Loblaw Companies Limited: Preparing for Wal-Mart Supercenters

Case 16 1. The grocery industry is a commoditized industry, which makes it difficult for grocers to sustain through differentiation. Buyer power is high and thus, cost leadership and operational efficiencies are critical. There is fierce competition amongst various grocery stores, with the main players such as Loblaw and A&P holding multi-banner stores in various market segments. Traditional grocery stores also lose some of their market share to drug stores, convenience stores and other retailers who have entered the industry. Threat of substitutes from fast-food and take- away outlets is not as prevalent, since many grocery stores have started stocking ready-to-eat meals and have deli services available for consumers. Competitive pressures are increasing in the industry with the potential entry of Wal-Mart and new delivery methods such as the internet. 2. grocery store industry witnessed a lot of changes. Competitive pressures in the industry are increasing and several new competitors including wal-mart are entering the market. New methods of delivery such as the interned are making it difficult and challenging for traditional based stores to comply. Customer preferences are diversifying and different demands are increasing. In addition to the price war that strike the markets. The maturity of the industry, characterized by flat demand combined with the growth aspiration of the dominant suppliers makes the industry a competitive battleground. Competitors work toward driving costs down while responding to swiftly changing consumer tastes. Grocery managers therefore are challenged to provide the marketing mix of tomorrow, emphasizing speed, flexibility, and early identification of trends directed at segmented and rapidly evolving markets. The mass consumer market has been replaced by hundreds of highly diversified mini-markets for which grocery companies have to design custom made solutions. 3. Key Success Factors of the grocery industry include the following: Low cost operations; leading to lower prices Convenient locations and large stores Wide product ranges; good quality Value added services; customer loyalty programs Cutting-Edge technology, both front-end and back-end Looking at the above factors, there are many opportunities for Canadian grocers to improve on their services such as vertical integration as supplier/distributor, innovative technologies like RFID, and global expansion Loblaw's unique tangible resource is that they own 63% of their corporate stores real estate properties. As mentioned above, the grocery industry is heavily commoditized and competitive. The Canadian market leader, Loblaw, serves a broad target market and integrates a low cost strategy with product and process differentiation. Through their multi-banner approach, they leverage their core competencies across multiple businesses. The biggest winner for the company had been the multi format approach. The company also holds about 60% of the real estate where they operate giving the benefit to change. The company refurnish the stores every 5 years when the industry norms are 7 years. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths: Strong Market Share Broad Product Portfolio Diversified Store Format Low prices with good quality items at all franchises Great customer service/customers have a say in the company Noticeably friendly workers Constantly looking for areas of improvement Array of services Canadian unlike foreign competitors like wallmart Weaknesses: Low Online Operations Limited Geographical Presence Opportunities: Rise in Demand for Private Labels Strategic Plans Rising Demand for Organic Products Opening new stores helps them become more competitive The unfortunate economy will create a new wave of customers looking for cheaper prices Threats: Expiry Of Agreement With Labor Union Highly Competitive Market Wal-Mart Business Partnerships Higher prices on certain items makes them less competitive in those areas (electronics and household furniture). By the above S. W. O. T analysis, one can see that Loblaw’s KSF’s are on track and that they are headed in the right direction to bring them back on top. There is of course still work for Loblaw to do with their pricing, however that will come with time because when the company is doing better, they will be able to lower their prices even more. They are putting up a good fight though! Loblaws prices for certain items were only a mere 10-15 cents higher than that of Wal-Mart which demonstrates that they are climbing the ranks and will eventually pose as a threat to WalMart. Being pure Canadian company is also a core competency because many people enjoy supporting their country even if it means spending an extra 10-15 cents. These key factors (low prices, better quality products, great customer service, and being Canadian) will help Loblaw rise to the top again. 5. Lederer's plan to combat the threat of  Wal-Mart  Supercentre grocery stores turned bad on the company Consolidating its distribution centres, which supposedly made the supply chain more efficient, resulted in the departure of many of the chain's general merchandise buyers who were unwilling to move. There were numerous delays and coordination problems as suppliers had trouble shipping their goods to stores on time, and Loblaws was forced to mark it down in order to liquidate excess inventory. Expanding its inventory to general merchandise, supposedly to make a one-stop location like Wal-Mart Supercentres, was considered by many customers to be below the standards of Loblaws. Lederer stopped investing in its convential supermarkets and focused on building its major discount format, the real Canadian superstores. He spent 25 million dollars to motivate old employees to retire early as he turned traditional old stores into superstores. . This is a significant evaluation, because Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor, as well as one of the largest private sector employers. Loblaw operates under names such as The Real Canadian Superstore, Fertinos, Provigo, SuperValu, Zehrs, Atlantic Superstore, Loblaws, and Your Independent Grocer. Along with food and household products , Loblaw provides consumers with other services, such as banking, gas stations, pharmacies, photo developing, dry cleaning, and fitness centers. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of Loblaw was conducted through secondary research, using both internal and external sources. This report focuses on the goods distribution and marketing aspects of Loblaw, by exploring its history, primary products, social responsibilities, and financial position. Ratios of the past and present will be taken into consideration when researching and making recommendations. History Loblaw Companies Limited was incorporated in 1956 and it now employs over 122 000 part-time and full-time employees throughout its 990 branches. As a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, it has supplied the Canadian market with innovative products and services for more than 45 years. The superstore idea was first introduced to Western Canada in 1979. Loblaw operates in a highly competitive industry, challenged by many other supermarkets, such as Safeway. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of Loblaw Companies Limited is classified according to the functions of each department. Areas of specialization include: auditing, governance and compensation, pensions, environment, health and safety, and executive. Committee and team authority govern this tall, hierarchical organization, where individuals within the several layers report back to their superiors in the chain of command. Ultimately each senior vice-president reports to the executive vice-president, who in turn reports to the president of the company, who is responsible to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors itself is divided into five committees, which represent each area of specialization. Social Responsibility Loblaw demonstrates its social responsibilities in the following areas: Environment: Loblaw has various company policies concerning the environment, one of which demands that various operating sectors develop and implement waste reduction. Reports are given to the environmental committee operated by a sect of board of directors who are not directly employed by Loblaw. Attempting to project an environmentally friendly image, Loblaw announced in 2002, that all of their garden centers would be pesticide free by 2003. Their waste reduction initiative has seen positive results, as was the case in 1999, when it reduced solid waste by 75%, organic waste by 60% and water waste by 38%. Use of underground tanks has been decommissioned; in addition PCB’s and asbestos have been removed from company operatives. Employees: The philosophy that a company’s success is directly affected by the attitude of the employees, is put into action when Loblaw concentrates on coordinating positive relationships with their employees. Employee benefits include life or health insurance, dental insurance, and a pension plan. A stock option plan and an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP), which are administered through a trust, are also available. This allows employees to make five percent deductions from their regular earnings; Loblaw then contributes 15% of each employee’s contributions to the ESOP plan. Recruiting, hiring, and training are all done on a store-by-store basis. Loblaw maintains health and safety programs in its stores to address health and workplace safety. This system is also subject to compliance audits. Community: Charities such as Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, President Choice Children’s Charity, Easter Seals, the Canadian Merit Scholarship and many more benefit from Loblaw’s donations. Loblaw has purchased Maple Leaf Gardens, further developing its roots in the city of Toronto. Customers: Loblaw strives to have a good relationship with ts consumers through feedback, quality customer and product services. Programs such as the President’s Choice Financial MasterCard allow consumers to collect points, which are redeemable for goods within the store. Loblaw also attempts to get feedback from consumers through focus groups and surveys. However, Loblaw fails in the area of consumer responsibility by not allowing supplie rs to indicate whether or not their products are genetically engineered. The company goes as far as to demand that companies selling genetically engineered goods avoid proclaiming so on their labels. Investors: Loblaw is working towards being socially responsible to their investors by keeping them informed by releasing online annual reports and mailing them out. The company provides sustainable returns through dividends by reinvesting cash flow into the firm’s real estate and land. 7. loblaws was the largest supermarket chains in Canada. they opened a series of the real Canadian superstores in Ontario, where they expected wallmart to open their first food superstores. These were built as low-cost, one stop shopping destinations. The real Canadian superstores were as the size of two football fields and sold a combination of groceries and non-food items. Lederer consolidated the the companies distribution centers from 32 to 26 facilities, in order to increase the efficiency of the supply systems. He closed old warehouses and opened new ones in Brampton Ontario. Real Canadian superstore were located along walmart supercenters as if facing at war. Geographically wise they were allocated at same areas and when it comes to goods and commodities, the both handled non food items along with their usual groceries. The war did begin. 8. Galen Weston Jr. as supposed to rescue the company by fixing the broken delivery system. He started by managing a pilot online grocery business in Ontario. Galen along with his team outlined a new business plan. He studied the problems and found out that they have a big delivery problem and that they are still over-priced. He aimed to increase sales and earnings by cutting prices, offer ing more products, and improving customer service. Galen started working on investors and opening up in idols such as the maple leaf stadium in downtown which he turned into a grocery store as to gain people due to their passion to the hockey team which was a symbol at the ountry. Moreover he succeeded in becoming number one again. 9. Recommendations for Loblaw: A private label: a store like Loblaw’s needs a particular way it can standout the competition. They could approach the strategy of having private labels in store. Cut down on general merchandise: they should reduce low quality goods and focus on selling people groceries with good quality plus they should concentrate on groceries rather than electronics because too much diversity infects being the best at a certain field. Make the store attractive to the customers eyes: try to beat wal-mart by obtaining a store that is clean, decorated, high ceilings, no open boxes, attractive lighting and displays. Make the stores easy to roam and let commodities that are of the same interest be on a route that customers don’t pass by unwanted goods. Let people say this is the store I want to buy from. Supply chain management: its clear that the supply chains logistics used by Loblaw’s should be changed. Empty shelves phenomena should become extinct because it makes good stores look cheap and unreliable. Increase marketing: marketing and advertisement should be extreme and excessive especially when change happens, prices differ, and news are there. Promotions should reach customers well enough to gain or even regain their loyalty. People should know that the company recognized their mistakes and problems and solved them out. Downsize: close unprofitable stores, this will reduce payroll and increase the funding to solve damaged issues. Off coarse this is the last measure companies look at but its helpful at the long run.

