Jussive (Clauses) Definition and Examples

Jussive (Clauses) Definition and Examples A jussive is a type of clause (or a form of a verb) that expresses an order or command. In Semantics (1977), John Lyons notes that the term imperative sentence is often employed by other writers in the broader sense that we have given here to jussive sentence; and this can lead to confusion. Etymology: from the Latin, command Example Jussives include not only imperatives, as narrowly defined, but also related non-imperative clauses, including some in subjunctive mood: Be sensible.You be quiet.Everybody listen.Lets forget it.Heaven help us.It is important that he keep this a secret. The term jussive is, however, used to some extent as a syntactic label, and in this use would not include commands expressed as straight declaratives, e.g. You will do what I say. In popular grammars, where the term is not used, such structures would be dealt with under an expanded imperative label and under subjunctives. (Sylvia Chalker and Edmund Weiner, Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1994) Commentary Jussive: A term sometimes used in the grammatical analysis of verbs, to refer to a type of mood often equated with an imperative (leave!), but in some languages needing to be distinguished from it. For example, in Amharic, a jussive paradigm is used for wishes (May God give you strength), greetings, and certain other contexts, and this is formally distinct from the imperative. (David Crystal, A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 4th ed. Blackwell, 1997)Imperatives constitute a subclass of a somewhat larger class of jussive clauses. . . . Non-imperative jussives include main clauses like The devil take the hindmost, God save the queen, So be it, and subordinate clauses like [It is essential] that he accompany her, [I insist] that they not be told. The construction exemplified here is productive only in subordinate clauses: the main clauses are virtually restricted to fixed expressions or formulae. Like imperatives they have a base form as first verb... A number of other relative ly minor main clause constructions might be included in the jussive category: May you be forgiven!, If that is what the premier intends, let him say so, and so on. (Rodney Huddleston, English Grammar: An Outline. Cambridge University Press, 1988) [John] Lyons [Semantics, 1977: 747] argues that the imperative can only be, strictly, second person, and never third person (or first person). This may, however, be no more than a terminological issue, since first and third person imperatives are often simply called jussives. Bybee (1985: 171) suggests that where there is a full set of person-number forms the term optative is used, but this is not entirely suitable in view of the fact that the term is used traditionally for the optative mood in Classical Greek (8.2.2)...  The term Jussive (plus Imperative) is preferred here. (F. R. Palmer, Mood and Modality, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2001)

A Summary of Geomorphology and Its Processes

A Summary of Geomorphology and Its Processes Geomorphology is defined as the science of landforms with an emphasis on their origin, evolution, form, and distribution across the physical landscape. An understanding of geomorphology and its processes is therefore essential to the understanding of physical geography. History of Geomorphology Although the study of geomorphology has been around since ancient times, the first official geomorphologic model was proposed between 1884 and 1899 by the American geographer, William Morris Davis. His geomorphic cycle model was inspired by theories of uniformitarianism and attempted to theorize the development of various landform features. Daviss geomorphic cycle model says that a landscape undergoes a preliminary uplift that is paired with erosion (the removal or wearing down) of materials in that uplifted landscape. Within the same landscape, precipitation causes streams to flow more rapidly. As they grow their power then cuts into the grounds surface both at the start of the stream and lower down the stream. This creates the stream channels present in many landscapes. This model also says that the slope angle of the land is gradually reduced and the ridges and divides present in certain landscapes become rounded over time because of erosion. The cause of this erosion is not however limited to water as in the stream example. Finally, according to Daviss model, over time such erosion occurs in cycles and a landscape eventually morphs into an old erosional surface. Daviss theory was important in launching the field of geomorphology and was innovative at its time as it was a new attempt to explain physical landform features. Today, however, it is not usually used as a model because the processes he described are not so systematic in the real world and it failed to take into account the processes being observed in later geomorphic studies. Since Daviss model, several alternative attempts have been made to explain landform processes. Walther Penck, an Austrian geographer, developed a model in the 1920s for example, that looked at ratios of uplift and erosion. It did not take hold though because it could not explain all landform features. Geomorphologic Processes Today, the study of geomorphology is broken down into the study of various geomorphologic processes. Most of these processes are considered to be interconnected and are easily observed and measured with modern technology. In addition, the individual processes are considered to be either erosional, depositional, or both. An erosional process involves the wearing down of the earth’s surface by wind, water, and/or ice. A depositional process is the laying down of material that has been eroded by wind, water, and/or ice. The geomorphologic processes are as follows: Fluvial Fluvial geomorphologic processes are those related to rivers and streams. The flowing water found here is important in shaping the landscape in two ways. First, the power of the water moving across a landscape cuts and erodes its channel. As it does this, the river shapes its landscape by growing in size, meandering across the landscape, and sometimes merging with other rivers forming a network of braided rivers. The paths rivers take depend on the topology of the area and the underlying geology or rock structure found where its moving. In addition, as the river carves its landscape it carries the sediment it erodes as it flows. This gives it more power to erode as there is more friction in the moving water, but it also deposits this material when it floods or flows out of mountains onto an open plain in the case of an alluvial fan (image). Mass Movement The mass movement process, also sometimes called mass wasting, occurs when soil and rock moves down a slope under the force of gravity. The movement of the material is called creeping, slides, flows, topples, and falls. Each of these is dependent on the speed of movement and composition of the material moving. This process is both erosional and depositional. Glacial Glaciers are one of the most significant agents of landscape change simply because of their sheer size and power as they move across an area. They are erosional forces because their ice carves the ground beneath them and on the sides in the case of a valley glacier which results in a U-shaped valley. Glaciers are also depositional because their movement pushes rocks and other debris into new areas. The sediment created by the grinding down of rocks by glaciers is called glacial rock flour. As glaciers melt, they also drop their debris creating features like eskers and moraines. Weathering Weathering is an erosional process that involves the chemical break down of rock (such as limestone) and the mechanical wearing down of rock by a plant’s roots growing and pushing through it, ice expanding in its cracks, and abrasion from sediment pushed by wind and water. Weathering can, for example, result in rock falls and eroded rock like those found in Arches National Park, Utah. Geomorphology and Geography One of the most popular divisions of geography is physical geography. By studying geomorphology and its processes, one can gain significant insight into the formation of the various structures found in landscapes worldwide, which can then be used as a background for studying the many aspects of physical geography.

Assessing the potential impact of institutional investors on corporate Dissertation

Assessing the potential impact of institutional investors on corporate governance in China - Dissertation Example .................................................................... p.10 Literature review ..................................................................... p.10 Conclusions ..................................................................... p.31 References ..................................................................... p.37 ABSTRACT Examples are given pertaining to the development and present situation of Western institutional investors. Also under discussion is the practice of Western/Anglo institutional investors towards an increasing participation in the corporate governance in a proactive way. The methods and procedures of institutional investors participation in corporate governance is described, with American and British examples – and how these institutions pertain to China. Analysis is given describing the development of the corporate culture that leads to a more active role in governance, and how the assumptions thereof have evolved over time. Both the p ositive and the negative of institutional investors on corporate governance are described, with respect to a term corporate interests. Challenges relating to foreign investments in China are described in this context. The current status of investors and the losses they have suffered due to transitional effects in the Chinese economy are extrapolated based upon a shifting legal and financial landscape as China modernizes its economy. Recommendations to alleviate these concerns are proposed. INTRODUCTION The advent of high finance and its utilization in the operations of Incorporated business organizations created a situation many decades ago in which it was recognized that owners and shareholders need not always see eye to eye. The directors that oversee functional operations over day-to-day matters do not always have the same vested interests as the shareholding owners of the corporation. The interests of operational control may not match the objectives of other individuals interest ed in a slow and steady growth of assets and equity. But the considerable benefits of ownership by way of investment have been recognized for nearly the entirety of the 20th century, thus investors by necessity must gain certain rights and privileges. The role of these investors is an evolving understanding that balances the nuances of organizational agility against long-term growth. Theories of corporate governance must be developed to define the responsibilities of investors and the degree to which they can influence operations without stressing corporate resources beyond their ability to perform. (Davis, 2002) Possible examples might include the director/executive officer, who may have founded the business wanting to maintain control possibly for sentimental reasons – the business might have been in his family for many years. Or, the business might be a valuable source of jobs for a particular local community. But the investors that can help a business rise to the world st age might feel that their interests are best served through mergers or takeovers that permit a favorable return on investments based upon various stock options and projected share values. Certain individuals may perceive a loss of livelihood, and thus oppose measures that will increase the profits of those that have injected vast amounts of capital to make the business what it is. Arbitration and compromise are necessities. OVERVIEW Over three decades institutional investors have superseded private individual shareholders in the world's most important capital

