location and overall network design. Similarly but in more details, Alling and Tyndall (1994) identify ten principles that make logistics operations successful. They are: (1) to link logistics to corporate strategy; (2) to organise logistics comprehensively; (3) to use the power of information tech nology; (4) to emphasize human resources recognising the importance of quality human resources; (5) to form strategic alliances; (6) to focus on financial performance; (7) to target optimum service levels; (8) to manage the details pay attention to details as it can be significant savings; (9) to leveraging logistics volume through consolidating shipment volumes, inventories and the like; and (10) to measure and react to performance. Furthermore, when considering a distribution strategy, warehousing strategy is an important part and typically the decision makers or logistics planners has to answer these questions (1) should warehousing facilities be owned, leased or rented, (2) what is the optimal size and number of warehouses, (3) what are the optimal locations for warehouses, (4) what product line should be stocked at each warehouse location, and what market areas should be serviced from each warehouse location. (Stock Lambert, 2001; Bowersox Closs, 1996; Simchi-Levi, et al., 2003; Bowersox Closs, 1996; Geoffrion Powers, 1995; Bender, 1994; Stock Lambert, 2001; Greasley, 2009) Matching logistics strategy to business strategy The important key to achieving the strategic fit is the ability of the company to find a balance between responsiveness and efficiency that best matches the business strategy. Whatever strategies chose to implement by the company, there will be impacts. And the impact of the selected logistics and distribution strategy has to be assessed against the business strategy. Often these may involve undertaking some qualitative analysis where it is impossible to derive good quantitative measures. The main areas of where this will impact, they are (Rushton, et al., 2006): a) Capital costs this is the costs of new facilities, new equipments, and so on. In certain situations capital constraints can exclude otherwise attractive options; b) Operating costs the minimum operating cost is often the main criterion for selection between options. In some cases increased operating costs can be accepted in the light of future flexibility; c) Customer service Although options should have been developed against customer service targets, the selected short list must be examined for the customer service level achieved. The balance of the mix might have changed in an effort to reduce costs. Stock held close to the customer might need to be increased to improve service reliability. 2.5 Obstacles to achieving strategic Fit As many as there are many factors and influences to achieving the strategic fit in the supply chain, there are also many obstacles to achieving the same goal as Chopra and Meindl (2004) and few other writers mention. Few examples of the obstacles to strategic fit are: a) the variety of products the increasing variety of products tends to raise uncertainty and uncertainty tends to raise costs and reduce responsiveness within the system; b) the product lifecycles the decreasing product lifecycles also tends to raise uncertainty and reduce the window of opportunity to achieving strategic fit; c) the increasingly demanding customer customers demand for faster fulfilment, better quality, and better value for money for the product they buy, companies must be able to provide these just to maintain their businesses; d) the fragmentation of supply chain ownership less vertically integrated structure can result in difficult coordination to achieving strategic fit; e) the effect of globaliz ation difficulties raised by the invasion of foreign players. It is noticed that these factors are the same factors which drives the need to improve logistics system as determined in section 2.2. 2.6 The logistics and distribution planning framework Many authors agree on the first and the most important step, when planning the logistics and distribution, which is to identify the objective and strategies of the organization. Then it follows by the second step which is to gain a detailed understanding of the present position of the system. The rests of the procedures are identifying the options, analysing the options, comparing and evaluating the results, and developing a planning and implementation. A diagram illustrating the approach to distribution planning by Rushton, et al. (2006) is shown in the figure 3 below. Figure 2: An approach to logistics and distribution planning (Rushton, et al., 2006) 2.7 Optimal number of warehouses The optimal number of warehouses can be found by using a costing model, a model which takes into account of variable costs, particularly the transport and operating costs. Few facilities give low cost for inward transport, but high cost for outward transport, as they are, on average, further away from customers. On the other hand, more number of facilities can give higher cost for inward transport, but the cost for outward transport is lower, as they are, on average, closer to customers. Another cost that varies with the number of facility is the operating costs. Higher number of facilities means the company has to bear more expensive cost to operating these facilities. Operating costs also vary with facility size. Generally, larger facilities give the economies of scale; however, this is not always the case. Higher cost from operating larger facilities may come from the cost of supervision, communication, inefficiency and so on (Attwood Attwood, 1992; Bowersox Closs, 1996; Waters, 2003; Chopra Meindl, 2004; Rushton, et al., 2006). Figure 4 graphically illustrates the relationships between number of facilities and costs incurred. Figure 3 Relationship between costs and numbers of facilities. The need to hold inventories Prior to planning and designing logistics and