Microsoft and Antitrust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microsoft and Antitrust - Essay Example I therefore agree that Microsoft attempt is one of gaining monopoly power in the software industry. The windows operating system and the internet explorer browser are completely different products that should not be bundled together (Evans, 2002). Microsoft decision is thus one that denies fair competition from other browsers and their restrictive licensing is monopoly intended. In a pure monopoly one firm has the complete control in the production of their products because of barriers of entries for other businesses. There is therefore no competition in the industry and the pricing is not based on the forces of demand and supply. I am against monopoly structure because it promotes inefficiencies and discourages competition. Consequently, monopoly products are of low quality and are highly priced hence encouraging consumer exploitation. In a monopoly, prices and quantity demanded is set at the point of intersection of the marginal revenue and marginal revenue curve. If the marginal cost cuts the marginal revenue curve from the lowest point possible, it means that the firm is operating at optimal capacity and there is no room for expansion and it is at this point that the profit is maximized (Fellner, 1949). Since the demand curve is downward sloping, a reduction in price is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the quantity sold. The firm is therefore the price marker and therefore records high economic profits. Monopoly also deprives consumers their sovereignty of choice, as there are no substitutes for the company’s products. Failure or conditions that can halt the production of a company’s products will therefore result in acute shortages. Monopoly pricing coupled with artificial shortages to the society will result into dead weight loss to the society (2009). The locative inefficiencies in monopoly lead to loss by the society. Moreover, monopolies have been

Classify the business according to its ownership - McDonalds Essay Example for Free