Philosophy Exam Essay

I believe that the quote â€Å"Education makes music out of the noise that fills life† has a broader meaning to it than it first appears. People would first think of simply the context of it and conclude that it makes no sense, however, to me I think it means that through everyday life, knowing and really  understanding  what’s going on and knowing how to do things really makes everything flow and brings joy to yours and possibly others lives. Education puts together the pieces of life, if you didn’t life wouldn’t seem quite; It’s like music having no notes, having no certain rythm or pattern. It just wouldn’t make sense, but someone who knows music could come along and make the song flow smoothly, which was learnt through education and the will to understand and learn. 2. Philosophy is the love of wisdom. The need to learn and really understand what is going on around you and in your life. It’s knowing who you are and realizing what’s really important. There is no way of avoiding philosophy, it’s in peoples everyday lives. Everyday, even if you don’t notice it you are making an ethical decision or spotting someone else doing something morally wrong and stepping in; or you could be thinking about your life and making some changes and thinking of what’s really important. Without philosophy, you would never truly know yourself. 3. In â€Å"The Apology† written by Plato, Socrates really embodies the definition philosophy as â€Å"philo-sophia†. The term â€Å"philo-sophia† literally means the love of wisdom; and in â€Å"The Apology† Socrates is sacrificing himself for wisdom. He is being true to himself even when put on a death sentence and speaking for his life, he says the honest truth. As quoted by Socrates â€Å"and he only gives you the appearance of happiness, and I give you the reality. †. He always spoke what was right and even when people accused him of being crazy, he never was shaken by these comments. Even when he knew by saying such things may lose him votes, he said what was knowledgable and true. Quote by Socrates â€Å"I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times†¦ †. He gave wisdom to those around him in with his last breaths, and had no regrets. 4. Making an assertion, is much different from making an argument. When you make an assertion you are stating something and automatically saying there is no way you’re wrong. You’re saying your opinion without evidence or reasoning to back it up and prove you’re right. While making an argument is suggesting at the same time as stating your opinion  with  evidence and reason to back it up. One argument I remember in class is is if love is the only rational act. Many people believed it wasn’t the only rational act, but in my opinion it is. Real love is feeling the same way about another person endlessly and unconditionally. You see their flaws and still love them, waiting for them and spending time with them isn’t a burden to you. You enjoy time in the  now  when you are with them and you care for them as much as you care about yourself. Love is the only thing that seperates us from all other living things. 5. Knowledge is something all philosophers seek. It is a properly justified true belief. There are two components to knowledge; The first is belief. This is an important component to knowledge because beliefs make up who are, they chart our everyday lives and if we didn’t believe something, we wouldn’t do it and it wouldn’t be knowledge. The second component is truth. If the thing you believe isn’t true, than it is not knowledgable nor is it a proper belief. that is why, knowledge is a  properly justified  belief. 6. It is impossible to be an absolute skeptic because skeptics doubt everything and question everything. So, how can a skeptic be sure of his words? Without believing that his words are truer than others, he can’t even formulate his questions or challenges. If they didn’t believe anything, wouldn’t they have to believe that? Believe that nothing is true and that they themselves don’t believe anything? Therefore, it is impossible. Belief is inevitable in life. 7. I believe the quote â€Å"When you want to believe in something you also have to believe in everything that’s necessary for believing it† means that to truly believe something, you have to believe everything that comes along with it. Every detail and reason to why that belief is true, you also have to believe it. It relates to world view because a worldview is all of   your beliefs all compiled into one big belief of everything. In order to truly believe in your worldview, you have to believe everything else about it. A personal belief I have that illustrates this is my belief that Heaven is real. In order for me to truly believe it’s real I also have to believe in God, and in order to believe in god I have to believe that Satan is real, which would also require I believe there is a Hell. Which would also lead to believing that when you die you truly are judged for your life. One belief comes with many others. 8. â€Å"Is it correct? †, â€Å"Is it complete†, and â€Å"Is it coherent† are the three tests to measure a persons worldview. If you omit any of these tests, your worldview wouldn’t be true. You would damage your worldview or end up making it completely destroyed. 9. The Principle of Belief and Conservation are reasons why you should and/or shouldn’t believe something/ a proposition. Taking a stand towards a belief would require you doubting a lot of your current beliefs; you have no good reason or doubt all these beliefs; and no compelling reason to take a stand on the new proposition. When they beliefs pass their own test, everyone believes it to be true because there isn’t a way anyone can prove different. The Principle of Belief and Conservation cannot be used when trying to prove that Sense experience, Memory, or Testimony is true. It can only prove Basic Beliefs. 10. What William James meant by â€Å"Precursive Faith† is not just sitting back and waiting for the world to show us what is really true. You have to believe before you have evidence that is is really true, you must embrace all the truth you can. Taking this more positive approach will open you up to new things and experiences and discovering more beliefs. A time I had to use precursive faith was when I was little, even though now it doesn’t seem like a big deal, to me it was then. I had a pet fish I loved a lot and it got sick, and to cure it we had to give it this medicine that could either save its life or make the death come faster. I had to believe it would work, because if I didn’t do it my fish would die; and even though it could cause its death, it could also save it. So we gave the medicine to it and thankfully it cured the sickness. If I didn’t take this leap of faith, I would have lost something important to me. 11. The Virtue Theory relates to the idea of teleology for the human life because the virtue theory is if you are interested in true happiness, you must aim for all the virtues, which are certain charasteristics all human beings have. Encouraging and having these qualaties lead to human flourishing and a truly good and happy person. it relates too teleology because it is when you do something good and you hit the target and you fufilled your purpose, which in the end would make you happy. Therefore, when portraying one of the virtues that are necessary into being happy, and something good coming out of it you are â€Å"Hitting the target† and you are a good person. 12. A truly virtuous action must consider the motive, the action, and the context because in order for it to be truly good you must be aiming for something good and expecting something good. If you are being kind, only to get something you want is not virtuous. If you are being Loving someone just for there money, or you are saving a cat from a tree just so people can see you as a good person; it is not truly virtuous and doesn’t make you a good person. 13. â€Å"Money buys Happiness†   is not true in my opinion. Although money may buy you expensive things you want, food you love, the newest trend that â€Å"you must have† because everyone has it, it won’t make you truly happy. You may be happy when you get it, but does it really make you a happier person? You can’t buy your way through life, you can’t buy things and expect people to love you and really want to be with you. They may act like it, but not for you, for your money. When you are lonely and need someone to talk to, can you really buy someone who truly wants to listen and be there for you? Can you buy a wife or husband who will truly love you? No, and without affection and care from others, you cannot live a truly happy life. 14. I think the three most important characteristics of a philosopher are Openness, Truthfulness, and Boldness. A philosopher has many beliefs and has any of his or her own reasons to believe them, but if another person says something which makes more sense than what they believed, they must have  openness  and listen and possibly believe this new idea. The things philosophers believe must be true and have a good reason behind it, and when asked philosophers must state their true belief and have true reason behind it; that is why Philos ophers must havetruthfulness. Lastly, Philosophers must have  boldness  because if everyone else goes against his or her opinion, he musn’t back down just because the majority disagrees. He has to be bold and confident and stand for his ideas if he has better reason to believe so. 15. Plato stated that â€Å"Philosophy begins with Wonder†. I think he stated this because without wonder, nobody would have questions. And without questions, nobody would have anything to have an opinion; which would result in nobody striving for truth. And philosophy without truth isn’t complete. Two things I wonder about which spark philosophical reflection are, what is truly good, and what is my purpose in life.

Joesph Plum Martin Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier

Revolutionary Soldier During Joseph Martin journey in the revolution war he found himself not agreeing with many of the things the other soldiers were used to doing. The other soldiers were used to always getting what they wanted, when they wanted it. In order to do this, whenever they needed something, such as food they would just barge into nearby homes and demand for what they wanted. Most home owners knew that if they didn't do what the soldiers asked, that things would go very bad quickly. Meaning a large amount of the home owners would just be friendly and give the soldiers what they wanted just to keep the peace.Also some of the home owners enjoyed getting a visit from the soldiers because it made them fell wanted and thankfully to help support a fellow soldier. Martin didn't have the same view as many of the soldiers did on this certain activity. Well he was involved with doing that activity he would feel guilty and wanted to apologize to the family because he didn’t t hink they deserved such a thing. He didn’t enjoy doing it because he believed it was rude and that they were abusing their power of authority. Before he went to war he learned right from wrong and would never imagine doing such a thing to innocent citizens in the area.The only reason that he would participate in this activity was because Soldiers during the war had been doing it prior to when he entered the war and he didn't want to deal with all the others soldiers by telling them his real opinion on it. Also he needed the items the other soldiers were asking for as well but just wanted there to be another way for them to get it. Even though he didn't agree with many of the things he had to do while he was gone at war, going into other people's home uninvited was the thing he disagreed with the most. Even thought he was there for many days, they were a few days that he remembered quite well.One day he remembered was when he was just relaxing at the cabin he was staying at wi th some fellow soldiers, when two lovely women come over to talk to them. They had a great conversion with the ladies, and the ladies ended up inviting them over to their place to visit more. Soon after arriving at the ladies place, the ladies expressed to the soldiers that their closest neighbors weren't very respectful to them. † when the mother observed that it had been quite cross and crying all Martin, â€Å"I have been threatening,† said she, â€Å"to give her to the Yankees. â€Å"Take care,† said the wagoner, â€Å"how you speak of the Yankees, I have one of them here with me. † â€Å"La! † said the woman, â€Å"is he a Yankee? I thought he was a Pennsylvanian;—I I don’t see any difference between him and other people†. The men didn't like that because they believed that all women should be treated with respect. As the soldiers they were, they decided to all march over to the ladies neighbors and demand for food in a vi olent way. At first when the soldiers arrived the man who opened the door wanted to put up a fight and not let the soldiers demand for items they needed just because for who they were.Soon after the man realized he wasn't going to win the fight he let the soldiers come inside his house and told his wife to make some bread. Everything turned out fine, the soldiers got what they wanted and the neighbors didn't get hurt. Although Martin wished they would of aproshed the situation differently and more safely. In most situation Martin at least understand why the soldiers would go to ransoms people house, it was because they had something they needed. But one day was different and Martin really didn't agree with the other soldiers. but when we came to their stables, then look out for the women; take what horse you would, it was one or the others â€Å"pony† and they had no other to ride to church; and when we had got possession of a horse we were sure to have half a dozen or more w omen pressing upon us, until by some means or other, if possible, they would slip the bridle from the horse’s head, and then we might catch him again if we could† On this day they soldiers decided to go into the local village in order to get some items they needed.Well at least that is what Martin thought. After they got there the soldiers were crazy and were taking everything they could even if they didn’t need it in the first place. Like the good man he was, Martin turned out only taking the necessary items he personal needed. By doing that it left the village a mess and all the villagers scared and upset. Also making Martin very unpleased with his fellow soldiers. Even though Martin didn't agree with making innocent citizens in the area give them what they wanted or else.Or messing up a village for items they needed along with unnecessary items. Martin decided early on during this war experience that he was just going to go with the flow of what everyone else was doing. That way he doesn't had to end up telling the soldiers his opinion and deal with any conflict there may be with it. He was afraid of the superiors reaction to what he thought and he didn’t want to be punished for his thoughts.Even though his biggest trouble during the war was taking items from innocent citizens, there were many other circumstances that troubled him as well such as the conditions that he had to work under where horrible and they contributed to many people getting sick. â€Å"I had the small pox favorably as did the rest, generally; we lost none; but it was more by good luck, or rather a kind Providence interfering, than by my good conduct that I escaped with life. † They marched and marched and they would push their bodies to the limit.They fought under tough conditions and through the winter without a reliable way to get warm. Joseph Really did not like this at all he wanted to be warm and be able to stay healthy. Throughout this book Martin had many views on the revolutionary war. Most of them were negative such as he didn’t like taking supplies from the villages. The conditions of the war were really rough and he ended up getting small pox from that. He nearly lost his life from the small pox.His view before he entered the war and his view after were completely different. The war changed him and his view on the whole thing. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Martin, Joesph P. A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier. USA: First Signet Classics Printing, 2001. Print. Ch4 [ 2 ]. Martin, Joesph P. A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier. USA: First Signet Classics Printing, 2001. Print. Ch4 [ 3 ]. Martin, Joesph P. A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier. USA: First Signet Classics Printing, 2001. Print. Ch 3