distribution system, it is very important to be aware of the reason why a company need to hold stock. The most common objective of a supply chain is to efficiently balancing demand and supply. As most people understand that it is impossible to precisely synchronise or balance the requirements of demand with the fluctuations of supply. Therefore stocks are there to provide buffer between supply and demand. Rushton, et al. (2006) reviews the important reasons to stock, as follows: a) to keep down production costs keeping production to run as long as possible, as the costs of setting up machine is often expensive; b) to accommodate variation in demand to avoid stock-outs by holding some level of safety stock; c) to take account of variable supply (lead) times to cover any delays of supplies from producers and suppliers; d) to reduce buying costs often there are administrative cost of placing an order, holding additional inventory can red uce these costs; e) to take advantage of quantity discounts often goods are offered at a cheaper cost per unit if they are ordered in large quantity; f) to account for seasonal fluctuations certain products are popular in a certain time of the year, retailer normally pile-up inventory during low demand season to cater the demand in high season; g) to allow for price fluctuations/speculation the price of certain products, steel for instance, fluctuate due to variety of reasons. Some companies buy in large quantity to cater this; h) to help the production and distribution operations run more smoothly stock is held to decouple two different activities; i) to provide customers with immediate service stocks enables companies to provide goods and service as soon as they are required to maximise the sales opportunity. This is essential in highly competitive markets; j) to minimise production delays caused by lack of spare parts Breakdowns of machineries required to produce goods or s ervices can be very costly to business. Having spare parts to fix the machineries as soon as it breakdowns is an advantage; k) to facilitate the production process by providing semi-finished stocks between different processes (Work-in-Progress). 2.9 Roles of warehouse Why businesses need warehouse? There are many reasons why business needs warehouses. Warehouse has many roles apart from providing storage and supplying the materials or finished goods to producers or retailers as reviewed in the previous section. In fact warehouse has many other roles and functionalities which can be classified on the basis of economics and service accordingly to Bowersox and Closs (1996). On the basis of economics, a warehouse is economically justified when the total logistical costs are reduced by providing the facility. On the basis of service, a warehouse is justified when the overall logistical system can provide a better service, in terms of time and place capability. Here are some common roles of a warehouse (Bowersox Closs, 1996; Higginson Bookbinder, 2005; Rushton, et al., 2006): Role as a make-bulk/break-bulk consolidation centre making bulk and breaking bulk are traditional functions of a warehouse/DC. In a break-bulk facility, large incoming loads are aggregated, often for product mixing and to create consolidated out- bound shipments. A make-bulk facility, or consolidation centre, com- bines small quantities of several products in fewer, larger assortments. Role as a cross-docking station Cross-docking is a process where the product is received, occasionally combined with different products going out to the same destination, and then shipped at their earliest opportunity without being stored. Cross-docking has many benefits, including: faster product flow, no inventory pile-up, reduced product handling, and reduce cost due to elimination of those activities. Role as a transhipment facility transhipment refers to a process of taking a shipment out of one vehicle and loading it onto another. It only occurs when there is a good reason to change transportation modes or vehicle types. Role as an assembly facility Hewlett Packards distribution centre is a good example of the role as an assemble facility. It also benefits from the idea of postponement which allows product differentiation until later stages. Products are designed to use generic parts and assemble at the warehouse. Role as a product-fulfilment centre the major function is to find the products that are ordered and directly deliver them to the final customer. Amazon.com warehouse is a good example. Role as depot for returned goods the major functions are to inspect and separate the returned good into those that can be repaired, repackaged, resale, or recycled. 2.10 Transportation Accordingly to Chopra and Meindl (2004), the target level of service the company sets determines the role of transportation in a company competitive strategy. If the company is targeting customers whose main criterion is price, then the company can use transportation to lower the cost of the product at the expense of reponsiveness. But more often companies tries to achieve the right balance between efficiency and responsiveness using both inventory and transportation. Often in logistics plannings, decision to make to make any changes based on the costs of transportation. Accordingly to Rushton, et al. (2006), the transportation costs can be broken into three main types. The first one is the fixed costs these costs must be borne whether the vehicles run for 10 or 100 kilometres and might include the depreciations of the vehicles, the licence fees, the insurance, etc. And these may vary from one vehicle to another depending on various reasons. The second type is the variable costs these costs vary in relation to the activity of the vehicles, i.e. how far the vehicle travelled. The most obvious example of a variable of cost is the fuel cost. And the last type is the overhead costs these costs are indirect costs that are borne by the whole fleet of vehicles. They may be the usual business overheads that are required to run the vehicles, i.e. staff salaries, telephone, internet, and other administrative expenses. 