Economy of New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economy of New York - Essay Example The personal income per capita (how much the average worker earns per year) in 2005 was an average of $40,072. In 2007, the minimum wage rate in the New York state is $7.15, $2 more than the federal wage rate ($5.15). Within the US, New York state’s economy grew 3.3%, while the value for the US is 3.5%. Thus, this places the New York state in fifth position just after Maryland. New York is a very rich state with a growing economy: it would rank as the 16th largest economy in the world if it were to be considered as an independent nation. New Yorks most popular products are: 1) in agriculture, dairy products, livestock and vegetables; 2) in industry, printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment and machinery, chemical products; and 3) tourism. The largest export markets for the state’s products are Canada, the UK, Japan, Israel and Switzerland, which imported products for a value of 30.2, 3.3, 2.6, 2.4 and 1.8 billion dollars, respectively. In fact, Canada is a very important partner since it receives approximately 23% of the exports of the state1. Also, Canadian tourism is very beneficial economically for New York. Canadians are believed to spend $500 million every year during their visits to the state. New York’s most popular exports are: foodstuffs, commodities, diamonds and other minerals, manufactured goods and automobile parts. New Yorks largest imports are: oil, gold, aluminum, natural gas, electricity and lumber. Inflation, an index that compares prices with spending power, rose 3.1% at the end of February 2007with respect to the previous year. The Consumer Price Index, which is a measure of the price of a selection of items purchased by a typical consumer, increased 3.3% with respect to the same period (News–Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007). Overall, this means that life in the state of New York is 3% more expensive in 2007 than in 2006. Similarly to the increases observed in house prices in

International Organizations Essay Example for Free

International Organizations Essay International organizations have been noted to be around since the mid- 19th century and such organizations do not operate for profit. An international organization is defined by the United Nations as an organization with an international membership, scope, or presence. The main objective of all the international organizations they say ,have usually been welfare and the improvement of member countries through cooperation. Karns and Mingst identify the two main types of international organizations as IGOs and INGOs which they also refer to as international and transnational structures who are actors in global governance. Global governance, they say, are the cooperative problem-solving arrangements and activities that states and other actors have put into place to deal with various issues and problems. Firstly, Intergovernmental Organizations; herein referred to as IGOs will be discussed. IGOs are organizations that include at least three states among their membership, that have activities in several states, and that are created through a formal intergovernmental agreement such as a treaty, charter, or statute. These organizations range in size from 3 members (North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA]) to more than 190 members Universal Postal Union [UPU]. Within these IGOs, members can be limited to one geographic region, for example the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU) or even the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) or they may come from all geographic regions such as members of the World Bank and IMF. Some IGOs are designed for solitary purposes such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC]), whilst others have been developed for multilateral purposes, for example the United Nations [UN]. Most IGOs though, are not global in membership but are in fact regional, wherein a commonality of interest motivates states to cooperate on issues directly affecting them. Most are small in membership and designed to address specific functions. It must also be noted that IGOs are recognized subjects of international law with separate standing from their member states. According to Karns and Mingst, IGOs function for purposes of gathering, analyzing, and disseminating data, providing a place for negotiations, creating norms and defining standards of behavior through legally binding treaties, monitoring compliance with rules, adjudicating disputes and also taking enforcement measures and for allocating resources, providing technical assistance and relief and deploying forces. Kenneth Abbott and Duncan Snidal (1998) suggest that IGOs â€Å"allow for the centralization of collective activities through a concrete and stable organizational structure and a supportive administrative apparatus. This increases the efficiency of collective activities and enhance the organization’s ability to affect the understandings, environment, and interests of states. † In their book on International Organization Karns and Mingst say that â€Å"IGOs do not only create opportunities for their member states, but also exercise influence and impose constraints on their member states’ policies and processes† which aids in forcing governments to take positions on international or domestic issues of concern. They also facilitate the creation of principles, norms, and rules of behavior with which states must align their policies if they wish to benefit from reciprocity. For example, China’s admission to the World Trade Organization and how this has affected its national policies and required extensive governmental reforms. Secondly, International Non Governmental Organizations; herein referred to as INGOs will be discussed. INGOs are institutions that are established by non-state actors or at least one side of these organizations is not states. They can generally be defined as private, voluntary, non-profit, self-governing, professional organizations with a distinctive legal character concerned with public welfare aims. INGOs unlike IGOs are not created by treaties or states but rather private people and organizations and usual encompass more than three states and therefore cannot be bilateral. They employ limited resources to make rules, set standards, procreate principles and broadly represent more ‘humanity’ than states and other actors do. There are many kinds of NGOs such as transnational, government organized, government-regulated and initiated, business and industry, donor-organized, donor-dominated, peoples organizations, operational, advocacy, transnational social movements, quasi, and anti-governmental NGOs. Their number increased (more than 23,000 in the early 1990s) and their effectiveness for transnational politics became more relevant in recent decades. They have become crucial participants in the international policy process says Brown (1995). Some INGOs are formed to dvocate a particular cause such as human rights, peace, or environmental protection. While others are established to provide services such as disaster relief, humanitarian aid in war-torn societies, or development assistance. Many INGOs are transnational federations involving formal, long-term links among national groups. Examples include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Wildlife Fund, Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Save the Children. INGOs’ governance functions parallel many functions provided by IGOs and, like IGOs, they can be analyzed as both pieces of and actors in global governance. As pieces of governance, INGOs function to provide processes at many levels to pressure or persuade individuals, governments, IGOs, corporations, and other actors to improve human rights records, protect the environment, tackle corruption, create a ban on landmines, or intervene in conflicts such as that in the Darfur region of Sudan. Some IGOs, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), World Tourism Organization, and the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), provide for INGOs roles in their governance. As a result of global trends to privatize activities previously controlled by governments, services once provided by governments or IGOs are now often contracted out to INGOs. INGOs are important pieces of global governance because of the ways they enable individuals to act publicly through creating networks, and volunteering and this makes them useful links between the domestic and international communities and institutions. In this sense, they function as communicators among multiple levels of governance. Both Intergovernmental Organisations and International Non-governmental Organizations are of growing significance in the international community. The proliferation of non-state actors has recently led some observers of international relations to conclude that states are declining in importance and that non-state actors are gaining status and influence. New theories of international relations such as the complex interdependence of Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye (1989) were formed in order to explain new developments. Kegley and Wittkoph (1995) accurately point out that as the world grown smaller, the mutual dependence of nation-states and other transnational political actors on one another has grown Their significance can be noted not only through their international presence but also through their voice and ability to hold governments accountable for not abiding by the standards set forth through their organizations. The benefits of these two types of all the international organizations has usually been seen through its welfare improvement of member countries and its importance lies in the following: 1.  International organizations, such as International Trade Centre and World Trade Organization, assist member countries in promoting fair trade with each other. 2. The aim of the international organizations, such as Natural Capitalism and International Development Research Centre, is to enhance sustainable economic development in the world. 3. The World Bank and Institute of International Finance are international organizations that provide monetary help to member countries. 4. The purpose of the incorporation of international organizations, such as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme, is to provide food security to member nations. 5. The endeavor of international organizations, such as Global Environment Facility and United Nations Environment Programme, is to ensure environmental protection. 6. The protection of human rights is ensured by international organizations, such as the ICJ and Amnesty International. 7.  Emergency/disaster relief is taken care of by several international organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and ReliefWeb. 8. The WHO helps member countries promote health care and facilities. Most countries though, perceive that there are benefits to participating in IGOs and international regimes even when it is costly. South Africa never withdrew from the UN over the long years when it was repeatedly condemned for its policies of apartheid. Iraq did not withdraw from the UN when it was subject to more than a decade of stringent sanctions. China spent fourteen years negotiating the terms of its entry into the international trade system and undertaking changes in laws and policies required to bring itself into compliance with WTO rules. Additionally , INGOs too are increasingly active today at all levels of human society and governance, from local or grassroots communities to national and international politics. Many national-level groups, often called interest or pressure groups, are now linked to counterpart groups in other countries through networks or federations. International NGOs, like IGOs, may draw their members from more than one country, and they may have very specific functions or be multifunctional. IGOs have been proven to decrease the cost of information gathering which is more important for poor and small countries. Without the UN, many states are unable to obtain information about the international society and politics. Activities of IGOs, such as the UN and the IMF, are decisive for most small countries. They may impose their principles on them more easily than on big powers. Most governments; especially in less developed countries face serious resource constraints limiting their ability to apply the provisions of regimes to areas and activities under their jurisdiction. And in spite of the fact that international organizations are utilized by powerful nation-states, these states do not hold full power over IGOs. IGOs however do have notable influence in international and on the most powerful state, the United States (Karns and Mingst). IGOs have been especially successful in their effectiveness in economic issue areas is also considerably high. For example, the IMF and the World Bank are very effective in money flowing, debt management and financing debt issues between the rich and poor countries. Though still effective, IGOs are less influential in issues of high politics such as political and security issues. INGOs too play an increasingly important role in world politics through agencies, such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International who draw attention to issues of world-wide concern, promote international co-operation and they have a significant impact on the global dissemination of ideas, values and knowledge. One of the major challenges being faced by international organizations however is integrating developing countries on various measures. Health related issues, such as infant mortality in developing countries are also of great challenge. Some other challenges that international organizations are facing are in the filed of intellectual property rights, trade in services and investment measures in relation to trade. Also seen as future difficulties in the international system is the issue of multilateral liberalization due to growing regionalism and the reformation of world trade.