DISSERTATION (Research Methodology ) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

(Research Methodology ) - Dissertation Example As found in the literature, psychic distance is critical to strategy formulation. Accordingly, the cultural attitude and the behaviour of the target segment are essential to devise the right marketing strategy. The students have become demanding and the programme curricula need to be revisited to suit the changed economic environment globally. DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE METHODS There are several ways to conduct research and the two most common ways are logical positivism or phenomenological interpretation. Logical positivism allows the hypotheses to be formulated in advance and is quantitative in nature based on experimental methods (Amaratunga et al, 2002). In implementing this method of research the researcher should ensure independence of the observer from the subject being observed. In the interpretive method, a qualitative approach is used and efforts are made to inductively analyse and understand the experience based on the context in which it has been set. This approach does not accept the belief that objects of experience are independent events. Regardless of the method used, the research process must fulfill the purpose of the research, answer the research questions and achieve the objectives and aim of the study. To take an informed decision, the research methods will be evaluated based on the purpose of the research, the time availability, aims and objectives, and the sample size including the subject of research. 3.2 Research approach A qualitative approach will be adopted for this study as, in the words of Knox (2004), this approach enables the researcher to have an insider perspective on social actions. Insider perspective is essential to get an idea of the demands of the students and the current changed environment due to the economic downturn. The scenarios may differ across circumstances and this approach will enable to articulate different scenarios while also enable to study the phenomenon under natural settings. Moreover, since interviews will be conducted, it may not be possible for the researcher to observe independence from the subject being interviewed. Hence a quantitative approach is not possible, and a qualitative approach is justified. 3.3 Research strategy Both primary and secondary data will be collected through the qualitative method. This method will help explore new ideas effectively. DATA COLLECTION Secondary data is essential to achieve the first objective, which is to evaluate the current international marketing strategy adopted by universities globally. Data has been sourced through academic journals and reputed websites. The study finds that the traditional marketing principles cannot be applied to the field of HE. The situation differs and other factors such as faculty selection, their reputation and experience, the image of the institution, and the curricula changes are important factors that need to be looked into. Market selection process is critical to the success of the strategy in international ma rketing for HE. The second objective too has been evaluated through secondary data as it pertains to evaluating the drivers of change in the current environment. The change in the environment has been ascertained through journals and reports which have helped to analyse and understand the changed educational requirements of the students. Since data on these issues were available in plenty, the relevant ones have been segregated and the unimportant ones eliminated. Data from

Health Care Management and Obama health care reform Essay

Health Care Management and Obama health care reform - Essay Example Health insurance and public health have been in the front line in this kind of debates as well as to what extent should the state offer assistance. Provision of healthcare is a task that encompasses provision of various healthcare services, relevant equipments to hospitals, pharmaceutical products, life sciences funding and funding in biotechnology (Reid 2009). The activities that relate to healthcare and the centers where this is carried out include hospitals, nursing and elderly homes, those involved in provision of healthcare plans, provision of laboratory services, drug manufacturing and delivery, diagnostic substances and biotechnology itself. Therefore, this is a line that requires care to handle in the case of governments as it is a resource intensive sector. This also shows how the introduction as well as implementation of reforms can be quite a task as the stakeholders involved are many resulting to many and divergent views (McGreal 2010). This is what characterized the heal thcare reforms bill that Obama administration brought forth. The above is not a case whose debate came with the Obama administration but rather has been with the American administrations for years now (The Economist 2008). It is on record that the issue and debates on healthcare management and reform begun well at the onset of the twentieth century and to date is an issue still attractive much public debate. It is therefore important before analyzing the current Obama administration’s reforms to look into the past in order to see why this issue has not faded away for all these years. The first recorded debate on healthcare and social welfare intervention by the US dates back in the 1854 where there was a proposed bill that aimed at cautioning the physically challenged and offering them asylums. The bill was quite popular in those day’s standards and had even passed in congress until the president vetoed it. It was rejected by President Pierce on the grounds that it was not

Critical evaluation of Agist policies, and age discrimination Essay

Critical evaluation of Agist policies, and age discrimination legislation in the UK , focusing on employment - Essay Example These may be related to older peoples use of, and relationships with, particular housing types or social care and health services. They may also be related to features of older peoples social, economic and cultural lives. Cross-cutting both of these disciplinary and subject contexts, older peoples relationships with their environments have been a sustained field of research interest. Most recently, the concern in ageing research for environment, space and place has become even more widespread. Two reasons may be suggested for this. First, this interest may be part of a wider emphasis on place as a central focus of investigation within a range of social science disciplines. Indeed, as part of cultural turns, many social sciences have recently undergone what may be termed spatial turns and have increasingly embraced the importance of space and place and how they may impact on, and represent, human experiences, behaviour and activity. Moreover, place has increasingly been conceptualised not only in a physical sense, but as a complex symbolic and cultural construction. Second, and more practically, academic interest in space and place has also been motivated by unprecedented demographic, social, fiscal and technological changes that have impacted simultaneously in many countries (McKeever and Coyte, 1999). Indeed, these are well documented, and include rapidly ageing populations, changing kinship relationships and responsibilities, an ever broader range of health and social care and increasingly limited resources with which to provide it. Together they have radically altered, and broadened, both the ways and the places in which health and social care is provided. Importantly, change has meant that the health care system is no longer hospital-based, discrete and bounded, but diffuse. Health care sites now include virtually every setting where human beings reside in, frequent and, importantly, live in (McKeever and Coyte, 1999). Being substantial

Healthcare Information Management System Coursework

Healthcare Information Management System - Coursework Example Next force is the need to measure correctly the performance of health care providers and practitioners with the use of IT (Brailer and Terasawa, 2003). Other forces such as visions by stakeholders on how IT can transform health care while reducing the cost at the same time. These factors have led to a paradigm shift from traditional record keeping systems to a transformed IT centered system. It can be leveraged in various sectors of health care especially in patient data record keeping. Other areas include patient relationship management and use of Electronic laboratories, Tele-consultation and Electronic prescription. This way IT can be used to improve of efficiency in health care. 2. Strategies for achieving interoperability of health care applications Interoperability refers to the ability of various applications used to communicate and transfer information in healthcare management. The main communication channel is between health information systems and the software applications. Strategies should be developed so as to ensure efficient and timely data transmission between health care applications. Also, strategies should be made in order to replace old and incompatible equipment with modern ones and active personnel training on the use of interoperability equipment. Healthcare institutions should also ensure that there is proper coordination and cooperation between the various departments (Brailer and Terasawa, 2003). Strategies must also be made to institutionalize healthcare systems, which assist in planning among data transmitting departments while encouraging growth of flexible architectural interoperability structures. The management in healthcare facilities must also fund actively the projects set up to ensure and give solutions to interoperability. 3. Core competencies for IT departments that support health care organizations. Competencies are characteristics of something that make it standout and help achieve set goals and objectives. For a competen ce to be considered core, it must have a wide breadth of application and be highly relevant to the end user, as well as maintain distinction and difficult to imitate. For the health care sector, IT has five core competences that make it suitable for adoption. One is that IT departments help in business analysis. When data is fed into IT applications, they can process it for success of expected results such as analysis of patient recovery rates. The second core competence for IT department is Innovation. Innovation will come in handy in healthcare departments due to the rapid changes in technology. The third is knowledge management, which can be used to improve the knowledge work systems in other health departments. Fourth competence for IT department in health care is solution web management. This is the ability of IT to provide web based solutions to heath care problems (Brailer and Terasawa, 2003). Such include online prescription and consultation. Lastly, IT departments help in c hange management, especially where new projects are being implemented. This is necessary in health care as in order to ensure efficiency in service delivery, new systems and equipments are being introduced. 4. The benefits of leveraging information technology, such as the EMR, in health care. One of the main benefits of introducing IT is the reduction of costs in health care. This is achieved through reduced costs of regular book keeping with the shift from

Robots in Ophthalmology Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Robots in Ophthalmology - Article Example Sociologist Alvin Toffler may have travelled through time and witness the future when he said, "Technology makes more technology possible". He is right, as after thirty-seven years of rapid technological advancement here were are facing a what he called "abrupt collision with the future" (Toffler 1970), and practically living with these amazing technologies created to make life easier in our homes, built to run our industries, and designed to perform medical care to save lives. Technology in the medical field has come along way; molecular and biometrics, wave technology, nanotechnology, and robot aided surgery is now possible (Combs 2005). As nanotechnology makes it possible to build up materials and systems to produce new physical, chemical and biological properties out of existing common materials, robotics are all about computer controlled mechanical devices built to mimic human movements and intelligence (Woods 2007).Advanced robotic products such as surgical robots are now commo n in operating rooms of large medical centres, and it is recognized as a dynamic surgical tool for enhancing human surgeon's dexterity in less invasive surgical procedures Although their high cost prohibits general use, initial applications of these robots considerably prove their clinical benefits and surgical potential. In general, intelligent surgical robots main advantages are its ability to register medical images accurately, to move consistently without exhaustion and tremor, work in a hazardous environments unsuitable to human surgeons, and their ability to reposition instruments swiftly and precisely through complicated trajectories or on top of numerous targets. The precision and steadiness of these robots is what makes them ideal for surgical procedures particularly in delicate eye surgery (Webster and Li 2003). Although robots are precise and steady, there is no evidence that they can perform cataract removal surgery alone or perform any surgery independently. They merely serve as robotic mechanical arms for ophthalmologist performing remote surgery through a three dimensional virtual-reality console. With hands and head partly inserted inside the console, the surgeon moves his hands as if he is directly performing the surgery while the robot is simultaneously imitating the movement of the surgeons arm and physically performing the operation. Surgical robot now is more like an interventional piece of technology than a self-sufficient intelligent machine. For instance, the popular surgical robot, the da Vinci Surgical System (see Fig. 1), priced at more than one million dollar, is just a three arm (with 4th optional arm) mechanical machine equipped with a variety of electronic hardware who perform surgery by following instantaneous instructions from a surgeon while imitating his hands and ar ms movements. There is no known technology yet that is capable of virtually emulating a human surgeon's competence and senses particularly in the field of ophthalmology. Although ophthalmic surgery with a robot can increase precision, speed, and eliminate tremor, they do not have substantial or convincing advantage similar to robots in other surgical fields (Roach 2007). For instance, using the same da Vinci Surgical robot in heart surgery provides a better alternative to customary chest cracking technique, lengthy incision, bone cutting, and ripping of the ribs. Since "cutting people open is no longer the focus of modern surgery" ( Darzi 2007).The success rate of robot assisted closed chest surgery approach and less invasive surgeries shows significant positive results particularly in patient's health and quick recovery; since they do not have to endure the excruciating traditional surgery procedures with large incisions involved (Goldschmidt 2007). However, surgical robot in general is still in a transition stage and used primarily as a tool. They still do not have the capability and intelligence of a real surgeon who can perform surgery independe