Classify the business according to its ownership McDonalds Essay The business I have decided to choose for this assignment is McDonalds. McDonalds ownership is a franchise. McDonald is a large business with more than 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, serving more than 38 million people each day. * Overseas comparisons indicate that franchising is the fastest growing form of retailing and McDonald has grown quickly by granting franchises. The term franchising has been used to describe many different forms of business relationships. This form of business ownership was first introduced in the U. K. It is a form of business organisation that is becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom. * A franchise is an agreement between two parties. An entrepreneur (franchisor) and franchisee. The franchise agreement grants to the franchisee the right and authorisation to operate a specific McDonalds restaurant, at a single address. The franchise term is usually for a period of 20 years. These franchise rights include the use of McDonalds trademarks, restaurant dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor designs, signage and equipment layout, the formula and specifications for menu items, use of McDonalds method of operation, inventory control, book-keeping, accounting and marketing. * A separate franchise lease covers the right to occupy the restaurant premises. In returns, the franchisee agrees to operate the business in accordance with McDonalds standards of quality service, cleanliness food safety and restaurant safety. The franchisee is expected to take a hands on role in operating the business, and to be involved in local civic and charitable activities. * Throughout the franchise term, the franchisees sole business interest should be McDonalds. Franchising is really the hiring out or licensing of the use of good ideas to other companies. A franchise grants permission to sell a product and trade under a certain name in a particular area. For example if I have a good idea, I can sell you a licence to trade and carry out a business using my idea in your area. McDonalds is a big example of brand franchising. McDonalds has grown its business in the United Kingdom through franchising outlets. Explain the benefits and constraints of the type of ownership. In order to succeed it is necessary to consider the benefits and constraints involvement in franchise. There are clear benefits to this: * You dont have to come up with a new idea. Someone else had it and tested too! * Large, well-established franchise operations will often have national advertising campaigns and a reputable, well established trading name. * Good franchisors (BFA) will offer comprehensive training programmes in sales and indeed all business skills. * Good franchisor can also help secure funding for your investment as well as e.g. discounted bulk-buy supplies for outlets when you are in operation. * If you are aware that you are running a franchise customers will also understand that you will be offering the possible value for money and service although you run your own show as a part of a much larger organisation. Benefits for franchisor: * Low capital expenditure franchising is an excellent method of expanding your business with a limited amount of ready capital. Franchisor takes a share of profit without taking risk. Low risk route to expansion. * Personal commitment and motivation from franchisees is greater than from employees, the reason being that they have more accountability and responsibility than an ordinary employee. * Reduced daily involvement it is a method of obtaining conscientious and dedicated personal who work hard to a safeguard their investment. Benefits for franchisee: Some of the advantages of franchising to the franchisee are that it gives them the opportunity of sharing some of the benefits of a large business such as: * An established reputation * A known brand name and image * Skilled management * Large scale advertising programmes which are usually paid for by an advertising levy * Economies of scale, producing on a large scale is termed economies of scale. McDonalds does this by trying to keep low cost through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers, which will give the company value for money. * Franchising also offer much of the independence of a sole proprietor In this way a small business benefits from the economies of scale That comes from being part of a large company organisation. Constraints of franchising * Limits on product price they cant change their product price up to wherever they want. They have limits for price. * Limits on variety of product they cant have variety of products. Customers get confused if theyll keep variety of product they have to keep certain products. * Limits on freedom- they cant do whatever they want. They have to follow owners instructions to run their business. Franchisees have not much freedom. * Limits on the title of their business- they cant even change the colour of their title. As you can see they have same colour and title style wherever their branches are. Task 2: A Clear description and explanation of the objectives of the business. The objectives of businesses can vary enormously. Companies may have a number of objectives. In general, the objectives pursued by a business tend to vary according to its size, ownership and legal structure. Small businesses are more likely to focus on survival as an objective as they tend to lack the financial resources to cope with adverse trading conditions. Larger businesses may aim to maximise profits. As being one of the larger businesses McDonald has the following objectives: * Profit maximisation * Survival * Market share * Growth * Providing exceptional customers care * Remaining an efficient and quality producer offering high value to customers (according to companys policy) Profit maximisation: Profit maximisation is likely to be an important objective for most companies which shareholder including McDonalds owns. Profit refers to the extent to which revenues exceed costs, so profit maximisation occurs when the difference between sales revenue and total costs is greatest. Companies such as McDonalds seek to maximise profit to cover up their costs and to provide high returns for their shareholders. McDonalds does this by trying to keep cost low through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers which will give the company value for money. In order to maximise sales they have various sales promotion throughout the year. The basis for their profit is low cost rather than high price. Survival: Survival is an important objective for many businesses. According to the business writer Peter Drucker: It is the first duty of a business to survive. The guiding principle of business economics, in the other words, is not the maximisation of profits; it is the avoidance of loss. Business enterprise must produce the premium to cover the risk inevitably involved in its operation. And there is only one source for this risk premium: profits. Most recently established businesses like McDonalds have survival as objectives. This is because often they have intense competition in the market so they have to spend heavily on their advertising to attract customers. They have to ensure that they remain the Market leader in their industry. Growth: Growth occurs for the company when there is an ongoing increase in an economys production of goods and services. McDonalds pursues growth through selling more franchises all over the world in order to have a presence in most countries in the world. They can achieve this by increasing the overall size of the business by merging or joining other firms of buying them out through a take-over. McDonalds recently went into a joint venture with prà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t a manager in order to enter another segment of the U.S market and gain a greater share of the market Increasing sale or market share: Growth occurs when there is an ongoing increase in an economys production of goods and services. Many businesses pursue growth strategies because their managers believe that this essential for survival. If the firm grows, it grows with more customers, earn higher profits and begin to establish itself in the market. Growth offers: * Increased returns for the owners of the business * Competitive salaries ( and more job security ) for employees of the business * A wider range of products for the business exists and potential customers it is increasingly common for mangers pay packages to successful managers can earn substantial incomes if that is reflected in the companys share price. Increasing market share is an important objective for McDonalds. It is likely to be a key objective any business operating in a market which is not growing. For example, the market for traditional beers in the U.K is not growing indeed there are signs that it may be declining. As the market is not increasing the size, brewers of traditional ales can only increase sales by taking market share from competitors. Market share is also important for McDonalds because that considerably from producing on a large scale. They use expensive equipment and the financial advantages of producing on a large scale are termed economies of scale. Where these economies exist, firm will attempt to take a greater share of the market. This allows them to sell their product at lower price, increasing their competitiveness. Task Three: Every organisation will need to acquire, use and change factors of production in order to produce goods and provide services. McDonalds has several functional areas that exist in the business to help the business meet its objectives and to provide goods and services as well. And each of which is supported by a particular administrative office. The administration of each function is based on its offices. There are many administrative offices each with a specialist responsibility and function. The functional areas McDonalds has are as follow: * Finance * Production * Human resources * Marketing * Research and development * 1) Finance Function: The finance director George Mackay is responsible for finance department. The main activities of finance function are: * To keep record of all business transactions, keeping of cost and revenues and setting target through budgeting. * To provide information about services. * To develop new product that satisfy customers expectations. * Quality assurance * Supply chain * Measure the financial performance of the business. * Increase market share so they can make profit and give money to their shareholders. * Control the finances and cash flow so the business stays solvent, i.e. does go bankrupt. * Take timely decisions by comparing the predicted performance with actual performance. This chart shows the structure of finance department. Finance Director Finance Information services New product development Quality assurance Supply chain According to McDonalds finance director accurate financial information allows them to achieve their most important goals to increase profits by expanding, sustained growth and charitable objectives. McDonalds not only invests much of its profit in extending its own business but also set aside millions of dollars each year to fund charitable activities. Not only this, McDonalds also provides different type of support to other organisations and schools. * McDonalds has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. * McDonalds supports the Groundwork Trust, an environmental urban regeneration programme. * McDonalds is a major sponsor of international football. * McDonalds donates million of pounds towards community, educational and charity programme. * McDonalds also provides salary and benefits to its employees and reviewed on regular basis. As for most of the time McDonalds made consistently high profits around $3,633 million and have grown successfully by making good profit and still planning to grow more further (according to the McDonalds book). 2) Production Function: The function of the production department is to change inputs into outputs, which means produce goods and services are to be brought by the customers. McDonalds is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. And this is what production department is responsible for. In order to deliver on this, the company has made commitments: to food safety, food quality and to nutrition. Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and safety. All staff receives proper training in food safety. McDonalds food is made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw ingredients are produced to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards and quality and safety. McDonalds highly trained workers work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality. McDonalds recognises the importance of a balanced diet, lifestyle and health therefore provides hot, less fat and fresh food to their customers. McDonalds invest a lot of money in new technology. Thus, improving the quality food preparation and helps achieving companys aim of growth in the fast food market. * Controlling production methods and planning the scale of production * Controlling costs and working efficiently * Meeting the specific needs of customers McDonalds is working hard to develop their products and provide their customers a variety of differentiated products, which helps to meet another important objective satisfying customer needs because increasingly customers expect to buy the product that meet their exact needs. Developing efficient methods of production to reduce cost is helps to make profit and growth because a fall in the cost of production resulting form an increase in the size of a business, which is called economy of scale in the language of business. When outputs rises, the cost of production per item-the unit cost-falls, and the business can reduce the price of its goods. With the lower price, it will get more customers and so benefit from the even lower unit costs. This will make it more competitive and can easily increase market share. McDonalds has raised standard through out the food processing industry. 3) Human resources: Human resources department deals with staff recruitment, training and development. Human resources is a very important function for the business because it selects the workforce (the right people for right job), provides training and development of staff, which improve their skills, performance and relates to the aim of McDonalds, which is the best service for its customers. Efficiency helps a business run more smoothly, effectively and profitability. Efficiency begins with developing ways of working that are easy to understand and do not waste time or energy. Division of labour, in which each workers carries out a specific job, increase speed and the more people you serve each day the more profit you make so it helps to maximize profit as well as expand the business. McDonalds have their employment policies. McDonalds employs some of the best, most ambitious people on the job market. Whether they join as hourly paid staff or management trainees through graduate or a high standard re cruitment, they have the opportunity to develop a career, which can take them to the very top. Above all, McDonalds values people with a positive attitude towards customers, themselves and other employees, and strive towards delivering the highest standards of quality, service and cleanliness. The ability to understand and adopt McDonalds customer-led culture is as worth as the more usual career entry requirements of GCSE and university degree. The company is an equal opportunity employer and 1992 set up an equal opportunities group to help foster a diverse workplace and highlight equal opportunities as an important part of the company s ethos. McDonalds commitment to equal opportunity extends beyond race, gender, ethnic origin, marital status, colour, nationality or disability, to compass people with very different backgrounds and experience. Whether university graduates and those without formal qualifications, first jobbers or those who have worked for decades, what binds employees is the knowledge that the opportunities are as great as an individuals ambition and ability allow. And if employees are happy with the opportunities they are getting form the company they work hard for the company and try to provide best service in the world. It is important to retain talented staff and staff who have become skilled through training. By recruiting quality staff who are committed to the business, thus reducing recruitment costs by not having to recruit too often. McDonalds also provide benefits with salary to its staff. Hourly paid staff benefits: * Free meal allowance * Paid holidays (4 weeks per annum) * Free life assurance (value dependent upon service) * Private health care (for employees aged 19+with 3 years service) * Sponsorship Programme * Stock purchase scheme * Employees discount card * Service awards (at 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years service) * Stakeholder pension Apart from good rates of pay, McDonalds try to provide good working conditions and incentives. This also helps McDonalds to meets its objective of expanding and providing best service to the community. 4) Marketing: According to the research about McDonalds marketing is the whole process by which goods get from producers to buyers. More people work in Marketing than in production. Marketing involves marketing research, distribution, pricing and promotion. As last week McDonalds was offering 2 normal fries, hamburger, drink for only à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 and that offer was only for limited period. Marketing department deals with advertising, promotion and improving the image of the product and services to attract more customers. The fast food industry is in which many companies compete for customers. McDonalds provide a better product, give better value for money, provide a superior service, better at distributing and selling its good and services and making them known through advertising and publicity. There is no doubt that McDonalds do a lot of advertising and promotion activities. One of them is mentioned above. Recently McDonalds announced that Kay Napier, Procter Gamble marketing veteran, vice President/General manger, has been hired as a senior Vice President of marketing. McDonalds marketing director said, I am delighted to add this kind of marketing talent to our team at McDonalds. This is another step in elevating one of the worlds great brands to an even higher level of marketing strength and value. This will also help them to achieve their objective, which is growth. Customer can be attracted through good eye-catching advertisement, advertisement has this tremendous ability to shift demand curve to the right. As customer increase income rises which helps achieving companys aim of making profit so that they can cover their cost more easily. McDonalds also meets its objective which is satisfying customer need by knowing what customer want and how much they are willing to spend on their food. To achieve this objective marketing department employees special research team for the test products do surveys with customers to taste new product and answer questionnaire about them. According to McDonalds policy McDonalds will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standards required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality hygiene. This policy helps McDonalds to meet its objective of Providing best food, beat com petition and improve the company image. 5) Research and development: The purpose of R D is to enable business to compete successfully and achieve permanently sustainable competition over its competitors by becoming more efficient and/or profitable and giving customers added value. To achieve this McDonalds always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customers expectations for great taste and great value. The companys new product and development team works with suppliers to expand the menu with new core and promotional food items. The team helps to ensure that all new food items meet McDonalds high quality and safety standards. As with the existing product range, McDonalds solicits and carefully listens to customers view on any new or promotional products. * McDonalds offer more and more choices for breakfast by developing new products as more and more customers eat breakfast out rather than at home. * Changing existing products McDonalds uses conventional food chemicals or additives that add flavour and colour that helps to maintain freshness and make changing in existing products by listening to customers views. * Collecting data from worldwide research McDonalds has special research team to find out what customers want and how much they can spend. McDonalds also has restaurant development policy: When McDonalds has local knowledge which is a key to choosing new locations, McDonalds on discussion with local managers who are closely involved at roots level with their local communities. By keeping customers convenience McDonalds develop new restaurants. Company is committed to responsible and works closely with local planning and community groups when developing new restaurants. Every bullet point and information is written there helps McDonalds to achieve its objective of providing good service to the community by attracting more customers and making profit. There are advantages and disadvantages with every functional areas but each functional area helps McDonalds in one way or another to meet its objectives. Task Four: There are three types of management style and they are: * Democratic * Autocratic * Consultative Management style will describe the different ways that the managers treat their employees and also the way the in charge of the employees. Democratic management style: This type of style involves empowerment. Individuals and team are given responsibility to make decisions, usually with a given frame. The team is then responsible for the decisions that it makes. A manager with this style will feel comfortable allowing others t make decisions. Autocratic management style: This style is where manager gives out instructions, telling people what to do rather than asking employees. The manager is the only person who contributes to decision making. Consultative management style: Consultative mangers are ones who seek to consult other to implement decisions. This type of style wants to draw on more sources of opinion than just her or himself. The purpose of management style is to remember where we started. Business exists to satisfy demand for particular goods and services and in order to do this they need resources; the factor of production. Being the fast food company McDonalds exists to provide catering service to the community. Management is concerned with planning, controlling and co-ordinating the acquisition and use of these resources. In large concerns like McDonalds, managers run the business by using people and information. The term managing comes from the Latin word for hand, as does the word manual. It originally meant handling things but did not originally apply to people. McDonalds Management is responsible for the preparation, integrity and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements and financial comments. The financial statement has been audited by independent auditors, Ernst Young LLP, who was given unrestricted access to all financial records and related data. The audit report of Ernst Young LLP is presented herein. The Board of Directors, operating through its Audit Committee composed entirely of independent Directors, provides oversight to the financial reporting process. Ernst Young LLP has unrestricted access to the Audit Committee and regularly meets with the Committee to discuss accounting, auditing and financial reporting matters. McDonalds has an autocratic management style. A manger takes entire responsibility for decisions and, having set objectives and allocated tasks to employees, expect them to be carried out exactly as specified. Employees are told exactly what, how and when work must be started and finished. It is the kind of management style associated with a corporate culture centred almost exclusively on production. Power is focused at the top, and the centralised decision making is geared to getting the goods out of the company and to customers. The culture of a business can be widely affected by its attitudes, values and beliefs. There are different types of culture McDonalds is very close to customer driven culture by keeping this culture in its mind McDonalds works and as it is described before that McDonalds first priority is its customers. Attention is focused on improving all aspects of the production process down to the minutes detail for the customers benefits. Technological culture is focused as well. To improve its technology and develop new products they listen to its customers as well as to their staff. An autocratic style does have some advantages and advantages for McDonalds. Disadvantages are: * Workers may want some flexibility, freedom, little contact workers therefore little teamwork, can be demotivating. * Disadvantage of having a hierarchical structure is that messages can get distorted or lost from one manager to the next. * There is also poor communication between the different functions. Advantages are: * Need quick decisions, health and safety, clear and consistent approach helps employees * Advantages of the hierarchical structure are that every one knows whom they are responsible to and whom they are responsible for. * This can also shows where specialists are needed in their divisional groups The organisation structure McDonalds has is hierarchical structure, which you can see on next page. The benefits McDonalds gets are clear management structure, clear lines of responsibility and control and functions are clear and distinct. Of course where there are advantages there are disadvantages as well. The disadvantages McDonalds has are many layers of communication and many layers of authority and decision-making. The relationship between structure, management style and culture Structure Management style Culture Hierarchical, many levels Autocratic Based on routine procedures of management, e.g. in and job roles, decisions are large business like McDonalds centralised. Being a huge company McDonalds has an Operations Director (Peter Sullivan), Development Director (Peter Richards), Finance Director (George Director), Marketing Director (Matthew Howe), HR Training Director (Carmel Flatley) and chairman and chief executive (Andrew Taylor) are the most important people in the company. Together with the other directors, they oversee the work of the companys five vast departments: Operational, technical, real estate, financial and marketing. There are also regional manager senior supervisor and superior supervisor, restaurant manager and assistant manager. The board of directors have senior jobs in the company, overseeing different divisions. These are the executive directors. The board also includes non executive directors, who do not work for the company. They help the board make decisions and look after the interests of the shareholders. McDonalds also have training and careers or its employers. McDonalds employs local people in their own community. It is an equal opportunity employer, and women and people from ethnic minorities are represented at all levels. Young people accepted for a position on McDonalds career programme can quickly climb the promotional ladder. Trainee managers go through a series of training courses at centres set up in their own community. They receive even more important on-the-job training at a McDonalds restaurant. McDonalds has an open door policy, which allows staff access to managers from the chairman down. Everyone is welcome to make suggestions or complaints. McDonalds also holds a frequent meetings called rap sessions where staff can voice their complaints to someone from headquarters or air grievances to a member of management from another restaurant. McDonalds now has a bureaucracy; senior staff is not even treated with the awe they command in some companies. Even the chairman is approachable. The staff and the public have open access to him through the companys open door policy. There is a McDonalds management structure on next page. Task 5: A description of the use of ICT for internal and external communications of the business. Businesses need to communicate with a range of individuals and other organisations including their customers, their suppliers, as well as their own employees. Every organisation will need to be able to communicate effectively with staff at all levels for it to function smoothly and efficiently. These are the reason why communication is important for a business or an organisation whether it is internal or external. The business I have chosen for this assignment is McDonalds. McDonalds also has internal and external communication to run its business effectively. McDonalds has an IT strategy. Information technology is important where it enables a business to achieve its goals. However cost is always important and evidence seems to show that IT is more expensive than firms realise. According to Management Consultants, support cost can be five times the amount estimated. This includes help from other staff and time spent on security and back-up procedures. Other costs can include: * Staff training * Introducing health and safety measures * The need to maintain efficient security Two recent trends in keeping down IT costs are: Downsizing: when we look at human resources management then downsizing means is lying off employees. However in IT it simply means using smaller systems, such as a mini-computer instead of a mainframe, or a PC instead of a mini. This is possible because hardware is becoming more powerful. The other recent trend is outsourcing. Outsourcing: This again is a term used in human resources management Internal and external communications: Internal communication: Internal communication is communication that takes place within the organisation. The three main ways of communicating information inside McDonalds are intranet, McNews and MDUK and High levels. Methods of keeping In touch with staff: * Intranet Launched in the year 2000, McDonalds UK intranet provides a fast and up-to-the-minute source of information for McDonalds restaurant management and office staff. It is a single point of reference administrative requirements, news and marketing materials. * McNEWS AND MDUK McNews was the award-winning magazine published bi-monthly for all restaurant staff. In 2002, McNews was re-launched as MDUK a lively people-focused magazine, it covers news, activities and events from restaurants around the country. * High levels Published bi-monthly for all management and office staff it is a showcase for best practice, recognising individuals outstanding practices and achievements, as well as highlighting internal and external awards. * An email system operates in all offices and company-owned restaurants. * Regular staff communication sessions are held in the offices. * Employee satisfaction surveys for both office and restaurant staff are held annually. This is how McDonalds communicate with its staff. The purpose of internal communication is to communicate with its internal customers, which are employees to run business effectively and smoothly. Provide them information they need time to time. External communication: External communication takes place between the organisation and the outside world. McDonalds needs to communicate with a range of stakeholders including shareholders, customers, government, suppliers and the community. Communicating with suppliers and customers: * Telephone: The most frequently used form of external verbal communication is telephone. McDonalds uses this form of external communication to contact with their suppliers. Apart from this McDonalds has answering machines to keep in touch with customers. Phone answering machines tape callers messages, which can be played back from a distance by calling the number and typing in a code. * Business letter: McDonalds has its address available on its every website for their customers and also to obtain your copy of the pack you can contact them by sending a letter. * Website: Most companies have an internet website including McDonalds. McDonalds uses this for all external communications purposes and for public relations activities. I also used McDonalds website to do research for my assignment. * Fax: Fax is a form of external communication. Fax machine is used to transmit and receive suppliers to communicate. The purpose of external communication is to communicate with its customers, suppliers and community. Provide them information about the business they want. Benefits: The benefits of using internal communication are: * The benefit of using intranet to business is that it provides a fast and up-to-minute source of information for McDonalds restaurant management and staff. * McNews magazine covers news, activities and events from restaurant around the country. * E-mail system is faster and efficient. Information and reports are confidential. The same message can be sent immediately to many people. * Employee surveys helps to get employee views. The benefits of using external communication are: * Telephone is fast and its great benefit is that it allows people who would find it difficult to meet to converse. And a person who cant read or write can talk over the phone to get information. * The use of business letter saves time for the person whom you are writing to and you can explain in detail. Not everyone has access to internet so if somebody who needs information about the organisation can write a letter to them. * Fax does the same thing its transmitting speed is fast and saves time. Again if somebody need information about the organisation can contact them through fax if has no access to internet. * Website provides a lot of information about the organisation and in detail with pictures and graphs make easier for you to understand. It saves time of both who wants information and the one who is giving. For example if you asking the manager of McDonald about the company but he hasnt got enough time to give you information in detail so when you have time you can go on to McDonalds website and look for the information you need in detail. In order to achieve business objectives McDonalds has created communication channels which all allows the company to communicate effectively both internally and externally. Due to successful communication when looking at the McDonalds UK financial profile form 1998 to 2001. One can clearly see a substation increase in profit during this period. By using effective communication McDonalds meets a range of organisational objectives which are crucial for the business such ads being a market leader, no 1 fast food retailer in the world which is due to the excellent reputation built throughout the year by maintain strong relationships with customers, adapting to new environment investing in new technologies and continuously up-grading systems and improving staff training. All this reflected in McDonalds ability to maximise sales profit and revenues. ICT has an enormous impact on McDonalds business internally and externally. E-mails replaced the old fashioned methods of communication such as letters and phone calls. The company has a very sophisticated network database which replaced the traditional systems of filing, storing information. Computers are used every where in the business to replace a range of standard operations such as maintaining stock levels, organising deliveries, preparing invoices and recording payments etc. The use of the internet website enables McDonalds to reach any place in the world and is a very latest link with the global market for example every body can obtain the information from the website in a matter of minutes. The global net exchange enables McDonalds through electronic data interchange (EDI) system to arrange financials transfer dramatically reducing time, paper work and costs. Poor communication results in mistakes, anxiety, low morale, inadequate control and aggression. Not surprisingly there is concern to improve the quality of communications. First this means improving the communication skills of people within the organisation. Second, it means developing systems of communication. We can identify the skills required by individuals as: o Patience o Discretion o Understanding o Assertiveness where necessary. A clear explanation of how the production process and quality assurance / control system employed by the business help it to add value to its product or service. McDonalds production is a very important process in McDonalds business activities and it involves: o Processing o Manufacturing o Assembly o Craft-based production Processing: Most of the McDonalds products are created by processing which includes food and drinks. Processing involves treatment such as washing, cutting, salting, weighting, heating, grilling and frying etc. The raw materials such as meat, chicken, fish and vegetables etc are passed through a series of processes until the desire form product is produced for example chicken fillet is processed into chicken burgers, grilled and then assorted with salad cream. Manufacturing: Manufacturing involves making boxes, cups, sticks and different childrens toys which McDonalds has special facility to produce techniques include for example producing plastic toys from plastic granules called Polietilen which is put into a machine which is heated and under pressure different shapes are made for toys. The same thing applies for the plastic cups for hot and soft drinks. Assembly: A typical assembly operation for example putting together big Mac and French fries with a cup of soft drink in a paper bag to serve the so-called big meal for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.99. Another example for an assembly is when staff is in the workshop assemble kids toys, which go together with the kids happy meal. Craft-based production: Craft based production involves making individual products by hand for example a birthday cake for McDonalds birthday parties where the parent can request a special shape and decoration for the childs birthday cake. So McDonalds takes individual offers for special cakes. Especially trained staff has the ability and skill to create imaginative and attractive design that suits the individual needs of customers. Craft production in McDonalds for example involves working with material such as icing, chocolate, cream, coco powder and baking powder. Quality assurance: McDonalds is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. In order to deliver on this, the company has made a number of other commitments: to food safety, food quality and nutrition. McDonalds first is always the health and safety of customers. The company believes that the food safety standards required by law are only a minimum and the company continually seeks to go beyond this. Because of this belief, McDonalds has developed a food safety policy to help keep the focus of the companys absolute commitment to food safety and quality. All raw materials delivered to McDonalds restaurant must be consistently produced to the highest standards of hygiene and safety. Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of food hygiene for all customers at all time. All staff receives proper supervision and training in food and safety. The equipment used must be the appropriate for the needs of each restaurant, and must be carefully maintained and carefully calibrated. Following its launch in early 1998, McDonalds continues its programme of sponsoring research grants in food safety. The grants are particularly aimed at supporting the work of researchers in the early stage of their independent research careers, who are working in established UK-based departments and institutions. McDonalds is committed to serving hot, fresh, great tasting, great value food to all customers, every time that they visit a restaurant. McDonalds food has made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw materials are produce to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards of quality and safety, The Company will not use any ingredients unless it is clear exactly where it has come from and that it compiles with all relevant regulations and McDonalds own high standards. Additives are only used to ensure that high quality standards are maintained. Additives are removed or replaced wherever possible, as long as this does not compromise food safety or quality. McDonalds has a highly trained team of quality assurance whose job includes verifying the companys supply chain through audits and site visit. These employees also work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality and to ensure that restaurants consistently serve hot, fresh food. Independent food safety auditors re also used to assess their key suppliers partners. In 1984 McDonalds became the first UK restaurant company to publish detailed nutritional information on all core menu items. McDonalds highest priority is for the safety of its customers. The company will not any product or ingredient that does not meet their high standards of quality and safety, or has not received the necessary approval by the relevant UK authorities. McDonalds will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standard required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality hygiene. McDonalds always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customers expectations for great taste and great value. Around the country, thousands of people form a network of dedicated suppliers involved in the day-to-day operation of McDonalds business. The responsibility of serving more than 2.5 million customers each day makes quality a consistent goal. McDonalds work with leading suppliers across the UK from potato farmers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk to dairies in the south and midlands-to bring the customers the tasty products they expect from McDonalds. It is McDonalds policy worldwide to purchase supplies from local producers wherever possible, providing that they can meet exacting product and hygiene regulations, operate responsibly and humanely and are competitive. McDonalds strives to ensure quality from crop to counter. To that end, McDonalds requires the highest standards and specifications, not just product ingredients every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is also exhaustively monitored. McDonalds also recognises the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle and continues quality new products, which satisfy customers expectations for taste and value. A focus on quality permeates every aspect of the business. McDonalds standards lead the industry, and will continue to work with government and health officials to investigate improvements. Quality control: Quality control in McDonalds involves all kinds of inspection system for checking the raw materials, the food processing, customer service and management. The company carries out different types of testing the raw materials as well as the ready made meal and drinks for example the cooking oil in which the French fries are cooked is changed twice a day. Each restaurant manger and supervisor inspects daily the premises, the safety of the equipment and the expiry date on stored product such as milk, cream etc and general hygiene on the premises including McDonalds car park and the neighbouring areas. In the company mission statement different policies are allocated such as health and safety, food hygiene, manual handling, customer service, litter control, recycling and environmental policy for example McDonalds is a member of the environment council, the corporate responsibility group of Earth watch Europe, the industry council for packaging and the environment (INCPEN), and greeting the high street, a group of retailers who have come together to develop recycling in the high street. Another example is that McDonalds takes a sensitive approach to its built environment, working closely with planning and conservation officers to preserve buildings of architectural merit and to improve the townscape. In many towns, McDonalds has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. York, Chester and Stratford-upon-Avon are prime examples. McDonalds has supported the tidy Britain Groups annual National clean activities. Since 1988 and support its campaign just Bin it. In addition to corporate funding, restaurant throughout the UK organise and support activities to clean up their local environment in conjunction with local youth groups. o McDonalds is one of the countrys leading sponsors of council litterbins. o All packaging carries the Tidy Britain Groups Tidy Man symbol. o Many McDonalds restaurant organise litter-related competitions with local schools and youth groups. o McDonalds was a founding sponsor of Going of Green, a nationwide awareness campaign for sustainable growth. In 1997 at the TIDY Britain Groups Queen Mothers birthday Awards for environmental improvement, McDonalds received the top award, the Queen Mothers Birthday Trophy. o 100% recycled used for happy meal boxes, take away bags, take away trays, napkins, kitchen rolls and toilets. o All McDonalds tray liners are made from 100% fully recyclable and biodegradable materials. o All McDonalds suppliers have to use minimum recycled content of 50% in their corrugated containers. o All McDonalds offices recycle waste paper and also use recycled paper. o The majority of McDonalds restaurants recycle their cardboard and used cooking oil.