Literature In Modern Times :: essays research papers

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 Presentation From the very beginning of human species, literature existed side by side. Human life, in the form of human passions, feelings, loves, sufferings, and human history existed in the literatures. Human legends started with the very stone age, recorded in the stone scripts. It was a human need to communicate the past to the future generations. Poetry, as an art form, has been for many centuries praised, contemplated and has continued to affect man. Man has used poetry to express love and grief, birth and death, innocence and guilt, heaven and hell in a more effective way. In order to achieve such a way of expression the poet does not have any other material at his disposal except language. However in poetry, this language itself, turns out to be the goal of the poet rather than only an instrument for communication. Her/his way of expressing ideas and emotions summarises the poets craftsmanship and creativity. What the poet does is that he/she illustrates and exemplifies how language can be used to achieve the most effective way of expression. Poems deal with universal themes such as love and hate, birth and death, innocence and guilt, heaven and hell, which are familiar to all readers. For this reason, believing in the importance of literature and the contribution of poetry to language teaching and learning, we have decided to use poetry to act as a means to enrich the language awareness of ELT majors. 1.1 Background of the problem Until the late 60’s and early 70’s the teaching of literature in foreign and second language classes was an activity whose justification was assumed to be obvious. Poetry and literature in general became the â€Å"forgotten† man since then, and this can be ascribed to the advent of communicative language teaching. With the shifting emphasis of the study of English for practical purposes, technical or otherwise, as well as an emphasis on the spoken language more than on written language, the role of literary texts in the language classroom and the relationship between language teaching and literature teaching in the EFL context seemed to be totally neglected. Looking through TEFL/ TESL writings in the 70’s and 80’s, one can find little about the teaching of literary texts and hardly anything controversial. Although poetry has been the focus of interest for ages, it has not got its deserved place in English language teaching.

