Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Learn About NASAs Pathfinder Mission to Mars

Find out About NASAs Pathfinder Mission to Mars Meet Mars Pathfinder The Mars Pathfinder was the second of NASAs ease planetary Discovery missions to be propelled. It was a yearning approach to send a lander and a different, remote-controlled meanderer to the outside of Mars and showed various creative, practical, and profoundly powerful ways to deal with rocket and mission structure of a planetary landing crucial. One explanation it was sent was to show the attainability of minimal effort arrivals at Mars and possible mechanical exploration.â Mars Pathfinder was propelled on a Delta 7925 on December 4, 1996. The rocket entered the Martian air on July 4, 1997 and accepting air estimations as it slipped. The passage vehicles heat shield eased back the art to 400 meters for each second in around 160 seconds. A 12.5-meter parachute was conveyed right now, easing back the art to around 70 meters for each second. The warmth shield was discharged 20 seconds after parachute sending, and the harness, a 20-meter-since quite a while ago plaited Kevlar tie, conveyed beneath the shuttle. The lander isolated from the back shell and slid down to the base of the harness over around 25 seconds. At an elevation of about 1.6 kilometers, the radar altimeter gained the ground, and around 10 seconds before landing four air sacks expanded in about 0.3 seconds framing a 5.2-meter-wide measurement defensive ball around the lander. After four seconds at an elevation of 98 meters the three strong rockets, mounted in the backshell, shot to slow the plunge, and the harness was cut 21.5 meters over the ground. That discharged the airbag-encased lander, which dropped to the ground. It skiped around 12 meters into the air, skipping in any event another multiple times and moving before stopping roughly 2.5 minutes after effect and about a kilometer from the underlying effect site. Subsequent to handling, the airbags emptied and were withdrawn. Pathfinder opened its three metallic triangular sun powered boards (petals) 87 minutes in the wake of landing. The lander originally transmitted the building and climatic science information gathered during passage and landing. The imaging framework got perspectives on the wanderer and quick environmental factors and an all encompassing perspective on the arrival zone. In the end, the landers slopes were sent and the wanderer moved onto the surface.â The Sojourner Rover The Pathfinders meanderer Sojourner was namedâ in respect of Sojourner Truth, a nineteenth century abolitionist and boss of womens rights. It worked for 84 days, multiple times longer than its planned lifetime of seven days. It examined shakes and soil in the region around the lander.â The greater part of the landers task was to help the wanderer by imaging meanderer activities and handing-off information from the meanderer to Earth. The lander was additionally outfitted with a meteorology station. Over 2.5 meters of sun powered cells on the lander petals, in blend with battery-powered batteries, controlled the lander and its installed PC. Three low-gain reception apparatuses stretched out from three corners of the container and a camera reached out up from the inside on a 0.8-meter high spring up pole. Pictures were taken and explores performed by the lander and wanderer until 27 September 1997 when interchanges were lost for obscure reasons. The arrival site in the Ares Vallis locale of Mars is at 19.33 N, 33.55 W. The lander has been named the Sagan Memorial Station, and it worked about multiple times its structure lifetime of 30 days. Pathfinders Landing Spot The Ares Vallis district of Mars is a huge flood plain close Chryse Planitia. This area is one of the biggest outpouring channels on Mars, the aftereffect of an enormous flood (conceivably a measure of water equal to the volume of every one of the five Great Lakes) over a brief timeframe streaming into the martian northern swamps. The Mars Pathfinder strategic roughly $265 million including dispatch and tasks. Advancement and development of the lander cost $150 million and the meanderer about $25 million. Altered and refreshed via Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows †Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows †Part 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows †Part2 is the last arrival of the eight Harry Potter arrangement. This subsequent part finishes the eagerly awaited courageous two full length movement film picture. The last epic â€Å"shows a fight between the great and the abhorrent powers of utilizing enchantment in the wizard world† (Schilling np). Promoting We will compose a custom exposition test on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows †Part 2 explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More This part proceeds from the clench hand Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows arrangement where Harry tries to discover and guarantee he pulverizes Lord Voldemort Horcruxes who killed Harry’s guardians and furthermore has for quite a while wanted to execute Harry and deal with the wizard world. Its first discharge on Friday fifteenth July recorded enormous income returns of $ 92.1 million. As per McClintock, this assortment is the greatest day net time ever. From abroad, the principal day of the film’s opening gathered $75 million in deals. Harry Potter turns into the main film arrangement to record the most elevated opening end of the week record worldwide with an aggregate of $314 million breaking the record set by the Dark night arrangement for a long time universally. Prior to its discharge, advance passes to watch the film had recorded $32M in deals denoting another preopening record. Toward the start of March, a progression of meetings were completed after the clench hand review of the film was finished. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows first banner was discharged on 28th walk with a fascinating subtitle â€Å"IT ALL ENDS 7.15†depicting the last arrangement of the film to be created and furthermore the main day of its first discharge to the theaters. In April the movie’s dramatic trailer was discharged indicating recordings of the eagerly awaited film. A ton of endeavors were placed into thought to advertise the film. Dur ing the June MTV Awards Emma Watson gave a sneak review of the film (Silvester 50). Harry Potter motion pictures depend on the books composed by J.K Rowling, a prestigious fiction author. Records show that more than 450 million books have been offered to youngsters and hundreds have been obtained from the libraries. Promoting Looking for exposition on workmanship and structure? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The film is evaluated 13 making it a family sort fit to be viewed by all individuals. The motivation behind why the film works is on the grounds that its arrangement has been predictable in the yield or the final products from each Harry Potter film for longer than 10 years since its creation. Input From the unwavering devotees of Harry Potter, the scale endeavors used to create the motion pictures has not changed. All the more so the makers have attempted to include increasingly enhancements making the motion pictures considerably all the more intriguing particularly placing into thought that the lead characters experience common circumstances have fears and their partialities drawing out the dreamland near the real world. The better piece of this film is the change produced using 2D-3D a transformation the makers noted to have utilized so as to make the final product a fantastic encounter to its crowd and to likewise fill in as the motivation behind why the story turns out to be genuine. The films creation excelles in the photography methods utilized (Gray np). Harry potter is a film creation of the Warner Brothers Pictures. This film was created in various studios including; Heyday Films, Moving Picture Company (MPC), Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. what's more, the sets were coordinated from Leavesden studios, Pinewood Studios. There were a few wholesalers who were included however the Warner Bros was the principle merchant. It has been coordinated by David Yates, an English producer and t he executive of the last four arrangement of the Harry Potter film. His movie endeavors have been perceived by the BAFTA grants where he was granted for his greatness movie coordinating. He has additionally coordinated various motion pictures including, Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, the young lady in the cafã ©, Sex Traffic, Yong guests and the Minnie TV arrangement, the manner in which we live now, among others. Harry Potter films makes Yates become the most compelling executive of the arrangement as per the final product of the film which has a remarkable sense regarding the visual look and the style of the film. Other than that the chief, David Yates, is known to concentrate on character advancement and drawing out the feeling felt by the crowd. The entertainers in this arrangement incorporate Daniel Radcliffe , Ralph Fiennes, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman and other people who have been on-screen characters of the arrangemen t since its first creation in 2001. By the beginning of the film arrangement, the on-screen characters were basic standard entertainers however after the eighth film these on-screen characters have become stars (White np) .Advertising We will compose a custom article test on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows †Part 2 explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the movies, the film has earned $214,887,891 around the United States and Canada by July twentieth 2011 while the global markets recorded $425,300,000 making a sum of $ 640,187,891 around the world. Its first open day was recorded as the greatest open day regarding gross incomes in a few nations. In Australia, it recorded $7.5 million, in United Kingdom $14.8 million Belgium $1.4 million, Japan $5.7 million, etc. Spooky Hallows †Part 2 additionally outperformed the Deathly Hallows †Part 1 record ($1.5M) for the biggest IMAX 12 PM dispatch winning around $2M (Lemire np). Dim, Brandon. End of the w eek Report: Harry Makes History. Film industry Mojo. 18 July 2011. Web. Lemire, Christy. Survey: Final Potter film is dismal and fulfilling. Sify. 2011-07-21. Web. McClintock, Pamela. Film industry Report: ‘Harry Potter’ Grosses All-Time Domestic Best of $168.6 Million. The Hollywood Reporter. 17 July 2011. Web. Schilling, Chris. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 †review†. The Observer. 17 July 2011. Web. Silvester, William. Harry Potter Collectors Handbook. NY: Krause, 2010. Print.Advertising Searching for article on craftsmanship and plan? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More White, Michael. â€Å"‘Captain America’ Opens at No. 1, Knocks ‘Potter’ From Top Spot†. Bloomberg. 2011. Web.

