Essay about Poetry Analysis Mezzo Cammin - 690 Words

Mezzo Cammin The poem Mezzo Cammin by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow explains his regretful life and his reasoning at why he didn’t live it to its full potential and how he looks at his past. It then looks to his future as being near and bearing a huge weight down on him. The way Longfellow talks about his life is depressing. He doesn’t speak of the good accomplishments, only the things he hasn’t done until he looks back into the past and then forward at how the future may be. In the first part of the poem Longfellow talks about his life being halfway over and everything that stopped him from really living his life. In the very first couple of lines he says â€Å"I have let the years slip from me and have not fulfilled the aspiration of my†¦show more content†¦He describes it strangely, â€Å"And hear above me on the autumnal blast The cataract of Death far thundering from the heights.† These lines are very open ended and in one way he could be speaking of death as far away by the way he describes the thundering waterfall very high up. The reference to height could mean its at a good distance that he can see it, but its still far away. It could also mean he has more of his life to live up to and his regretful past doesn’t mean much to him anymore because he has his future to look forward to as he is on his metaphorical hill of life. In another view, he could be describing death as being right around the corner and him looking right at it when he describes the waterfall. You could look at it as him having a life threatening disease and him knowing his death is coming soon, which could also describe the way he views his past full of regret. If he knew the end is coming soon and he doesn’t believe he fully lived his life to how he wishes, the regret is understandable and the cataract of death makes sense in this point of view. Overall, this poem shows the past, present, and future of the writer. His life is full of regret at poin ts and then seems hopeful in others. This poem could be viewed in many ways but mostly you understand it as a man who wishes he could change his past because he knows his future is near and his life will soon be coming to anShow MoreRelatedE.E. Cummings and his Life as a Poet Essay1967 Words   |  8 PagesBiography His early experiments in poetry whilst still a child were encouraged by liberal parents to whom Cummings remained close (â€Å"E.E. Cummings†). After an unsuccessful stint in private school, Cummings father switched him to the Agassiz school, of which Maria Baldwin was the head. Here he displayed a talent for memorizing the poems of Longfellow and Emerson and, before his teens, wrote some simple, two-or-four-line poems (Frazee, â€Å"E.E. Cummings†). His poetry covered many subjects, but he was particularlyRead MorePoetry Essay Prompt2545 Words   |  11 PagesAP Literature Poetry Essay Prompts (1970–2011) 1970 Poem: â€Å"Elegy for Jane† (Theodore Roethke) Prompt: Write an essay in which you describe the speakers attitude toward his former student, Jane. 1971 Poem: â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† (W.H. Auden) Prompt: In a brief essay, identify at least two of the implications implicit in the society reflected in the poem. Support your statements by specific references to the poem. 1972 NO POEM 1973 (exam not available) 1974 Poem: â€Å"I wonder whether one expects

Free Will in Oedipus the King Essay - 1474 Words

Free Will in Oedipus the King Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the story of a man who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story continues in the tradition of classic Greek plays, which were based upon the Greeks’ beliefs at the time. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods decided what would ultimately happen to each and every person. Since those gods destined Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus’ life was definitely fated. However, the gods only decided where Oedipus’ life would eventually lead; they never planned the route he would take to get there. All the decisions that Oedipus made in order to fulfill his destiny, and the decisions he made after the fact, were of his own free will,†¦show more content†¦I paid him back with interest! Short work, by god—with one blow of the staff in this right hand I knock him out of his high seat, roll him out of the wagon, sprawling headlong— I killed them all—every motherâ€⠄¢s son! (884-98) Talk about road rage! Oedipus is pushed out the way by a wagon, and he retaliates by killing almost everyone in the wagon, including his father! Sure, Oedipus was destined to kill his father anyway, but the manner in which he did so gives an insight into his demeanor. Oedipus could have killed his father in any number of ways, but to do so in a fit of rage set off by so seemingly trivial of an event is just not rational. Murder may not have been as big of a deal at that time, but if Oedipus had tried that in today’s world, he would have either been executed or have been spending the rest of his life in a mental institution. This incident goes to show that Oedipus is a very rash and impulsive man, and this carries over into his administration and decision-making. As king of Thebes, Oedipus is a very short-tempered leader who thinks, and sometimes even rules, by the seat of his pants. When Oedipus learns of the plague over Thebes, he chooses to root out the source and eliminate the scourge over his city. This is all well and good until Oedipus starts hearing things he does not like. When Creon sends for the blind prophet Tiresias, the same prophet who told Laius andShow MoreRelatedFate And Free Will : Oedipus The King1136 Words   |  5 PagesClearly depicted, in Oedipus the King, is the Greek s popular belief that fate will control a man s life in spite of man s free will. Throughout the story, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus destruction and ultimately the death of his family. Destined to marry his mother and murder his father, Oedipus was guided by fate. When Oedipus learns of his fate he immediately tries to prevent it, as did his mother and father. This prophecy, as warned by the Oracle ofRead MoreEssa y on Oedipus the King: Oedipus Struggle with Fate and Free Will771 Words   |  4 Pagesfate and free will remains the biggest mystery of all; is everything we do controlled or do we have the freedom of choice? In the story Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the author uses the idea of fate and free will to explain the struggle of Oedipuss life. Fate and free will is explained as; fate is controlled by an outside supernatural force, and there is no way of controlling it. Free will is when each of us is responsible and controls all aspects of our own life. The author of Oedipus the KingRead MoreEmotions and Free Will in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King1904 Words   |  8 PagesEmotions and Free Will in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King Sophocles’ play brings up the complex issues about the relationship between human’s free will and fate predestined by the Gods. It examines the nature of human confidence to defy fate as well as human’s limited ability against the unknown force that they do not completely understand (p. 609). Several remarks were made in the play to question the authority of the divine powers. If the prophecies are wrong, however, how could the playRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King3894 Words   |  16 PagesThe Concept of Fate in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the first-time reader of Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, it seems that the gods are in complete domination of mankind. This essay will seek to show that this is not the case because the presence of a tragic flaw within the protagonist is shown to be the cause of his downfall.    In the opening scene of the tragedy the priest of Zeus itemizes for the king what the gods have done to the inhabitants of Thebes:    A blight isRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Paradox of Free Will1318 Words   |  6 PagesA Paradox: Oedipuss Free will in the Play Oedipus Rex William Shakespeare once wrote, Who can control his fate? (Othello, Act v, Sc.2).  A hero and leader must acknowledge above all else his honor, and the pride of his image.   In ancient Greek beliefs, a hero was a man who stood taller than the rest; he was able to better any conflict.   He did this not for himself or for any token award that may be given to him, but for the security of his fellow man.   Physical strength and superior wit areRead More Boundaries of Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King1282 Words   |  6 PagesFate and Free Will in Oedipus the King    The ancient Greeks firmly believed that the universe was guided strictly by order and fate. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles has examined the relationship between free will and fate, suggesting that free will paradoxically exists inside the boundaries of fate. It may be concluded, however, that man has free will and is ultimately held responsible for his own actions.    Oedipus destruction was brought about by a combination of fate and free will.Read MoreOedipus the King: Fate Vs Free Will Essay639 Words   |  3 Pages Oedipus the King, was written by Sophocles between C.A.496-406B.C. In this play, Oedipus is a great example of Sophocles’ belief that fate will control a man’s life no matter how much free will exists. Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determinedRead MoreFree will and Determinism in Oedipus the King by Sophocles Essay924 Words   |  4 Pagesby human actions. If this is true, we can imply that people do not have free will and thus are not responsible for their actions. In Oedipus the King we see that the dichotomy of fate and free will is hazed by the hyperbole of events, which can make it difficult, but possible, to determine if humans even have free will. Through Oedipus’s flaws and decisions and Sophocles use of the imagery of a crossroad it is apparent that free will can be exercised in a meaningful way. The play opens, and immediatelyRead MoreOedipus the King: Fate and Free Will Essay example2539 Words   |  11 Pages â€Å"‘Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of action and life, of happiness and misery’† (Milch 12). This statement by Aristotle reflects the ideas portrayed in the play Oedipus Rex. Written by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex is a play which combines tragedy with irony to tell a story of a noble king who falls short of his greatness. The play was written around 430 BC and originally intended for an Athenian audience. They considered Sophocles their most successful playwright and consequently, hisRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Fate of Oedipus1239 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fate of Oedipus in Oedipus the King    In Oedipus the King there comes a point in the play where Oedipus learns something that plays an important role throughout the play.  Ã‚   He learns from a   oracle that he will eventually kill his own Father and sleep with his own mother.   As one could imagine this is a shock to Oedipus, and he does not believe the oracle.   However, he cannot prevent any of this from happening because it is his fate.   Oedipus is a victim of circumstances

The Modern Researcher Free Essays

Both authors, Jacquez Barzun and Henry Grafff are historians and are faculty members of Columbia University. They finished this book by year 1969. THE BOOK- Summary and Purpose: This book is primarily intended to â€Å"guide and instruct students in the arts of research   and writing†(note on the revised edition), with special emphasis on historiography. We will write a custom essay sample on The Modern Researcher or any similar topic only for you Order Now The book is divided into three parts, with the titles: The First Principles, Research and Writing . The idea for the first principles is to lay down the necessary frame of thought, the attitudes and qualifications of a (modern) â€Å"researcher†- apparently, to distinguish him from an antiquated one. It combines both the technique of research and writing. Unlike common writing/research manuals that concentrate only on the â€Å"how to’s† ,   Barzun Graff, offered all the necessary ingredients for excellent history writing that is based on fastidious effort to search for â€Å"the truth†. It is a book on historiography that develops the idea that â€Å"facts alone do not constitute history† but that these need to be interpreted and ably written. Writing   should consist an effort on the writer to communicate as close as possible his   own ideas to the reader. It gives a very convenient outline summary for all the great philosophical systems  Ã‚   that influenced historians and their writings. This background could further enhance an understanding of historians’ very human tendency to reduce patterns into ‘laws’ in order to make them coherent and unified. However, such laws overly simplify   phenomenon and , if possible, should be avoided by the writer. Barzun convincingly provides strong bases for his ‘principles’ through excellent  Ã‚  Ã‚   choice of examples. An anecdote on how a historian was able to establish the authorship of the â€Å"Diary of a Public Man† is such a good example on how   one investigates and verifies his data. This historian was able to come up with a  Ã‚  Ã‚   probable answer to his problem through trial and error that took him more than thirty years- visiting libraries, interviewing key people mentioned in the diary, verifying documents written during the period in question (Lincoln Administration). In the end the historian found out that the author employed both fact and fiction in his diary entry and therefore   this (diary)   would not be useful as a historical document. Another is about a researcher who investigated the origin of the motto: â€Å"In God We Trust† written on dollar currencies. He noticed that there was a period when such a motto was absent,   and he wanted to investigate, first -its origin and then,   the reason   for its absence; then, its revival in the present currencies. Through painstaking investigation he found out that it was Stuart Chase, the Secretary of Treasury who , being a clergyman, mandated its inclusion on all currencies during his incumbency. When his term expired, his successor had this motto deleted only to reappear later when the American Congress saw the wisdom of restoring it. Such examples on the process of research reinforces the idea that research is a worthy endeavor and   is indeed exciting. Moroever, the book stresses on the importance of having the proper perspective in writing history, i.e. â€Å"Book concentrates on principles of thought and analysis of difficulties and aims at imparting the fundamentals of informed exposition.† The authors repeatedly expounds on these throughout the book. Another important tenet which Barzun convinces his reader is that it is by way of probability that all scholars, including scientists can claim the truthfulness of their work. Thus, patterning in history is intended not to arrive at â€Å"laws† or generalizations that are â€Å"unbreakable† and immutable but rather to serve as guidepost that may give coherence to an ,otherwise, confusing motley of data. They are therefore made for convenience, just as periodizations in history are. The menacing issue on subjectivity and objectivity in historical writing was given adequate attention by Barzun. He avers that   these words apply â€Å"not to persons and opinions but rather to sensations and judgments† and are better avoided by historians and their critics. â€Å"An objective judgment is one made by testing in all ways possible one’s subjective impressions, so as to arrive at a knowledge of subjects.† A corollary principle will be that â€Å"competence, not majority opinion, is decisive. There have been collective hallucinations that deceived large majorities’† (p.166). This obviously happens, specially with political issues and with politicians who exploit public opinion to suit their ends. Analysis: Barzun Graff’s Modern Researcher is, indeed, not an ordinary manual on research and writing. But I have only one comment, why did they entitle the book â€Å"The Modern Researcher†? Nowhere in this book did they explain the title. Does the word â€Å"modern† means a historical period? Or a frame of mind? I would assume that the work being about historiography may connote a historical period. But it could also be a frame of mind, i.e. progressive and liberal. How to cite The Modern Researcher, Essays