Analysis of Ryanair Essay

Ryanair established in 1985 carrying more than 5,000 passengers between its route Waterford Airport in Ireland to London Gatwick during its first year. The company expanded by 1989 had 350 employees, 14 aircraft and carrying more than 600,000 passengers a year. In 1997 there were dramatic changes in the European airline industry with deregulation of European Union air transportation allowed airlines to open new routes into Europe. The European Low fares association reported that low fares airlines are carrying more passengers than before with an increasing number of destinations in Europe set to increase from 38% to 53% in European travel (elfaa.com, 2011). Ryanair took advantage from the deregulation with routes from London Stansted to Stockholm, Oslo and Paris. By 2001 Ryanair launched its own travel website and within 3 months received 50,000 bookings (Ryanair.com, 2011). The report will focus on the low cost industry environment by identifying the opportunities and threats as well as five forces of the external environment. The report will also identify the strengths and weaknesses of Ryanair. Part 1: Low cost Airline industry The low cost airline industry has become the most profitable with all segments in the market with low prices and high load factors. This strategy has been challenged since the 1990s with the liberalization of services allowing new entrants to compete for business (Economist.com, 2011). The low cost airline industry operates all activities by reducing costs in order to gain strategic success and competitive advantage. This approach has a lot of opportunities as well as threats. Political Governments in the UK have the highest tax compared to Germany with a $1.3bn departure tax and Austria’s similar $119m duty tax (Independent.co.uk, 2011). The threat of passengers paying higher prices as a result of increased tax for their airline tickets can lower profits for airlines. This can affect low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet as the higher taxes cut profits for the company for example Easyjet stated they had lost  £21m of its  £153m in 2011 (IATA.com, 2011). Acts of terrorism can also be a major threat to the airline industry. Initiating further routes is an opportunity for low cost airlines to other destinations in Europe with its growing economy and additional 15 EU countries that joined in 2004 such as Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia can offer new opportunities for new routes to increase the number of passengers(Delfmann, 2005). There has also been a threat with the plans to sell Stansted airport, the main location for low budget airlines after the Competition Commission to reduce its dominance in the market. This will bring greater competition to low cost airlines and benefit passengers with more low fare airlines from regional airports such as Gatwick and Stansted competing more (Telegraph.co.uk/travel, 2011). Economic The threat of rising oil prices caused global airlines to lose $16 billion in profits which did rebound in 2010 with higher traffic. The threat continues with oil prices averaging $110 a barrel and estimated to further increases in the industry’s fuel bill which will rise from $10 billion to $176 billion (Bangkokpost.com, 2011). This threat has also been warned by Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways and Iberia who cautioned that European carriers have to bear the impact of the high fuel costs with some operators having to go out of business (Guardian.co.uk, 2011). The recession in 2008 resulted in travelers seeking cheaper fares and led to growth in sales for budget airlines. This opportunity during recession allows budget airlines to take advantage and of more travelers seeking low fares with budget airlines rather than more expensive airline tickets. With the higher oil prices, natural disasters in Japan, discontent in the Middle East, North Africa and can force competitors in the airline industry to increase prices and fuel surcharges which pose major threats to airlines profits and survival of airlines. Social The growth in demand for passengers seeking low cost airlines for cheaper fares is an opportunity for budget airlines. People are living a better standard of life with declining inequality of incomes made up mostly of middle class income people. People are also more well-travelled, experienced and seek new destinations with the growth of vacation property (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2009). This is an opportunity as budget airlines frequently service short haul destinations for short trips or weekend trips for leisure or business purposes offering more destinations and new experiences to people with low fares. Migration has also made commuting a factor with people seeking employment opportunities and education as a motive for travelling as well as the rising quality standards has shown to expect growth for low cost airlines (Gross and Schrà ¶der, 2007). There are significant opportunities for low cost airlines that can benefit from the demand of increasing passenger from various destinations and purposes. Many people also seeking new destinations is a good opportunity for budget airlines to increase passenger numbers and revenue by providing different destinations of regional airports. Technological The increasing popularity of information technology is an opportunity for low budget airlines as they don’t use travel agents to sell tickets and allows consumers to be informed about schedules, compare prices and itineraries as well as flights with other airlines (Pease etl al., 2007). The new ‘saddle seat’ which is designed to allow 23 inches of legroom compared to 30 inches on a normal seat space and shaped to sit at an angle increase the number of seat for an airline (Telegraph.co.uk/travel, 2011). The seats offer an opportunity for low budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet to allow more storage space and more passengers in a plane which can increase revenues. The opportunities in technology allows airlines to take advantage of potential revenues with the internet offering direct marketing for customers and value added service by bringing offers to the customers directly. The opportunities for of the new seats can offer planes to fit more passengers and is a further potential a growth in revenue for budget airlines. Legal The airline industry has considerable regulations with issues concerning legislation and guidelines. For example low cost airlines have aggressive advertising campaigns to emphasize low fares which have become an issue with consumer protection legislation. Separate details of surcharges such as government tax, airport tax and fuel surcharge have to be included so that it does not consumers are not misinterpreted and misunderstood when buying a ticket. This is a threat to low cost airlines as it disregards the concept of low fares with all the taxes passed on by governments and aviation authorities. Low cost airlines can be substantially threatened with EU regulations and laws which can lower profits and damage the reputation of an airline with a negative image. Environmental Natural disasters such as the 2010 Iceland Volcano which caused 14,000 Ryanair flights cancelled. Costs of the 2010 Iceland disruption to the global airline industry soared to  £1.1bn according to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (Iata) (Guardian.co.uk, 2010). This threat to the airline industry faced by natural disasters such as the Iceland volcano can occur at any time and stop people from travelling costing airlines major disruptions with delays or cancellations. Emissions used by the airline industry have been increasingly growing rapidly over recent years, increasing 98% between 1990 and 2006 with predications of further increases to another 88% by 2050. This threat to the aviation industry enforcing airlines to pay for carbon dioxide and lower profits (Ftadviser.com, 2011). Porter’s five forces Porter points out the five forces which consist of bargaining power of suppliers, buyers, threat of potential new entrants and threat of substitutes to the industry. A company can adapt to the forces in order to increase chances of gaining sustainable competitive advantage and profitability. In understanding the strategic decisions a company has to make, it can be useful to look at the five forces of rivalry amongst the firm, substitution, new entry, the power of customers and the power of suppliers. Figure 1.1: Porters five forces Source: (Fouris and Oswald, 2006) Barriers of entry: to obtain aircrafts is extremely expensive and acquiring a basis at airports is also difficult (Gross and Schrà ¶der, 2007). With the success of Southwest airlines and deregulation and liberalization of the airline industry has allowed 40 budget airlines in the airline such as Easy Jet. This level is high as a result of these factors. Substitution- for the short haul flights, the substitute products include car, train and boat services. Travelling by train is clearly a substitute choice for travellers as it is high speed or travelling by car with the many motorway links available can have an impact. Technology can also be a substitute, for example business travellers may choose to conference skype calls over the internet. This level is moderate as flying is the main method of travelling long distances at a shorter time. Bargaining power of buyers: consumers can now purchase their own tickets from low cost airlines and can choose airlines with for higher level of quality, better service and lower price. Customers have the power to easily switch to another product that have lower prices with the ease of the internet (Hitt, et al, 2008). This popularity of comparison internet sites allows passengers to compare flight prices and choose the lowest cost airline of their choice. Therefore to survive with these intense factors airlines have to provide lowest fares to attract customers which is important for budget airlines and as a result the power of buyers is high as they consumers choose lowest fares causing risk of survival to an airline. Bargaining power of suppliers: Airlines rely heavily on the inputs for the company to survive which would be fuel, materials for the planes, services and manpower. Airlines either use Boeing or Airbus together with high maintenance fees, training staff. Additionally with the increase of cost for fuel to $50bn in 2011 resulted in travelers paying higher prices for tickets (Reuters.com, 2011). Therefore these inputs have high bargaining power over airlines as it can affect profits of an airline substantially. Competitor rivalry: may occur from price competition, product differentiation, advertising against other competitors is likely to affect the business (Bowhill, 2008). The intense rivalry occurs between low fares carriers are Ryanair, Easyjet and the carriers that provide ‘frills’ service with lower fares are British Midland Airways. Rivals also have to invest high capital investment and have a unique selling point to attract a large majority of customers and offer significant discounts and special offers. According the annual reports of Ryanair and Easy Jet, in 2010 Ryanair carried over 66 million passengers in comparison to Easy Jet carrying just 34 million. Therefore the airline’s low cost model delivers increased revenue and passenger growth as customers seek cheaper flights and benefit from price wars between airline fares. However budget airlines are still affected by rivalry with Ryanair and Easy Jet competing for customers flying with no frills airlines and the level of competitor rivalry is moderate. Conclusion Finally the analysis has demonstrated the attractiveness for the budget airline based on the ease of entry regulations and with the low expenditure costs lower than charter airlines that provide more service. The unstable environment has led to an increase in fuel costs with airlines paying heavily for their supply and in contrast the unpredictable economic environment has