Monday, August 10, 2020

A Thrifty Persons Guide to Downsizing

A Thrifty Persons Guide to Downsizing A Thrifty Persons Guide to Downsizing A Thrifty Persons Guide to DownsizingMoving to a smaller home could be a great way to save money, but there are lots of factors to consider beside pure square footage!When you read the word “downsizing,” you probably think of the 2017 Alexander Payne film. It’s certainly the first thing that comes up when you Google the term.But “downsizing” doesn’t just refer to a mid-budget film in which Matt Damon and his wife, Kristen Wiig, decide to go through a shrinking procedure in order to simplify their lives. It’s also a way you could cut down on some clutter and costs in your own life as well. And you don’t even need to shrink down to do it!So what exactly is downsizing, why might you do it, and how might you do it? Let’s find out!What is downsizing?When people other than director Alexander Payne talk about downsizing, they’re likely referring to real estate, though they could also be talking about selling off some of their possessions.“Downsizing can be an effective way to reduce expenses, thus allowing you to potentially build your savings,” explained Associate Financial Planner Anna Keisler. “Downsizing generally means moving to a smaller and less expensive home in order to have a lower monthly mortgage payment. There are other expenses that should decrease when you move to a smaller home as well, such as electricity, gas, housekeeping, maintenance, etc.”Reasons to downsize.You don’t really need an excuse for wanting more money in your pocket. But there are quite a few scenarios that could make downsizing particularly appealing.Sacha Ferrandi, founder of Source Capital Funding (@sourcecapital)  and  Texas Hard Money First, outlined some of those scenarios:“If all your kids have moved out and you no longer need the extra space, it may be time to consider downsizing. Think about your future and if that extra space will still be utilized. A larger home requires more upkeep and if you aren’t actively using the space, you can save mon ey by downsizing to a smaller space that fits your current needs.“You may want to downsize for the simple fact that a lower mortgage payment will take a little bit of burden off your shoulders. With a larger home comes more financial responsibilities. If you do decide to sell, you can use that money to completely fund a new, smaller home. No longer will you have to worry about the responsibility of paying a mortgage.“If you’re nearing retirement age, consider the perks of downsizing. Whether that money is for traveling or daily expenses, having a smaller mortgage payment will allow you to allocate more money towards your retirement fund so you can live comfortably, when the time comes.“Whether it’s racked up credit card debt or student loan debt, it may seem impossible to take control of. Downsizing and having a more affordable mortgage can help you put more money towards your debt in order to pay it off sooner than you thought, and take some of the weight off your shoulde rs.”How to downsize.So you’ve decided to downsize. While there may be some general tips that will apply to anyone, only you know the specifics of your unique situation.“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to downsizing any living situation,” advised Deborah Sweeney (@deborahsweeney), CEO of MyCorporation.com (@mycorporation). “It would be impossible for me to advise that one household downsizes in a manner that is the exact same for another household.My advice is to examine your existing budget and determine which items you can spend less on for a monthly basis. Often, purchases you dont think are all that expensiveâ€"like dining outâ€"are the ones that quickly add up. These can be cut back on, as needed, for more cost-effective options like meal prep and what you save from not dining out can go into savings.”You could even find that downsizing to a smaller place might not save as much money as you’d think it would.“Before you decide to opt for the lower mortgage, consider all the underlying costs you may run into,” suggested Ferrandi. “In order for your current home to sell on the market, you may need to do some repairs or make some updates, which could cost you a good chunk of change. Or maybe the furniture at your current home won’t fit into the smaller home and you’ll have to purchase new stuff. These are just a couple of the cost factors you may want to consider prior to making the commitment.”You’ll also need to figure out what you’re getting rid of, and whether you need to replace it.“Downsizing is a perfect opportunity for you to get rid of any unnecessary clutter or belongings,” advised Ferrandi. “Be realistic about what you need and what you don’t. With a smaller space, you may not be able to bring everything from your current property. This is a great opportunity for you to organize all of your belongings accordingly. Get creative and be efficient in the way you store things so you can best utilize your new s pace.“Plan out your new living space accordingly. With a smaller space, you will need to make sure all of the belongings you are planning to migrate over will fit without making it too crowded. If you’re looking to buy furniture, try going for more functional pieces that will better fit a small space.”And there are a few things you should definitely not do if you’re looking to downsize in a way that saves money.“Just because the house is smaller doesn’t mean it’s going to be less expensive,” warned Keisler. “Say you have a home in the suburbs and want to move to the most in-demand neighborhood of the city: your home may be smaller but it will likely also be more expensive.  The increase in property taxes can also make the trade-off to a smaller home in a pricier area less economically beneficial.”Downsizing can be a big decision. We aren’t downplaying that fact. But it might also be a good choice for you! To learn more about managing big financial decisions, c heck out these other posts and articles from OppLoans:Is Rent-to-Own a Good Way to Purchase a Home?Emergencies and Divorce: How to Plan For Worst-Case ScenariosHow Much Money Do You Actually Need to Buy a House?Should You Get Life Insurance?Do you have a   personal finance question youd like us to answer? Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.  |  InstagramContributorsSacha  Ferrandi  is the Founder of  Source Capital Funding (@sourcecapital)  and is an expert in finance, entrepreneurship, and real estate. Source Capital Funding, Inc., is based in San Diego and operates across the United States.Anna Keisler is a Financial Planning Associate with SG Financial Advisors in the Atlanta, GA area.  When not assisting with financial planning, you can find her at the gym or trying new restaurants. She currently resides in the metro Atlanta area with her husband and two cats.Deborah Sweeney (@deborahsweeney) is the CEO of MyCorporation.com (@mycorporation). MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

How Individuals Communicate Communication Is The Exchange...