The Honda Effect Case Study Essay Example For Students

The Honda Effect Case Study Essay Introduction Honda is a Japan based company and is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world’s manufacturer of motor vehicles, producing more than 14 million internal motor vehicles each year. The Honda Motor Company was founded by Soichiro Honda in 1948. In 1959, he opened the American Honda Motor Company, so he could fulfil his dream of building a high performance motorcycle and marketing it globally. The discussion below briefly emphasises on the strategy used by Honda to gain entry into the US motorcycle market. The key differences between the two accounts of Honda’s entry into the US motorcycle market The two accounts of how Honda entered into US motorcycle market differ in numerous ways. There are two approaches to strategies were used by Honda to enter the US market, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report clearly shows a deliberate approach to Honda’s strategy in entering the US motorcycle market, while the report Documented by Richard Pascale shows a clearly defined emergent strategy (Mintzberg et al. 2003:152-165). -The deliberate approach which was emphasised by BCG enabled the Japanese manufactures to succeed in many ways. The BCG report showed that the success of the Japanese manufactures began with the growth of their own domestic market. The high production for domestic demand led Honda to experience economies of scale proportion as the cost of producing motorcycles declined with the level of output. This allowed Honda to achieve a highly competitive cost position which they used to enter into the US market. The Japanese manufactures believed that high volumes per model provide the potential for high productivity. They also believe in putting capital back into production and making use of highly automated techniques. Thus, their marketing strategies are directed towards developing these high volumes, hence the careful attention that we have observed them giving to growth and market share. The BCG asserted that the motorcycles available before Honda penetrated in the US market were designed and marketed toward a limited group of people such as the police, army, etc. (Mintzberg et al. 2003:152-165). However, because Honda had a policy of selling, they marketed their product toward the everyday members of the public, rather than the typical confirmed motorcyclists. The bike designed for this target market was a small, lightweight bike that sold less than its leading competitors, which were Harley-Davidson of the USA and Triumph and Norton of UK. Another distinguished characteristic that helped Honda become the leading competitor in its field was the addition of staff members. Honda’s willingness to hire more employees shows how strongly they valued innovation, as they had about 700 engineer and design members, whereas its competitors staffed only about 100 employees. Besides the increased level of hiring, Honda also implemented other strategies such as the developing region by region. Over a period of years they relocated from the west coast of America to the east coast. Along with expanding their market, they also began to focus more on their advertising. A huge investment was spent in on their advertising theme â€Å"you meet the nicest people on a Honda†. This theme in particular disassociated Honda motorcycles from other stereotype motorcycles that had a rowdy image. Richard Pascale (1996) however, disagrees with the BCG report. He emphasises on how Honda used the emergent approach to strategise on entering the US motorcycle market. His report suggests that Honda’s entry in the US market was much smoother and it is what led to their instant success. Pascale (1996) argues that Honda entered the US market at the end of the motorcycle trade season showing their inability to carry out research in the new market. Pascale (1996) also criticizes the assumption that Honda was superior to other competitors in productivity. He states that Honda was successful in Japan with productivity but evidence suggests that the company was not superior, due to the lack of funding from the ministry of finance and the tight budget they had. .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .postImageUrl , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:hover , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:visited , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:active { border:0!important; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:active , .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206 .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc921fc8c102e7a97abad0512b978e206:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ulysses S. Grant Argumentative EssayIn regards to the BCG reporting that Honda had a deliberate strategy of disassociating themselves from their competitors’ rowdy motorcycle image by following the â€Å"nicest people† advertising policy, Pascale (1996) asserts that it was not an intentional move. Instead, it was a result of the director of sales persuading management that this was the best course. The BCG report found that Honda penetrated into the US market with small lightweight motorbikes. Pascale (1996) however, argues that the idea of designing lightweight motorbikes at low cost was not one of inspiration but one of desperation. He argues that the intended strategy was one of promoting the larger motorbikes because Honda felt that due to Americans preferring large items, they would be more likely to buy a larger bike. The larger motorbikes intended were unreliable, which led to the promotion of the smaller motorbikes. Overall, Pascale (1996) gives the impression that it was through an incidental sequence of events that led to Honda gaining a strong hold in the US market. This was mainly through the unexpected discovery of a large untapped target market while at the same time trying to retain the interest of the current market. Pascale (1996) also believes that an element of luck also helped Honda follow an emerging strategy. Restrictions placed on the funds by the government for the US venture forced Honda to take an alternate route. If they had all the funds necessary, they may well have gone through the normal distribution channels. The extent to which Honda’s apparent strategy was deliberate and/or emergent In order to determine whether the company was following a specific model when entering the US market or not, it is crucial to consider the theoretical side of Honda’s strategy. According to Andrew’s model, there are two stages to corporate strategy, formulation and implementation. Formulation involved looking at the market, competitors and resources and formulating a corporate strategy which would be implemented throughout each process of the organisational structure. This is how BCG viewed Honda, as a corporation, who had looked at the market, formulated a strategy to cope with the environment and pressure of competing in the market and implemented it. Overall, this would make all Honda’s plans and activities deliberate. Pascale (1996) however, viewed Honda as having an emergent approach. This approach shows a realised strategy made up from an intended strategy, together with an emergent strategy, which is not planned but emerges in relations to activities within the environment. Pascale (1996) seemed to think that in Honda’s case, the company’s strategy was emergent and less was actually an intended strategy. By analysing both accounts, it is evident to state that Honda did not just follow one specific strategy, but rather followed a combination of both deliberate and emergent strategies together. Key lessons to be learned from any comparison of the two quite different accounts of the same strategic decision Both accounts have identified numerous key lessons, the following below are a few of them: A company should be able to move ideas from top to bottom and back again, meaning from senior managers to lower managers, as this provides more participation and support from all employees (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008). This is one of the abilities of the Honda organisation that was most valued. Advertising to the right target market is also a key lesson to be learned. Doing research on the competitors will help give an advantage and select the right advertising campaign that will capture the target market or segment intended (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008) . Innovation is vital to every company. Mr Honda showed his innovative ability by producing better motorcycle engines, and the hiring of additional employees portrayed how strongly they valued innovation, which gradually paid off, leading to success. Companies should do a thorough research and know how to utilize their market position (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2008). .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .postImageUrl , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:hover , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:visited , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:active { border:0!important; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:active , .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089 .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u64fd021e909ee2828dc679d63cadf089:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Its Not About School Prayer EssayIn the case of Honda, strengths in design advantages and production methods meant they were able to increase sales in Japan even though at the time there was no organisation within the company. The importance of a company’s culture is also emphasised. Culture has also played a huge role at Honda. This was tested when Mr. Honda sent two executives to the U. S with no strategy other than to see if they could sell something. Studying the culture in the US market and determining what role Honda could play in the same market has benefited the company, and led to its success. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is relevant to view Honda as being a company dedicated to being a low cost producer, utilizing its dominant position in Japan to penetrate into the US market, redefining that market by putting up its nicest people image and exploiting its comparative advantage using aggressive advertising and pricing (Mintzberg et al. 2003:152-165). After all, the weaknesses in an organisation can become irrelevant if the strategy is strong and there is a good leadership, and in Honda’s case, the strategy was strong, thanks to Mr. Honda’s good leadership skills and determination that led to the company’s success. BIBLIOGRAPHY Johnson, G. , Scholes, K. , Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text Cases. 8th edition. England: Pearson Education Limited. Mintzberg, H. , Quinn, J. B. , (1991). The Strategy Process. New York: Prentice Hall. Pascale, Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn, Ghoshal, (2003). The strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Case. , 4th edition. Prentice Hall.

Physics and Technology free essay sample

To answer this question, we must understand the role of physics and engineering. The reader must forgive the gross oversimplification in the following descriptions the purpose of this answer is to provide only the broadest of understandings of the disciplines involved. . Physics is the science of modelling the universe around us, and then examining and manipulating those models so that we better understand how the universe works.For example, physics has a conceptual and mathematical model for gravity that lets us predict at what velocity a body must travel to remain in orbit around the earth at a given altitude in space. The model also tells us what will happen to the orbital parameters should the orbiting body speed up or slow down, and thus lets us accurately answer what if questions about the real universe using only our model. Engineering is the discipline of applying physics models to the real world in order to accomplish a desired result. We will write a custom essay sample on Physics and Technology or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Engineers build rockets and satellites based on the principles of physics, and by doing so, are able to launch a satellite into a stable orbit. By successively refining the processes by which they translate models of physics into real-world applications, engineers can progressively make more effective, more efficient, and safer rockets and satellites, even while the physical models remain constant. . Technology is the by-product, or perhaps the result of physics and engineering.Technology is the resulting rocket, propellant, satellite, microcircuit, and so on. Only through engineering could those technological products have been developed, and only through physics could the engineers have understood how to begin to develop them. . So we can see physics is very important to technology, because without it, we would lack the understanding we require about our universe to eventually develop technology. Technology is everything that people invent or design to improve life from the old inventions and to lead to a new age.The 6 simple machines that Archimedes invented all have to do with physics. Without them, we wouldnt have the best technology that we have today, like cars, factories, wells, etc. Without factories, wed be slower on building everything else, like electronic toys, handheld video games, computers, etc. == Answer == Technology is nothing without Physics. Every technology involves Physics. Like for instance is the LRTs, computers, cellular phones, or any electronics uses electricity which is involve in the study of Physics.The computer will not also work without the magnets and loops of wires which are also involve in the study of Physics. Physics and Technology are very much related. Physics deals with understanding of the natural world, while technology aims to apply this understanding into the man-made world. technology might even be considered as the offspring of Physics. The world wide web, laser, superconductors and semiconductors that form the foundations of our modern technology were all invented by physicists.