Difference between Romantic and Modern Painting Essay

Difference between Romantic and Modern Painting - Essay Example The essay "Difference between Romantic and Modern Painting" discovers the Romantic and Modern Painting. Picasso was one of the artist who developed the kind of painting called abstract. In this style of painting, only selected qualities or characteristics of the subjects are used in the finished picture. the still life of a pitcher, candle and handled box on a table top rendered in rust orange, brown, blue, yellow, off-white, gray and black. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, a member of an artists group known as Die Brucke. They valued truthfulness more than clever techniques and in fact they often used deliberately rough ways of working, as if that were a proof of the strength of their Feelings. The group works on watercolors, drawings and woodcuts. Kirchner and the group can be measured by their extraordinary production. The rapid development of their personal styles was a result of their activity, including life, drawing and painting as well as the production of woodcuts, lithographs and dra wings. Luca Fa Presto (Luke work quickly) because of his prodigious speed of execution and huge output. His style became much more colorful under the influence of such great decorative painters .He absorbed a host of influences and was said to be able to imitate other artists styles with ease. (1812-1867) Rousseau is best known for turning themes of humanity's relations into nature. Some of this most famous works include: Springtime, Under the Birches, and Clearing in the Forest near Fontainebleau. ... He was nicknamed Luca Fa Presto (Luke work quickly) because of his prodigious speed of execution and huge output. His style became much more colorful under the influence of such great decorative painters .He absorbed a host of influences and was said to be able to imitate other artists styles with ease. . Romantic Painters Theodore Rousseau (1812-1867) Rousseau is best known for turning themes of humanity's relations into nature. Some of this most famous works include: Springtime, Under the Birches, and Clearing in the Forest near Fontainebleau. Rousseau's paintings as embodiments of a new way of seeing the world, a new sense of the deep interconnectedness between the human and natural worlds that coincided with the earliest formulations of modern ecological thought. These techniques were very prevalent in Rousseau's art. Rousseau paints the solitary oak dominating a flat patch of pastureland. He sees the peculiar ragged cha racteristics of the gnarled branches, the coarse density of the oak foliage, the tufts, and clouds of the turf with pools of standing water like glass reflecting the sky. The grand compositions of this landscape are replaced by others that express the spontaneous and informal aspects of nature. This nature lover painter, saw the landscape in its quiet moods with fresh nave eyes. Cropsey and Hudson River School Despite a tendency toward harshness of colors, did notable paintings. Sunset, Hudson River is a rather odd marriage of a formulaic Hudson River School composition and this luminist style. In most luminist works the sunlight is evident only in the diffusing effects of its rays, but in this painting the setting sun is a palpable orb. One feels as if the strength of its light could not only diffuse

MySpace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MySpace - Essay Example It truly represents a new generation in interpersonal communication and establishes a model for how the power of the internet can be leveraged to bring social networking to a whole new level. People are able to learn about others in a way they never before would have imagined. They can choose to engage with others based on a heightened level of knowledge and information that was rarely available prior to the advent of MySpace.com. Interpersonal communication has accomplished no less than enabling civilization as we know it to exist. It has evolved and advanced over millennia in order to adapt to ever changing socialization needs. Today's society is driven by technology. The ultimate destination for interpersonal communication is arguably a kind of networked culture in which the thoughts and ideas of each person are readily available to every other person. The power of the internet is essential to that end. MySpace.com is one of the pioneers in leveraging internet technology to make a giant leap toward the kind of networked social circle that is likely to be the most prevalent form of interpersonal interaction in the future. MySpace.com enables users to create their own web page containing blogs that describe their interests. It facilitates meeting friends with similar interests by allowing them to send e-mails through the site, join interest groups, and rate one another. Users can customize pages by adding photos, colors, designs and personal information. They can connect with others who share similar interests by joining groups based on preferences. For example, there are groups relating to religion, sports, food, nightlife and many other interests. MySpace's music interest groups have been the site of song premiers by such artists as Madonna, Coldplay, Neil Diamond and Depeche Mode. The site has become so popular that it receives more hits than eBay and Google. The traffic generated by the site has made it sought after by advertisers, with mass-marketers such as Target placing ads on the site, and new motion pictures being promoted there. Its tremendous popularity is a testament to the extent to which the site has filled a void in modern interpersonal communication in the technological age. This type of online networked social interaction solution has become an important outlet for communication. The anonymity of the internet has caused some problems when it comes to usage and application of services like MySpace. Teens often post photographs of themselves, as well as detailed personal information that could put them in danger. There have been reports of sexual predators trolling the site for potential victims; and investigations into sexual assaults that have occurred where teens have met the alleged perpetrators on MySpace. The site has caused great concern among parents who have observed indiscrete postings by their own and other children that contain provocative photos and personal details that could put their children at risk. MySpace has cats a spotlight on the risks of interpersonal communication in the age of the internet. How can it be observed Observation of MySpace.com has become a major concern for many parents, who have seen first hand the dangers the site may pose to unwitting children. While MySpace does have

Plato on Justice Essay Example for Free

Plato on Justice Essay Platos interpretation of justice as seen in ? The Republic is a vastly different one when compared to what we and even the philosophers of his own time are accustomed to. Plato would say justice is the act of carrying out ones duties as he is fitted with. Moreover, if ones duties require one to lie or commit something else that is not traditionally viewed along with justice; that too is considered just by Platos accounts in ? The Republic. I believe Platos account of justice, and his likely defense against objections are both clear and logical, thus I will endeavor to argue his views as best as I can. Platos view of justice ties in with his view of a perfect world. In Platos ideal world, the society would be a wise one, wise in understanding that their own position in society is just. This society in turn, must carry out their duties fitted to them by their position. Unfortunately the real world does not function in that manner, Plato understanding that ? fault with society tells us that if the society is lacking wisdom, the most wise ones would be philosophers, (473d) and society should consider them to be the authority. Plato believes that being just is so innately important that everyone is better off being just than unjust, no matter the situation. Plato in 360e-362d uses Glaucon to make this point, Glaucon asks who is better off? The just or the unjust, given the premises that the unjust man is rich, famous, respected, and powerful and that the just man is poor, defamed, and lives a life of suffering. Platos only real way to answer this is to prove that justice is innately good and that injustice is innately evil; simply prove the poor, defamed man happy and the rich, respected unjust man unhappy. Plato goes about this by explaining what justice is; justice has to do with doing what is right, and there exists some specific virtue in everything, which enables it to work well. If it is deprived of that nature, in contrast it would suffer. It is much the same with the soul, the soul must also perform its specific virtue. The more virtuous, or ? just a soul is, the happier the soul is. The happier the soul is, the happier the person is. Therefore a just man lives happily and well, whereas an unjust man would not. This argument follows the a=b b=c therefore a=c argument form. Another objection, brought about by a radical and different theory of Justice is brought up by Plato in a conversation between Socrates and Thrasymachus. In this argument Thrasymachus defines justice as in the interest of the stronger. This basically means that justice belongs in the hands of the rulers, and that the rulers are whoever is stronger, therefore getting to a ruling position. Laws are then made, based on the ruling partys interest, and only theirs. Those who violate such created laws, will get punished for breaking the law and so on and so forth. Socrates completely disagrees with this theory of justice and gives the analogy of a physician who is studying and exercising his power is in fact doing so in the interest of his patients, not himself. In the same manner, the government will do what is in the interest of the people, and not of itself. Some unanswered objections that may come up against Platos idea of justice may target the part where he believes that philosophers are the only qualified individuals to run his ideal society. Plato believes that philosophers have knowledge, I pose a scenario where there are no more philosophers, perhaps because of a philosopher massacre, or one where there is simply nobody wise enough. One can easily make the argument that since philosophy is dealing with the same questions for the past 2500 years, that we are actually not wise, and in fact quite the opposite. I believe that for the most part, Plato has a successful account of justice. Platos criticism of then present theories of justice and his defense against the xxxxxx theories make sense logically. Furthermore, Plato was ages ahead of his time by arguing for equal rights among men and woman when concerning the guardians, unlike Aristotle who got almost everything wrong and most likely set philosophy and other sciences back centuries, I believe Plato was ages ahead of his time in understand that men and women are equal in at least the ? capacity to understand reality and make reasonable judgments about it. (454d) However; just that fact does not lead to a proper defense against arguments. One thing a reader may have a problem is that Plato seems to be showing a little Heidegger by alluding to a dictatorship which are ruled by the wise, namely, philosophers. Even if such a Nazi and Communist-esque dictatorship were to be implemented, I fear it would hit the same brick wall that other dictatorships face, the people will not sit idly by while they are told what to do. I believe that leads to a larger problem. Plato seemingly wants to hint more and more at an innate knowledge which includes justice, or if the person does not have this innate knowledge he can be taught in society: knowledge and the just thing to do. I believe this poses a problem for Plato, if society innately knows the correct thing to do, but does not do it, then this is contradictory with the definition of justice Plato wants for us. And if there is one thing philosophers have insisted upon over time is that there are no contradictions. In its defense; I do not know of any philosophical questions that have a complete answer, otherwise there would be no more philosophy. Even with the possible shortcomings, Plato argues his justice logically, and uses Glaucon and Adeimentus well, to show the strengths of his arguments.