How individuals communicate communication is the exchange of data among people. By a life coach understanding his/her own style of communicating, one will go far towards making great and enduring impressions with others. Although people have been taught to talk, compose, and read to from an early age, individuals have gotten little, if any, preparation in listening. Active listening is a correspondence expertise that joins both verbal and non-verbal skills keeping in mind the end goal to create positive results, by encouraging comprehension, appreciation, and compassion between individuals. Listening actively enables a life coach to ask questions effectively, which helps the coach successfully communicate with every one of one’s clients, for they should master the viable skills of questioning. As a coach hone the skill of actively listening and asking the right questions, they can then use those skills to motivate the client. For, life coaches, should feel prepared to he lp other people are ordinarily ready to inspire and motivate. Life coaching is responsive and adaptable; it takes into account individual move on an individual premise. Therefore, to become a successful life coach, one must possess these skills. These skills not only help the coach and clients build a good relationship, but it also helps the coach become a better life coach throughout the process. An Analysis of Life Coaching Skills and their Importance: Listening skills, Questioning skills, andShow MoreRelatedHow Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Pecs ) Essay1697 Words   |  7 Pages3472 November 1, 2016 Using Pictures to Communicate There are many different obstacles autism spectrum individuals have to overcome in their daily lives; social insecurities, eye contact, appropriate spatial awareness etc. But in most cases, their biggest hurdle is mostly their communication skills; it’s been shown that communication impairment is at the heart of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that children with ASD can show a wide range of communication skills as discussed by Agius and VanceRead MoreTechnology And Its Impact On The Advancement Of Communication862 Words   |  4 Pagesconnected to each other. Also can be known as the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institution. There are many different areas when it comes to networking, such as, network design, business networks, social networking, home networking and so on. Each individual area has its own issue that relates to society today. A major area that is important today is communicating through the network. Back in the day, communication is vastly different than today. Throughout historyRead MoreThe Internet Of Things And Technology1169 Words   |  5 PagesWe are all in a new era where computing knowledge is playing a significant role and people are naming it as internet of things (IOT). Even we can call it has Internet of things, Internet of everything because it rising in a huge scale and its potential is showing up. Internet of things is being designed in a more unique way because here the machine communicate and interact with each other and also with the external surroundings. IOT is made of up of many interesting and intelligent tools which areRead MoreResearch Objectives And Questions On Language And Gender Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesquestions. The scope of the study, justification and limitations are also covered in chapter one. 1.1 Background of the study. Life as a human being is inseparable from communication. One of the most effective ways to communicate is certainly through language and of course in order to ensure the effectiveness of the communication, both speakers and hearers are expected to be polite to each other. Being polite does not merely involve the understanding of language, but factors like social and culturalRead MoreThe Internet is a Blessing1523 Words   |  6 Pageswondered how people managed before the invention of computers by Charles Babbage? Well take a look into the world of computers: a life saver that many persons rely on daily for their needs. Yes, it is the internet. The Internet is the largest information resource comprised of a network of hundreds of millions of computers located throughout the world (Johnson, 7). It consists of a set of computers, a set of physical (or wireless) links, and a set of rules or protocols governing the exchange of informationRead More Teleconferencing - An Upgraded Means of Communication Essay1048 Words   |  5 PagesTeleconferencing - An Upgraded Means of Communication The day-to-day communications and conferencing between people evolved to what we know as telecommunications and information services. Teleconferencing is an elevation of telecommunications and information. Ordinarily, in a conference people meet together in groups small or large to discuss and exchange ideas, and views about facts, subjects, or events. But teleconferencing makes a great difference with new technologies. Putting these ideasRead MoreThe Communication Contract : Effective Communication1451 Words   |  6 PagesThe Communication Contract Communication is important to enhance understanding among people. Every single relationship that human beings make is made from effective communication. Individuals think differently and look at the world with various lens based on how they were raised, experiences, and many other things during their development. As such, knowing this difference as well as multiple ways of on how to effectively communicate with others will help individuals build authentic connectionsRead MoreTeam Leaders Should Change Positive Norms Essay1608 Words   |  7 Pagesthink about the skills of each individual team member to assure each member will add to the whole. Teams do not need 15 people with the same skills. They need 15 people who will add to the team to achieve the goal. Tip 2: Team leaders should change negative norms into positive norms. Working in a positive environment will increase team moral and promote team cohesion. Tip 3: It is critical for leaders to clearly communicate team norms and not assume that people know what the norms should beRead More The Impact Of The Internet On Communication Essay1000 Words   |  4 Pagesof the Internet on Communication The internet has revolutionized all forms of communication since the beginning of its existence. The world has now become ‘smaller or more like a ‘global village, so to speak. The internet was first used by the U.S military for communications purposes. The internet, from the communication point of view, has brought on new developments and techniques to keep in touch not only for individuals, but for businesses as well. An example of how the internet has impactedRead MoreThe Organizational Analysis Conducted For Fabrics, Inc.795 Words   |  4 PagesA competent workforce is crucial to give a company the competitive edge over its competition. As indicated by Jeffrey Pfeffer an American business scholar in his article entitled Competitive Advantage Through People, an association s aggressive achievement is accomplished through individuals (1994). Along these lines, it is critical that training is interpreted into execution. Unfortunately, many organizations fall short in p roviding its workforce adequate training, performance standards, and objectives