The Harried Coffee Culture vs. the Joys of Drinking Tea :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Harried Coffee Culture vs. the Joys of Drinking Tea Dawn approaches. Signs and sounds of life appear as warm-blooded creatures slough off the chill of night and lumber forth to greet the day. Chitterings and grunts, screeches and roaring fill the ether and rise to a crescendo as beasts gather for their early morning feeding. Many creatures are thrown together, instigating the occasional scuffle as each vies for position. Claws flash, accompanied by warning growls as dominance exerts itself, subordinates retreating with rumbling complaint. One by one each pulls away from the frenzy, hunching over hard-won spoils: double tall cafà © latte with whipped cream and nutmeg, biscotti on the side. And so man has devolved to brutishness, compelled by the base sensuality of the elemental coffee bean. Coffee drinking has soared in popularity, as evidenced by the proliferation of establishments such as Starbucks and Pete's Coffee. According to the Koffee Korner website, coffee made its historical debut in 850 A.D. and by 1995 coffee became: "the worlds [sic] most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil." The fondness for this viscous black beverage has made such a stir that the phrase "coffee culture" has been coined to express this mania. Yet the use of the term "culture" is misleading, when you look at Webster's definition: "enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training" (Merriam). What enlightenment can be acquired while people madly dash around gulping high-octane fluid - like Espresso (Italian for "fast"), invented in 1903 by Luigi Bezzera (Sippy, Did you know) - from paper cups in a never-ending effort to get through the day? On the contrary, coffee's contribution to this sort of break-neck pace is a cause for the decline of the pursuit of intellect in modern society. Conversely, the pastime of tea drinking is on a more elevated plateau of reasoning. Unlike coffee, there is no instant tea to speak of (not counting instant iced tea which is too distasteful to mention). In fact, the perfect cup of tea is achieved only after careful preparation. A favorite teapot is selected and filled with boiling water to warm. The warming water is tossed out and freshly boiled water is poured over tea leaves added to the pot, a measure of tea for each cup and one measure respectfully for the pot.