caused consumers to spend less and look for cheaper travel and prefer budget airlines such as Ryanair. Even though there is intense rivalry between airlines, budget airlines have an attractive strategy with more airlines using the low cost model to compete for passengers. Part 2: Internal analysis The internal factors of Ryanair’s concerns strengths and weaknesses to assess the extent to which the strategies for the airline in order to be successful, these summarizes the internal business environment and the capabilities (Johnson et al., 2002). The strengths of Ryanair are: The company has a successful low cost model benefitting from low expenses by using staff to clean the plane, passengers have to pay to print boarding pass reducing the need for staff at check in desks and take advantage of the internet to sell tickets. Ryanair’s low fares are aimed at encouraging demand especially with price sensitive leisure and business travellers that might choose alternative forms of transport method. Ryanair have set fares on the basis of demand on particular flights with higher fares on flights that have the highest demand for bookings booked nearer to the date of departure. Ryanairs competitors also do not operate on comparison sites and save commission or fees to other comparison websites. The company loses fewer bags and with 88% punctual flights compared to competitor’s ant explains why the company is a favorite airline for customers with over 73 million passengers in 2010 (Ryanair.com, Annual report 2010). Flights to secondary airports: the company offers point to point service on short haul flights to secondary and regional airports around the major hub centers and cities. The point to point routes rather than hub airports allow the company to provide direct nonstop flights and avoid the costs of providing services through connecting passengers, baggage transfers and transit passenger assistant costs. By choosing secondary locations allows convenience for a large majority of the population and is generally less crowded than in major airports. This has also resulted in on time flights, faster turnaround times, less terminal delays as well as more competitive airport access and handling costs or operating restrictions that can reduce expenses (Ryanair Annual Report, 2010). Low operating costs: Ryanair maintain low operating costs as a low budget airline company and aims to reduce costs in main areas which include: aircraft equipment, personnel productivity, customer service costs and airport access and handling costs. Weaknesses Ryanair have been negatively perceived as arrogant as the company does not take into consideration the competition by putting other low fares airlines out of business creating a bad image with negative media. Ryanair is viewed as not caring too much about customer needs or problems which reflect O’Leary’s opinion that customers pay low prices and get a good deal therefore should expect low standards. There have also been complaints for the extra payments for fees and taxes as well as paying higher prices for stowing luggage and onboard food and beverage. The company has also come across as having a negative reputation by having underpaid staff that are disciplined for any mistakes, work long hours and unhappy staff with staff (itfglobal.org, 2011). The company also charges  £5 for every purchase using bank card,  £40 for printing a boarding pass at the airport and  £100 for changing the name on the booking. Therefore customers often have to pay a lot more than they expected which makes Ryanair’s image appear dishonest (Ryanair.com, 2011). Porters value chain The generic strategies are concerned with the strategies of the company and at the micro level by exploring Porters model of the value chain. The value chain classifies the activities of the company and divided into primary and support activities used to identify the cost leadership strategy as illustrated in appendices b. The core competencies of Ryanair consist of maximizing revenues whilst providing a no frills low cost strategy and keeping logistics simple. This is maintained by Ryanair’s capability to lower operating costs such as aggressive online booking reducing the cost of staff and operate in secondary airports using Boeing 737-800. Through simple services and investing less on employees, Ryanair core competencies provide effective and efficient resource management. The primary activities involved in the inbound logistics of Ryanair consist of its 272 Boeing 737-800 planes that can carry 189 people and agreements to secondary airports. Ryanair have contract agreements with these large aircrafts with the ability to fly long hours and do not charge fuel surcharge (Ryanair.co.uk, 2010). Operations: Ryanair have lower unit costs as part of its operation and save costs through lower handling fees, landing fees in secondary airports and fast turnaround times with the capacity to utilize the aircraft at a shorter time. Ryanair operate in 1,110 routes and 1,400 flights a day from 44 bases. The efficiency of its operation supports the low cost strategy position with fast turnaround times, no meals on board and improved employee productivity (Ryanair.com, 2010). Financial analysis The strengths of Ryanair are quite clear. The company has been profitable with an increase in profits of 26% to â‚ ¬401m and operating profit increase by 28% to â‚ ¬516.2m in 2011. The figure below illustrates how the company increased passengers by 8% and revenue 16% by 2010. Figure 2.1: Summary Table of results (IFRS) in Euro Source: (Ryanair.com, 2011) Figure 2.2: Summary table for EasyJet Source: (Easyjet.com, 2011) As seen from the tables above it can be clear to differentiate the profit revenues. Profit after tax for Ryanair in 2010 was â‚ ¬138 million and for Easyjet was just  £121 million. Revenue for Easyjet in 2010 was  £2, 973 million in 2010 and  £2, 66 million in 2009 compared to Ryanair’s revenue in 2010  £18 million and  £16 million in 2009. According to Ryanair’s annual reports, revenues rose by 16% to â‚ ¬896.8m due to an 8% rise in traffic and a 5% increase in average fares in 2010. Ryanair has been able to gain a growth in revenue even during the financial recession which had a significant effect on other major airlines resulting in bankruptcy and closure. Due to its cost efficient methods through increased passenger traffic with its new routes and low prices Ryanair has been able to uphold its place as the number one low cost carrier. This difference also shows in Ryanair’s current ratio at 1.79 in 2010 compared to Easy jet only gaining 1.33. Conclusion From the internal analysis it is clear to see Ryanair’s low costs strategy means it is less affected than its competitors with its cost leadership. This has required the company to gain a large market share whereby it has purchased large quantities of planes and low cost operations has made shown that cost leadership is the only way to work for the future and globally. Ryanair has built a low cost culture however still needs to pay close attention to the external environmental factors including governmental policies and increased cost of fuel. The core cost savings mentioned has made the company highly successful with its short haul routes with standardized no frills services, higher seating density and its ticketless reservation system. Ryanair have succeeded by becoming a successful airline in Europe with the Southwest airline model and managed to grow its market segment of price sensitive customers through its no frills service. Bibliography Afuah, A. (2009) Strategic Innovation: New Game Strategies for Competitive Advantage. New York: Routledge. Beech, J. and Chadwick, S. (2006) The business of tourism management. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Bangkokpost.com (2011) Oil spike to push up airline losses. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/aviation/241328/oil-spike-likely-to-push- up-airline-losses. [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Betz, F. (2002) Executive Strategy: Strategic Management and Information Technology. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Bowhill, B. (2008) Business Planning and Control: Integrating Accounting, Strategy, and People. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Centreforinformation.com (2011) Jaw-dropping airline market capitalization. [Online]. Available at: http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2011/03/10/jaw-dropping-airline-market-capitalisation-facts-part-3/page1 [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Cherunilam, F. (2007) International business: text and cases. 4th Ed. New Delhi: Prentice Hall. Delfmann, W. (2005) Strategic management in the aviation industry. Ashgate: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Easyjet.com (2011) Annual Reports and Accounts. [Online]. Available at: http://corporate.easyjet.com/~/media/Files/E/easyJet/pdf/investors/result-center/easyJet_AR10_18_1_2011.pdf? [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Economist.com (2011) Aviation: Climbing through the clo uds: Airlines and the aircraft industry are belatedly being buffeted by globalization. [Online]. Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/18926285?story_id=18926285&fsrc=rss [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. Elfaa.com (2011) Press Release: Report shows low fares airlines are the future of air travel in Europe. http://www.elfaa.com/110418_ELFAA_PressRelease_LFAs_Market_Share_YorkAviation.pdf Ftadviser.com, (2011) Come fly with me. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ftadviser.com/FinancialAdviser/Investments/Sector/EthicalAndSRI/Features/article/20110519/da237554-59f2-11e0-8113-00144f2af8e8/Come-fly-with-me.jsp [Accessed on: 05 March 2011]. FT.com (2011) EasyJet Plc. [Online]. Available at: http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/financialsSummary.asp?s=uk:EZJ.[Accessed on: 03 July 2011]. FT.com (2011) Ryanair Holdings. [Online]. Available at: http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/financialsSummary.asp?s=ie:RY4B.[Accessed on: 03 July 2011]. Goeldner, C.R. and Ritchie, B.J.R. (2009) Tourism: Princi ples, Practices, Philosophies. 11th Ed. London: John Wiley and Sons. Guardian.co.uk (2011) Airline Industry profit slump oil. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/06/airline-industry-profit-slump-oil. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Guardian.co.uk (2010) Airline industry takes $1.7bn hit from volcanic ash disruption. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/21/airline-industry-cost-volcanic-ash. [Accessed on: 05 May 2011]. Guardian.co.uk (2011) Airlines to spend estimated â‚ ¬1.4bn on carbon permits in 2012. [Online]. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/mar/08/carbon-emissions-climate-change. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Gross, S. and Schroeder, A. (2007) Handbook of low cost airlines: strategies, business processes and market environment. Berlin: Hurbert and Co. Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R.E. (2009) Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization: concepts & cases. 8th Ed. Mason: Southwestern Cengage Learning. IATA.com (2011) Airline Industry 2011 Profit Outlook Slashed to $4 Billion. [Online]. Available at: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/pages/2011-06-06-01.aspx. [Accessed on: 12 June 2011]. Independent.co.uk (2011) Chief of airline industry attacks ‘tax bandit’ UK. [Online]. Available at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bus iness/news/chief-of-airline-industry-attacks-tax-bandit-uk-2293964.html. [Accessed on: 20 June 2011]. Independent.co.uk (2009) Ryanair it’s cheap not cheerful. [Online]. Available at:http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/consuming-issues-ryanair-its-cheap-not-cheerful-1781973.html. [Accessed on: 25 June 2011]. Itfglobal.org (2011) Campaigns. [Online]. 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Food and the Endless Waltz Essay