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

German Loan Words in the English Language

English has borrowed many words from German. Some of those words have become a natural part of everyday English vocabulary (angst,  kindergarten,  sauerkraut), while others are primarily intellectual, literary, scientific (Waldsterben,  Weltanschauung,  Zeitgeist), or used in special areas, such as  gestalt  in psychology, or  aufeis  and  loess  in geology. Some of these German words are used in English because there is no true English equivalent: gemà ¼tlich,  schadenfreude. Words in the list below marked with * were used in various rounds of Scripps National Spelling Bees  in the U.S. Heres an A-to-Z sample of German loan words in English: German Words in English ENGLISH DEUTSCH MEANING alpenglow s Alpenglà ¼hen a reddish glow seen on the mountain tops around sunrise or sunset Alzheimer's disease e Alzheimer Krankheit brain disease named for the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who first identified it in 1906 angst/Angst e Angst "fear" - in English, a neurotic feeling of anxiety and depression Anschluss r Anschluss "annexation" - specifically, the 1938 annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany (the Anschluss) apple strudel r Apfelstrudel a type of pastry made with thin layers of dough, rolled up with a fruit filling; from the German for "swirl" or "whirlpool" aspirin s Aspirin Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid) was invented by the German chemist Felix Hoffmann working for Bayer AG in 1899. aufeis s Aufeis Literally, "on-ice" or "ice on top" (Arctic geology). German citation: "Venzke, J.-F. (1988): Beobachtungen zum Aufeis-Phà ¤nomen im subarktisch-ozeanischen Island. - Geoà ¶kodynamik 9 (1/2), S. 207-220; Bensheim." autobahn e Autobahn "freeway" - The GermanAutobahn has almost mythical status. automat r Automat a (New York City) restaurant that dispenses food from coin-operated compartments Bildungsroman*pl. Bildungeromane r BildungsromanBildungsromane pl. "formation novel" - a novel that focuses on the maturation of, and the intellectual, psychological, or spiritual development of the main character blitz r Blitz "lightning" - a sudden, overwhelming attack; a charge in football; the Nazi attack on England in WWII (see below) blitzkrieg r Blitzkrieg "lightning war" - a rapid-strike war; Hitler's attack on England in WWII bratwurst e Bratwurst grilled or fried sausage made of spiced pork or veal cobalt s Kobalt cobalt, Co; see Chemical Elements coffee klatsch (klatch)Kaffeeklatsch r Kaffeeklatsch a friendly get-together over coffee and cake concertmasterconcertmeister r Konzertmeister the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra, who often also serves as assistant conductor Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseaseCJD e Creutzfeldt-Jakob-Krankheit "mad cow disease" or BSE is a variant of CJD, a brain disease named for the German neurologists Hans Gerhardt Creutzfeldt (1883-1964) and Alfons Maria Jakob (1884-1931) dachshund r Dachshund dachshund, a dog (der Hund) originally trained to hunt badger (der Dachs); the "wiener dog" nickname comes from its hot-dog shape (see "wiener") degauss s Gauß to demagnetize, neutralize a magnetic field; the "gauss" is a unit of measurement of magnetic induction (symbol G orGs, replaced by the Tesla), named for German mathematician and astronomerCarl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855). delidelicatessen s Delikatessen prepared cooked meats, relishes, cheeses, etc.; a shop selling such foods diesel r Dieselmotor The diesel engine is named for its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel(1858-1913). dirndl s Dirndls Dirndlkleid Dirndl is a southern German dialect word for "girl." A dirndl (DIRN-del) is a traditional woman's dress still worn in Bavaria and Austria. Doberman pinscherDobermann F.L. Dobermannr Pinscher dog breed named for the German Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1894); the Pinscher breed has several variations, including the Dobermann, although technically the Dobermann is not a true pinscher doppelgà ¤ngerdoppelganger r Doppelgà ¤nger "double goer" - a ghostly double, look-alike, or clone of a person Doppler effectDoppler radar C.J. Doppler(1803-1853) apparent change in the frequency of light or sound waves, caused by rapid movement; named for the Austrian physicist who discovered the effect dreckdrek r Dreck "dirt, filth" - in English, trash, rubbish (from Yiddish/German) edelweiss* s Edelweiß a small flowering Alpine plant (Leontopodium alpinum), literally "noble white" ersatz* r Ersatz a replacement or substitute, usually implying inferiority to the original, such as "ersatz coffee" Fahrenheit D.G. Fahrenheit The Fahrenheit temperature scale is named for its German inventor, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), who invented the alcohol thermometer in 1709. Fahrvergnà ¼gen s Fahrvergnà ¼gen "driving pleasure" - word made famous by a VW ad campaign fest s Fest "celebration" - as in "film fest" or "beer fest" flak/flack die Flakdas Flakfeuer "anti-aircraft gun" (FLiegerAbwehrKanone) - used in English more like das Flakfeuer(flak fire) for heavy criticism ("He's taking a lot of flak.") frankfurter Frankfurter Wurst hot dog, orig. a type of German sausage (Wurst) from Frankfurt; see "wiener" Fà ¼hrer r Fà ¼hrer "leader, guide" - a term that still has Hitler/Nazi connections in English, more than 70 years after it first came into use *Words used in various rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee held annually in Washington, D.C. Also see:  The Denglisch Dictionary  - English words used in German

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

To The Hills of Kodaikanal Free Essays

By Pranav R Kalathungal Last March, I, along with my whole family went for a trip to Kodaikanal. Though we travelled in a comfortable airbus, the journey felt very boring. After two hours, we started playing some games and suddenly things started to get interesting. We will write a custom essay sample on To The Hills of Kodaikanal or any similar topic only for you Order Now The games and jokes along with some snacks elevated all our travel sick spirits. We had stared our journey the previous night at nine. After some hours of playful pranks and laughter, slowly everyone started getting drowsy and one by one people started nodding off to sleep. As the noise quietened down and the lights dimmed on the request of elderly people, and I too gradually settled down to sleep. What I saw the next morning when I opened my eyes, took my breath away. We were travelling on a road built into the side of a hill and were flanked by scenic mountains overflowing with luscious beauty on the other side. The scene was heavenly. I can still see the scene in my mind when I close my eyes. Through this heavenly path we reached a homely, beautiful, comfy cottage from where we had our breakfast. After a lovely and stomach filling breakfast, we started a tour of the place. We visited a garden so enriched with natural beauty, that it was paradise itself. The notoriously famous suicide point seemed to me, as if it was inviting people with its deadly beauty, into its treacherous depths. Hours seemed to pass away in minutes in this glorious land and suddenly it was time to go back. And so, thus ended a wonderful journey which will forever remain engraved in the canvass of my mind. I urge you, each and every one of my friends, to undertake a similar journey if you get a chance. How to cite To The Hills of Kodaikanal, Essay examples