Modelling human decision-making

This paper anchors the development of the simulation modeling the human decision making. Series of project have been made and applied to attest the model mentioned. In specific, the focus of the project is about the process of using simulation and the methods which extracts knowledge about human decision making. One method used is the artificial intelligence method which figures out the decision-making strategies of human. And with this, it made possible to assess performance of the decision makers, who are the target respondents of the project. Moreover, the paper presents results of current projects done and motivational factors that affects the model, Human decision making. 1. Introduction There were previous studies and investigations made since mid-1990 on how to use and apply the artificial intelligence method as an alternative on the real subject, human decision making, in the simulation. This paper provides related literature that will be useful for present and future projects about simulation of human decision-making. Starting from an idea generated when attempting to model rail marshalling yards, an artificial example of simulation and expert systems working in collaboration was generated. The ideas were then applied to a real case of maintenance operations at an engine assembly plant. Future work is looking into simulation as a means of knowledge elicitation. The paper briefly describes each of these phases of work and concludes by discussing why it is important to model human decision-making† Conclusion: Why Model Human Decision Making? Modeling human decision-making process for the improvement of human decision-making is far more important than the improvement of AI simulators. The development of the human mind is more important because in complex situations, the mind is more reliable and flexible in terms of making decisions. Simulators are mere copies of what the human mind can do, and thus, it is not that flexible in terms of changes.