Akira Kurosawa’s seminal work Seven Samurai is a stirring and heart-rending commentary on 16th century Japan. The movie focuses on the rigid caste system of Japan where warriors fight while peasants farm to support them. The film’s artistic value makes it worthy of being called a Kurosawa masterpiece. However, it is in the lesson the film seeks to impart that is perhaps where the true genius of Kurosawa is seen. Set in the Sengoku Jidai, the century of war, the haughty warrior class are locked in an endless waltz of bloodshed while the food producing peasant, the true heart of Japan, are ignored though they always win in the end. For pure production value alone Seven Samurai was a masterpiece. Kurosawa introduced a number of filming techniques that would soon be mainstream fare for action films the world over. One example is the use of slow motion filming to emphasize the death of a main character. It was also the most expensive Japanese film of its time and is possibly the most successful Japanese film period. The premise of the film is as common as rice in Sengoku Jidai Japan. A group of bandits, either masterless samurai called Ronin or desperate peasants driven to banditry by the loss of their farms to the constant warfare, are terrorizing a village. Peasants lacking the skills and weapons to fight back they seek help from the Gentleman Warrior class known as Samurai. After much hardship they find Seven Samurai, well six considering that Kikuchiyo was just a pretender, who after much blood shed succeed in fending of the bandit. Ironically, instead of a victory parade or laurels they are ostracized by the people they just bled for. The main theme is the separation between the Warrior class and the peasants. The peasants humbly admit that they are incapable of fighting and are forced to go to the city and recruit Samurai who are willing to fight for mere three meals a day since that is all they can afford to pay. The haughty Samurai reject this offer since, as member of the gentleman warrior class they deserve better than three peasant meals a day as wages for their services. With the help of a grizzled veteran Samurai named Kanbei they managed to recruit Six Samurai plus a straggler named Kikuchiyo. They receive a cold welcome from the other villagers who fear them as much as they feared the bandits. This theme continues to be played out during the movie. In the past wounded, fleeing Samurai were killed and robbed by the villagers when the Samurai sought refuge there. The Seven Samurai are enraged at this brutality and nearly turn on their employers. The farmers are worried that the Samurai would take their young women and in fact one of the Samurai does carry on an affair with a village daughter. All this is the result of the age old tradition that only certain worthy individuals could become Samurai warriors. The rest of the rural folk are consigned to becoming peasants. The Samurai choose to break this tradition by training the local peasants to help them defend the village, albeit with limited success. The end of the movie displays the most poignant scene in the whole film. Four of the Samurai are slain but the village is sucessfully defended. Instead of showing gratitude, the villagers ignore the surviving Samurai and busy themselves with planting next year’s crop. Kanbei lament that â€Å"He has never won a battle† is given new meaning. Doubtless, the three surviving Samurai will move on to another of the endless battles of the era known as â€Å"The century of war† leaving the villagers in peace. Victory belongs not to the slain bandits nor the ostracized surviving Samurai but to the common peasants. They won because their life can now go back to normal to planting the life giving rice that sustains Japan to this day. True, they are maltreated by their lords, helplessly slaughtered in the battles, and at times forcibly conscripted as they were in the film. But the peasant’s life will continue, planting rice, water and tend the crop, then harvest just as he had for centuries, just as he will continue to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another theme is the superiority of modern technology over the old. Many subplots in the movie are about disabling the firearms of the bandits. There are fourty bandits and only seven Samurai but the Samurai are better skilled only the firearms give the bandits the upper hand. In fact all four of the Samurai killed died due to gunfire and not in honorable single combat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally there is the wisdom of Kikuchiyo. He was a phony Samurai lacking the high-birth of a proper member of the warrior class. Yet with the exception of Kanbei perhaps he had the most significant role in the movie. He is the one who sucessfully breaks the ice and convinces the Villagers to flee from their hiding places and meet the other Samurai. He was also the one who pointed out that the reason the fleeing Samurai are maltreated by the villagers is because they too absorbed cruel treatment from the warrior class. It was mainly through his wisdom and understanding, he is not actually a Samurai but a farmer’s son, that the Samurai and the villagers are able to work together in harmony. Truly, despite his unworthy roots and oafish behavior he is probably the most ‘Samurai’ of the seven. He dies a noble and worthy death avenging a fallen comrade and slaying the leader of the bandits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier, Seven Samurai is a testimony to the skill of Akira Kurosawa in both writing and directing. The films shows the suffering of the peasants during the Sengoku Jidai. The Samurai win victories only to waltz on to another of the endless battles perhaps to win or perhaps to die. But after the warrirors leave the food producing peasant will stay in his field and contiue planting his life giving crop. Sources Kurosawa, Akira â€Å"Seven Samurai† (26 April 1954)   