Swot Analysis of Proton Essays

Swot Analysis of Proton Essays Swot Analysis of Proton Essay Swot Analysis of Proton Essay Analysis on Proton Radiation Whilst Michael Porter five’s forces or industrial analysis provides a scan on the changing industrial and observe the structure of internal competition of an industry, PESTEL analysis scanning the changing of the external environment which is beyond the control of the organization. PESTEL analysis is criticized as not an effective framework because there are certain weaknesses in the framework. For example, the fast changing environment and it is a not long lasting analysis. One of the example concerning on the Washington Mutual declared bankrupt due to unable to overcome the economic crisis that severely hits on the company’s finance. History Proton Holdings Bhd is a Malaysia stated-owned company. Proton is established on 7 may 1983 under the direction of the former Prime Minister Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohammad. Proton Holding Berhad is listed in the Main Board of the KLSE on 26 March 1992. The major shareholder of Proton Holding Berhad: Khazanah Nasional (42. 7%), Employees Provident Fund (EPF) (15. 7%) and Petroliam Nasional (7. 9%). Proton and Mitsubishi established joint venture project since the first Proton car produced in 1985. The first Proton Saga which produces based on the technology from Mitsubishi launched in September 1985 and the rest of cars has manufactured by proton with the collaboration with Mitsubishi such as Wira, Waja, Iswara and others. However, Mitsubishi sold its stake in 2004 but is still continue to supply the relevant components to Proton. In the same year, Proton announced to talks with Volkswagen AG to establish a partnership. The expectation on the tie-up may exploit each other’s strengths, but the talk has failed. In 2006, Protons sales dropped 30. % from 166,118 in 2005 to 115,538 in the market. This allowed the second national car Perodua to overtake Proton as the countrys largest passenger carmaker for the first time, with a 41. 6% market share, while Protons market share fell from 40% in 2005 to 32% in 2006. In the period ending December 31, 2006, Proton has also suffered three consecutive quarterly losses. Compared to a profit of 86. 5 million ringgit in 2005, the car c ompany lost 281. 5 million ringgit in 2006. Total losses in 2007s financial year climbed to $169 million. The acquiring 80% of the Lotus Group in 1996 by proton is only using the technological expertise of lotus to produce efficient car in Malaysia. In 2009, Malaysian government starts delivering information to the people on the Lotus Group which is owned by the national car makers Proton. Lotus Group is a United Kingdom based company which is a sport car manufacturer. The acquisition of lotus group by proton is to obtain mutual interest where the Proton will obtain the technological expertise from the Lotus Group and the Lotus Group need the assists from proton to boost the sales. In the fiscal year ended 31 March 2009, Lotus Group turnover is increased to RM574. 8 million compared to RM564. 3million in the year before. Vision and mission The company mission is to become a successful Malaysian automotive company and manufacture innovative product and affordable price to the local and even to the global. In order to get the goal success, Proton Holdings Bhd set five core commitments which are focusing on the interest of customers, shareholders, employees, business associations and the nation. Barrier entry Concerning on the current political and legal issues in Malaysia, the obstacles for the competitor in automobile industry is remaining high. Political The intervention of the government in the automotive industry in Malaysia is purposely to protect the national industry from the stiff competition raise by the foreign company in the industry. In order to protect the car industry, high tax of 140% to 300% imposed on the import cars. For example, in U. S a BMW 328i is sells only RM 155,369. However, in Malaysia the same model car is selling RM 460,000 after added the import tax. Malaysia is a member of ASEAN and WTO. One of the conditions in the AFTA is to removes or reduces the tariff system. However, Malaysia refuses to wholly remove its taxes on the importing. While in 2005, Malaysia has implemented its commitment to the ASEAN to reduce the tariff gradually and in 2008, the tax reduces to 0% to 5%. | IMPORT DUTY| Local Taxes| | CBU| CKD| CBU CKD| Engine Capacity (cc)| MFN| ASEAN CEPT| MFN| ASEAN CEPT| Excise Duties| Sales tax| 1800| 30%| 0%| 10%| 0%| 65%| 10%| 1800 – 1999| 30%| 0%| 10%| 0%| 75%| 10%| 2000 – 2499 | 30%| 0%| 10%| 0%| 90%| 10%| Above 2500| 30%| 0%| 10%| 0%| 105%| 10%| Table 1: Import duty Reduce of import tax force government to increase the excise duty on the people while to minimize the losses in reducing tariff. The tax imposed on both manufacturer is create an obstacles for the foreign companies from enter the automobile industry. According to the National Automobile Policy (NAP) review, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) will terminate the approval permits (AP) system imports of complete built up (CBU) vehicles and also the AP for used vehicles in 2015. No new pplications for Open AP will be considered and franchise AP will be terminated by Dec 31, 2020. Only the holder of approval permit is allowed to import cars and distribute it locally. If the franchise AP is terminated in 2020, the foreign car manufacturer has to only assemble car locally. Other than tariff, Malaysia Automotive Association (MAA) announces that the importing used-car, cut car, secondhand component and spare part in Malaysia is going to banned by the government. This is to protect the safety of the people from using used car and also to boost the sales of the spare part and the car sale in Malaysia. Together in 2015, the government is also attempt to put restriction on the vehicle which aged 15 and above to do mandatory check. The vehicle end life policy will be implementing in 2015 told by the transport minister Malaysia. The implementation will gives opportunities to the local and foreign automobile companies to raise the sales due to high price in spare part to replace in used spare part. Economic The growing economic in Malaysia is cause by the opens up of the economic trade barrier by the government to attract the foreign investment. The FDI of Malaysia in 1985 to 1995 is around USD 29 billion. While the inflow of FDI after Malaysia implements its commitment to ASEAN in reduces the import tax, there is an overall an increase of 3 billion of FDI to 6 billion in 2006 of FDI inflow. The declining restriction on trade barrier started on the fierce competition on the market. Table 2: Net FDI inflows, 2000-2008 Source: miga. org/documents/flagship09ebook_annexes. pdf On the other hand, the income per capita of Malaysian is increasing from USD 2516 per year in 2001 to USD 4776 in 2009. According to the forecast by Malaysian automotive association (MAA), the total industry volume forecasting will be increase from 550000 units to 570000 units in the next half year of 2010. This is due to the first half year sales performance of the vehicles is grew up to 19. 8% compared to the previous relevant period. Figure 1: Income per capita Government intervention in the oil price in Malaysia gives the reason for the oil price in Malaysia is the lowest among the neighbor countries. The manage float method is using to control the crude oil price in Malaysia. The subsidies by the government in the oil price reduce the burden of the people. While in 2010, government adjusts the new oil price to reduce the subsidy and the national debt. Figure 2: Oil price in Malaysia and neighbor countries In 2010, the loan interest rate has increased three times results on the latest increment to around 3. 85% to 4. 1%. However, Proton holdings Bhd discuss with the banks and financial institutions to reduce the impact of the increased interest rate that will affect the buying behavior of consumers toward cars. Even though the rose of the interest rate and the increasing oil price in Malaysia, this is not severely affected the consumer to buy cars†, said by MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad. Legal In order to start business in Malaysia, the foreign company has required registering and licensing with the provision of the control exist in general acts such as the Companies Act 1965 or the Registration of Business Act 1965. Manufacturing activities in Ma laysia must require a manufacturing license from MITI. However, there is a restriction control for foreign business or investor. Malaysia government controls the companies to resulting of the balance participation by the Malaysian, particular in bumiputera. Only manufacturer who have fewer than 75 employees and less than RM 2. 5 million in shareholders’ funds are exempted. One of the rules in the industrial coordination act 1975 stated that if 70% or more of the equity is held by foreigners, the balance will be reserved for the bumiputera and if less than 70% of the equity is held by foreigners, 30% will be reserved for bumiputera and the balance for non- bumiputera. Malaysia started to encourage environmental friendly cars to the market by promoting 100% incentive tax allowance for five years or pioneer status for a period of 10 years. The minister of finance told during the 2009 budget Malaysia that the imported hybrid cars will get exemption of 100% import duty and 50% excise duty. Proton is protected by the government policies by limited the foreign equity ownership and other to make the barrier of entry to the automotive industry difficult to the competitors. This is an opportunity built by the government for Proton since long time ago. There is no have other comparative advantage on Proton other on the price advantage. The acquisition of Lotus by proton is strengthening the product differentiation from the conservative Proton car’s model. The Proton Satria Neo which is the product representative of the Proton joint-efforts with Lotus engineering. The product differentiation and the price advantage gives proton one step up over other rivals in the industry. Thus, the opportunity cost for consumer to forgone the foreign car is high. Current situation of economy, legal issues and even political issues are all favored to the Proton. Since Lotus Group has been acquired by Proton, Proton should use the opportunity to transfer the technology know how to the Proton cars to produce product differentiation that is impressed everyone. Threat of substitutes Even though the barrier entrant in the automobile industry is remaining high, but, there is exists a strong rival to Proton. The main reason of the argument is referred to the second national car Perodua. The substitutes available in the automotive industry are the threat to cause Proton’s sales to drop. Appendix 3 shows that the top car sales in Malaysia in 2009. The top car sales in 2009 is occupied by the second national car Perodua, while Proton’s cars is on the second place lower than Perodua because of Perodua’s afford in improving its quality and refreshing their products which meet the needs of the customers is the reason that Perodua overtake the Proton as the largest car maker in Malaysia. Rivalry among existing firms Proton strongest rival in Malaysia is the second national car Perodua. Since Perodua introduce in 1993, the sales is overtake Proton after 13 years in 2006. In 2009, the share market of Perodua hits 32. % while proton stayed after Perodua which occupy 28. 6% of the market share. Perodua acknowledge that the consumer concerning on the affordable price when do purchasing of car. Offered 0% of down payment in buying Perodua car is attracted the buyer switching their target from proton to perodua. In addition, Perodua is also provides the cash rebate up to RM 2500 for the buyer. Other competitors of Proton inc lude Toyota, Honda and Nissan. In Malaysia, Toyota brings in the hybrid car which is high production cost car and its uniqueness creates a product differentiation for Toyota from its rivals. Toyota has a strong brand image in the world and it is the world best car seller. The brand loyalty toward the company is strongly beat the brand image of Proton in Malaysia. Moreover, Toyota has the strongest research and development among the automotive industry. They do research before introduce a new product to the market to ensure the well feedback from the consumers. For example, Toyota enables their consumer access to the development of the Toyota Prius features and characteristic before introduce it to the market. They found that the consumers are concerning on the affordable price, high technology, safety issues about the car. Moreover, Toyota enable consumers to do pre order before the car were delivered to the dealership. As a result, the sales of the Toyota Prius in the U. S is tremendously successful which the sales climbed 32% from 2001 to 2003. Buyer bargaining power Buyer has a lot of information exposure before do purchasing, information comparison on the price, features, and comments from the chat forums and others are easily available. Validity of information causes the high bargaining power of buyer on the car. Buyer decision is affected when the downturn of economic or low income. Only small amount of buyer is not affected toward luxury brand. According to a research, the Malaysian buying behavior is change according to the economy. 58% of Malaysian cut their spending during the economy downturn, while 81% of the respondent alleged that less spending on the luxury goods. These significant behavior shows that the price sensitivity among the Malaysian. The behaviors same reflect on the buying behavior of buyer on the car. As the increasing income per capita among Malaysian, the buyer has more variety of choice in choosing vehicle. Therefore, the Proton is suffered with the strong bargaining power of buyer and low switching cost from proton to the main rival Perodua that are enhancing the bargaining power of buyer. Bargaining power of suppliers According to the promotion of investment act 1986, government will provides incentives to the firms which are involved in the promoted activities or activities as determine by the MITI. While, this incentive is eligible apply on the transport equipment, components and accessories. This brings to the increasing of the number of component industry in Malaysia accelerates from 00 to 350 in 2003. 70% of these company supplies are to Proton Bhd. The high concentration of the suppliers leads to the low bargaining power of supplier to Proton. Conclusion The lack of innovation and weak management in the company are the major weaknesses to Proton Holdings Bhd. Whilst, the fast changing environment is not severely affected Proton that is protected under umbrella of government but is the competitiveness among the industry widen the gap between Proton and foreign vehicle to be on par. The comparisons apparently cause Proton loss its competitiveness among the automobile industry. The causes lead Proton struggle in the stiff competition in the automotive industry are due to the weak RD on the customer needs and no have innovation on the products. However, there are some opportunities for Proton to overcome it. For example, advance technology available in Lotus Group. Proton should starts to built its brand image and reputation changing to a more effective management and be more creative in producing vehicles. Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 [ 2 ]. Day trading on NYSE, 2009. 10 largest bankruptcies in the history of the USA. Available on: http://nyse-trade. com/httpnyse-trade-ru10-krupnejshix-bankrotstv-v-istorii-ssha/ Viewed: 20/7/2010 [ 3 ]. Wikipedia, 2010. Proton (carmaker) Available on: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Proton_(carmaker) Viewed: 20/7/2010 [ 4 ]. Barari, A. , 2008. Malaysia’s Proton to build new car with Mitsubishi Available on: motorward. com/2008/12/malaysias-proton-build-car-mitsubishi/ Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 5 ]. The Star, 2010. Proton confirms talks with Volkswagen called off. Available on: http://biz. thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2010/6/7/business/20100607103 215sec=business Viewed: 23/7/2010 [ 6 ]. Tan, P. , 2007. Proton 2006 sales dip; EPF buys more Proton shares. Available on: http://paultan. org/2007/01/25/proton-2006-sales-dip-epf-buys-more-proton-shares/ Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 7 ]. Whitley, A. , 2007. Proton posts loss as sales slump to lowest in 7 years. Available on: bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=newsarchivesid=axpaLGflllBArefer=asia Viewed: 23/7/2010 [ 8 ]. Proton annual report, 2009. Available on: proton. com/public/media/mediacentre/documents/annualreports/AReport_2009 _3. pdf Viewed: 23/7/2010 [ 9 ]. Proton Holdings Berhad annual report, 2004. Available on: http://announcements. lse. com. my/EDMS/subweb. nsf/7f04516f8098680348256c6f0017a6bf/0ace7786fbc2707b48256f08003508b3/$FILE/Proton-Cover-Contents-AGM-CorpInfo-CorpGov-FinancialStatements%20(1MB). pdf Viewed: 20/7/2010 [ 10 ]. ELM international, Inc, 2010. Automotive supplier information: Malaysia. Available on: eautoportal. com/eap/data/country/country. asp? show=Malaysia Viewed: 23/7/2010 [ 11 ]. Malaysia: Govern ment will impose excise duty on cars to make up tax revenue, 2003. Available on: just-auto. com/news/government-will-impose-excise-duty-on-cars-to-make-up-tax-revenue-report_id80405. aspx Viewed: 20/7/2010 12 ]. Wong, A. , Chia, H. G. , Chew, K. Y. , 2010. Review of the national automotive policy Available on: bakermckenzie. com/RROperatingReviewoftheNationalFeb10/ Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 13 ]. Wong, H. T. , 2006. Foreign direct investment in manufacturing industry of Malaysia: An empirical study. Available on: http://myais. fsktm. um. edu. my/8153/1/Foreign_Direct_Investment. pdf Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 14 ]. World investment and political risk, 2009. Net FDI inflows, 2000-2008 Available on: miga. org/documents/flagship09ebook_annexes. pdf Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 15 ]. World consumer lifestyles databook, 2001. Gross income per capita 1990-2009. Available on: euromonitor. com/pdf/wcld_samples. pdf Viewed: 20/7/2010 [ 16 ]. Appendix 1 [ 17 ]. Appendix 2 [ 18 ]. Approval of manufacturing projects, 2008. Available on: http://210. 187. 41. 3/beta/view. php? cat=3scat=5pg=116 Viewed: 27/7/2010 [ 19 ]. Automotive News Topics, 2008. Malaysia Budget 2009 : 100 percent exemption of import duty and a 50 percent exemption in the excise duty for CBU hybrid cars Available at: http://kereta. info/malaysia-budget-2009-100-percent-exemption-of-import-duty-and-a-50-percent-exemption-in-the-excise-duty-for-cbu-hybrid-cars/ Viewed: 23/7/2010 20 ]. Malaysia: Government will impose excise duty on cars to make up tax revenue, 2003. Available on: just-auto. com/news/government-will-impose-excise-duty-on-cars-to-make-up-tax-revenue-report_id80405. aspx Viewed: 20/7/2010 [ 21 ]. Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), 2010. 2009 top 10 popular car model in Malaysia. Available on: etawau. com/HTML/Car/INDEX_TopM odel. htm Viewed: 24/7/2010 [ 22 ]. Perodua Viva, 2007. Available on: peroduapromosi. com/index. php? p=1_9_VIVA Viewed:

Transportation Management Sytems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transportation Management Sytems - Essay Example The first step towards achieving this integration is the dissemination of complete information among suppliers, retailers and carriers. The TMS should plan and manage multiple transportation modes, multiple carriers, multiple routes and multiple tariffs for timely supply of goods at low cost. When the GIV is efficiently operated, it will result in low cost throughout various stages of supply chains. Under GIV, time consumption, labour expenditure along with the handling costs could also be reduced due to a reduction in the number of personnel required to complete the task. Reduced lead time availability is the main benefit from the GIV. It leads to implementation of creative policies resulting in improved product quality and increased customer service. (Hopp and Spearman, 1996). The virtual warehouse (VW) concept, aimed at maintaining real -time global visibility for logistics assets, was pioneered by Global Concepts, Inc. (Stuart et al., 1995; Landers et al., 2000).Real-time information and real-time decision algorithms are the basic things in the VW that provide operating efficiencies. But as proved by the simulation model, conducted for an auto-parts supplier’s (company) multi product supply chain, the GIV could achieve these efficiencies in a single class warehouse (Stuart et al., 1995). The simulation model was experimented with three types of items known as slow moving items, regular items and fast moving items. They are automobile engines, automobile tires and motor oil items respectively.

Tesla in Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tesla in Turkey - Essay Example The automotive industry is very important after the construction and tourism sectors (Saee 194). This industry creates the country’s highest multiplier. Furthermore, the industry intertwines with other industries such as marketing, fuel, finance, service and insurance. Any changes in the automotive industry are important to the country’s economy. The best approach for Tesla Motors in this country is to cooperate in the production and marketing fields. This increases the company’s capacity in the country’s automotive industry. The company enjoys more economic competition, innovations and investments for new models. In short, the automotive industry in Turkey is lucrative and with the right market entry strategies, Tesla Motors will enjoy significant profits. From a political and legal perspective, the country has liberalization (Nas & Mehmet 41). Turkey is a key supporter of liberal trade and investment policies that permit trade with countries in the Europ ean Union. The custom union of 1996 allowed Turkish firms to expand and become more successful internationally (Altug & Alpay 25). Turkish exports have continuously increased by 10% on an annual basis showing the trading potential of the country. The country charges sales tax, inclusive of VAT and exclusive consumer tax, on all motor vehicles. These taxes are higher compared to those other developed countries. The sales tax comprise of almost 19.2 percent to 117.1 percent. The country’s legislation on motor vehicle changes rapidly depending on changes in technology.

Bureaucratization of My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bureaucratization of My Life - Essay Example Students are people too and their overwhelming academic requirements put pressure on their lives. Some deadlines cannot be met so professors must understand the situation. There are also rules that were written a long time ago which does not fit a dynamic learning environment anymore. Although is a school is a bureaucratic system, it must also be the leader in innovation and change since it leads society towards the future through the learning process.The third characteristic is Impersonality. A bureaucratic system is objective and people assigned to do their duties are impersonal in their attitude. Weber thought this was good so that people can easily perform their routine and stick to the tasks being performed. The school staff assists students regardless if they are academic performers or not. There is no discrimination as the school staff perform their duties by rendering service to all students regardless of race, creed, color or even financial status. Unfortunately, impersonali ty and objectivity have its drawbacks. What I am pointing out is that since a bureaucratic system is impersonal and objective the situation of an individual is overlooked since the rules have to be followed. Regardless if one has been sick and cannot submit on time, the student can be given a failing grade despite the circumstances. In conclusion, bureaucracy is practiced inside PGCC and it has its advantages; however, it also has its disadvantages since a school system is not a perfect organization.

Estimating Micro Estimation

Estimating Micro Estimation Gray and Larson (2003), defines estimation as the process of forecasting the time and the cost of completing project deliverables. These processes are developed by each organization, and employed in a unique way possible. Estimating project times and cost Accurate estimates are critical for effective project management, as inaccurate estimates may lead to false expectations and consumer dissatisfaction. Accurate estimation depends on cost and time. The lifelines for control are budgets, times and cost; they serve as a comparison between the plan outlined in the project and the actual occurrence when undertaking the project. Accurate and reliable estimates also assist in setting up project rollup and project status reports which are the major input for measuring variances and taking action. Managers will need these estimates to make the project schedule and cost for every work package in the project. This data information assists in the coordination of the project by the management. Organization cultures influence the organizations quality of estimates in that, different organizations respond differently to certain estimates e.g. padding estimates are tolerated and privately encouraged in some organizations. While others may place a premium on accuracy and strongly discourage gamesmanship estimates. The importance attached on estimates, affects the quality of estimates in some organizations. A number of them believe that detailed estimates may take much time and are not worth the effort or that future cannot be predicted. Others they may have the belief that accurate estimates are the baseline for effective project management The difference between macro and Micro estimation is; Macro estimating approach are estimating processes which are classified as top down and are usually derived from analogy or mathematical relationship. Micro-estimating approach are estimating processes, classified as bottom-up and are based typically on elements estimates found in the work breakdown structure.There are certain conditions that one would prefer to use each of the above estimating approach. Macro estimates can be used when making strategic decisions; there is high uncertainly; the project is small and internal and when the scope is unstable. Micro estimates on the other hand can be applied when; cost and time is important; fixed-price contract and when the customers wants details. The type of cost found in a project are Direct cost (Labor, material, equipments, etc), project overhead costs, and general and administrative overhead costs. Direct cost can be altered to a specific work package and are therefore influenced by the project manager. Direct costs represent real cash outflows and must be paid as the project progresses. Direct overhead costs (project costs) which closely pinpoint organizations resources being used in the project can be partly influenced by the project manager. Time phase estimation is appropriate when a project is surrounded by unusual amount of uncertainty and it becomes impractical to estimate times and costs for the entire project. A two estimate system is used in time-phase estimation in which a detailed estimated is first developed for the immediate phase and a macro estimate is made for the remaining phase of the project. Contingency allowance should be separated from original estimates because, it has been experimentally noted that many projects total estimates do not materialize and the actual costs and schedule of some projects significantly exceed original work package based estimates. The estimation errors may result in the process of estimation or in the inherent uncertainty of predicting the future. Conclusion Estimates of time and cost are important when carrying out a project. Estimates based on facts from other past projects produces at most accurate information. People, technology and downtimes may sometimes influence the quality of estimates. Estimates based on facts should be acceptable as they represent the best realistic times and cost estimates. Reference Gray, C.F. and Larson, E.W. 2002.Project Management: The Complete Guide for Every Manager, McGraw-Hill publishers