The Good Soldier Essay Example for Free

The Good Soldier Essay Impressionism in Literature arrived through art/paintings. In art you reveal the maximum through minimum of strokes. Similarly literary greatness lies in brevity. For example, read this sentence: â€Å"You may cross the moon, beat the stars; but probe you must the mystery of my eve’s smile! † So much has been said to belittle the achievements of the science. It is not to condemn the science, but to make one aware about its limitations and the supremacy of nature. The themes are selectively and beautifully used and deep meaning is conveyed through appropriate expressions. Let us put it this way—impressionism is painting not with the strokes of the brush but with the flow of the pen. You take minimum of words from the vocabulary and give the maximum. This style of writing is for characters, actions and scenes depicted from an objective point of view of reality. It is the test for the skill of the writer. The impressionistic style of writer takes the minimum from the dictionary (vocabulary) and gives the maximum. Experience of the writer in interpreting the various types of situations, complex, vague, transitory, permanent and subjective impressions counts much. He feels from within and the writes about them. For example, a scene can be interpreted through color or short, crisp, to the point sentences. Rapidly changing scenes, quick developments, varying scenes appropriate to the occasion, form part of impressionism. The most unexpected yet true to the subject matter, in relation to time and situation –such is the nature of impressionism. One can not read the works of such authors in a hurry. One needs to carefully examine and enjoy it sentence by sentence, sometimes word by word. Mostly, the first reading will not suffice; a second reading of such books is not an exception, but the rule. The Good Soldier†¦. The narrator in the book, John Dowell is no ordinary man. He has the spontaneous as well as cultivated ability to establish instant rapport with the characters and with the readers. He can neither be hated nor loved by the readers, and he may get as many jeers and cheers depending upon the situation. He knows how to waste, gain and the value time. He arrives and departs and ‘works’ in the book according to a time schedule known to him only. He is not a reader-puller character, but he knows how to win the confidence of the pulled reader. He is generally the know-all, knows the strengths and weaknesses of each character. He is like the stage manager in the drama, produce-director and the script writer all molded into one. He verbally sets the scenes and the time of action with matchless oratorical skill. He introduces in style, the characters and situations and sometimes indicates the morals and the convictions for which they stand and their part in the progress of the story. Once the character is introduced, he provides continuity which holds together short scenes, dialogues, and sudden and abrupt shift in the locale. With a few verbal strokes he completes his job and paves way for the interaction of the actual characters of the story. This is the type of impressionism seen in this book of Maddox, expressed through various characters. The book was first published in 1915. The century-old developments need to be noted. Lot many changes can be seen in the impressionism of the era to which the book belongs, and the impressionism adopted and followed by such writers today. The century old soldier is not the soldier of the day, as for his mental make-up and social disposition. The story has the beginning that makes you curious about what is in store for the reader as the story progresses. The beginning is dramatic. â€Å"This is the saddest story I have ever read. † The plot of the story is weaved around two couples: Edward Ashburnham and his able wife Leonora and the Americans John and Florence Dowell. The two pairs have a ‘wonderful’ level of friendship; they have spent several summers together, before World War I in Germany. Their apparently happy marriages are not that happy. Dents and fissures are seen in their relationships. So, this is the story of age-old marital conflict between the two-Him and Her! John thinks that he is too smart and polished for the talkative Florence, the one without elegance. Edward is a compulsive lady-killer-thanks to his dashing personality and his extreme sentimentalism. He compares Leonora’s charm with the one or more than one he is interested in, and they always score over Leonora. John gets the reporting of the love escapades through Leonora, after the death of the lovers. John feels extremely sorry for his lack of knowledge about human relationships and his carelessness. He turns somewhat cynical as for his lethargy in such a serious and sensitive matter. He is amazed about his carelessness. At this turn of events of the story, the narrator Dowell excels again. He gets a lovely opportunity to talk on the private lives of others. There is no guarantee that whatever he tells is truth and correct. He succeeds in kindling the curiosity of the reader. If one does the quick stock-taking of the story of this book, it is difficult to say whether it is a comedy, tragedy, the comedy of a tragedy or tragedy of a comedy or it is just satire. He condemns and eulogizes the same character, without giving any valid reasons. The private lives of the characters are divulged in regular intervals, but that is done without any offence, any grudge, without the motive of retribution and in a matter of fact of style. .Impressionism is not about creating stereo-type characters, but special, unpredictable ones. It is no ordinary mind-play. Catch and analyze the emotions threadbare. This art is difficult. Maddox has succeeded in creating a painted picture on the curtain of the minds of the reader, without actually painting, without using colors, but with the exquisite strokes of appropriate words and phrases. Notwithstanding the episodes related to sex and adultery, The Good Soldier is a book that preaches morals. The important theme of the book is the difference between reality and appearance. The difference between the actual world and the imaginary, good world! A reference was made earlier that we need to keep an important aspect in mind that it is an antic story—one hundred years old. Lots of differences exist between the values then and now. The society then did not speak about betrayal, adultery and moral confusion with ease. Now these are kindergarten stuffs. The writer of impressionism has got to be a student of psychology with capacity to peep into the minds of the characters. He doesn’t do the description of the reality, but captures the impressions thus derived. The writer is witness to the actions; he does not participate in actions or meditate between the characters. He just tries to get the impressions derived from them, penetrating their minds and piercing the hearts. Such writing is difficult to comprehend and digest. Conclusion: Considering all the above aspects The Good Soldier by Maddox, could be described as ‘impressionable’ and the significance of the novel is that its contents provide both sense of universal and spiritual. Religion and spirituality were the indivisible parts of the life of people in the nineteenth century. The novel fits into the observations of E. M Forster. He â€Å"dismisses the method of examining the novel as a historical development, in preference to an image of all novelists throughout history writing simultaneously, side by side. He first establishes that, if nothing else, a novel is a story that takes place over a period of time. He stresses the importance of character, maintaining that both ‘‘flat’’ and ‘‘round’’ characters may be included in the successful novel. He regards the necessity of plot, which creates the effect of suspense, as a problem by which character is frequently sacrificed in the service of providing an ending to the novel. Fantasy and prophecy, which provide a sense of the ‘‘universal,’’ or spiritual, Forster regards as central aspects of the great novel. † (Aspects†¦. ) It appears this observation by Fosters, is especially addressed to â€Å"The Good Soldier. † References Cited: Article: Aspects of the Summary and Study Guide- Novel www. enotes. com/aspects-novel/ 16k Cached – Retrieved on December 6, 2007.

Competition of Coffee Makers: Nespresso vs Keurig

Competition of Coffee Makers: Nespresso vs Keurig Laura L. Gay Abstract My paper will address the supply chain of Nespresso and its competitor Keurig to other coffee machines. Coffee is not just a drink but an addiction to some. The summary you will review provides a description of the companies along with some historical facts of interest. Specific details are provided for each companies supply chain and sustainability from products offered, purchasing of coffee beans, to interest in farming of the coffee plant for a quality product. My summation will give recommendations as to what Nespresso can do to improve their supply chain to be more in-line with Keurig, while increasing profitability. The Competition of the Coffee Makers Coffee is not merely a drink, to many it becomes an addiction so much so they can’t live without their daily dose. In 2011 up to over 400 million cups of coffee were consumed a day. The choice is to pay the prices of you elixir of choice at a barista or to purchase your own coffee machine making the brew of your craving. Though so many still get their choice of coffee at coffeehouses over 86 percent of Americans get their fix at home. Now comes the important part. What machine do you choose the simple coffee maker or a more complex model that will provide the ultimate barista coffee from Black Decker, Bun, and West Bend to your more sophisticated electric machine Nespresso or Keurig? In my paper I will discuss the supply chain of Nespresso verses Keurig. Organizational Profile In this section I will address the concept of the company along with their focus on business. I will also provide information on where the corporate headquarters are located, number of locations along with the number of employees it counts among the business. The roadmap of the sustainability will show how key it is to growth of the organization. Profile of the Organization Nespresso began in 1986 on the concept to enable anyone to create their own perfect cup of espresso coffee. The company created a product to revolutionize the way people enjoy their coffee shaping global culture. Their focus is on delivery quality coffees with consumers having the ultimate experience. Nespresso competes on the business-to-consumer and business-to business segments. The concept is to allow consumers to enjoy coffee at the highest quality at home recreating the barista experience. The Nespresso system is designed to insure consistent quality in the portioned coffee sector as one of the fastest growing global beverage brands. The production of the Nespresso capsule is produced in one of two state-of-the-art centers in Switzerland. The company is a globally managed business of the Nestle Group. The corporate headquarters is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, in almost 60 countries and counts for over 9,500 employees worldwide. Business Strategy and Structure Nepresso business strategy is the driver for the companies innovation, quality and consumer demand. Their passion for quality and exceeding consumer expectations is the driving force for their continued growth. Their business model masters the quality of coffees from the farmer to the consumer. The company has three Key Growth Drivers: creating highest quality Grand Cru coffees, creating long-lasting consumer relationships and creating sustainable business success. The quality of beans is of the finest selection. Only an estimated 1-2% of the coffee grown meets the Nespresso specific taste and aroma profiles. The innovation of the Nespresso systems deliver a balance of water temperature, quantity, speed and pressure while producing consistently exceptional coffee for their consumers. The company is constantly in touch with its consumers developing interactions that allow them to evolve and anticipate consumer needs. Over 70% of Nespresso employees in the markets are in direct contact with the consumers. Building on Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s â€Å"Creating Shared Value† principles allowed the development of the Ecolaboration consolidating all the company’s efforts into one framework for partnerships and innovation. Recognizing their responsibility to the environment the company balances economic, environmental and social impact launching the Nespresso AAA Sustainability Quality Program. Supply Chain The supply chain in our book refers to the process that moves information and materials to and from the manufacturing and services processes of the company. Including the supply chain is the process of the products to the consumer. We will discuss how the company promotes sustainability, performance and patterns of change. Current Supply Chain Performance Nespresso reaches its goal for 2013 with meeting its goals the company seeks to further enhance supply chain performance but continuing to focus on key inputs. The company has set new goals for 2020 with expanding its farmer training program in Africa; expand its capacity for collection of aluminum capsules for its coffee pods, and increasing agroforestry program that was rolled out in the supply chain. To support this the company will source 80% of its coffee from AAA certified farms, offer 75% for collection capacity supporting recycling and reducing 20% if its carbon footprint for each cup of coffee. Patterns of Change in the Supply Chain Recently announced Nespresso invested about $500 million in Ghana and many other countries in Africa to boost the production of coffee. The investment is to be broken down over a seven-year period. As part of the supply chain performance the company has launched its AAA program to improve the well-being of farmers while increasing the quality of the product. This opportunity will increase quality beans for coffee production by further increasing sales for the companies coffee machines. The forward thinking will help to acknowledge the growing taste America has for coffee along with the increasing elixir choices. Key Issues in the Supply Chain One key issue for Nespresso machines as a single-serving coffee pod is the company is no longer alone in the market. Keurig Green Mountain a key competitor is now the dominant player with an estimated 130 competing coffee pod makers with over 50 of them designed to fit the Nespresso Machines. With the NE SN.VX + 0.22% for Nespressor and GMCR +1.33% you can see the impact Keurig has to Nespresso’s profitability. In order to combat the competition the company has expanded its sales of the machine in new markets and is keeping its pods competitive. Another key issue is rivals have alleged the company has set unfair hurdles. Competitor Analysis Now that we have completed the analysis of Nespresso we will review several key competitors. The top three competitors will be Keurig, West Bend and Bun. I will provide a brief organizational profile that will reflect the history of the companies. In review of the companies we will address their supply chain performance and their similarities. Key Competitors Keurig was founded in 1981 has more than 6,000 employees, 460 engineers and scientist, over 8 production facilities in America and offers over 250 beverage varieties for their customers. The company believes all consumers deserve to drink for themselves, enable consumers to self-create high quality beverage that will suit their own needs. The company value â€Å"Our purpose create the ultimate beverage experience in every life we touch from source to cup transforming the way the world understands business.† A powerful statement for the transforming the way the world sees business. West Bend is a leader in electric kitchen appliances and has been in business since 1911. The company offers a variety of products delivering performance, quality and value to consumers. Founded in West Bend, Wisconsin the company strives to make kitchen activities easier. It is a privately held company by Focus Product Group International, LLC. The company offers a multitude of coffee machines from commercial to single cup. Bun founded in 1957 developed the first coffee maker for commercial use. They offer both commercial and home coffee makers. The company’s headquarters are in Springfield, IL founded on the core values of honesty, integrity and courtesy. The â€Å"My Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬  model the company’s first single cup coffee debuted in 2005. The company continues to design and manufacture brewers such as the Phase Brew which heats and only releases water at optimal temperatures developed in 2010. Competitor Supply Chain Performance In review of the similarities of the key competitors they all focus on key initiatives such as quality and innovation. Companies such as West Bend and Bun focus on various electric kitchen products designed for consumer performance and ease. Unlike companies such as Nespresso and Keurig that focus strictly on coffee machines, coffee and tea for consumers as specialty items. The performance for these companies has proven competitive. Keurig the key competitor with Nespresso continues to advance building a resilient supply chain. They support fair trade, building relationships with their suppliers, and track issues driven to impact the company’s business and communities around the world. The company focuses on fair trade that helps to build their supply chain ensuring a stable supply of high quality coffee. Keurig much like Nespresso is at the heart of their fair trade model with a target date of 2020 to improve farmer living under Keurig’s Resilient Supply Chain model. Strategic Considerations and Recommendations In this section we will address the alternative solutions proposed to increase supply chain performance for Nespresso. We will discuss alternative solutions the company can use to enhance profitability. One item of interest in the news we will address is the lawsuit against Nespresso, the lawsuit address unfair changing of the capsule to eliminate competition. Alternate Solutions Proposed One key issue I found upon researching the companies is that Keurig applies research technology for addressing the Rust Leaf problem that impacts coffee bean plants. While Nespresso focused on further education of its farmers to insure quality they should also consider the disease problem that affects the coffee plant. Nespresso is on track with their commitment and goals set for 2020 deadlines. The second key issue is to focus on product offerings such as that of Keurig giving consumers more options for elixirs and broaden its tea products. The company also may want to focus more on consumer feedback like Keurig to gather their interest, what is their likes and dislikes focusing on improvement in these areas. The limited offering of 22 coffees for enjoyment does not address the broader range of coffee coinsures. A solution to Nepresso lawsuit is to meet it head one. The company offers a machine with Pods that are easily duplicated allowing competitors to infringe on the company’s profit margin. Due to the ability of 50 other competitors offering similar products Nepresso decided to change the pod 4 times in one year and then decided to discontinue the warranty on their product if found consumers were not using their pods. With the multiple changes to the pod and the discontinuation of the warranty they not only upset their buyers but the competition. Recommended Solution My recommended solution for the company is to develop a newer more innovative model like Keurig where the ability to copy the pod is near to impossible while phasing out prior models slowly to not have a dramatic impact on its consumers. They need an innovative way of advertising the company’s new offering with the addition of more coffee offerings. The constant changing of the pods has to be costing the company money. Recognize the error in the changes and focus more on your product availability. Addressing a new innovative model, stepping up to address the lawsuit and offering more to your consumer based on feedback will help to improve the brand name along with the company’s profitability. Conclusion A company needs to look for solutions to their supply chain utilizing information with its competitors recognizing what works best. The consumer’s opinion has a valuable impact on your business; making negative changes to help incur your profitability may not be in your best interest. Promoting recycling of the Pod from Nespresso will help members understand the sustainability of the product noting its ability to be reused and the material aluminum is to help preserve the taste of the product. References http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44718031/ns/business-cnbc_tv/t/coffee-addiction/#.VCbG7010xMs http://www.nestle-nespresso.com/about-us/our-company http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/09/24/how-coffee-can-change-world-nespresso-style http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/09/24/how-coffee-can-change-world-nespresso-style http://gbcghana.com/1.1852324 http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/04/17/bad-news-for-nespresso-pioneer-of-the-coffee-pod/ http://www.keuriggreenmountain.com/en/OurCompany/OurValues.aspx http://www.bunnathome.com/about-us http://westbend.com/ http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/07/george-clooney-coffee-pod-problem/