Saturday, May 2, 2020

ERP System Implementation Journey Free Sample for Students

Question: Why an ERP Systems Journey May Never End. Answer: Introduction This report is based on ERP systems, its usage and its benefits that are gained by business organizations while using these systems for different purposes. The benefits of ERP systems occur over a period of time rather than occurring immediately. It is also believed by some business organizations that the journey of ERP systems is ongoing and benefits of all ERP systems is not same for all. Some companies may gain more benefits than others. According to researchers that differing benefits are result of usage of ERP systems at different stages by business organizations. Now the purpose of making this report is to discuss about the journey of companys ERP systems and how benefits may vary that are provided by ERP systems. Besides this, we will also emphasize on experiences of different companies that are using this system. Some other essential concepts such as why a journey of ERP may never ends, different stages in an ERP systems journey, potential benefits of each stage and identific ation of drivers and barriers for companies to move from one stage to the next. Main Body Now in this segment of report we will discuss above mentioned concepts and arguments about these topics in detail. Journey of Companys ERP Systems and How Benefits may vary The journey of ERP system in a company is related to implementation of ERP system. The implementation of ERP systems in a business organization is a wise and effective decision that helps to control cost. There are various benefits of ERP systems that are invaluable. But according to statistics and major headlines, it has been proven over and over again that implementations of ERP projects are failing to meet more than 50% requirements and expectations. There are many companies exist that have already passed through this. Besides this, it is also my experience that several clients and cost form attendees got disappointed by implementing system that was going to solve their problems. In this way, only implementation of ERP cannot consider as journey of ERP, it is actually related to successful implementation of ERP. To have a successful implementation of ERP, an organization must dedicate to adequate resources of business projects (Jennifer Kinzel, 2017). The beginning of ERP journey is from software that is selected by business organization and definition of processes that will be implemented. It will be better to define needs of business processes before selecting software (Klckner and Nayum, 2017). Besides this, it is essential that all business processes should be planned out to finest detail. But it cannot be done with external parties or consultants because they dont have knowledge about internal transactions of your business and intricacies of the internal business processes. In this case, it is responsibility of a business organization to confirm standard of ERP system and what possibilities of customizations of this system and cost are. It will be a blunder if we think that a fancy ERP system can do everything that we require. Sometimes, special business processes are adapted to fit in ERP systems and it cannot be done at individual basis. So fancy look of ERP cannot defines its capabilities, way of working and effectiveness. There is no doubt to say th at ERP is an ongoing activity. From its pre-installation steps journey begins and end of this journey cannot be defined because after successful installations, staff members training to work with ERP system, continuous modifications in ERP according to changing needs of users and management of data huge amount of data for business successes according to current circumstances of business organizations. So these processes cant stop or predefine. Therefore, in above ways journey of ERP system continues in a company. Case Study to exhibit different companies experience of using ERP As we have already discussed above that how some business organizations are getting different experiences in usage of ERP systems. Now in this segment of report, we will emphasize on companies experiences by using case study examples to highlight different benefits and weaknesses of ERP systems for them (Blogs.infor.com, 2017). As we know that ERP is Enterprise Resource Planning software solution which is an integrated suite of applications that can be used by business organizations to store and manage data at every stage of business. Due to this reason, every business organization prefer to use ERP systems (Searchsap.techtarget.com, 2017). But it is not ensured that for every business, the journey of ERP implementation is successful. To identify this thing, we have analyzed some case studies and two cases have come into our notice that shows how one of two different companies has got benefits from ERP system and another got drawbacks. These two companies and Cadbury and Hersheys (gu ide, 2017). Case Study of Cadbury Cadbury is a British Multinational confectionary company. It is the second largest confectionary brand in the world and big competitor of Wrigleys company (SearchCIO, 2017). There are various brands of Cadbury in India and in other countries like 5 Star, Oreo, Bournvita and Dairy Milk. Cadbury turns out towards implementation of SAP ERP 6.0 i.e. System Analysis and Program Development. The company preferred to use this system because SAP is considered largest global ERP implementation. The ERP was implemented with reduced operational cost in company. More than 10,000 employees were sending data to the SAP solution of company. Besides this, master data management solution of SAP is also added. After implementing ERP system by Cadbury following benefits are found: This company was on rapid paced growth and it could not continue any more with the existing systems. These existing systems were too slow due to some inefficiencies in it. But ERP added efficiency and also guided to enhance growth of business. The implementation of ERP provided a new way to manage warehouse, branches and offices of Cadbury (Bansal, 2013). With implementation of ERP, company enhanced its strength and now competing successfully in competitive market (Hong and Kim, 2002). The initial implementation of ERP was a time-consuming process but after this successive implementations was completed in lesser time and cost. The main advantage of ERP was saving cost in implementation phase of companys projects. The successful results of ERP was an internal process of restructuring and here reaction from competitors does not matter. With the help of ERP system, Cadbury has built-in robust regular feedback system and it is used to monitor the changes and to check that these are working according to predefined plan