Flag Football :: essays research papers

Whether it's running around and grabbing the opponents flag, or running around and pushing people out of the way for the touchdown, flag football is a great sport to increase adrenaline. Playing flag football gives players energy and helps keep them in shape. The constant movement helps work ones cardio and keeps one active. It is fun to play because players gat to play with friends and meet new people. It helps players work together and have competition. Everyone who likes doing a variety of exercises and likes to have fun could enjoy flag football in more ways than one. Flag football is not only a great sport, but it is also getting exercise in without one knowing it. Flag football requires moving around all the time. It keeps cardio up and keeps one on the move. Running around with a football gets the players? legs moving and other players as well because they chase the football. Flag football keeps ones arms active. Throwing a football or catching it can help the players? muscles in their arms. Most players like using their arms and legs to play which makes flag football a popular sport. With flag football being a well-known sport, most students want to try it out. Other students will most likely end up playing with people they know or can get to know. When playing with friends, players will get more active and try harder. It gets more out of them because they are excited to play. Trying to impress someone with mad throwing skills or speed could increase a player?s performance. Some players may meet new people and get new friends. Flag football is a social yet active sport that helps players get together. With friends, enemies, and other players playing flag football, most players will get along and work together. When not working together, there is even competition. Players need to throw a ball to get it across the field. They have to plan with teammates how to do that. In flag football, there is good, clean competition. To get some one tagged, all the players have to do is pull the flag without hurting the players.

Martin Luther/ John Calvin Biography

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben Germany. His father was Hans Luther, a miner married to Margarete Luther, Martin's mother. Hans was determined for Martin to study law and eventually become a lawyer. Martin attended grammar school and once he graduated fulfilled his fathers wishes by attending law school. He then proceeded to drop out of law school, the story goes he was in a bad storm and was afraid he was not going to survive, he dropped to his knees and said â€Å"Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk! †. This story may or may not have happened but nevertheless Martin did in fact become a monk.Luther fully dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasting, long hours of prayer, and frequent confession. But during this time Luther was not happy, he felt he had lost touch with Christ and his religious values. He informed his superior Johann von Staupitz of this and in response Staupitz sent Luther to study theology in college. In 1512 he was awarded his Doctor of Theology, and he then joined the senate of theological faculty at the University of Wittenberg. In 1516 Johann Tetzel, a friar who went to Germany to sell indulgences to raise money for the rebuilding of St.Peter's Basilica in Rome. A year later Luther wrote to his bishop to protest the sale of indulgences and other church practices he disagreed with, this became The Ninety-Five Theses the document Luther is most famous for. Luther never meant to confront the church, he merely viewed his arguments as scholarly objection, he just wanted to state his opinion on church practices. Whether he wanted to confront the church or not some of his theses did have a challenging tone, in one of them he suggests that the Pope use his own money rather than taking money from the poor through indulgences.The famous story about Luther is when he took a hammer and nail, and posted his theses on the door, once again there is no proof to say he actually did this, it is simply an other legend. Two years later the Ninety-Five Theses was translated from Latin to German so the public could read the document. Luther's Protestant views were condemned as heretical by Pope Leo X in the bull Exsurge Domine in 1520. Consequently Luther was summoned to either renounce or reaffirm them at the Diet of Worms on 17 April 1521. When he appeared before the assembly, Johann von Eck, by then assistant to theArchbishop of Trier, acted as spokesman for Emperor Charles the Fifth. He presented Luther with a table filled with copies of his writings. Eck asked Luther if he still believed what these works taught. He requested time to think about his answer. He was granted an extension to think about his answer. When the counselor asked the same question to Luther the next day, the Luther apologized for the harsh tone of many of his writings, but said that he could not reject the majority of them or the teachings in them.Luther stated, â€Å"Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scri ptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen. † On May 25, the Emperor issued his Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw. Luther had powerful friends among the princes of Germany, one of whom was Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. The prince arranged for Luther to be seized on his way from the Diet by a company of masked horsemen, who carried him to the castle of the Wartburg, where he was kept about a year.He grew a wide flaring beard; took on the garb of a knight and assumed the pseudonym Jorg. During this period of forced sojourn in the world, Luther was still hard at work upon his translation of the Bible. During his translation, Luther would make forays into the nearby towns and markets to listen to people speak, so that he could put his translation of the Bible into the language of the people. John Calvin John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 at Noyon, France. His father, Gerard Calvin was a church leader holding offices for the lordship of Noyon.Calvin’s mother was Jeanne le Franc, the daughter of an innkeeper. John Calvin’s father destined him from the start for a career as a priest, and paid for his education in the household of the noble family of Hangest de Montmor. In May 1521 he was appointed to a chaplaincy in the cathedral of Noyon. He lived with his uncle and attended as an out-student the College de la Marche. From the College de la Marche he moved to the College de Montaigu. John Calvin speedily outstripped all his competitors in grammatical studies, and by his skill as a student of philosophy, and debate.Although not yet ordained, Calvin preached several sermons to the people. After some time, Calvin changed his mind about becoming a priest. He had fallen out of favor with the cathedral chapter at Noyon. On the advice of his relative, Pierre Robert Olivetan , the first translator of the Bible into French, Calvin began to study the Scriptures and to disagree with the Roman Catholic Church. Calvin agreed with his father’s suggestion to move from Paris to Orleans in March of 1528, and change his career to a study of law.Calvin’s progress in the study of law was quick, and he was soon and frequently called upon to lecture. Other studies, however, besides those of law occupied him while in this city, and moved by the humanistic spirit of the age he eagerly developed his classical knowledge. From Orleans, Calvin went to Bourges in the autumn of 1529 to continue his studies. There, by his friend Wolmar, Calvin was taught Greek, and introduced to the study of the New Testament in the original language. The conversations of Wolmar may also have been of use to him in. is consideration of the doctrines of the Reformation, which were now beginning widely diffused through France. From this time forward he became very well known, and a ll who had accepted the Reformed doctrines in France turned to him for instruction. Calvin moved to Basel, Switzerland, where he was welcomed by the band of scholars and theologians who had conspired to make that city the Athens of Switzerland. There Calvin now gave himself to the study of Hebrew. When Calvin was 28, he moved again, to Geneva.Switzerland, and he stayed in Geneva, with the exception of a brief trip, for the rest of his life. While staying in Strassburg in 1540, Calvin met and married Idelette de Bure, whom Calvin had converted from Anabaptism. In her Calvin found, to use his own words, â€Å"the excellent companion of his life,† a â€Å"precious help to him amid his manifold labours and frequent infirmities. † She died in 1549, to the great grief of her husband, who never ceased to mourn her loss. Their only child Jacques, born on the 28th of July 1542, lived only a few days.In his later years, Calvin was afflicted with fever, asthma, and gout. On. the 6th of February, 1564 John Calvin preached his last sermon, having with great difficulty found breath enough to carry him through it. He was several times after this carried to church, but never again was able to take any part in the service. On the 25th of April, 1564, Calvin made his will. He spent much time in prayer and died quietly, in the arms of his faithful friend Theodore Beza, on the evening of the 27th of May 1564.

Free Essays on Hip Hop Story

HIP HOP HISTORY Music is the most powerful vehicle of human expression. As the embodiment of love, disapproval, happiness, experience – life, music speaks to us, because it comes from us. Each people, in each paradine of the human experience instinctively and systematically change the music of the past to represent the realities of the present. In this century, black music, more specifically Hip Hop/Soul music, has been that music that has brought to plain view that which evidences our humanity – hope, hurt, joy and passion – in such a way that the world has no other choice than to feel its power and marvel in its brilliance. When one discusses the relationship between Soul music and the civil rights movement, it becomes a dialogue very akin to that of the chicken and the egg. The period of â€Å"Classic Soul† is that period primarily, but not exclusively referenced as the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s (Stephenson 186). This is the time frame of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the impact of the massive changes going on, are reflected in the music and the culture. So one would be correct in both assuming that the Civil Rights Movement gave rise to Soul music, as much Soul music contributed to the success of the campaign for civil rights. Soul music during its heyday, did more than simply entertain. For a race of people it served as a source of motivation, strength and education, for a people immersed in turmoil and tragedy. The institution of segregation had effectively inhibited the general populace’s awareness of the great achievements and contributions made by African-Americans throughout the history of the United States (Franklin 429). Inasmuch, Soul music sought to bring that undersight to light. Soul songs like Donny Hathaway’s â€Å"To Be Young, Gifted and Black,† was revolutionary, in that they sought to instill pride of one’s history, but at the same time motivate a new generation to reach new heights. As Hatha... Free Essays on Hip Hop Story Free Essays on Hip Hop Story HIP HOP HISTORY Music is the most powerful vehicle of human expression. As the embodiment of love, disapproval, happiness, experience – life, music speaks to us, because it comes from us. Each people, in each paradine of the human experience instinctively and systematically change the music of the past to represent the realities of the present. In this century, black music, more specifically Hip Hop/Soul music, has been that music that has brought to plain view that which evidences our humanity – hope, hurt, joy and passion – in such a way that the world has no other choice than to feel its power and marvel in its brilliance. When one discusses the relationship between Soul music and the civil rights movement, it becomes a dialogue very akin to that of the chicken and the egg. The period of â€Å"Classic Soul† is that period primarily, but not exclusively referenced as the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s (Stephenson 186). This is the time frame of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the impact of the massive changes going on, are reflected in the music and the culture. So one would be correct in both assuming that the Civil Rights Movement gave rise to Soul music, as much Soul music contributed to the success of the campaign for civil rights. Soul music during its heyday, did more than simply entertain. For a race of people it served as a source of motivation, strength and education, for a people immersed in turmoil and tragedy. The institution of segregation had effectively inhibited the general populace’s awareness of the great achievements and contributions made by African-Americans throughout the history of the United States (Franklin 429). Inasmuch, Soul music sought to bring that undersight to light. Soul songs like Donny Hathaway’s â€Å"To Be Young, Gifted and Black,† was revolutionary, in that they sought to instill pride of one’s history, but at the same time motivate a new generation to reach new heights. As Hatha...