2.11 Location decision objectives Warehouse site selection is a complex process involving multiple, both qualitative and quantitative, criteria. And often location decisions have more than one objective depending on the organisations objectives and strategies. Current, et al., (1990) classified the objectives for facility location problems into four general categories namely: (1) Cost minimisation; (2) Demand Oriented; (3) Profit maximisation; (4) Environment concern, and often these objectives are found to overlap each other. For retailing business, cost minimisation and profit maximisation are often the main objectives. 2.12 The influences of warehouse site location selection It is important to effectively identify potential locations for the new warehouses. Typically, these locations must satisfy a variety of conditions and the potential locations should meet all the requirements. The potential locations should take into account the future demand and that the decision should have an impact on the firm for at least the next three to five years (Simchi-Levi, et al., 2003). Many authors (Chase, et al., 2004; Barnes, 2008) suggested that the choice of facilities location is influenced by two principles. The first one is the need to locate close to customer due to time-based competition, trade agreement, and transportation cost. And the second one is the need to locate close to the access to resources such as labour, raw material, and specialist skills and capabilities. Often the two principles are taken into account when an organization makes a decision on the choice of location. The characteristics of operations of business (i.e. Manufacturer or service provider) will govern the weight of factors should be taken into account. Barnes (2008) looked at the location decision on the international perspective where the influential facility location factors are more in numbers and level of complexity. However, these factors can be adapted and used for domestic facility location. Here is the list of major factors which in themselves comprises of several sub-factors given by Barnes (2008): Costs; Labour characteristics; Infrastructure; Proximity to suppliers; Proximity to market/customers; Proximity to parent company facilities; Proximity to competition; Quality of life; Legal and regulatory framework; Economic factors; Government and political factors; Social and cultural factors; and Characteristic of a specific location. Bowersox and Closs (1996) concentrated on the warehouse location analysis in the context of logistical network strategy. He discusses about three warehouse location patterns namely Market-Positioned Warehouse, Manufacturing-Positional Warehouse, and Intermediately Positioned Warehouse. They imply the similar idea of the two principles suggested by Chase, et al. (2004) and Barnes (2008). They also discussed the warehouse location from the viewpoint of transportation economies and from the viewpoint of inventory economies. Furthermore they incorporate the concept of Least-Total-Cost system where the sum of total inventory cost and transportation cost is minimal to design the warehouse network. The conditions or attributes of potential warehouse locations reviewed from many literatures are summarised as follows: Site-related factors Regional factors Land cost/size/soil characteristics/ drainage Proximity to market Construction costs/leasing cost/renting costs Proximity to suppliers Transportation facilities/cost Proximity to competitors Zoning restrictions Proximity to industry Community factors Geographical characteristics Quality of life/cost of living weather characteristics Public facility accessibility Labour cost/availability/skill Taxes Energy availability/cost Environment regulation Telecommunication facility Local government support/incentives Political matters and regulation Sustainability Transportation infrastructure 2.13 Methods and techniques in facility location problems In this section, we will review the methods, techniques, and approaches found in a number of literatures. Bowersox and Closs (1996) claim that a sophisticated modelling and analysis techniques are required in location decision because the location analysis is very complex and data-intense. The complexity is created because of the number of locations multiplied by the alternative location sites multiplied by the stocking strategies for each location. Meanwhile, the data intensity is caused by the requirement of detailed demand and transportation information. Furthermore, the facility site selection process is complicated by the impact of environment legislation and related political issues (Bowersox Closs, 1996). Thai and Grewal (2005) suggest the conceptual framework of location selection for distribution centre that consists of three main stages. The first stage is a general geographical area for distribution centre is identified based on the Centre-of-Gravity principle. The second stage is the identification of location alternatives of distribution centre and associate gateway airports/seaports. At this stage a qualitative approach should be applied. The third and final stage concentrates on the specific site selection based on the quantitative approach, i.e. The distribution centre should be place where the integration of volumes transported and distance involved is minimum and also the total distribution cost is minimum. 