Human Interaction with Nature in the Works of Aldo Leopold and Elizabet

Human Interaction with Nature in the Works of Aldo Leopold and Elizabeth Bishop The poet Elizabeth Bishop and the naturalist Aldo Leopold share a keen power of observation, a beautifully detailed manner of writing, a love for the beauty of nature, and an interest in how people interact with the natural world. Like Leopold, Bishop examines human interactions with nature on both the personal and the ecological level. On the individual level, a hunter’s contact with the animal he or she is hunting changes his or her attitude toward nature in both Bishop’s poem â€Å"The Fish† and Leopold’s essay â€Å"Thinking Like a Mountain.† On the larger level, both Bishop in her poem â€Å"The Mountain† and Leopold throughout the Sand County Almanac envision the role of human beings in relation to the rest of the natural world as one of exploration and interpretation through science and art. In both Bishop’s â€Å"The Fish† and Leopold’s â€Å"Thinking Like a Mountain,† the person’s contact with a wild animal comes about through hunting. In theory, hunting is a sport, â€Å"a challenge of fang against bullet† (Leopold 129), in which the animal has a fair chance of escaping. In reality, however, there is no real challenge for the hunter in either case. Leopold and his companions, â€Å"pumping lead into the pack† (130), kill the wolf not by skill but by the sheer number of bullets, while Bishop’s speaker testifies, â€Å"He didn’t fight. / He hadn’t fought at all† (5-6). Thus, both call into question whether their hunting is actually a sport. Both Leopold and Bishop’s speaker are initially unaware of the true value of the creatures they hunt. Leopold writes, â€Å"I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunter’s paradise† (130). Bish... ... of human beings in nature is to explore, perceive, understand, and give a voice to the world around them through science and art. They suggest this both through what they say in their writing and by the very act of writing, which is an act of perception and interpretation of nature. However, their interpretations of the mountain’s message beg the question of whether they are interpreting it correctly, or whether they are simply attributing their own views to landforms. Perhaps their works are best seen as an invitation to their readers to explore the natural world for themselves and create their own interpretations. Contact with wild creatures might change our attitudes too! Bibliography Bishop, Elizabeth. The Complete Poems, 1927-1979. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949.

Discuss economic arguments for and against imposing substantially :: Economics

Discuss economic arguments for and against imposing substantially higher taxes on sale of alcohol. Governments interfere in markets and their working with the primary purpose of provision of welfare to people and preventing market failure. There are many methods of intervention such as - taxes and subsidies - buffer stocks - applying maximum and minimum prices - provision of public goods and services - provision of education and training - legislation and market reforms Applying taxes has two purposes: to generate revenue for the government and to discourage consumption and output of certain goods, usually demerit goods. Demerit goods are those goods that are usually over consumed by in a market system, and have social costs exceeding social benefit due to high negative externalities. They contrast merit goods which are desirable for the welfare of society, as positive externalities exceed negative externalities. Taxes out on goods such as alcohol are considered indirect taxes. Depending upon the price elasticity of a good, and its demand and market price, government places either - specific taxes that are of a specific number, e.g. 10 dirhams on every bottle of beer - ad valorem taxes that add a percentage of the market price onto taxes e.g. 5% of price of beer A government must analyze the effects of taxing, or increasing taxation on a good, whether or not the taxation satisfies the goals. The Social costs of alcohol involve the cost of production, cost of purchase and negative externalities such as alcohol poisoning and drunken driving deaths and violence. The social benefits are the profit made by producers, the utility gained by consumers and externalities such as prevention of heart diseases. The imposing of substantially higher taxes on the sale of alcohol may be good in two ways: Firstly, alcohol is regarded as a habit forming good. Hence it may be assumed that either it disobeys the law of demand (quantity demanded of a good is inversely proportional to change in price, all other factors remaining constant), or it is price inelastic (a percentage change in price causes a smaller percentage change in quantity demanded). Although imposition of taxes will increase the market price of alcohol, the change in demand would be substantially lower. Therefore the government would gain revenue, which it may use for provision of welfare. Secondly, alcohol is a demerit good. It has private benefits as an industry, and it provides utility and satisfaction to consumers. Its positive externalities include reducing coronary diseases, and providing amusement to others in social events. However, its negative externalities include addiction, drunken driving accidents and fights which result in property damage, and provide a burden to society. Its positive externality of preventing coronary diseases arises only from

Nurses in Works Progress Administration Memories :: Nursing Careers Professions Medical Essays

Nurses in Works Progress Administration Memories Evidence from American Life Histories: The Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940 American nursing transformed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century from a family and community duty performed largely by untrained women in family homes, to paid labor performed by both trained and untrained women and men in a variety of settings. Distinctions between types of nurses increased in this transition. Life histories of nurses taken by Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) writers in the late 1930s provide valuable insight into the experience of some of these nurses. Enthusiast historians within the leadership of professional organizations have commonly focused on the accomplishments of notable nurses and professional organizations in what became a narrative of professional and societal progress. This narrative, whole providing much rich historical data and analysis, ignores the vast majority of nurses’ experience and voices. In the mid nineteen eighties, as nursing was increasingly embattled in a growing health care industry, historians, some from outside the nursing profession, began to examine this history. Barbara Melosh examined written and oral accounts of nurses in American from 1920 and through the Second World War in The Physician’s Hand: Work Culture and Conflict in American Nursing. She found that while the reform aim for nurse leaders in this period was professionalization, other nurses resisted or were distant from this process. For these nurses, the shared experience of the changing of the demands and rewards of nursing shaped their work and thinking. [1] Melosh attempts to place nursing within the context of women’s, labor and medical history. She proposes that the growing divisions within nursing itself arose from nurses’ position in the medical hierarchy, and the fight for both legitimate authority and control over the work process itself. She also posits that nurses developed an â€Å"occupational culture† that placed manual skill and direct patient contact over theoretical training at the same time that nursing elites were successfully winn ing a battle for degrees and credentialing over the apprenticeship model of the nineteenth century. [2] Lastly, she finds that while stratification of nursing as paid labor mirrored societal relations of gender, race and class, the experience of both apprenticeship and professionalization contributed to the separation of nursing from pre modern roots.[3] Susan Reverby in Ordered to Care: The Dilemma of American Nursing, 1850-1945, finds that the story of American nursing revolved around the women and an obligation to care†¦in a society that refuses to value caring.