Hydrogen Peroxide essays

Hydrogen Peroxide essays An investigation into how the amount of oxygen is produced by changing one variable effects the decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide in the presence of the enzyme. This shows us that when the H2O2 has reacted with the catalyst this is what it produces. There are many ways in which the amount of oxygen produced could be affected. I believe that, surface area of the chip, temperature of liquid that is reacting, the concentration of the liquid or the amount used are going to be the major variables in the experiment. From these variables I clearly believe that looking at the concentration of the liquid, in this case H2O2, will be the best experiment to do. Also I believe that this will give us a strong set of results with which we will be able to pull good clear conclusions from. To keep all other variables constant so they do not influence my results, we will do all experiments in the same room hopefully the temperature remains constant in that one room, all potato chips will be cut with a size 4 cork bora and then cut into 3 centimetres, as to keep each test fair. Also the volume of the concentration H2O2 will remain at 10ml3 and the amount water that is placed into the measuring cylinder will also be 10ml3. To set-up this experiment will be quite tricky, as we have to place the bung into the water and up the measuring cylinder very quickly as to not loose any of the oxygen produced in the first few seconds. We will overcome this problem by paralysing the measuring cylinder with a clamp stand, and another to hold the boiling tube where the H2O2 and potato chip are; which contain the enzymes used to catalyse the H2O2 to help produce the oxygen a lot quicker. We used the water in the measuring cylinder to measure the overall amount of oxygen produced by seeing how much the oxygen had displaced. This a diagram of how my experiment is set up: 3 boiling tubes, 3 measuring cylinders, 3 wa...

Effective Business Communication Research Paper

Effective Business Communication - Research Paper Example The paper, therefore, performs a literature review on the theoretical development of business communication and some of the barriers that have been identified to impair the delivery of effective business communication. Lastly, the paper includes some of the channels that can be used to deliver business information in the workplace and their effectiveness. In order to articulate the process of communication, the researchers performed primary research using the qualitative and quantitative methods of interview and questionnaires in order to determine the problems facing various organizations in the UAE regarding effective communication. ... The listener must work to make the speaker feel understood and create an environment in which the speaker will be free to express his views and put his message across in the most appropriate ways possible. Another requirement for effective communication is that both the speaker and the listener understand the importance and sue of non verbal communication skills. The speaker must be able to uses these cues to reinforce the message he intends to say, and the listener must be able to observe the cues and interpret them as effectively as possible. 1.2. Background of Study The process of communication is often hampered by barriers to achieving effective communication. As such, organizations are constantly seeking ways that they can reduce and eliminate these barriers in order to achieve highly effective communication process. One way that managers can overcome this problem is to draft and disseminate messages that are clear enough to be understood by those they are intended for. Such mes sages should contain clear information or instructions, and the language used should be simple enough to be understood and free from ambiguity. Workplace grapevine is a common barrier to effective communication as employees engage in informal and unsubstantiated gossip. In order to avoid this problem, managers should pass on relevant information to employees through official means to offer any clarity that may be needed so that they can prevent employees from constant speculation, which leads to the grapevine. 1.3. Objectives of the Study This study shall seek to explain the communication process in a business setting and identify some of the problems that those involved in the communication process incur. The study will then seek solutions to these problems in order to determine the

Price Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Price Analysis - Essay Example R) promulgates which is a helpful guideline that assists both the parties to transaction regarding the correct price of any article (Subpart  15.4-Contract Pricing). There are different sorts of techniques that are highlighted in FAR, to correctly estimate the price of goods and services (Price Analysis Techniques: Procurement 2011). Some of them are listed below with brief description. This price analysis technique involves use of previous quotations in respect of the same item. However, this technique has the drawback in the form of not incorporating the element of inflation that normally increases with the passage of time. This method of determining the price utilizes the published list of prices in respect of goods and services, of similar types. Normally goods relating to general use are included in this category as the appropriate authority lists the prices of those goods for the general public. This technique refers to the determination of price through different laws. Normally government authorities fix some prices via law so that local producers can take benefit as well as the customers in order to avoid the danger of shortage. This technique is basically not a technique rather a way out to determine the prices when no such technique is available to determine the appropriate price. In this method, prices are sought by the personal judgment of the buyer based upon his past experiences and perception related to that particular product. Among these broad techniques, the most commonly used technique is the comparison of Bid Price Technique. In this technique, suppliers are asked to quote their prices and in the end, when best price is found, the tender is given to that particular supplier (Dahl and Hammond 1977). This technique is also useful as the true price prevailing in the market is sought and the element of monopoly is mitigated through the use of this technique. This technique basically erodes the importance of all other techniques as in this

Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior - Essay Example Cultures keep on changing, and marketers need to be aware of cultural changes. Core values are the values that are most pervasive in a society. They must be enduring, and with respect to marketing, they must be consumer-related so that marketers can use them to understand consumption (Luna and Gupta, 2001, P.50). Culture is manifested by society in different forms and includes heroes, rituals, symbols and cultural values. Values are integral to the expression of culture. This stems from the verity that values are collectively shared by most people in a certain society. One of the noteworthy organizations that have a British heritage and with operations in the United Kingdom is the Debenhams. Debenhams has a global presence in more than twenty-five nations and operates more than 200 stores across the globe. Debenhams is known for its wide-ranging and unique brands that offer an immense deal of gratification to its customers. The corporation has diverse business ranging from clothing w ear, electric products, beauty products, as well as health products. This diversification has made Debenhams a market leader with yearly earnings surpassing the ?2 billion mark. To further its operations, Debenhams has embraced the concept of e-commerce through its online presence across nations. The online presence has attracted many online shoppers, ranking the corporation among the largest online retailers in the UK. The Company has over the years invested in British design through its portfolio of brands. This paper explores the cultural aspect of consumer behavior evaluating ways in which Debenhams can use them in its marketing mix (About Debenhams, 2013, para2). 1.2 Analysis of Debenhams’ strategy of incorporating culture into its marketing mix The aspect of culture is indispensable in any marketing endeavor as it heavily influences consumer buying behavior. Hofstede; a culture researcher held that culture refers to the social glue that keeps people of a certain group t ogether. Every culture has its manner of doing things, and this is what distinguishes in-group and out-group people. Culture provides a lens through which people shape reality. Culture acts as a reference guide when one intends to take a certain course of action such as buying a product (Luna and Gupta, 2001, p 50). Heroes In every culture, there are some behaviors and attributes that are highly regarded as role models. Individuals who observe and portray those behaviors to society are considered as heroes. One of the strategies that Debenhams uses in assimilating culture into its marketing operation is using such cultural heroes to influence consumer behavior. This is done by associating cultural heroes with certain brands or products (Arnould, Price and Zinkhan, 2005, P.76). Debenhams recently launched an ad campaign starring paralympian amputee Stefanie Reid in an effort to show diversity in its advertising. The campaign also features three models over 40, an elderly lady and a s ize 18 swimwear model. The company aims to turn the industry standard of young thin models. The company argues that the campaign is a reflection of its customers and demonstrates a broad range of body and beauty ideals. The company spokesman asserted that the company’s customers are not the same size or shape and thus the new lookbook celebrates diversity. The campaign aims to make people more comfortable with their bodies.

Self Reliance Paper Essay Example for Free

Self Reliance Paper Essay Part I Author- The author of this document is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.   Audience- The audience of Self-reliance would be people reading Emerson’s literary works around the year 1841. Also, Self-reliance was a speech before it became an essay so many people listening to Emerson speak at events would have most likely heard it. He is targeting his audience at young and medium aged men. Message- The message of this essay is that humans should trust themselves and not be slaves to society. They need to think and act for themselves instead of leading lives controlled by others. Context- Self-reliance was written around 1836 in America. Emerson’s wife had just died about five years before and he was preparing a series of lectures. America was a new place for people and ideas and Emerson flourished there because he could take advantage of the easily influenced minds of the Americans. Part II a) The claim that Emerson effectively advances is that humans should not conform to society, but rather they should think for themselves and believe in what they do. He writes, â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.† This quote supports Emerson’s main argument that each person should think for themselves and to not just accept what is written in a history or literary book. Emerson plays on the reader’s pathos, or emotions, by saying, â€Å"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.† This statement appeals to the reader because Emerson is creating a bond between his words and the reader by relating to the audience on a personal level and telling the audience to trust them. Emerson uses logic by stating, â€Å"Who so would be a man must be a nonconformist.† Emerson feels that to be a man, one must not conform to the format set out by society. He believes that a man should follow his own ideas and beliefs instead of conforming to the popular belief. Ethos is appealed because Emerson is a very well respected author who has published well over dozens of essays. b) Emerson implements many rhetorical devices in his essay such as parallelism, diction, and repetition to further advance his argument of being independent and not conforming to society. Emerson uses parallelism by stating that, â€Å"Envy is ignorance; the imitation is suicide†. This quote is very powerful because it conveys the message that a man is only what he makes of himself, not what others make of him. Throughout his essay, Emerson uses outstanding language to control the audience. Using great diction is very effective because the audience trusts Emerson because of his knowledge of literature. Finally, Emerson uses repetition to prove his point about society. Emerson starts a sentence off with the word Society, and then starts the very next sentence with the same word. He is talking about how society is a conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members, and without repeating the word society; the point would be not as effective. Part III This argument is overall effective because as a reader, I was captivated by his language and examples of how society was affecting the human person. The text is very persuasive because he provides clear and well throughout examples to support his main argument. This is a very well written essay and it has led me to question my own beliefs about society and whether it is positive or negative. When he stated that every person must trust thyself, it was really effective for me because I believe every single person needs to trust their actions and believe that what they are doing is right. Part IV Admonition- An act or action of admonishing; authoritative counsel or warning Naught- worthless: useless Firmament- the vault or arch of the sky Bards- a tribal poet-singer skilled in composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds Vanity- something that is vain, empty, or valueless