2.13.1 Decision-aid Techniques and Models Several operations management books (Stevenson, 2007; Barnes, 2008; Greasley, 2009) have their sections on facility location selection techniques and some common influencing factors as reviewed in the previous section. Accordingly to works of Simchi-Levi, et al. (2003), Rushton, et al. (2006), and Bowersox and Closs (1996), there are three categories for tools used to support location analysis. The first type is the analytic techniques. The second type techniques are the mathematical optimisation techniques which can be subdivided into two types: the exact algorithms that find least-cost solution; and the heuristics algorithms that find good solution. And the third type of techniques is simulation models that provide a mechanism to evaluate specific design alternatives created by designer. The simulation models will not, however, be included in the discussion. Accordingly to Randhawa and West (1995), the facility location problem can be approached by considering the location search space as continuous or discrete. Continuous space allows facilities to be located anywhere in the two-dimensional space; it normally assumes that the transportation costs are proportional to some distance measure between the facilities. Though easy to solve, the continuous approach may yield impractical results. The discrete space approach limits the number of possible locations to a finite set of predetermined sites, and the transportation costs are not necessarily function of distances. Four common types of techniques found on these books namely: (1) the Centre of Gravity Method i.e. finding a location that minimises the distribution costs; (2) the Locational Cost-Volume analysis i.e. comparing the total costs between location alternatives by graph plotting; (3) the Factor Scoring i.e. finding the location alternative with highest composite score; and (4) the Transportation model i.e. a linear programming model that shows location alternative with the most optimal solution (the lowest costs). 2.13.2 The Centre of Gravity Method The Centre of Gravity Method (CoG) is a method for locating a distribution centre that minimises the distribution costs. The main assumption of this method is the distribution cost is a linear function of the distance and the quantity transported, and that the quantity transported is fixed for the duration of the journey (Stevenson, 2007 Greasley, 2009). The locations of destinations are presented on the map with coordinate X and Y in an accurate scale. The location of the distribution point should be located at the centre of gravity of the coordination calculated by these following equations: Where = Quantity to be transported to destination i = x coordination of destination i = y coordination of destination i = x coordinate of centre of gravity = y coordinate of centre of gravity This technique is commonly used to solve location problems at a macro level. The method is applied to solve location problems in many fields other than location of a distribution centre such as school, fire centres, community centres, and such, taking into consideration location of hospitals, population density, highways, airports, and businesses (Stevenson, 2007). Bender (1994) argues that the CoG approach had became obsolete because of the replacement of other computerised approach including linear programming. He also discusses the limitation of the approach which ignores all constraints, such as capacity, financial, operational, legal, and all cost other than transportation. It is also assume that all the transportation costs are directly proportional to distance, and independent of the direction of traffic. 2.13.3 Locational Cost-Volume Analysis This method is an economic comparison of location alternatives which involves determining the fixed and variable costs for each location alternative. The method indicates which location is suitable for a particular volume level by analysing the mix of fixed and variable costs. The fixed cost plus variable costs line is plotted for each location alternative on the graph and the location with the lowest total cost line at the expected volume level is chosen. A total revenue line can also be plotted on the same graph to compare which location alternative has the earliest breakeven point if the objective is to consider the quickest breakeven location (Stevenson, 2007). The equation for expressing the cost is: Where TC = Total distribution cost VC = Variable cost per unit X = Number of units produced FC = Fixed costs This type of economic analysis is very common tool to compare which options have the highest rate of return and is not only limited to location problems. However, Stevenson (2007) suggests that, in most situations, it is very important that other factors other than costs must also be considered. The Locational cost-volume analysis alone is not sufficient to make decision. 2.13.4 Factor Rating Method The Factor Scoring method is sometimes known as weighted scoring or point rating, which attempts to take a range of considerations into account when choosing a location. Then technique starts by indentifying the relevant factors, then assign a weight to each factor that indicate the importance compared with other factors, given that all the weight sum up to one. Scores then have to be given by decision makers to each factor for all location alternatives. The total weighted scores for each location alternative are then calculated by multiplying the factor weight by the score for each factor, and sum the results for each location alternative. The alternative with highest score is chosen unless it fails to meet the minimum threshold, if there is one (Stevenson, 2007). The drawback of this method is identifying and determining the appropriate factors and weighting for each factor. Factors like quality of living and labour attitude are intangible factors and hard to quantify. Greasley (2009) suggested an approach to compare the tangible and intangible factors by conducting an intangible factors only assessment by the method, and then determine if the difference between the intangible scores is worth the cost of the difference in tangible costs between the location alternatives. Data collection, statistical estimates, optimization and simulation models, and economic analysis are some of the methods used to