Judaism: Its identity and position to society

Judaism is more than a religion. It is the way of life of the Jewish people. Culture, customs, ethics, and sense of self – these are a part of Judaism as much as the faith and the rituals of the Jewish religion. A Jew can be defined in more than one way. Within Jewish law, being Jewish is a kind of citizenship. One is a Jew if one is born of a Jewish mother or has undergone a conversion. Conversion to Judaism is like a bestowal of citizenship – it makes one a member of the people. A person who fits the legal definition of a Jew is recognized as a fellow Jew by the Jewish community. Even if a Jew does not share the religious beliefs of Jews and does not participate in the customs and practices of Judaism, one is still considered a Jew if he or she fits the legal definition. One could define a Jew religiously to the religious beliefs and practices of Judaism. A Jew is one believes in the One God, Creator and master of the Universe, the God with whom the people Israel have a special relationship. Many Jews believe God chose them to be his people. They follow the laws that God revealed to Moses. The Ten Commandments are the most important of these laws. In ancient times the Jews were the only people who worship a single, exclusive God, and the only people who worshiped without physical images of God. The Jews were resented by other people for not participating in the worship of all gods. This led to the accusation that Jews were antihumanitarian, since sharing gods was considered to be an act of friendship and universalistic concern for other people. When Christianity replaced the pagan religions of antiquity, the old misunderstanding of Jews did not die out. Added to it was the resentment that the Jews, Jesus’ own people, has not become Christians. Jews were protected under Christian law but were restricted in many ways. The laws in Christian lands called for Jews to be humiliated and despised in order to encourage Jewish conversions to Christianity. When Jews did not convert they were accused of stubbornness or spiritual blindness (Wylen). Judaism teaches that God is the God of all humankind and that He wants all people to serve Him by living their lives the way He wants. The guidelines for this lifestyle are set down in the Noachide Laws, the basic framework for a moral and spiritual life. They believe that every person is completely free to choose whether to do good or evil for God is completely free to do as He wishes, so are humans. Jews regard any religion which upholds the Noachide Laws as an acceptable way for non-Jews to serve God. This does not mean that they agree with everything that other religions teach, but that they can recognize some religions as pointing out a path to God. For this reason, Jews do not see the need to convert other people to their religion. In particular, Jews recognize that Islam teaches pure monotheism and that Muslims have a strict morality that upholds the principles of the Noachide Laws. The same may be said of the Sikh religion. Jews have always been less certain about Christianity. Although they acknowledge Christianity’s high moral principles, they feel uneasy about the Christian belief that Jesus is God. They are also unhappy about the use of images and icons in Catholic and Orthodox worship. They feel that this comes rather close to idolatry. Nonetheless, Jews have always recognized a special relationship with Christianity and Islam. Rabbi Judah Halevi, a twelfth-century scholar, described Judaism as the seed of the tree and Christianity and Islam as the branches, since through these religions, millions of people have come to worship the one God (Forta). At the turn of the twentieth century, a movement of interfaith dialogue between Jews and non-Jews served as a medium that facilitated the changes upon conflicts in religion. Although there had been some obstacle along the process, the interfaith dialogue helped to develop a better relationship between Jews and non-Jews in America. As a result it came into advancement of the well-being of the Jewish community in America. This interfaith dialogue took place in America in 1893 when the World Parliament of Religions (WPR) convened in Chicago bringing together Protestants, Catholics, Greek Orthodox Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Bahai, Muslims, Native Americans and representatives of other faiths as well. It offered Jewish religious leaders such as Alexander Kohut, Isaac M. Wise, Kaufmann Kohler, Emil G. Hirsch, and Marcus Jastrow, an opportunity to present their views to a non-Jewish audience and make a case for Judaism (Kaplan). The majority of Jews, especially in North America, resided in religiously pluralistic communities where people of diverse backgrounds and faiths, including many who had themselves experienced religious persecution, live side by side. Perhaps for this reason, they felt more comfortable interacting with Christians than Jews did in most parts of the world – so much so that we know of Jews and Christians who joined forces in business, witnessed each other’s documents, and socialized in each other’s homes (Bernardini and Fiering). Over the century new discoveries, new methods of manufacture, new social conditions have changed people’s way of living and thinking about the world. For Jews, this has always created the need to reapply the halakhah (Jewish religious law) to ever-changing conditions for living by halakhah is essential for Jews to fulfill their part of their covenant relationship with God. During this century advances in technology have led Jews to raise questions which could not have been thought of in earlier times – questions about the use of automated electrical machinery on Sabbaths, whether computer hacking is theft, whether surrogate mother is permissible, whether a person on a life-support machine is alive or dead. To enable rabbis to answer this questions, up-to-date commentaries have been added to the Shulchan Aruch (written catalogue of halakhah), and whole books concerned with specific topics of halakhah are now being published. The continued reapplication of halakhah is an ongoing process (Forta). Works Cited Bernardini, Paolo, and Norman Fiering. The Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West, 1450 to 1800. Berghahn Books, 2001. Forta, Arye. Judaism. Heinemann, 1995. Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism. Cambridge University Press, 2005. Wylen, Stephen M. Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism. Paulist Press, 2000. Â   Â  