Electronic Human Resource Management

Electronic Human Resource Management Chapter one: Introduction 1.1. Background: Since the mid 1990s, organizations increasingly introduce electronic Human Resource Management (HRM). It has different names, for example e-HRM, digital HRM and web-based HRM. The rapid development of the Internet during the last decade has also boosted the implementation and application of electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM). Surveys of HR consultants suggest that both the number of organizations adopting e-HRM and the depth of applications within the organizations are continually increasing (e.g. CedarCrestone, 2005) in world wide. In addition, an escalating number of practitioner reports provide anecdotal evidence that e-HRM is becoming increasingly common and may lead to remarkable changes (e.g. Anonymous, 2001). Consequently, academic interest in e-HRM has increased, as several special issues of HR-related journals demonstrate (Stanton Coovert, 2004; Townsend Bennett, 2003; Viswesvaran, 2003). In the interim, there is an initial body of empirical research in e-HRM. Ho wever, since this research stems from several disciplines and is scattered throughout numerous journals and since initial reviews are not encompassing (Anderson, 2003; Lievens Harris 2003; Welsh, Wanberg, Brown, Simmering, 2003), the results of these studies remain unclear at present. Furthermore, changes in the role that HR fulfills in the organization and the implementation of e-HRM are related to each other, and should not be considered separately (Gardner et al., 2003; Fletcher, 2005). The implementation of e-HRM should fit well with strategic organizational needs regarding personnel in general and HR redesign in specific. Little is known about this fit, however. In relation to this point, the possible perception of e-HRM as an attempt by the strategic level within the organization to offload operational HR work onto employees respectively managers should be taken into account when analyzing acceptance of e-HRM systems. In the last decade the Internet has radically changed our social and economic lives, and has had a profound effect on the way organizations are managed. For example, it has altered human resource (HR) practices and changed strategies for attracting and retaining employees. The same strategies have become particularly important because organizations increasingly depend on workers knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes (KSAOs) to compete in todays economy (Ulrich, 2001) in Oman. In addition, the Internet has enabled organizations to become more collaborative, connected, and responsive to the changing needs of the workforce. For instance, new electronic human resource (e-HR) systems allow individuals to apply for jobs, change their job-related benefits, and enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) through web-based training systems. The type of information technology adopted by HRM has been phrased, as it has evolved, differently over the years, for example: Hum an Resource Information System (HRIS), Human Resources Management System (HRMS), Human Resource Development And Information Technology (HRDIS), and the most current and popular electronic HR (e-HR). The use of IT by HRM is growing especially critical to the business nowadays when discontinuities (mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and downsizing) are altering the industry landscape in a drastic way. HRM executives, the key figures in organizations responsible for fine-tuning a capable workforce, must have the right and real-time information to measure, manage, and predict how workforce should be allocated and reconfigured effectively. With the analyzed information produced by the IT, HR professionals, more than ever, are able to align their management goals and the goals of individual employees with corporate strategy to deliver strategic plans with quantifiable results, and, ultimately, be able to deal with changes proactively. With the help from the information technology, HRM p rofessionals are also able to demonstrate the HRMs benefit to the bottom line by effectively managing knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that create winning companies. Human resource management (HRM) departments using information and communication technologies (ICTs) is becoming an increasingly important phenomenon commonly referred to as e-HRM. Automating HR tasks and practices is transforming the traditional paper-and-pencil, labor-intensive HR tasks, into efficient, fast-response activities that enable companies to anticipate and profit from environmental shifts to create a much needed competitive advantage (Marler, 2006; Watson Wyatt, 2002). Even though the e-HRM concept is widely used today, there are hardly any explicit definitions. The few detectable definitions (Lengnick-Hall Moritz, 2003; RuÃÆ' «l, Bondarouk, Looise, 2004) are rather general and emphasize the Internet-supported way of performing HR policies and/or activities. Leaning on these intensions, the following definition of e-HRM can be specified: e-HRM is the (planning, implementation and) application of information technology for both networking and supporting at least two individual or collective actors in their shared performing of HR activities. This concept highlights several crucial aspects of e-HRM. At the outset, e-HRM utilizes information technology in a twofold manner: First, technology is necessary to connect usually spatially segregated actors and enable interactions between them irrespective of their working in the same room or on different continents, i.e. technology serves as a medium with the aim of connection and integration. Second, t echnology supports actors by partially and sometimes even completely substituting for them in executing HR activities. Hence, information technology serves additionally as a tool for task fulfillment. The planning aspect accentuates the systematic and anticipated way of applying information technology. The shared performing of tasks through at least two actors points out that the sharing of HR activities is an additional feature and underlines the aspect of interaction and networking. The consideration of individual and collective actors takes into account that e-HRM is a multilevel phenomenon; besides individual actors, there are collective actors like groups, organizational units and even whole organizations that interact in order to perform HR activities. Beside e-HR(M), there are some further concepts which obviously refer to the same phenomenon. Widely accepted are such terms as virtual HR(M) (e.g., Lepak Snell, 1998), web-based HR(M) (e.g., RuÃÆ' «l et al., 2004), or bus iness-to-employee (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“B2Eà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ) (e.g., Huang, Jin, Yang, 2004). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Virtual HRMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  refers to technological mediated networks of different internal and external actors providing the firm with the HR services needed without the further existence of a conventional HR department which therefore becomes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“virtualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . E-HRM is additionally open to less developed varieties of technology application, e.g. the shared performing of an application process by a conventional HR department and an applicant via the Internet. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Web-based HRMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  couples the concept to Internet technologies. E-HRM, as well, is particularly web-orientated, but also comprises additional technologies like networked ERP-Systems. Finally, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“business-to-employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  reduces the concept to the internal actor categories of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (presumably line managers and HR profess ionals) and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . In contrast, e-HRM is open to further relevant actor categories like applicants or consultants. To sum up, these further terms undoubtedly direct attention to main characteristics of the same phenomenon but are of somewhat narrower intensions. Thus, in order to comprehensively embrace relevant aspects, the e-HRM term is used. Fundamental definition of HRM offered by numerous scholars remains to be the managing of people who work in an organization (Gomez -Mejia, Balkin Cardy, 2001). Another popular definition of HRM specified the top management of the corporation as the only employer of the HRM staff (Renckly, 1997). Based on this thinking, HRM is to essentially establish, develop, maintain, and communicate personnel policies to the entire company, and thus, to represent, help, advise, and consult with the employees of the organizations. It is apparent that HRM was defined from an employer perspective, and was expected to serve and represent first, last and always the best interests of their only employer: top management. Beer and Spector (1985), representing another group of researchers and HRM practitioners, defined HRM from the relationship perspective as the management of this relationship between employees and the organization which, more specifically, involves all management decisions which affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  its human resources. Nadler (1990), on the other hand, defines HRM from an organizational learning point of view as: the organized learning experience in a definite time period to increase the possibility of improving job performance and growth. As human resource (HR) management departments continue to move to internet or web-based technology (The Hunter Group, 2001), more research evaluating the use of web-based HR, or electronic human resource management (e-HRM) is needed. The fastest growing trend in the delivery of HR information is employee self-service (ESS) (Gueutal, 2003). These applications give employees the ability to access and maintain their personal HR information via the web. Another growing trend is the adoption of managerial self-service (MSS) which provides managers access to a variety of HR tools and information via the web (Gueutal, 2003). Most manager HR-related tasks can be completed via MSS applications including pay administration/compensation, performance management, staffing, and employee development (Gueutal, 2003). Another term used to describe these tools utilized within a given organization is human resource information systems (HRIS), which Kavanagh and Thite (2008) define as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“th e system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyse, retrieve, and distribute information regarding an organizations human resources.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Lepak and Snell (1998) refer to the four à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"pressures of virtual HRM. First of all, HRM departments are asked to focus on strategic questions. Secondly, these departments need to be flexible in terms of policymaking and practices. Thirdly, HRM departments should work efficiently and be aware of costs. Fourthly, HRM departments should be service-oriented towards management and employees. In short, HRM departments must be strategy-focused, flexible, efficient, and client oriented; and all at the same time (Lepak and Snell, 1998). RuÃÆ' «l et al. (2004) highlighted an aspect that is fairly well covered by the above but that is nevertheless interesting to spell out, namely the changing nature of the employment relationship. With the supply shortage in the labor market (during the economic upturn of the 1990s), the individualization of society, and the increased educational level of citizens (and thus of employees), the power balance in the employment relationship has shift ed in the direction of the employees: they want to steer their own career paths. In the view of RuÃÆ' «l et al. (2004), a move towards e-HRM can provide the tools to support this development. This aspect fits into earlier-mentioned drivers such as improving service towards internal clients, but has an external societal drive. Yet another goal of e-HRM was stressed as the outcome of the case study research conducted by RuÃÆ' «l et al (2004): it is necessary to recognize that to improve a companys global orientation can become a strong drive to start with e-HRM. Theoretical debates suggest three goals of e-HRM are cost reduction, improving of HR services, and improving strategic orientation (Brockbank, 1997; Lepak and Snell, 1998; Stanton and Coovert, 2004). Few empirical findings supplement these goals with globalisation as a driving e-HRM force in international large organisations, but also show that those goals are not clearly defined in practice, and that e-HRM mostly direct ed at cost reductions and efficiency of HR services, and least at strategic orientation of HRM (Gardner et al, 2003; RuÃÆ' «l et al, 2004; Ruta, 2005). HRM effectiveness is often mentioned as HRM contribution to firm performance (see, for ex., Kane et al, 1999; Ostroff and Bowen, 2000; Wright et al, 2001). Especially during the past decade the HRM literature made attempts to show that progressive HR practices result in higher firm performance (Wright et al, 2005; Hope Hailey, 2005). Huselids (1995) pioneering study has shown that a set of HR practices labelled High Performance Work Systems were related to turnover, accounting profits, and firm market value. Since then, a growing number of studies have attempted to empirically test the relationships between HR practices and firm performance (see elaborated overviews by Delery and Doty, 1996; Ostroff and Bowen, 2000; Boselie et al, 2001; Tsui and Wang, 2002; Wright et al, 2005). For example, MacDuffie (1995) has found that bundles of HR practices were related to productivity and quality in his sample of auto assembly plants. Delery and Doty (1996) found significant relationships betwe en HR practices and accounting profits among a sample of banks. Youndt et al (1996) discovered that certain combinations of HR practices in their sample of manufacturing firms were related to operational performance indicators. More recently, the study of Batt (2002) examined the relationship between HR practices, employee quit rates, and organizational performance in the service sector, and revealed that quit rates were lower and sales growth was higher in call centers that emphasized high skills, employee participation, and human resource incentives like high employment security. 1.2. Problem Statement One of the principal and most integral objectives of Omans Vision 2020 is the development of Human Resources. The importance of Human Resource Development (HRD) has been given top priority throughout the Sultanate of Omans successive Five-Year Development Plan. In Omans vision 2020; economic conference held in Muscat in June, 1995, His Majestys address to the nation clearly emphasized the need for the private sector to undertake an active role in the development of the economic process and in the achievement of the national goals. Nonetheless, this was not considered in isolation from the development of the national human resources, but rather in conjunction as proclaimed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said: Development is not a goal in itself rather; it exists for building man, who is its means and producer. Therefore, development must not stop at the achievement of a diversified economy. it must go beyond that and contribute to the formation of the citizen who is capable of taking part in the process of progress and comprehensive development. (Vision 2020 Conference, June, 1995). In Oman, now as never before, the training and development of national (Omani) human resources to a high level of efficiency competency is a must. This is due to a number of reasons including less dependence on oil resources, less dependence on foreign (expatriate) workers, Omanization, implementation of a successful privatization program, diversification, industrialization, technological innovation and an increasingly competitive global market. To meet the goal of Vision 2020, electronic human resource management is the one of the essential part for the development of the human capital. In this sense it is quite difficult for effective e-HRM in firms in Oman. Technologically it will be new to the firms in Oman. Henson (2005) identifies workforce and technology as the heartbeat and the toolset of the HR business today. HRM is no doubt the business unit most directly responsible for the managing and the developing of the workforce, therefore, factors and trends that trigger the workforce changes need to be addressed with care. Researchers in 21st century have come to the realization of the greatest workforce crisis: the aging of the industrialized world (Dychtwald, Erickson Morison, 2006), resulting in an unprecedented shift in the age distribution of the general population and, specifically, the labor force. 