assess quantitative attributes. Qualitative attributes represent subjective factors for which it is generally difficult to define a natural measurement scale. Descriptive classes or interval scales (for example, 0 to 10) can be established to enable a numerical value to be assigned to represent how a site scores with respect to a particular attribute (Randhawa West, 1995). Linear Programming and location problems Linear Programming is one of the most widely used strategic and tactical logistics planning tools. The transportation model helps decision maker to decide the facility location based on the transportation costs. The model is very useful as it can compare the resulting total costs for each location alternative. Other costs like production costs can also be included in the model by determining the cost on a per-unit basis for each location. There are three major pieces of information needed to use the model as following (Stevenson, 2007; Balakrishman, et al., 2007): a) list of origins and each ones supply quantity per period; b) list of the destinations and each ones demand per period; and c) the unit cost of transporting items from each origin to each destination. The method can be used to solve for optimal or near-optimal locations. Even though the optimisation models are designed to provide an optimal solution, they can be used to analyze a problem under different scenarios (differe nt combinations of constraints and cost parameters). The result would be a set of location alternatives that are the preferred choices under different operating conditions. Furthermore, examination of a solution will generally result in the identification of more than one specific site. Such sites may then be further analyzed and compared using a multi-criteria model (Randhawa West, 1995). There are many types of mathematical programming models and they can be classified accordingly a variety of conditions. Aikens (1985) classified distribution location models accordingly to: a) whether the underlying distribution network (arcs and/or modes) is capacitated or incapacitated; b) the number of warehouse echelons, or levels (zero, single, or multiple); c) the number of commodities (single or multiple); d) the underlying cost structure for arcs and/or nodes (linear or nonlinear); e) whether planning horizon is static or dynamic; f) the patterns of demand (e.g. deterministic or stochastic, influence of location, etc.); g) The ability to accommodate side constraints (e.g. single-sourcing, choice of only one from candidate subset, etc.). Aiken (1985) gives some examples of types of distribution location mathematical programming models: a) Simple incapacitated facility location model; b) Simple incapacitated multi-echelon facility location model; c) Multi-commodity incapacitated facility location model; d) Dynamic incapacitated facility location model; e) Capacitated facility location models; f) Generalised capacitated facility location model; g) Stochastic capacitated facility location model; and h) Multi-commodity capacitated single-echelon facility location model. Diabat, et al. (2009) also show that the techniques can be applied to solve location-inventory problems which finds the number of warehouses to establish , their locations, the customers that are assigned to each warehouse, and the size and time of orders for each warehouse so as to minimise the sum of inventory. Melo, et al. (2009) review many literatures related to facility location problem that show that linear prog

Abortion and the Columbine High School Massacre :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Abortion and the Columbine High School Massacre I am sure all of us have been affected in some way by the horrific tragedy that occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado (April 1999). Certainly, our entire country grieves at the death of the many High School teens and faculty who were victims of meaningless violence. Sadly, the bullets of two Columbine students took the lives of thirteen people away. "This tragedy is an outrage", cries the public! . . . "These teens were innocent young men, and women who had their whole lives ahead of them." . . . "They will never have the opportunity to enjoy adulthood, and the wonders of life." . . . "There must be something done to curb this violence!" These types of comments, along with many others, are surfacing in our nation, as our country cries out in disgust and frustration. "What are we to do?", we now ask of each other. I am convinced that the answer to "What are we to do?" is rooted in the current situation in our country that permits and encourages "legalized abortion". Whether we realize it or not, "legalized abortion" attributes to the great loss of "respect for life" which shows its ugly face in so many ways in our country. The shooting at Columbine High is one of these "ugly faces". Sadly, as "legalized abortion" continues, Pope John Paul II says, "There will be a darkening of our conscience, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, - especially in regard to the respect of human life". Is it a wonder that when mothers are able to freely kill innocent babies within their wombs, that others will also begin to think, "it is all right to kill innocent human beings?" Is it a wonder that when a child in a mother's womb is treated as an "object" instead of a "person", that other people in turn, will begin to treat others as "objects", using them only as a "means" to accomplish some end? "What are we to do about this violence?", cries our nation. In order to "curb violence" and protect innocent lives, our nation must come to understand that every individual is known and loved by God; that every individual has been willed by God and made in His image and likeness; that "human life" is under the special protection of God; and as a result - that every individual must be afforded the first and most fundamental of all human rights - the right to life.