Supply Chain Risk Management

Supply Chain Risk Management Introduction Risk is one of the concepts that continuously attract the attention of business administrators and scholars. This paper is aimed at discussing this notion within the context of supply chain management. In particular, it is necessary to examine the theories and models that can be used to manage risks and increase organizational resilience to internal and external threats. This report will consist of several sections.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Supply Chain Risk Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More First, one should provide the definitions of main concepts such as internal and external risk. Furthermore, this paper will include a review of research articles that can be used to identify different theoretical frameworks or models of supply chain risk management. Overall, one can say that the current research is oriented toward two aspects of risks, namely probability and impact on the sustainabi lity. It should be noted that existing approaches to supply chain risk management cannot be universally applied. As a rule, they were designed to respond to the problems faced by certain types of companies or industries. This is one of the limitations that should be considered. Definitions of the main concepts Overall, the notion of risk can be interpreted as the possibility of loss, hazard, or any other undesirable event. However, researchers, who examine this term from an organizational perspective, describe it as a â€Å"variation in the distribution of possible outcomes, their likelihoods, and their subjective values† (Christopher Peck 2004, p. 4). Therefore, risk is closely connected with the deviation from the established norm. It should be noted that there are two types of risks, namely internal and external. Internal risks take their origins in the inside operations of an organization, in particular, the decisions of the management, structure, RD policies, planning, and so forth (Lin Zhou 2011, p. 164). Each of these aspects lies within the scope of managerial responsibilities. This is one of the details that should be considered. In turn, external risks can be attributed to the factors cannot be controlled or eliminated by the management. For example, one can speak about such threats as natural disasters, political upheavals, or technological catastrophes that can produce detrimental effects on a company. Additionally, it is important to examine such a concept as supply chain management (SCM). Certainly, one can offer several definitions of this term. Yet, researchers usually describe it as the way to control the flow of goods from the suppliers of raw materials to the end users of a product (Sinha, Whitman Malzahn 2004, p. 154). This term is important for understanding the questions that will be discussed.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More Overall, supply chain risk management (SCRM) can be described as a set of activities that are aimed at identifying various risks and minimizing their probability or influence on an organization. To a great extent, it is a set of activities that are supposed to make a company less vulnerable or susceptible to various threats. For example, the development of a contingency plan is one of the activities included in SCRM. This plan is supposed to give step-by-step instructions that should be carried out provided that a certain event takes place (Christopher Peck 2004). In particular, many companies develop contingency plans to reduce the impact of disruptions. This is one of the possible problems that should be addressed. There are different types of supply chain risks, for instance, one can mention delays, disruptions, forecast risks, procurement risk, the failure to collect receivables, and many other threats (Chopra Sodhi 2004, p. 54). These risks can be attributed to be internal and external factors. These are the main details that can be identified. Literature review It is possible to single out various sources that can throw light on different theories and models that can be helpful for identifying, assessing, or mitigating supply chain risks. On the whole, one can argue that various authors do not always explicitly identify a theory or model that they follow while conducting their research. Yet, it is possible to understand what kind of frameworks they rely on. For example, it is possible to discuss the article written by Martin Christopher and Helen Peck (2004) who discuss the methods of constructing a resilient supply chain. The authors focus on the strategies adopted in various industries such as food retailing, automotive manufacturing, food packaging, and so forth (Christopher Peck 2004, p. 2).The scholars attempt to answer several research questions. First, they try to determine how organizations can reduce the impact of external th reats on their business processes (Christopher Peck 2004, p. 1). Secondly, researchers want to reduce the costs associated with SCRM. These scholars attempt to develop a model of a resilient supply chain. To a great extent, it is based on the contingency theory according to which the management should concentrate on the environment in which the business operates. This theoretical framework implies that one cannot fully eliminate the probability of a certain risk. However, business administrators can develop strategies that can help a company withstand the influence of these environmental factors. This approach can be distinguished because it can enable an organization to remain sustainable at the time of crisis.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Supply Chain Risk Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In their article, Omera Khan and Marting Christopher (2008) discuss the relevance of product design to SCRM. Th ey study this question within the context of such industries as fashion retail and clothing manufacturing (Khan Christopher 2008, p. 412). These authors show how companies can improve their SCRM by viewing design as a component of supply chain. Moreover, they demonstrate how this partnership can be established. These are the main questions that these researchers examine. One of their arguments is that designers and suppliers should closely interact with one another in order to reduce the probability of supply chain risks (Khan Christopher 2008, p. 418). This study illustrates the application of the stakeholder theory which is used for the management of risks. According to this approach, the stakeholders, who may have various interests, can represent the supply chain. More importantly, different problems can be addressed or avoided if various participants are able to cooperate with one another in order to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings. This is the main principles that sho uld be followed. This framework should be disregarded because in many cases, supply chain problems can be attributed to miscommunication or lack of coordination. It can be a valuable tool for reducing the probability of risk. The importance of design is examined Yong Lin and Li Zhou (2011). In particular, these scholars explore the impact of changes in design on various supply chain risks (Lin Zhou, 2011, p. 162). They look at the way in which this issue manifests itself in the special-purpose vehicle industry. There are several questions which these researchers discuss. First, they try to determine whether a certain risks can occur due to design changes requested by clients (Lin Zhou, 2011, p. 164). Secondly, they focus on the impact of such requests on the functioning of the supply chain. Overall, their findings suggest that such changes in design often lead to external and internal supply chain risks that can be related to production process or delivery of goods to clients. Thi s study is also based on the stakeholder theory of risk. Additionally, it is possible to review the article written by Sunil Chopra and ManMohan Sodhi (2004) who study the ways of avoiding supply-chain breakdowns. These scholars discuss a variety of supply chain risks to which a business can be exposed. Overall, they do not test a certain hypothesis or answer research questions. Instead, they survey a set of methods that can mitigate various risks. One can say these scholars present a model of a resilient supply chain that is able to withstand the impact of environmental factors. Such an approach is useful for reducing the impact or risks.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One can also speak about the work of Pankai Sinha, Larry Whitman, and Don Malzahn (2004). These researchers strive to develop techniques for the mitigation of risks that can affect the supply chain in the aerospace industry. They scholars do not discuss a specific research question or a hypothesis. They are more interested in identifying techniques which enable the managers to reduce the probability and impact of risks. This article illustrates the so-called IDEFO model of managing risk (Sinha, Whitman, Malzahn 2004, p. 166). The model is premised on the idea that supply chain managers should be ready for the worst-case scenarios. By relying on stress testing, they can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Furthermore, these professionals should adopt the policy of continuous improvement (Sinha, Whitman, Malzahn 2004, p. 166). This model can be singled out because it is a useful technique for evaluating the resilience of the supply chain. The article written b y Steen Christiansen and Jesper Jensen (2009) is also worth attention because it illustrates the application of such a model as the fishbone diagram as a method of improving the work of the supply chain. This study is aimed at discussing packaging performance qualification (Christiansen Jensen 2009, p. 77). In particular, the scholars want to determine â€Å"the minimum performance qualification batch size for assembly and packaging processes† (Christiansen Jensen 2009, p. 77). These processes can be viewed as important elements of the supply chain. The writers show how a fishbone diagram can be used to identify the causes of various problems or variations in the functioning of the supply chain (Christiansen Jensen 2009, p. 83). This model is helpful for understanding the pinpointing the weaknesses in the supply chain. This is why it should not be overlooked. This use of this model is also described in the article by Angela Tidwell and Scott Sutterfield (2012). The main go al of their study is to discuss the selection of suppliers with the help of such a tool as Quality Function Deployment (2012, p. 284). They researchers focus on the needs of businesses that are engaged in toothpaste packaging (Tidwell Sutterfield 2012, p. 284). The main task is to exemplify the common challenges that companies face when choosing among various suppliers. These authors also illustrate the application of the fishbone diagram. Apart from that, it is possible to look at the article written by Craig Carter and Dale Rogers (2008). To some degree, it can throw light on the use of resource dependence theory. These authors carry out a survey of scholarly articles illustrating theoretical perspectives on the causes of supply chain risks and ways of mitigating them. In this way, they attempt to single out the most relevant approaches to SCRM. For instance, large manufacturers prefer vertical integration. In other words, they prefer to take complete control of their suppliers ( Carter Rogers 2008, p. 272). This strategy is consistent with the principles of resource dependence theory according to which organizations strive to maximize their control of resources such as labor, technologies or raw materials (Carter Rogers 2008). In turn, vertical integration of the supply chain is a way of reducing the probability of risk. Overall, this perspective is useful for explaining the long-term strategies of large manufacturers. Furthermore, one can look the article written by Anthony Paulrai and Chen Injaazz (2011). These authors discuss such a phenomenon as environmental uncertainty and its impact on SCM of various businesses. They want to show how organizations try to become more self-sufficient and reduce the threats to its supply chain. This is the main research question that they focus on. In their opinion, the main trend in SCRM is the integration of supply partners (Paulrai Injaazz 2011, p. 37). This study is also based on the use of resource dependence th eory. The peculiarities of vertical integration are examined in the study carried out by Wei Guan and Jacob (2012). These researchers examine the use of this approach by timber manufacturers (Guan Rehme 2012). The scholars intend to understand the factors that prompt various businesses to adopt this approach. This is the main issue that they are interested in. Overall, timber manufacturers focus on vertical integration because it is critical for responding to the needs of clients (Guan Rehme 2012). In order to do it, they need to make sure that suppliers are effectively managed. So, this way of removing risks takes its origins in the resource dependency theory. These are the most important aspects that can be identified in these articles. Conclusion This analysis indicates that there are different models of supply chain risk management, and each of them has its strengths and weaknesses. First of all, one can say that some of the existing models and theories are mostly aimed at imp roving organizational capacity to respond to risks or threats. For instance, a contingency theory of risk implies that a company should be ready to respond to the changes in external environment. Therefore, their main purpose is to mitigate the impact of risks. In turn, other frameworks show how the probability of risks can be reduced. It seems that an organization should combine these approaches in order to become more effective. However, one should critically evaluate the applicability of different models and theories. Many of them have been tested only within the context of some specific industries or organizations. These are the main arguments that can be put forward. References Carter, C. Rogers, D 2008, ‘A framework of sustainable supply chain management: moving toward new theory’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 360-387. Chopra, S Sodhi, M 2004, ‘Managing Risk To Avoid Supply-Chain Breakdownâ€℠¢, MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 53-61. Christiansen, S.H. Jensen, J.B.T. 2009, Packaging Performance Qualification-A Risk-Based Approach, Journal of Validation Technology, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 77-85. Christopher, M Peck, H 2004, ‘Building the resilient supply chain’, International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1-13. Guan, W. Rehme, J. 2012, ‘Vertical integration in supply chains: driving forces and consequences for a manufacturers downstream integration’, Supply Chain Management, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 187-201. Khan, O Kristopher, M 2008, ‘The impact of product design on supply chain risk: a case study’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 412-432. Lin, Y Zhou, L 2011, ‘The impacts of product design changes on supply chain risk: a case study’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 162 -186. Paulraj, A. Chen, I.J. 2007, Environmental Uncertainty and Strategic Supply Management: A Resource Dependence Perspective and Performance Implications, Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 29-42. Sinha, P., Whitman, L., Malzahn, D 2004, ‘Methodology to mitigate supplier risk in an aerospace supply chain’, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 154-168. Tidwell, A. Sutterfield, S 2012, Supplier selection using QFD: a consumer products case study, The International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 284-294.