Gettysburg

Charles Esquivel Pritchett History 1301 Nov. 25th 2010 Civil War Project Located 50 miles northwest of Baltimore, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of the largest battle ever waged during the American Civil War. Fought in the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in a hallmark victory for the Union â€Å"Army of the Potomac† and successfully ended the second invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee's â€Å"Army of Northern Virginia†. Historians have referred to the battle as a major turning point in the war, the â€Å"High Water Mark of the Confederacy†.It was also the bloodiest single battle of the war, resulting in over 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing(Coddington 21). On July 1, Confederate forces converged on the town from west and north, driving Union defenders back through the streets to Cemetery Hill. During the night, reinforcements arrived for both sides. On July 2, Lee attempted t o envelop the Federals, first striking the Union left flank at the Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and the Round Tops with Longstreet’s and Hill’s divisions, and then attacking the Union right at Culp’s and East Cemetery Hills with Ewell’s divisions.By evening, the Federals retained Little Round Top and had repulsed most of Ewell’s men. During the morning of July 3, the Confederate infantry were driven from their last toe-hold on Culp’s Hill. In the afternoon, after a preliminary artillery bombardment, Lee attacked the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. | | The Pickett-Pettigrew assault momentarily pierced the Union line but was driven back with severe casualties(Bachelder 47) . Stuart’s cavalry attempted to gain the Union rear but was repulsed. On July 4, Lee began withdrawing his army toward Williamsport on the Potomac River.His train of wounded stretched more than fourteen miles. | Gettysburg Campaign (June-August 1863) Battle: July 1-3, 1863 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, US; Gen. Robert E. Lee, CS Forces Engaged: 158,300 total (US 83,289; CS 75,054) Estimated Casualties: 51,000 total (US 23,000; CS 28,000) The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863, when a Confederate brigade searching for a badly needed supply of shoes in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, ran into Union cavalry(Nielsen 12).After the three days of battle were over, Union forces claimed victory, although both sides suffered heavy casualties. | | While Grant slowly strangled Vicksburg and Rosecrans feinted Bragg halfway across Tennessee, Lee decided to march his troops north toward Pennsylvania. There were several reasons for this bold move. The Confederate government hoped that a decisive victory on Northern soil would win foreign recognition of the Confederacy. In addition, Lee argued that an invasion of the wealthiest urban area of the North would probably lessen the pressure on Confederate force s in Tennessee and at Vicksburg.Perhaps most important, the lush Cumberland Valley would yield food and clothing for Lee's ragged and hungry army(Fransanito 6). On June 3, 1863, Lee began to move his Army of Northern Virginia across the Rappahannock. Hooker, who was aware of Lee's movements, shifted the Army of the Potomac northward, using it as a shield between Lee and the capital at Washington. Late in June, Hooker resigned his command, convinced that he had lost the confidence of the administration. On June 28, General George G. Meade replaced Hooker. Meade had been one of Hooker's corps commanders.On July 1 advance units of the two armies stumbled into each other near the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 16 km (10 mi) north of the Maryland border. Both Lee and Meade realized that a battle was unavoidable. Fighting began that day. Union troops, after early reverses, managed to hold a strategic position on Cemetery Hill. The second day, July 2, saw confused fighting on bot h Union flanks. Generals Longstreet and John B. Hood assaulted high ground at the Peach Orchard and Little Round Top, but by night the Federals held key positions.The most dramatic action of the battle came on the third day, when General George E. Pickett led a gallant but hopeless charge against the Union center, â€Å"the bloody angle. † (Nielsen 184) Pickett's drive tried to charge across an open field at Cemetery Ridge, but concentrated Union fire stopped him. The battle was a decisive Union victory, but both armies suffered very heavy losses. Meade's casualties numbered 23,000 and Lee's about 25,000. Lee began his retreat on July 4. | To the great disappointment of President Lincoln, Meade did not pursue the Confederate army and make Lee stand and fight(Coddington 12).By July 14 the Confederate commander had brought the remnant of his army back to the safety of Virginia. Gettysburg had been a severe defeat for the South, both in terms of men lost and the army's morale. I n November 1863 President Lincoln dedicated a national cemetery to those who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg. His speech, known as the Gettysburg Address, became famous as an expression of the democratic spirit and reconfirmed Lincoln's intention to reunite the country.

Price for education Essay

The observation of the university official is incomplete. While she might be correct in her assertion that demand for admission may be completely price inelastic, basing such a conclusion on the fact that the number or quality of the students applying over the last 15 years has not decreased despite the doubling of the tuition fees over the same period of time is not the only consideration that should be examined. In finding out if the demand for admission is completely price inelastic, it is important to not only examine the figures from a single university but also the figures from other universities. Education and therefore admission is a good that is not easy to quantify. The continued influx of students despite the doubling of tuition fees could merely be a function of the improved performance of the university over the same period of time. Given that this is the case, it cannot be said that the demand for admission is completely price inelastic. Another factor that must be examined is the number of students who are applying for all universities. According to the law of supply and demand, the price of a good can continually increase without a noticeable change in demand if the supply is limited. Applying this theory to the case at hand, it can safely be argued that the demand for admission is not completely price inelastic but is rather explained by the fact that there is a lack of universities to begin with. Given the limited supply, students will still enroll at the said university despite the doubling of the tuition rates because of a lack of universities. Price elasticity or lack thereof can be explained by many factors. The presence of alternatives or lack thereof would be one possible explanation. Another perspective would be to consider the fact that even if the price for education has increased, there has also been a corresponding increase in the wages/income of people and improvement in the standard of living. Basing the assumption on a single observation is not enough such as the assertion of the university official in this case.

What I am Passionate About

Usain Bolt has won six Olympic gold medals. What do they all have in common? It is not that they won numerous gold medals. It Is they are all passionate about what they do, Since I started preschool at age four, my time outside of school have been piled up with never ending activities, first there was ballet, then came ice skating, art class, then swimming, chess, thenPlano, speed reading, and flute. Whenever I quit doing one thing, I picked up something new. As the years go by, most of these activities are only memories, but one thing has rooted inside of me. After a day of academic learning and demanding homework, I will quickly retreat into my safe haven, drawing. I love drawing. I think I am better at it than spelling. Maybe that is the reason I am better at math and science than reading and writing in school. To me, math and science is another way of drawing using dfferent media.I believe when writers want to write, their minds will be filled with words and sentences, but when I want to express myself, my mind will be filled with images and graphics. School, homework, and keeping up good grades can be pretty stressful, When I draw, I feel I am In a world where there are endless sunshine, a warm breeze, soft rolling green hills, fragrant flowers, morning dew on the bright green grass, chirping birds†¦ sometimes there are lines, geometric shapes, and dots which all Intertwine In the endless void.As long as I can Imagine, I can draw, I feel happy. People often think artists are only appreciated when they are dead. I believe that is a narrow way to appreciate art. Art is the major part of our life. Everything we live by pretty much started out with an Idea throwing on a piece of paper in the form of sketch or drawing. How would Thomas Edison plan out his idea for the light bulb? Drawing has become a major part of me; it has become my anchor and my passion and I am pretty darn good at It.