The Increasing demand on the UK’s construction industry

Britain's construction activities have risen considerably over the last decade and according to industry forecasts, the next five years will see more large projects commencing and highlighting once again the need for skilled labour in the UK. The government already has many construction plans underway which all lead to an 11% predicted increase (Olympic shortfall 18/11/07) in construction output between now and 2011. Some of the major projects that contribute to the rising demands include a surge in schools construction, increased spending on transport and projects for the London Olympics. The government has invested in a reported à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.7bn (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) to rebiuld or renew every secondary school in the country. This is a massive project and dwarfs the construction of the London olympics in comparison. ConstructionSkills is one of a series of employer-led sector skills bodies established by government to help produce enough skilled workers to meet the high demand. ConstructionSkills says that employment in the industry will need to rise by almost a sixth to 2.8m by 2011, compared with 2.4m in 2005 and 87,600 new recruits will be needed by the industry â€Å"each year between 2007 and 2011 in order to meet demand†.(ConstructionSkills 2007) Infrustructure activity is also increasing with construction underway for the redevelopment of King's Cross and Crossrail and the expansion and refurbishment of the Birmingham New Street and Nottingham railway stations. Other infrastructure developments include work on the Manchester Metro Link, the M6 toll road, the M25. Also the Scottish Executive's (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) planned à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3bn capital investment programme in strategic road and rail projects and expansion of ports at Harwich, Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth. Aside from all these major developments, there is still as high demand as ever for more residential housing. It is reported (UK home supply way below demand 17/11/07) that Britain is now so short of new houses that an extra 39,000 need to be built each year just to keep up with the UK's population growth. The huge shortage of skilled labour in the UK is undoubtedly a major factor and could undermine the success of the 2012 Olympics in London. Reports made through the Research by the sector skills councils has revealed the Olympics needs around 13,000 construction workers and 1,500 electricians and plumbers a year between now and 2012 (Olympic shortfall 18/11/07). The new Heathrow terminal 5 is another project that highlights the severe skills shortage in the construction sector. The new T5 is estimated to cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4bn and is one of Europe's biggest projects at the moment. Terminal 5 will have roads and rail links built for it and will have over a hundred aircraft stands as well as the tallest control tower in the country. All these projects are desperately in need of skilled labour and huge investments are being made by the government and big companies to provide training schemes for people to help overcome these demands. The construction of the Heathrow terminal 5 has influenced BAA, the company that manages Heathrow to collaborate with the learning and Skills Council (LSC) to set up the Heathrow Construction Centre to train young people in carpentry, joinery and bricklaying. Many young people are now applying to the training centre with the influence of high salary opportunities being advertised for a wide range of jobs. David Boyer, a representative of LSC says â€Å"the key is finding something that they want to do and that employers will pay for†¦and construction fits the bill perfectly.† (David Bower 2007) CSV, the UK's largest volunteering and training charity is another organisation that has many Construction Training Centres around the country. Its main aim is to take on young people from the age of 16 and train them up in a construction field that interests them. The Training Centre on Hornsey Road is CSV Springboard Islington Trust's training facility and is helping to meet the demand from employer training needs arising as a result of the Kings Cross re-generation programme or the Olympics. The Islington training centre has three sectors in the area and alone provides learning for over 600 students (Sky-high salaries for airport construction workers 18/11/07). The main issue with the construction industry in the UK at the moment is that activity continues to rise at a rapid pace and with all the training schemes at the minute, not enough skilled craftsman and professional workman are coming out of it to keep up with the demand. There is a reported large number of craftsmen in the UK that don't have the qualifications that are required to work on the Olympic sites etc. Organisations such as Summit Skills are committed to helping provide the necessary qualifications to people with the skills but who have not finished an NVQ level 3 for instance. Students doing a construction course at schools or colleges will commonly do a full NVQ which includes gaining technical certificates and national vocational qualifications. Some of the courses involve training