Free Essays on Democracy

Democracy How many of you know what democracy means to the American citizens? If you ask most young people what democracy is they will say its America’s government but for the most part that is all they know. Of course we’ve briefly discussed it in past years of schooling but nothing has really stuck with me or made me even think about it. Now, though, what democracy is has become clearer. It’s what America is based upon, for the people, by the people, and is the people, right? After reading a few articles on democracy and discussing it with others some new ideas and theories have came to mind. At this point in time, and in the past, democracy has been the best form of government for the American people. When I think of democracy, freedom is the first thing that comes to mind. Liberty also comes to mind and the actual definition of liberty is freedom from external control. Thinking about external control reminds me of a monarchy or dictatorship which are the exact opposites of democracy. Generally these types of government involve only one ruler while in America we have many representatives, yet it is the people who have the say in making choices by the way of votes. Its how the voting system is set up that really separates America from how other countries run their governments. Americans get to vote on laws and choose what they’d like to keep and what they wouldn’t. This is unique and beneficial but it really only works for the majority, not the minority. The reason why it only works for the majority is the majority of the votes decides what laws pass and what laws don’t. The minorities then are not happy because what they wanted did not happen. This can cause frustrations and make the minority unsatisfied with the final result. With each form of government come certain laws, as evident by history. These laws in democracy’s case are political, but before there were common laws to go with Liberty. Po... Free Essays on Democracy Free Essays on Democracy Interest Groups Interest groups are a group of people who share common traits, attitudes, beliefs, and/or objectives who have formed a formal organization to serve specific common interests of the membership. Examples of interest groups would include such disparate organizations as the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the elementary school P.T.A., the Teamsters Union, the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Numismatics Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Brangus Breeders Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Cosa Nostra, and the Benevolent Order of Elks. Interest groups typically have formal admission to membership, dues, elected officers, by-laws and regular meetings, and they often provide information and regular opportunities for communication through newsletters or magazines, sponsor recreational or educational activities, organize volunteer public service projects, make deals for g roup discounts or group insurance and so on. Larger interest group organizations may have full-time paid officers or professional staff to manage and to supplement the efforts of member-volunteers in furthering the work of the organization. Many interest groups at least occasionally engage in some form of lobbying or other political activities with respect to issues that touch directly on the common interests that are the organization's reason for being for example, the PTA may organize support for a bond issue election to pay for erecting a new school building. Some interest groups have political activity as their principal or only reason for being in the first place. Interest groups that exist primarily for exerting political influence as a means of affecting government policies or legislation are often referred to by the narrower term pressure groups. Since more and more activities have become politicized with the expansion of th... Free Essays on Democracy [TOC] Introduction:- Democracy is a tender topic for a writer: like motherhood and apple pie it is not to be criticized. One will risk being roundly condemned if he, or she, points out the serious bottleneck that is presented when a community attempts, through the democratic process, to set plans for positive social action. A man is not permitted to hesitate about its merits, without the suspicion of being a friend to tyranny, that is, of being a foe to mankind?2 The notions of government and of democracy are independent notions and do not, from what I can see, depend on one another. What is likely required for the masses of people, as we see in "modern" world societies, is an established system of government. Where there is a need for an established system of government, it will likely naturally come about; and do so, whether, or not, it has the consent of the people, real or imagined. Putting aside, for the moment, the arguments of Hobbes and Locke, I believe, on the basis of plain historical fact, that governments come about naturally and maintain themselves naturally without the general will of the people; indeed, I believe, with many others I suspect, that our long established democratic governments in the world (the United States and Canada being among them) did not come about by the general will of the people, at all; nor is it necessary that it should it be maintained by the will of the people.3 One should not conclude, therefore, th at democracy is necessary for good government: It may not be. What is necessary for optimum prosperity is a state of acquiescence, which, as it happens, is the hallmark of western democracies. It may be, that the only thing needed is but the trappings of democracy. An individual or group of individuals may take and maintain power by the use of coercive force. From history we can see that this is the usual way by which power is gained, and maintained. However, it has long been understood t... Free Essays on Democracy Democracy How many of you know what democracy means to the American citizens? If you ask most young people what democracy is they will say its America’s government but for the most part that is all they know. Of course we’ve briefly discussed it in past years of schooling but nothing has really stuck with me or made me even think about it. Now, though, what democracy is has become clearer. It’s what America is based upon, for the people, by the people, and is the people, right? After reading a few articles on democracy and discussing it with others some new ideas and theories have came to mind. At this point in time, and in the past, democracy has been the best form of government for the American people. When I think of democracy, freedom is the first thing that comes to mind. Liberty also comes to mind and the actual definition of liberty is freedom from external control. Thinking about external control reminds me of a monarchy or dictatorship which are the exact opposites of democracy. Generally these types of government involve only one ruler while in America we have many representatives, yet it is the people who have the say in making choices by the way of votes. Its how the voting system is set up that really separates America from how other countries run their governments. Americans get to vote on laws and choose what they’d like to keep and what they wouldn’t. This is unique and beneficial but it really only works for the majority, not the minority. The reason why it only works for the majority is the majority of the votes decides what laws pass and what laws don’t. The minorities then are not happy because what they wanted did not happen. This can cause frustrations and make the minority unsatisfied with the final result. With each form of government come certain laws, as evident by history. These laws in democracy’s case are political, but before there were common laws to go with Liberty. Po...

buy custom Prevention of School Violence essay

buy custom Prevention of School Violence essay Neglecting children by the community can make them become violent. There are communities that care little about the welfare of its children. When children are idle during the summer as a result of their parents failing to take them for tuition; such children are likely to engage in some unacceptable habits in order to pass time. Children tend to behave violently when no one is looking or supervising them. Therefore violence is done when parents neglect their responsibility of supervising their children. Violent scenes are reported to be high at the time when the parents are hardly looking at the children. For example 7 pm and 3pm when the students have come from school. Community transformation is another cause of school violence. Shift in school demographics as a result of community changes might also contribute to aggression at schools. As community increases in diversity the likelihood of children aping new negative habits and traits are very high. Community culture expects the issue of a child to be solved at a family level. This is not the reality because the contemporary society has made it difficult for the family to meet all the needs of their teenager. The economy of our time requires the hard work of both parents in order for a family to be sustained. These is not possible because there are many children that are being raised by single mothers or even teenage mothers who are not in apposition to supply the child with the necessary needs. This is the main cause of the neglect that has been seen among parents (Daeschner Richardson, 1997). Parents have a God given responsibility to nurture their children to be responsible and respective people. Therefore when a parent fails to do his part the result is involved of a child in unacceptable behavior and practice. Children that have been negleted or abused by their parents tend to fear communicating. Low self esteem and poor communication skills make such children to be vulnerable to bullying and abuse. Homes that lack love and parental nurturing often end up breeding violence and aggression in adolescents. Community influence is very high in children from such backgrounds. Research study that was done by Western-Kent State in the United States of America indicated that children who are raised in family with guns, drugs, domestic violence as well as abuse are more likely to follow the trends of their parents. Section Three: Methodology Methodology The methods that were used in carrying out the research are found in this section. The thesis mainly focused on literature review as the main source of data collection. Some methods that are useful in data collection include interviews, questioners as well as surveys. Other aspects that might be dealt with are the limitations of the forms of the methods that were employed. Aims/Objectives of the thesis The thesis is aimed at finding the influence of the environment on school violence. Some of the other important factors that will be critically analyzed include forms of school violence and the extent to which the surroundings of student cause indiscipline which is the major cause of violence that is being experienced at the schools. The significance of the thesis The thesis seeks to provide a clear picture of what is happening at schools and quick reforms that must be done to save the situation. Another important thing is to create an understanding of hhow the environment steers violence at school and the types of environment that cause this problem. In addition to that the thesis will provide an opportunity for further analysis in order for necessary implementations to be done. Research statement For the objective to be exclusively met there is need for critical analysis of the research statement and some other concepts that might be of significance. The main research question for this thesis is the influence of environment on school violence. Other important concepts that will be covered in this paper include the forms of school violence as well as the different environments that affect school negatively. Research Limitation This thesis basically focuses on literature review which like any other method of information collection has advantages and disadvantages. Literature review is bound to have some biasness in data collection and in order for the limitations to be overcome its important for a wide range of sources to be consulted. This does not completely eliminate biasness but it only reduces it. According to some authors research design is something that must be done with a lot of care because the objectives of a research paper are well achieved by employing a methodology which is well structured. When the appropriate structure is being designed one needs to bear in mind the relevance of the objectives of the research as well as the procedures which are economical. A structure that is well designed with the objectives of proper and effective data collection is essential for quality information. Therefore this thesis will consult credible sources to ensure validity and high standard of the paper. Rele vant information from books and journal will be reviewed for conclusive analysis. Buy custom Prevention of School Violence essay

Impede and Impinge

Impede and Impinge Impede and Impinge Impede and Impinge By Maeve Maddox A reader questions the use of the preposition on after impede in a newspaper headline: I don’t think â€Å"on† is needed or correct [in this headline]: â€Å"Washington’s weeklong power outage impeding on Thanksgiving.† I’d love to hear your thoughts. The reader is correct. Impede does not take a preposition. Here are examples of correct usage: Flamingo Road  construction will impede  traffic through 2016 Natural selection, key to evolution, also  can impede  formation of new species. Do emotions  impede  logic or do emotions contribute to being rational? Five Negative Thoughts that  Impede  Weight Loss In each example, impede is a transitive verb followed by a direct object. Impede combines the Latin negative prefix im- with the Latin word for foot. The meaning of Latin impedire is â€Å"to shackle the feet.† The English transitive verb impede means, â€Å"to retard in progress or action by putting obstacles in the way; to obstruct; to hinder; to stand in the way of.† The person who wrote â€Å"Washington’s weeklong power outage impeding on Thanksgiving† may have been reaching for impinging. Latin impingere means â€Å"to push, strike, drive [something] at or into something else. A common meaning of the English verb impinge is â€Å"to encroach or infringe on or upon.† When that’s the meaning, impinge is followed by the preposition on (or upon): But at what point does  my  freedom to act  impinge on  your freedom? I don’t care what they do in their private lives just as long as they  dont impinge on my rights.   Is it acceptable to  impinge on  certain civil liberties for  the sake of national security? Is it possible to set up quiet areas without  impinging on playground  space? Dido Sued for Impinging on an Astronaut’s Persona The noise from next door was impinging upon my  concentration. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply with"Owing to" vs "Due to"3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms

Geographical Transformation of the Caribbean Islands Assignment

Geographical Transformation of the Caribbean Islands - Assignment Example Prior to the introduction of the Spanish our culture had been relatively insular. This is not to say that we did not trade with neighboring cultures and tribes; however, the drive to settle and explore for distant lands, even if we knew they existed, was not part of our cultural legacy. I would say there were many reasons for this; however, the primary cultural reason was due to the fact that our culture had derived from a group of individuals that were keenly aware of the unique demographics constraints that island lifestyle exhibited. Rather than being able to simply expand and colonize a new area, the Caribbean island ecosystem had taught our people how to manage the resources we had, supplement the ones we did not, and seek to find a way to supply the needs of our people without having to expand outwards. This is not to say that wars did not exist. There were numerous examples within our recent history when neighboring chiefs and tribal leaders coveted the position, riches, or sl aves that another neighboring group possessed. As a rsult, these battles were fought in much the same way that the Spanish fought to take control of our way of life, women, riches, and future. It was in October of 1492 that I became acquainted with what would spell the end of our civilization; although at that time, the ominous nature of the encounter was overcast by the sheer curiosity and fear that many of my tribesmen exhibited. What I first saw was a group of hairy-faced, colorful, and shiny men that I took for a type of embodiment of a god; or at the very least demigods. These men strode upon the sand and the thin thatch that covered the interior of the island with a heavy stride that set them apart from any man I had ever seen. I soon learned that the reason for their heavy and seemingly uncertain steps was due to the fact that they had been at sea, on board ships, for a long period of time. Accordingly, their ability to quickly acclimate to the sandy soil of Mamana was severe ly hampered. Although the fear soon gave way to curiosity, there was also a sense of foreboding that is now all too clear with respect to how the tribesmen viewed the Spanish. Upon coming ashore and making contact with the tribes chief and spiritual leaders, the Spanish wasted no time in seeking to find if there was anything that our people could offer them that would profit them. By standards of our culture, it was not common to greet a stranger and immediately make inquiries as to his overall wealth and a firm account of the things he possesses. For this reason, many of our tribesmen became wary of the way that the Spanish behaved and fearful of what type of intentions they harbored with respect to our lands and to our people. Now ten years later, I have grown to resent the way that the Spanish govern our culture. True, their technology has rapidly changed the way we lived; however, it has not improved the overall quality of our lives. Moreover, the effects of their conquest have meant that our culture, our religion, and our language is becoming more and more diminished each and every day that passes. For many reasons this troubles me. However, the single largest concern I have with respect to this is the fact that my children and their children’s children will grow up in a world that does not even resemble the one

Marketing Communication Strategy - Sales Promotion Assignment

Marketing Communication Strategy - Sales Promotion - Assignment Example   Direct marketing is a channel form of advertising that helps business as well as non-profit organisations to directly communicate with the customers with the help of various advertising techniques like online display of ads, catalogue distribution, mobile messaging, promotional letters etc. Advertising is a form of communication that helps to persuade the audience to take some action. The action would be to purchase the product or service. An efficient and effective marketing communication mix is essential otherwise the company will not survive in the competitive marketplace. Effective marketing communication with customers is essential in order to generate profits and sales. Now in the context of the project, the two companies that have been chosen to demonstrate the usage of the mentioned communication mixes are KFC and McDonalds. Both KFC, as well as McDonald's, hugely invest in their communication strategy. The report will begin by providing a brief introduction to the chosen companies as it will help to relate the subject more efficiently. The report will also highlight the 3 major marketing communication mixes used by them in the marketplace. Apart from that, the report will also emphasize the importance and scope of the mentioned communication mix. In the context of the project, the following three major elements used as the promotional elements are advertisements, sales promotion and public relation. The effectiveness and efficiency of marketing communication strategies of KFC and McDonalds are:- Sales Promotion: - Sales promotion is amongst the seven elements of the promotional mix. Examples of sales promotion include the contest, discount coupons, product samples and various other freebies (Gartner and Bellamy, 2009, p.350). Now in the context of the project, KFC makes use of sales promotion to a large extent. The company uses the following tools in order to further improve the sales. It includes coupons, premiums and entertainment. Every outlet of KFC offers the different type of incentives such as coupons, the free add-on, and the free meal to the customers for the purpose of selling.     

Gulf War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gulf War - Essay Example By the 6th of August, 1990, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait’s neighbour, realised that the situation was dangerous if Hussein attempted any more invasions and asked for the help of United States of America (USA).The USA immediately sent troops to Kuwait. The United Nations (UN) strongly condemned the invasion of Kuwait and gave Hussein a deadline of 16th January 1991 by which to retreat from Kuwait. Coalition troops from several countries were sent in by air the day after this deadline expired and later on 24th February 1991, ground attacks were launched. It was met by resistance from the Iraqis and several thousands were killed. On the 28th of February, all military operations were halted and a ceasefire declared. In the days that followed, Iraqi units were allowed to leave Kuwait. Negotiations between the coalition countries and Hussein allowed to stay in power but economic and trade sanctions were imposed on Iraq. No-fly zones were established and Iraq’s weapons program came un der inspection by the UN. Iraq accepted all the terms of the ceasefire and the war officially ended on the 3rd of March, 1991.

Solar energy as an alternative energy source Essay

Solar energy as an alternative energy source - Essay Example (uk.news.yahoo.com 2011) Solar energy is more abundant, less exhaustible, and a more population free than any other source. Active and passive solar energy types are the major ones. The active systems are those that capture, stores, and distribute that energy from the sun. Passive systems provide the avenues for the sun to enter and they rely on natural airflow to provide distribution. (Goel, 2005 p109) The active solar system includes a collector, a storage mechanism and a distribution device. This type of the solar system has overcome the age-old problem of solar concept wholly. It is the most needed when the sun is not shinning at right for example, the storage area is usually water such as, an indoor swimming pool, stores or bricks located in the basement. The heat can be distributed as the need arises and it is extracted by means of pumps or fans, depending on the storage method. A passive solar system is not expensive as active system because it has only a device for collection which consists of a south facing solar panel that collects the sun rays. The method is effective in greenhouses and homes equipped with another back up heat source. The construction technique is followed to ensure heat is held once captured. Passive solar energy are used to heat water, grain, distilled water and also used in cooking. According to (Smith and Taylor, 2008 p2), the latest development with the solar energy concerns converting the sun rays that is, radiant energy, into electric energy. The second thermodynamics law states that heat is usually lost when we change the form of energy. The research indicates that 99% of radiant energy from the sun is lost in form of heat leaving the earth’s surface. The main goal of using solar energy to produce electrical energy is to use more efficiently the escaped heat of the sun. There is a more indirect method of converting the solar energy to electrical power. More research is being conducted lately on the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity by the use of solar cells. These solar cells are in need of more development before they are readily available to the public. The solar energy supply is unlimited and the supply is also renewable. The reliance of fossils fuel thus indirect population by the amount of solar produced can be reduced. Solar is a necessity because of the demand increase on the traditional energy and also the increasing costs relating to such an increase. There is no population generated as a result of its use. Every watt of power generated from the sun reduces the population thus solar energy is an excellent alternative energy. Other than the costs of manufacturing of the component, their purchasing and the installation costs, there are no other costs that are associated with the use after the initial investment outlay. To meet the needs, the electric solar system can be expanded by installation of more panels. It is notable that the demand of fossil fuels that is oil and natural gas decreases as the usage solar energy increases. Other advantages of alternative sources of energy is solar electric system can eliminate greenhouses gas emissions by an amount of 18tons. The solar energy can be used for the remote applications, heat water and space heating. (Craddock David, 2008 p 13) Solar energy as an alternative source of energy has various disadvantages too. Solar energy projects that are Large scale commercial involves a large area of land and involves