Major Characteristics Of Qualitative Research Education Essay

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction In this chapter, research worker will explicate in item on how the research will be conducted. This includes the research design chosen by the research worker, the research processs, sample choice, methods of garnering informations, and methods of informations analysis used. In explicating the methods and processs employed, the research worker besides explains the principle for taking the peculiar methods and processs conducted in this research. 3.1 Research Design Patton ( 1990 ) in Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) described one of the major features of qualitative research is design flexibleness where they suggested that a qualitative research should avoid from stick on a stiff designs or state of affairs so that the state of affairs can be understood in-depth. They besides recommended a qualitative research should prosecute new waies of find that suits with the research worker involvement. From his ain reading and sentiment, the research worker would wish to specify qualitative research as a type of scientific research. It is because ; by and large scientific research consists of a proper probe that seeks for replies to a inquiry consistently by uses a predefined set of processs. In order to reply the inquiries, research worker collects grounds and produces findings that were non determined in progress and that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the survey. Therefore to transport out his research qualitatively, the research worker would wish to utilize instance survey as the method for the research worker to carry on this research. Case survey is one of methods to carry on qualitative research where Robert Stake ( 1997 ) defines a instance as a delimited system as it tells a narrative about a delimited system. A system refers to a set of interconnected elements that are wholesome while bounded outlines the boundary of the system ( Holmes et al, 2008 ) . However the research worker himself need to find the instance foremost and subsequently the research worker will uses assorted informations aggregation techniques such as interviews, observation through literature, and relevant documental analysis to transport out a holistic survey of the entity. By utilizing instance survey, the research worker will really try to look into the constituents or parts that make up the system to see how they operate. By refer to this research ; the research worker will look into the scientific discipline course of study of Steiner Waldorf instruction as he will compare the course of study with Malayan scientific discipline course of study. At one manus, the research worker will look at the of import constituents of course of study of both Malaysian and Steiner Waldorf instruction. On the other manus the research worker will compare both course of studies in order to look at the strength and the failings in Malayan scientific discipline course of study as compared to Steiner Waldorf ‘s. Hence, the research worker believes that the research worker will see the personal contact and penetration every bit good as holistic positions on both course of studies by utilizing instance survey and comparative analysis. 3.2 Research Methods Harmonizing to Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) qualitative research employed three chief techniques to roll up and analyse informations which are detecting people and schoolroom, questioning the topic every bit good as analysing paperss or other signifiers of communicating. Therefore for the informations aggregation the research worker employed the three different methods viz. observations, interviews, and papers analyses. By using more than one methods, the research worker believe it will assist to triangulate the informations, to supply multiple beginnings of grounds every bit good as to increase the cogency and dependability of the findings of this research. Below here are the accounts on each method: 3.2.1 Observations Observation fundamentally conducted in order to look into something that the research worker unfamiliar with. Because of that, certain sorts of research inquiries can best be answered by observation ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Holmes et Al ( 2008 ) observation can be classified harmonizing to the function that the research worker plays. Fraenkel and Wallen ( 2006 ) suggested the same and as follow ; Participant Observation, the research workers really take part in the state of affairs or puting they are detecting and when the research worker takes on the function of a complete participant his individuality is non known to the other members of the group or another function that could be play by the research worker is every bit participant as perceiver. This is where the research worker participates wholly in the activities of the group being studied and on the same clip stating the group clearly that he is making research. Non-participant Observation, â€Å" sit on the out of boundss † where the research worker does non take part in the activity being observed or really he is indirectly involved with the state of affairs being observed. There two functions that the research worker could play. First every bit observer as participant where the research worker instantly identifies himself as research worker and do non hold to feign as a member of the peculiar group being studied. Second one ; the research worker could be complete perceiver which is wholly contradicted with complete participant. The presence of the research worker may or may non, recognize by the group because the research worker is really observes the activities without any purpose to take part. For this research, the observations carried out by the research worker were really used both types of observation. In one state of affairs the research worker plays his function every bit ‘participant as perceiver ‘ and in yet, another state of affairs, the function changed to observer as participant. The research worker adapted with the alteration of state of affairs where it involved clip and intent of the observation. For illustration when the research worker participated in the plans organized by the Steiner Waldorf section in Plymouth the research worker besides transporting out his observation and informed the member of the group that he was carried out observation for his research. However during his visit to the Steiner school in Plymouth, he was no longer participant as observer ; alternatively, he was observer as participant where he observed the instruction and acquisition procedure, status and environment of the school every bit good as the activities that the school had along that twenty-four hours. It was same with the observation carried out by the research worker in Malaysia. The research worker plays his function wholly every bit ‘observer as participant ‘ with the groups of pupils and instructors involved in this research. However when it involved with his personal experience as in-service instructor, he was really a complete participant, where he observed the phenomenon occurred in the group that he studied without stating them the existent state of affairs. But it was a really minor portion from the observations that the research worker carried out. 3.2.2 Interview Interview is a common tool normally used in qualitative research. It is used by research worker to cognize and understand people ‘s experiences and their interior perceptual experiences, attitudes, and feelings of world ( Zhang.Y, 2006 ) . By mentioning to its construction, interview can be divided into three classs: structured interview, semi-structured interview, and unstructured interview ( Fontana & A ; Frey, 2005 ) and as in Frankael and Wallen ( 2006 ) the unstructured interview term is used as informal interview. Structured interview is the interview that has a set of predefined inquiries and the inquiries asked to the respondent in the same mode. Structured interview is similar to study and questionnaire except that it is conducted verbally instead than in authorship. Semi-structured interview can outdo be described in footings of the flexibleness in the interview procedure. Just like structured interview, this type of interview consists of a series of inquiries which designed to arouse specific reply from respondent. However it normally more open-ended than inquiries in a structured interview but in the class of interview, interviewers has a flexibleness to set the sequence of the inquiries to be asked and add inquiries based on the context of the conversations. Informal interview as the term implies shows that the interview conducted is less formal as compared to structured or semi structured interview. It is besides similar to a insouciant conversation and fundamentally carried out to prosecute the involvements of both the research worker and the respondent in bend. This type of method is normally used in qualitative research. For this research, the research worker carried out the three types of interview. Informal interviews were used by the research worker at the initial portion of this research. The interviews were conducted on few instructors, talks and pupils in the efforts to happen out the job of Malayan scientific discipline course of study. During his visit to Plymouth, the method changed to semi structured interview as the research worker hoped to garner every bit much information as possible to derive some penetration about the Steiner instruction. The inquiries designed fundamentally to assist the research worker to acquire the intended reply from the respondents. Time is ever being the restriction of any research. Therefore when the research worker traveled back to Malaysia, the research worker still hopes that he could acquire more information about scientific discipline course of study from the Steiner instruction. Therefore he conducted email interview with few Steiner instructors, lectors and its ex-students. In the electronic mail the research worker explained briefly about research that he carry oning every bit good as direction how the respondent should reply the inquiries. The research worker classified the electronic mail interview method as structured interview in the sense that inquiries asked were fixed ( in term of figure ) and no farther probing were carried out. Email interviews conducted by the research worker as portion of ‘member cheque ‘ which is a term of method that usage in qualitative resear ch to verify what the research worker had understood based on the old interviews, observations and papers that he analyzed or as mean of formalizing via triangulation. 3.2.3 Document/Content Analysis It is a technique that allow the research worker to analyze human behaviour in an indirect manner such as through an analysis of human communicating, written content of communicating, text edition, essays, newspaper, diaries, magazines, articles and others ( Frankael & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Contented analysis besides has been defined as a research method for the subjective reading of the content of text informations through the systematic categorization procedure ( Hsieh & A ; Shannon, 2005 ) and besides as an attack of empirical, methodological controlled analysis of texts within their context of communicating ( Mayring, 2000 ) . Therefore in this research â€Å" papers † refers to written beginnings that the research worker have obtained from the online beginnings ( articles, studies and diaries ) and other written beginnings such as books that explain about Steiner and Malaysian scientific discipline course of study. The paperss gathered include official publications which discuss the purposes and aims of scientific discipline instruction and other facets of course of study such as execution, appraisal and the public presentation. These different paperss were analyzed and discussed in relation to the findings gathered through observations and interviews carried out by the research worker antecedently. 3.3 Research Procedures Since this is a comparative survey between 2 different course of studies, there are processs that need to be carried out by the research worker in two different states which is Malaysia and Britain. Therefore, the research worker will explicate the processs in figure of different phases as elaborate below ; Phase 1 To place the job about the Malayan scientific discipline course of study, the research worker had informal interviews with few senior instructors and talks with scientific discipline instruction background. Besides that the research worker besides conducted few informal interviews with pupils in mainstream scientific discipline category. The thought to compare the Malayan and Steiner scientific discipline course of study really came from co-workers who had general thought about the Steiner Waldorf instruction. Phase 2 ( Initial Study ) The research worker gathered information about Steiner instruction including the history, attacks and its course of study every bit good as read about the research conducted on Steiner instruction. At the same clip, the research worker besides contacted the Head of the Steiner Waldorf instruction in University of Plymouth and liaises with the Senior Tutor of the Industrial linkages of that university via electronic mail to set up resonance before the visit to Britain. Meantime, the Head of the Steiner Waldorf section helped the research worker to form Steiner and scientific discipline related plans for the research worker to go to during the visit and one of which is a visit to a Steiner school in Plymouth. Phase 3 Prior to carry oning this research in the UK, the research worker needed to obtain permissions from the undermentioned parties: The Dean of Faculty of Education of University Teknologi Mara ( UiTM ) to obtain permission to subject the proposal to the UiTM International Linkages Centre ( UiLC ) ; The Head of UiLC for the blessing of the fund needed by the research worker to carry on this survey in Britain ; The Vice Chancellor of UiTM to obtain the blessing for the research worker to carry on this survey in Britain ; and The Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth for permission and to be involved in this research. Phase 4 When in the UK, information was gathered or obtained through changing beginnings and methods as highlighted aid earlier, viz. subsequent Joined a hebdomad plan organized by Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth. The plan besides involved a category of first twelvemonth pupils who making their Bachelor in Steiner Education ; Group interview with the few talks and pupils from the Steiner Waldorf Department ; Interview with the Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth ; Educational visit to one Steiner school in Plymouth where interviews were carried out with a few instructors from different backgrounds ; Observation of one scientific discipline lesson ; and one practical or experiment session ; and Exchange of electronic mails with the few scientific discipline instructors, lectors and pupils who graduated from Steiner schools. Phase 5 Once the intended informations were obtained from the UK, this phase will more concentrating on informations analysis and to happen more grounds to farther support the earlier findings. Conducted email interview with few Steiner scientific discipline instructors, talks and ex-students. Making analysis on paperss about Steiner course of study specifically on scientific discipline. Conducted a group interview with pupils from 2 different schools in Petaling territory. Analyzed information gathered. 3.4 Sampling Scheme A sample in a research survey is the single or group on which information is obtained ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . Another sentiment, a sample consists of a group of persons drawn from the population where the sample is really a fraction from the whole population ( Holmes et al, 2008 ) . A group of sample can be really little or possibly rather big depending on the figure of population as the sample drawn is really supposed to stand for the full population. There are two major types of trying which is chance trying and non-probability sampling. For this research, the research worker chose purposive sampling and convenience sampling when behavior this research. A convenience sample is group of persons who ( handily ) are available for survey while purposive sample is chose based on the research worker judgement where the sample is believed could give utile information for the research ( Fraenkel & A ; Wallen, 2006 ) . On the other positions, Holmes et Al ( 2008 ) in his book stated that purposive sampling is a manner where the research worker, in taking sample, considers the topics that belong to a specific group. Basically this method is appropriate for a subject that has non been studied much before while convenience sampling is a means perusal of whomever or whatever is available. In effort to analyze on Malayan and Steiner Waldorf ‘s scientific discipline course of study, the research worker was really blended the method in trying. Even though the sample might affect personal networking of the research worker, there were few facets that the research worker gave due consideration and judgement. That is why the research worker chose to utilize purposive and convenience sampling. In order to understand a phenomenon from position of participants, the research worker chose sample who gave more utile information. In add-on, the research worker besides look at the engagement, willingness and cooperation of the sample to involves with the research so that it will do much easier for the research worker. 3.5 Sample 3.5.1 Sample for Malayan Science Curriculum The samples that the research worker chose to garner utile information sing Malayan scientific discipline course of study can be divided into three classs, viz. as ; expert ( lector with scientific discipline instruction background ) , practician ( instructor ) and pupils. 3.5.2 Sample for Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study The samples that the research worker chose to understand about Steiner Waldorf instruction and its scientific discipline course of study besides can be divided into three classs, viz. as ; expert ( lectors with Steiner instruction background and Steiner scientific discipline instruction background ) , practician ( instructor ) and pupils. 3.6 Data Analysis Data analysis is one of the of import parts in any research. It requires systematic processs to pull off the information gathered and the ability to analysis the informations critically and exhaustively. However, to transport out the analysis, research worker will utilize the research inquiries and research aims that constructed earlier as the usher. He believes that, it will assist the research worker to demo the right way of the geographic expedition of the informations. As the research worker employed observations, interviews and papers analysis as the methods to garner the informations, each method will undergo different degrees of analysis at one point and subsequently will be combined as a rich information that will be able to reply the research inquiries. Any notes that made by the research worker during his observations, informal interviews, transcript of email interviews, pictures recorded, diaries, and any publications related were organized consequently into its ain class. Next, the informations were analyzed in order for the research worker to look at any bing forms or subjects and assist the research worker to place basic characteristics of the information. This will assist the research worker to develop and document a database construction and on the same clip to depict about the informations extensively by utilizing qualitative package. The package will let the research worker to code, recover and analyse informations which could do the rich information become more organized and utile. 3.7 Drumhead The model of this research took topographic point within qualitative processs since the purpose of this research is compare the Malayan and Steiner Waldorf scientific discipline course of study. Interviews conducted with the instructors, talks and pupils from both systems every bit good as the observation that the research worker carried out in Malaysia and Britain were the chief research tools. The information gathered was supported by the analysis of paperss such as diaries, articles, official publications and several ministry paperss related to science instruction. The informations transcribed with the assistance of qualitative informations analysis package helped the research worker to come out with the findings of the research.