Love is in the Air †How the World Gets Ready for Romance

Love is in the Air – How the World Gets Ready for Romance Love is In the Air: How the World Gets Into the Romantic Mood Valentine’s Day is almost here. Florists tell us that this is the biggest sales day they have all year. Candy stores stock up for their big sale day too. And jewelry stores start advertising on TV, social media, and anywhere else they can find a spot. More couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day than any other day of the year. Even though Valentine’s Day has some dark history in its beginning, no one cares. It’s the day that love is celebrated. Go, how do we get ready for romance? Here are a few ways. If you haven’t tried them, now is the time to experiment. Rent Some Movies A few days before the big day, begin to watch some romantic movies with your significant other. Some great options are: â€Å"Sleepless in Seattle† – two strangers, one little boy – it’s a match â€Å"Titanic† – tragic, but oh the love â€Å"Pretty Woman† – people from very different backgrounds can still fall in love â€Å"Ghost† – another tragic love story, but love is still eternal â€Å"The Notebook† – forbidden love can triumph One a night for 5 nights before Valentine’s Day should do the trick. Download Your Favorite Romantic Songs Play these often in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. The mood just gets more and more romantic. Here are a few suggestions: â€Å"Let’s Get it On† – Marvin Gaye â€Å"50 Candles† – Boyz II Men â€Å"Crash Into Me† – Dave Matthews Band â€Å"Just Because† – Johnny Mathis â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon† – Julie London â€Å"The Longer We Make Love† – Barry White You probably have others that are your favorites. The criteria is that they make you feel romantic and ready for love. A Romantic Dinner It doesn’t have to be at a restaurant. Candles, low lighting, a favorite meal, and lots of wine – a definite recipe for romance Dress Nothing gets romance going better than some totally sexy outfits – buy a few and sport them just before the big day. Save the best for that romantic dinner. Poetry Think ahead on this one. If you don’t feel creative but want to show thought and effort, contact a custom writing service and have one of their creatives craft the perfect poem. You can personalize it by giving your writer details about your love. Flowers Of course, red roses are the flower of choice on Valentine’s Day. Sending them to a woman at her place of work is particularly smart, because then she can show to everyone else how much she is loved by her man and how thoughtful he is. Valentine’s Day Around the World Japan: Role reversal is the â€Å"rule.† This is the day that women shower their men with gifts – usually chocolate. This tradition also exists in S. Korea and Taiwan. But there is also a â€Å"White Day later on when the roles are reversed. Denmark and Norway: Valentine’s Day has only recently begun to be celebrated in these two countries, but it is celebrated by men writing short little poems to women anonymously. If the woman guesses the name of the send, he must then give her an Easter egg on Easter. If she fails, she has to give him an egg on Easter. Wales: In Wales, a man shows his love for a woman by presenting her with a spoon. This goes way back to when men were gone to sea for long periods of time and spent their free time carving intricate spoons from wood and presenting them to their love upon their return. In America we have roses; in Wales are the spoons! A national day of love is a good thing. And it doesn’t have to just be between man and woman. It is a great day for parents and children to show their love for one another too.

Describe the factors that influence the cost of maintenance. Are any Essay

Describe the factors that influence the cost of maintenance. Are any factors more important then others Why - Essay Example Of the above mentioned factors the most important factor is the quality of systems design. Creating a well documented system allows all other aspects of the systems to be traceable and with complete evidence. Hence any latent issue or technical issue that might come up can be easily resolved. Also, all the communication and messages are more accurately sent to the intended users. Although the development of strong and quality system documentation can prove to be an expensive and time consuming task, this allows the other possible issues in the future to be resolved more easily and fast, which thereby lead to reduced maintenance costs (Hoffer, George and Valacich). Quality documentation also allows upgrades and changes to be made more easily and any person with proper knowledge of the platform on which the system operates can use the documentation to maintain the system

The value of CREATIVITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The value of CREATIVITY - Essay Example On the same token, creativity is the need for being fresh, novel and absolutely unique so that the complex stimulation comes about of age in the most apt manner. This paper will explore the basis of creativity and how it has been able to change beliefs, shape ideas and transform different understandings into the molds and lives of the people at large. Creativity is a much desired proposition, more so on the part of the people who believe in its magic. Creativity is all about communicating ideas, values, beliefs and opinions, though in differential settings, ways and means. Creativity is indeed the magic that binds people in wholly different mannerisms and it asks of them to appreciate the creative talent that a person has demonstrated for that matter. Therefore it is a very important element of bringing sanity within the ranks of different work avenues. Within the fields of culture and business, creativity has its most say. This is because these two areas depict the need for having creativity and thus manifest the exact basis of success in the most apt manner possible. It also goes to show that creativity will rule the roost of the cultural and business quarters if the desire is there to succeed. Within the cultural contexts, creativity comes of age when the people are relying a great deal on the people to people interactions (Cr opley 2006). It means that their associations, linkages and relationships are being justified in such a manner that success will eventually shape up in the most appropriate way. It would not be wrong to state here that creativity under the aegis of culture would manifest success, harmony and development for all the right reasons. It would also dictate the basis of finding out the exact details which will embody cultural bonding amongst the people, making them realize as to how they can effectively counter the movements