Religious Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religious Field - Research Paper Example However, the research study indicates that many of the Japanese are members of the Shinto cult, and it has become one of the most powerful religious cults in nationwide with many religious believers. The Shinto has their own valuable books that include the Nihongi, which is the Japanese chronicles, and the Kojiki, which is the ancient events chronicles. Shinto, an indigenous faith of the Japanese people remains their main religious conviction beside Buddhism. Thus, the research paper analyzes the way different religious beliefs and practices may contribute to misconceptions, therefore, indicating the way to overcome such misconceptions. Shinto, unlike other religious cults, is one of the religious beliefs and practices, which may be possible to follow. The needs and traditional practices of Shinto rather than Shinto doctrines determine their practices. The Shinto practices takes into considerations four significant aspects including Kami as the integral part for love of nature, purif ication rites or physical cleanliness, tradition and family as well as festival and ceremonies. The Shinto believers have some aspects, which are similar to Buddhism, hence becoming easier for anyone from Buddhist to join and follow their aspects easily. This is because some practices such as death rituals are similar to Buddhist people, but Shinto focus mostly on live events such as honoring Kami, birth and marriage (Kallen, 2002). They have permanent areas for worshipping their Kami that are in the form, of shrines, vast complexes and each of them operates differently from one another. The priesthood in Shinto is taken as a family affair; thus, it passed from parents to their siblings. The people in each shrine dedicate themselves to Kami. The Shinto religious believers’ value varied Shinto texts, which contain the legends and historical events based upon their religion instead of being Holy Scriptures. Some of the Shinto texts are the Jinno Shotoki, Kojiki, the text for re cords of issues in the ancient times, Nihongi, Rokkokushi and many others. This books or Shinto texts create a misunderstanding with other religious beliefs and practices. This is because of the way they present their Shinto practices and their beliefs upon the creation of Japanese. The two significant and valued texts include the Kojiki and Nihongi, which provides the legendary stories about the creation or the existence of the Japanese into their being. The two books explain the way Kami (Shinto gods) created the ancient Japanese (Littleton 2002, p. 34). They reveal about the male and female who-invites (Izanagi and Izanami) respectively and the way they gave birth to the Japanese land. After the death of Izanami, Izanagi made a journey find her, but he found the maggot crawling with her decayed body. The Izanagi fled back to the living land being horrified, and he entered inside the water in order to purify himself. In the process of purification, the Izanagi encountered with the Sun Goddess, who is the greatest Kami while washing the left eye side (Kasulis, 2004). When he started washing the right one, the Moon Kami appeared to him. The Izanagi struggled to maintain peace in the land for many decades, but the Sun Goddess decided to send to them the grandson, Ninigi as their king to govern them (Bowker, 2012). This reveals the way Shinto is unique from other religious scriptures across the globe. For instance, the Christian texts explain the creation story of Adam and Eve

Solar energy as an alternative energy source Essay

Solar energy as an alternative energy source - Essay Example (uk.news.yahoo.com 2011) Solar energy is more abundant, less exhaustible, and a more population free than any other source. Active and passive solar energy types are the major ones. The active systems are those that capture, stores, and distribute that energy from the sun. Passive systems provide the avenues for the sun to enter and they rely on natural airflow to provide distribution. (Goel, 2005 p109) The active solar system includes a collector, a storage mechanism and a distribution device. This type of the solar system has overcome the age-old problem of solar concept wholly. It is the most needed when the sun is not shinning at right for example, the storage area is usually water such as, an indoor swimming pool, stores or bricks located in the basement. The heat can be distributed as the need arises and it is extracted by means of pumps or fans, depending on the storage method. A passive solar system is not expensive as active system because it has only a device for collection which consists of a south facing solar panel that collects the sun rays. The method is effective in greenhouses and homes equipped with another back up heat source. The construction technique is followed to ensure heat is held once captured. Passive solar energy are used to heat water, grain, distilled water and also used in cooking. According to (Smith and Taylor, 2008 p2), the latest development with the solar energy concerns converting the sun rays that is, radiant energy, into electric energy. The second thermodynamics law states that heat is usually lost when we change the form of energy. The research indicates that 99% of radiant energy from the sun is lost in form of heat leaving the earth’s surface. The main goal of using solar energy to produce electrical energy is to use more efficiently the escaped heat of the sun. There is a more indirect method of converting the solar energy to electrical power. More research is being conducted lately on the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity by the use of solar cells. These solar cells are in need of more development before they are readily available to the public. The solar energy supply is unlimited and the supply is also renewable. The reliance of fossils fuel thus indirect population by the amount of solar produced can be reduced. Solar is a necessity because of the demand increase on the traditional energy and also the increasing costs relating to such an increase. There is no population generated as a result of its use. Every watt of power generated from the sun reduces the population thus solar energy is an excellent alternative energy. Other than the costs of manufacturing of the component, their purchasing and the installation costs, there are no other costs that are associated with the use after the initial investment outlay. To meet the needs, the electric solar system can be expanded by installation of more panels. It is notable that the demand of fossil fuels that is oil and natural gas decreases as the usage solar energy increases. Other advantages of alternative sources of energy is solar electric system can eliminate greenhouses gas emissions by an amount of 18tons. The solar energy can be used for the remote applications, heat water and space heating. (Craddock David, 2008 p 13) Solar energy as an alternative source of energy has various disadvantages too. Solar energy projects that are Large scale commercial involves a large area of land and involves

The Main Principles of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Main Principles of Management - Essay Example This makes them responsible for operational decision making and performance improvement (Hill, 2006). The third principle is an integration of effort whereby the entire organization moves towards a common objective regardless of one’s position in the organization. The fourth principle involves the business taking a lead in determining industry standards and practices, being out-front. The fifth principle is being up-front, meaning that everything is conducted with integrity and openness. The sixth principle is resourcing the medium term which means that the business is able to effectively balance short and medium-term requirements. The business is able to make orders and supplies in good time (Carpenter, 2009). The seventh principle is time-based. This calls for timely orders, supplies and dealing with emergencies as required. This helps in ensuring that employees do their work within a given time frame and deliver to clients in good time. The eighth principle is bias for action and this means that the business is good at implementing ideas and strategies. When ideas and strategies are shared out and not acted upon, they are not useful and do not improve the workers and business as a whole. The ninth principle is learning focus whereby everyone in the business gets involved in a learning or development programme. This ensures that the business grows as well as the people in and working for the business (Hill, 2006). The tenth principle is discipline. The business invests in policies, procedures and standards that are to be upheld, failure to which penalties are applied. The eleventh principle is that of measurement or reporting and publication. This involves measuring and reporting to the employees’ financial and non-financial performance information needed to excel. Customer value is the twelfth principle and involves all employees striving to enhance customer value creation. This helps in getting and retaining customers. The thirteenth principle is capabilities creation whereby business and organisational capabilities are defined as priority areas.  Ã‚  

Computer in Life Essay Example for Free

Computer in Life Essay What do you think of when you hear the word ‘computer’? Do you think of technology? Or maybe one of the ways to get on Facebook which I am sure many of you are thinking right now or you might even imagine a boring office full of screens and keys with people typing frantically in front of. All of those visions are correct, but first let’s take a look at the history of several inventions that led the creation of computers which has dramatically changed the world of technology. The first machine that was invented, which worked like a computer, was a gear-powered German device dubbed the Calculating Clock created by Wilhelm Schickard in 1623. It operated by pulling or pushing rods set inside a glass case. 20 years later, in 1640s, a similar device known as a Pascaline was invented and became famous dramatically.. In 1944, the Harvard Mark-1 computer was completed. That computer was approximately similar to a modern computer, but it was a large calculator driven by a camshaft with no stored programs. This massive computer filled a large room and was a joint effort between Harvard University and IBM. Personally, I believe that one of the most important inventions in my life has always been a computer. I was raised in this technological world where computers are a necessity. Computers dramatically transform my life in terms of education. They acknowledge me with the events that happen around the world, which I think are extremely important to learn. They give me an efficient, convenient and cozy way of work and study. Computers do not just provide me with education or learning experiences, but they are also one of the means of entertainment and globalization. They provide me with leisure time watching movies online or listening to music. According to me, it is one of the most relaxing ways to release the stress from studying and working day and night. Also in terms of globalization, with the aid of computers, I can visualize and make conversations with my long distance family and friends. They assist me in keeping relations with my family and friends, even though I am extremely far from them. I, as a student, strongly believe that computers are extremely important in terms of education as I mentioned before. Before computers were invented, I (you were born after computers were invented) as well as everyone else relied on books to provide them with educational knowledge. Now that computers are available, I never search through hundreds of pages of books. I can just surf the Internet in the blink of an eye to research for learning information. If I need to type anything or write an essay, I have easy access to my Microsoft word or Notepad in which I can also save the information and open it whenever I desire to and if I make any errors typing, it provides me with the correct word or information. Isn’t that amazing? It’s like a human sitting in the back of the computer screen reading my essay and correcting it of any mistakes I may make. Furthermore, the computers also assist me when it comes to math, such as math problems like logarithms, sine, cosine, and tangent can be awfully difficult to calculate and may take students a long time to do so manually. Luckily, with the help of computers, students may turn a five-minute problem into a one-minute problem. Computers have also made a major impact in the business field. They have gained importance as they have increased the productivity and efficiency of workload. Large amounts of data in the personal lives as well as in business and industrial sectors are stored on computers. Overall, as I provided you with all the benefits of computers, according to me, computers are one of the necessities in today’s technological world. In today’s world, it is almost impossible to think that one can survive without computers. They have become a gadget of almost daily use for people of every age. With the computer industry growing rapidly, the computer technology has also brought about a revolution of laptops and palmtops replacing the desktop, which are still popular in many of the industries. With the reduction in size, it has become quite easy to carry the computers and use them to the fullest. Computers are extremely helpful in terms of education, entertainment, globalization, etc. People might think that there might be negative aspects to the inventions of computers, but as far as I am concerned, I do not believe that the statement is true. The computers have had numerous positive effects and they will continue to do so in the future as well.