or not. The whole implementation is cross-functional and it is necessary to have increase in the efficiency. The above discussed are some effective benefits of ERP software solution that has gained by Cadbury Company after making decision to implement ERP. In this way, for Cadbury ERP was proved successful to handle its business issues and to increase growth of business at rapid pace. While selecting vendors for ERP, Cadbury selected best in class vendors and they helped the process in modernized fashion. Due to this, in initial phase of ERP implementation all possible hiccups were avoided. The ERP system eventually set low cost and high result implementation that highlights the success and benefits. Another company that has implemented ERP system was Hersheys, but unfortunately, it did not get benefits like Cadbury. Case Study of Hersheys The largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America is Hersheys. Headquarter of this company is in Pennsylvania. This company was established in 1894 and there are near about sixty countries worldwide where Hersheys is selling its products. The 80% sale of Hersheys business is from chocolate and 20% is non-chocolate. Like Cadbury, Hersheys also decided to implement ERP solution in its organization. The main reason to implement ERP system is to enhance competitiveness of company and customer service. So during late 1996, the management of this company gave approval to use ERP system for handling Enterprise21 project. Therefore, SAPs R/3 ERP software were selected to manage integration among three systems such as Manugistics SCM software, Siebels CRM software and IBM Global Service. The overall cost of project was US$10 Million and recommended time for implementing project was four years. It was also decided by Hershey that Big Bang approach will be used for project implementation r ather than phased approach. Unfortunately, this strategy of implementing ERP system in Hersheys was not right decision and ERP failure occurred. Following ERP failure was encountered by Hersheys Company. The main problems were found in fulfillment of orders, processing and shipping of orders. Hersheys was not able to meet its committed date of delivery. There were many distributors of Hersheys, who had ordered the products, were not able to supply those products to retailers on time. Due to this credibility of ERP was lost in market. Due to announcement of Hersheys in market that delay issues occurred due to malfunctioning of newly installed ERP system, the charged by 8% was encountered in stock price of company in one day. These crucial failures were encountered by Hersheys Company due to implementation of ERP system for handling its business activities and projects. To more elaborate this issue of Hersheys journey of ERP implementation, we would like to discuss about reasons of failure of ERP. Reasons of Failure of ERP in Hersheys Following reasons are brought into notice by Hersheys Company regarding failure of ERP system implementation. The first reason of failure of ERP implementation is over-squeezing in schedules implementation. The selection of Big Bang approach rather than phased approach was not a right decision. For the sake of convenience, sacrificing of testing of systems was a big mistake. In busiest business periods of Hersheys, cutover activities and Go Live was scheduled which was also a main reason of failure of ERP in Hersheys Company. This failure was so much critical for Hersheys Company and this company has learnt a lot from this failure. The main learnings of Hersheys company from this failure are listed as below: The first lesson was that an ERP implementation project should not be forced into an unreasonable timeline. The over-squeezing implementation of schedules is a way to overlook critical issues. In this case, testing phases are considered safety nets that should never be compromised (Ram, 2017). Other essential lesson was that no scheduling should be done during busy seasons. Whether there is best-case implementation scenario in an organization but still companies should learn curves and operational performances tips. From above discussed case studies it is cleared that implementation of ERP systems may successful or unsuccessful for business organizations according to circumstances and strategies of company. The reason of success of ERP in Cadbury is its strategic plans and approaches to run ERP according to business circumstances. But in Hersheys it was not implemented properly, so there ERP was a failure. Now in next segment of report, we will discuss about some other essential concepts regarding ERP systems and its implementation in business organizations (NetSuite.com, 2017). Why an ERP systems journey may never End? In above segments of report, we have already discussed the concept of journey of ERP systems in an organization. On the behalf of above discussion, we can say that it is right journey of ERP may never ends because after completing all installation steps of ERP, the steps of staff training, periodic custom modifications according to business needs never end. That is why ERP systems journey is an on-going activity (Roy, 2017). What are potential stages of ERP Systems journey? The ERP i.e. Enterprise Resource Planning is an important system that is used to handle business activities. This system is powerful enough to store, manage and modify huge amount of companys data in it. It is a user-friendly software but its proper training is required by its users. Otherwise heavy losses can occur like Hersheys company. But there is no need disappoint because Cadbury is also an example of good results of ERP implementation (Venkatraman and Fahd, 2016). There are some essential stages of ERP systems journey that are considered while implementing ERP systems into business organizations. Here in this segment of report we will discuss about these stages of ERP system journey (Managementstudyguide.com, 2017). Pre-Evaluation Screening Evaluation Gap Analysis Training Testing Pre-Evaluation Screening It is necessary for an organization that before looking for an ERP solution, pre-evaluation of business needs and requirements should be done. In this first stage, companies conduct a careful inventory of their needs. The participants from multiple disciplines are included, who will use ERP systems, in this stage of ERP system journey. The main goal of this stage is to gain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the needs, tools, resources and challenges of organization (marketing, 2017). Evaluation Stage Under this stage of ERP system journey, different vendors are found out by companies to get best offers by evaluating pros and cons of their products. If a company gets a product according to its requirements and at best cost then that is