1.3. Research Question: 1. Does an e-HRM tool affect e-HRM function? 2. Is there any relationship between e-HRM tools and HRM function? 3. Is there any relationship between HRM function and firm performance in e-HRM practice? 1.4. Research Objective: Main objective of this study is to investigate the e-HRM effectiveness in oil industry in Oman. * To investigate whether the e-HRM tools and HRM function are related * To investigate whether e-HRM tools affect the HRM functions * To investigate whether e-HRM has an effect on firm performance 1.5. Significant of the Study This study will provide the human resource professional to more effective way to implement the human resource functions implementation in oil industry in Oman. This study also identified e-HRM features that deserve HRM practitioners attention and organizational resources. This in-depth examining of the set of e-HRM features can also serve as potential tools for the management to decide on the future adjustments of their e-HR system, and the implementation of the new systems. From a practical perspective, result like performances, either yielded by certain business division like HRM or by organizations, reflects an organizations capabilities in implementing competitive strategies and tools, and aligning its resources and goals. Therefore, by establishing and learning the relationships among the use of e-HRM system, the perceived importance of e-HRM features, HRMs functional performances organizational performances, and the perceived importance of the dimensions of the organizational performances, HRM practitioners shall be able to manage IT-related issues more effectively, and benefit better from the use of e-HRM. Although this study will be based on the oil industry in Oman; but the finding can helps the other organization also such as education, manufacturer etc. to practice human resource function through online more effectively. 1.6. Scope of the study We only use the technology factors and the HRM function implementation through online for HRM effectiveness in this study. There are some other opportunities for researcher to conduct the research on e-HRM effectiveness in Oman. They can add the strategic part of organization with these variables in future. Strategic variable such as the organization goal, objectives and so on can be considered for further study. . Beside this the technology factors such as system implementation also can be included. 1.7. Limitation of the Study In this study one of the major problems is about the sample. This study can take larger sample than it will be taken. An also the time is another limitation for conducting this research. Shortage of time make researcher to consider the sample for this dissertation in few firms only. Beside that money allocation is another problem for this research. Researcher is using his own money to conduct this study. So that he cannot cover the wide area of or many more firm for analyze. 1.8. Organisation of the study: Chapter two: Literature Review 2.1. Theoretical perspectives Given different interpretations and assessments of theory, there is an ambiguity concerning theories, frameworks and other phenomenological conceptualizations. Even acknowledging a broad intension of theory, only one-fifth of the studies rest on theoretical bases. Corresponding to the diverse disciplines and topics, the theories employed are also quite diverse. Often, several perspectives are employed in an eclectic manner. Predominantly, micro-level theories of psychological and behavioral provenance are adopted. Attribution theory and correspondence inference theory (ElginClapham, 2004), the attraction-selection-attrition and the similarity-attraction paradigm (Dineen, Ash, Noe, 2002), change management theories (Ruta, 2005), organizational citizenship behavior (Huang, Jin, et al., 2004), privacy theories (Harris, van Hoye,Lievens, 2003), procedural justice theory (Dineen,Noe, Wang, 2004), signaling theory (Cober,Brown Levy,Cober 2003), as well as social cognitive theory (Williams on, Lepak, King, 2003) are adopted in order to explain individual perceptions and reactions arising from e-HRM. Additionally, a learning theory is adopted to compare instructor-led and web-based learning (Coppola Myre, 2002). In addition, some theories stemming from information systems research are used. The technology acceptance model (Huang, Yang, Jin, Chiu, 2004), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Ruta, 2005), and the theory of usability (Williamson, Lipak, King, 2003) are used to frame again problems of individual reactions and usage. Also, a conceptual IT-framework is used to structure e-HRM impacts on HR-professionals (Gardner, Lepak, Bartol, 2003). One single study pursues a microeconomic approach to explain e-employment markets (Nissen Gates, 2004). In brief, current empirical research in e-HRM is mainly non theoretical. The theories applied are micro-level oriented, diverse in nature and often eclectic in application. Interestingly, recognized ma cro-level theories of HRM (Wright McMahan, 1992) were not considered. 2.2. HRM Effectiveness To know the effectiveness of e-HRM, HRM functions are relatively come to the picture. The American Society for Personnel Administration (ASPA), the predecessor to SHRM, first defined HRM functions in 1975 as the technical competencies in the following areas (HRCI, 2006): * Employment, placement and personnel planning. * Training and development. * Compensation and benefits. * Health, safety and security. * Employee and labor relations. * Personnel research. Smith and Mazin (2004) reports the scope of the HRM functions covers the following areas of functionality: * Employee selection * HR policies, performance management * Performance Management * Training and development * Employee relations and retention * Compensation * Benefits * Regulatory Issues * Workforce violence and investigation * Termination and discharge Researchers also observed other dimensions to HRM as well, for instance, Huselid, Jackson and Schuler (1997) reports that HRM effectiveness has two essential dimensions. The first, the technical HRM, includes the delivery of HRM basics such as recruiting, compensation, separation etc. The second, strategic HRM, involves delivering those services in a way that directly supports the implementation of the firms strategy. Other academia and HRM professionals are also inclined to analyze HRM functions from various perspectives, for example: from the areas of activity (Nadler,1990), and from the areas of service rendered. Nadler (1990) first groups the HRM functions into three specific areas of activity: (1) training, which implies learning related to present job, (2) education, which implies learning to prepare the individual for a different but identified job, (3) development, which implies learning for growth of the individual, but not related to a specific present or future job. This f urther reinforces the thinking of HRM being learning-driven. 2.3. Implementation e-HR Kehoe, Dickter, Russell and Sacco (2005) points out that the organizations overall culture and HRM strategy determine the manner in which organizations will implement their e-enablement systems. The e-enabled programs can either be implemented as part of a broad e-enablement of HR processes and systems, or implemented independent of other HR processes and systems. It is even possible that specific e-enabled assessment applications may be implemented independent of each other. No matter what, organizations need to develop guiding principles regarding the following issues on the management of an e-enabled HR environment: * Risk management relating to employment discrimination * Buy versus build and the roles of internal HR IT and third party providers * HR expertise versus automaticity in the e-enabled assessment process * Whose functions the system will be designed to support * Ownership * The integration of e-enabled assessment with other HR systems and process * Free market versus regulated processes E-recruitment In terms of the organizations objectives, the primary goal of the recruitment process is to attract potential applicants (prospects) who have the KSAOs needed to meet the requirements of organizational roles. Thus, organizations are increasingly using the Internet to advertise job openings and attract qualified prospects. The web-based advertisements often provide prospects with information about (a) job vacancies, (b) job descriptions, (b) the organizations culture and its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“brand identity,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and (d) the inducements (e.g., pay, fringe benefits, learning opportunities, promotion prospects) offered its employees. Interestingly, some estimates indicate that 100%of large firms currently use the Internet to announce job openings, and 82% of large firms use intranet systems to post openings or identify qualified employees within the organization (Cedar, 2002). For example, organizations have developed sophisticated web-based recruiting systems to convey informat ion about job opportunities and give applicants the ability to complete applications online (Stone, Johnson, Navas, Stone- Romero, 2005; Stone, Lukaszewski, Isenhour, 2005). In addition, organizational intranet systems are often used to search employment records to determine if the KSAOs of current employees are consistent with the requirements of vacant or soon-to-be vacant roles. Such systemsmay automatically provide managers with lists of qualified employees, and notify individuals about new job opportunities. In addition, the same systems may send messages to employees that ask about their interests in job openings. Overall, e-HR-based recruiting systems are thought to reach a much wider set of prospects than traditional recruiting systems (Gueutal Stone, 2005; Stone, Lukaszewski et al., 2005). Internet-based e-HR systems are also used to provide job applicants (applicants) with virtual previews of organizations. For instance, some organizations use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“real timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  cameras to give prospects a preview of what it is like to work in the organization on a daily basis. Other organizations (e.g., Cisco Systems) use such systems to give job applicants the opportunity to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“make friends in the organization.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Through the resulting contacts, prospects can gather considerable information about the benefits and challenges of working for the organization. As a result of the availability of information about role requirements and inducements, applicants can determine if their (a) needs can be satisfied by offered inducements, and (b) KSAOs are likely to enable them to meet role requirements. Though a great deal of organizations believe e-recruiting systems permit firms to cast a wide net across a broad labor market, and is more likely than traditional recruitment sources to uncover individuals with unique talents and skills, researches show that e-recruiting only attracts greater numbers of candidates than other sources, but not necessarily attracts higher quality applicants or candidates who are most suitable for the companies than traditional sources (Chapman Webster, 2003; Galanaki, 2002). McManus and Ferguson (2003) discovers: given that some types of candidates may be more likely to use e-recruiting than the others (for instance, job hoppers or savvy internet navigators), the use of the e-recruiting systems may actually affect the characteristics of new hires in organizations, and influence the overall composition of the workforce. McManus and Ferguson (2003), Galanki (2002), Zusman and Landis (2002) further argue that there are age, gender, and ethnic differences in reactions to and usage of online recruitment sources, therefore, organizations should not use online recruiting as the sole recruitment sources. E-Selection There are three purposes for all the HR e-enablement (Kehoe, Dickter, Russell Sacco, 2005): (1) to minimize cost, (2) to maximize the utilization of the organizations human capital, (3) to enable sustainability which refers to the organizations willingness and ability not only to maintain the e-enabled system, but to progressively evolve the system to satisfy changing requirements, and capitalize on improvements in technology and the science of selection. The purposes for e-enabling selection are no any different from the above. While conducting the maximizing the utilization of the organizations human capital, organizations are required to design two measures into the e-enabled selection system: (1) the capital represented by each person who goes through the process (including the set of text scores, interview ratings, resum6 quality indices, background check results, drug test results, and any other quantifiable evaluation of the skills, experiences, abilities.. ..etc.), and (2) t he extent to which the process results in decisions that maximize the utilization of that capital (for example, ratio or difference between average test scores for selected candidates to average test scores for all candidates, percentage of candidates who satisfy minimum requirements such as for drug tests or background checks, retention rates, post-hire, new hire performance management results.. ..etc.). Organizations also need to enable sustainability by emphasizing on: clear ownership, funding strategy, business contribution, user satisfaction, and professional support. As for the implementation, Kehoe, Dickter, Russell and Sacco reports that more and more organizations nowadays prefer to acquire a vendors e-selection system because of the appealing features of specialized and flexible system solution products available on the market. E-Performance Management Researchers have previously compared online administrations and traditional paper-and-pencil (PP) administrations of organizational surveys (Thompson et al., 2003), measurement of psychological constructs (Cole et al., 2006), upward feedback ratings (Smither et al., 2004), and item responses to a 3608 assessment (Penny, 2003). Whereas researchers have contrasted online versus PP groups reactions to selection tools (Richman-Hirsch et al., 2000), no research has compared online versus PP administrations in the context of performance appraisal (PA). Although frequently defined as a measurement instrument or tool, PA is the social and communication process in which a supervisor evaluates an employees behavior in the workplace and communicates those ratings and feedback back to the employee (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the applied research literature and examine the extent to which an online PA system influences employees reactions to t heir PA. We believe this is an important applied research question that HR managers need to know the answer to before implementing e-HRM/HRIS PA tools. Though Cardy and Miller (2005) argues that the level of performance made possible by technological advancement has changed the standard for acceptable performance, appraisal satisfaction remains a relevant concern for organizations even when technology is either a primary mechanism for the feedback process, or already become the appraisal process, because high-quality performance feedback is a critical factor that helps organizations retain, motivate, and develop their employees, and, these outcomes are more likely to occur if employees are satisfied with