on-site to acquire the appropriate qualifications. The government has also addressed the issue for the need of more skilled labour by introducing new courses at schools and colleges. In 2008, a new diploma in construction and the built environment will be introduced. However many specialist diplomas and GCSE's will not be available until 2013. The other opportunities that are given to young people to work in construction are through the apprenticeship or scholarship schemes. Such schemes are usually offered directly from companies. It's often the best route for young people who do not have the appropriate background. The apprenticeship programme was introduced to the UK in 1994 (as modern apprenticeships). Apprenticeships give the student the opportunity to study at college to receive the required qualifications and do work based on the site on a part time basis. Apprentices earn while being in education and for most young people it is a very attractive prospect. It also gives a higher rate of employment for those that do it as the companies, for the majority of the time offer the person a full time job after they have completed their apprenticeship. But in the last couple of years, the numbers of apprenticeships have reduced as the interest for them has increased. With over 50,000 applications for 10,000 places (Olympic s hortfall 18/11/07), the traditional apprenticeship route cannot meet growing demand. However, to help overcome this problem, there are many colleges today that are involved with big construction companies making it easier for students to find the apprenticeship that interest them. In apprenticeships, the students are usually required to stay in education until they achieve a full NVQ before they are offered a full time job but a scholarship on the other hand requires the student to attend university either part time or full time in order to gain higher qualifications such as a degree to make them eligible for high skilled work afterwards. Scholarships are also offered usually directly from a company and offers to support the student financially by paying the tuition fees to the university and the company will often offer a the student work placement between their time at university to give them the required experience in the job. Although there is many efforts being done to overcome the shortage of skilled labour in the UK, it is still evident that yet more needs to be done to reduce the gap between the demand for skilled labour and the amount of trained personnel coming up every year. In the next five years, there is going to be an increase in activity for the UK construction industry and it is estimated that 87,600 new recruits (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) will be needed by the industry every year to cope with the work needed. I believe that in order to tackle this problem for the shortage of skilled labour in the UK, more efforts must be made concentrating on the source of the problem, the training of personal to meet the levels required by the industry. It is a fact that yet not enough programmes are being opened to help encourage young people to look for a career in construction and to educate and train them to the required levels. At the moment, the government is concentrating on opening new training centres in London because of the increasing work being made by the construction of the East London Olympic sites. However, training centres should be opened in more cities around the UK in the next few years to help train up as many people in as short time as possible to help overcome the shortage of required labour. I think that more training programmes should be done on development sites such as the Heathrow construction centres helping to train young people. I believe that such programmes help to train and educate a person on the job and give them the required skills in a short period of time. Other steps that can be taken is to introduce more specialized construction courses at schools and colleges to help encourage young people to choose a career in the construction field. At the moment, a successful example is the Construction and Built Environment Diploma which around 4000 people take every year (Construction Digital 17/11/07) Another step that can be taken is to encourage more construction companies to introduce more apprenticeships and scholarships to young people. This will attract more people to join the construction industry and will produce more high skilled labour to meet demands of the modern day. If the UK construction industry remains to be in the situation it is now with a huge shortage of skilled labour then the only solution left will be to bring in even more migrant workers from east European countries, such as Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania, to fill gaps on building sites. This will in effect reduce the building standards and safety on the site just so companies can give out low wages and save costs. In reality, this is very likey to happen but the government will only apply it in a worst case scenerio to overcome the problem. Although it might not be possible to finish all these huge projects in the UK without aquiring the help from migrant workers, we could however train as many people as we can so that less workers from abroad are needed, making the UK construction industry stronger and more successful.