considered an appropriate match (Workwise LLC, 2017). Gap Analysis Under this stage of ERP system journey, an analysis of gap between the desired solutions and what is available in market takes place. It is a better idea to back to the vendors that is considered by company and to that vendor it can be asking that how these gaps can be addressed (Skyward Techno Blog, 2017). Training Every person in an organization that will use ERP system, he/she needs training. The training program should be created to know about needs, schedules and scope of training (Ganesh and Mehta, n.d.). In some companies, training process may be of one day and in another companies it can be of two-three days (Pcbennett.com, 2017). Testing This is also an important stage of ERP systems. At this stage alignment of systems functionality with the set of requirements for the project are tested. The overlapping among testing and development phases is often seen. But after implementing this step, it becomes easier to identify bugs and errors in a system that can cause issues in overall functionality of an ERP. At the end of this phase, the members of project team can do their jobs with comfort on new systems. It is final step before start using new ERP system in business organization. Besides above discussed stages of ERP system, deployment and ongoing support stages of ERP system can also be considered. Under deployment stage of ERP system journey, organization and vendor will evaluate the whole situation and will make final decision that system is ready to implement or not. Prior to go live, the final data is also validated and loaded. Under this stage, project team also starts training stage for employees who will work on new system. In deployment stage of ERP system journey, all preparations are done to make a product live without any error or fault in it. Once ERP system has gone live in organization, it is essential for vendor to provide ongoing support. Over a period of time with the evolvement, the way of users work within the system also evolves and according to this evolvement different adjustments and changes to the configuration of system are done. This ongoing support never ends and also ERP journey. Potential Benefits of each Stage As we have discussed above some main stages of ERP system journey. Now there are different benefits of each stage that are listed as below: Benefits of Pre-Evaluation Stage The main benefit of this stage is that, an organization is cleared about its all needs and purchase ERP system according to its needs or requirements without any doubt. The ERP system is purchased according to requirements of employees who will work on this system (SearchCIO, 2017). Benefits of Evaluation Stage Under this stage, best vendor can be selected among multiple vendors and best solution can be found (Columbus SC24/7 Staff, 2017). Benefits of Gap Analysis The main benefit of gap analysis is that an organization can aware about the market trends for ERP systems and then can purchase accordingly (Memoire Online, 2017). Benefits of Training By providing training to employees, they can learn best way to implement ERP solution to perform various business activities in secure and reliable ways. Benefits of Testing Through testing stage of ERP system, an error-free system can be used by organization which is necessary to maintain long term security and sustainability of ERP system. Drivers and Barriers for Companies to move from one stage to next The main drivers for companies, those want to implement ERP systems, to move from one stage to next include reviews of overall project scope and planning , review of driving principles for developing project, evaluation of misfit resolution strategies, evaluation regarding attaining benefits and evaluation regarding users and organizational learning (Seo, 2013). On other side we talk about barriers for companies to move from one stage to other is lack in fulfillment of requirements of previous stage that will leave that stage incomplete. So if previous stage will be incomplete then company will not move to other stage (Chiodo, 2017). Conclusion After this whole discussion about ERP system journey we can say that it is an interesting concept to discuss about overall journey of ERP system implementation in an organization and to know about essential things included in it. ERP systems are very popular among business organizations and it is hard for its users to think that ERP systems can be failed. But in this report, we have discussed case study about failure of ERP system. In that case study, it is clearly defined that improper use of ERP systems in organizations lead to failure of projects. On another side, this report also represents the benefits of ERP systems for an organization that has understood its value. Therefore, these essential aspects regarding ERP systems should be taken into account by business organizations those want to implement ERP systems. References Chiodo, T. (2017). The Five Stages of ERP Implementation. [online] Baass.com. Available at: https://www.baass.com/blog/the-five-stages-of-erp-implementation [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Managementstudyguide.com. (2017). Phases of ERP Implementation. [online] Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/erp-implementation-phases.htm [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Columbus SC24/7 Staff, S. (2017). 7 Steps to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems Implementation Success - Supply Chain 24/7. [online] Supplychain247.com. Available at: https://www.supplychain247.com/article/7_steps_to_enterprise_resource_planning_erp_systems_implementation_success [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. marketing, e. (2017). 12 Phases of a Successful ERP Implementation Project. [online] e2benterprise Blog. Available at: https://blog.e2benterprise.com/12-phases-of-a-successful-erp-implementation-project-part-1-of-2/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Workwise LLC. (2017). 3 Stages of ERP History | WorkWise ERP Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.workwisellc.com/stages-erp-history/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Skyward Techno Blog. (2017). 10 Steps to Successful ERP Implementation - Skyward Techno Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.skywardtechno.com/blog/erp-implementation-steps/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Pcbennett.com. (2017). 6 Phases of an ERP Implementation Plan | PC Bennett Solutions. [online] Available at: https://pcbennett.com/blog/6-phases-erp-implementation-plan [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Roy, (2017). case study on ERP success(cadbury) and failure(hershey's). [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/ChitrangadaRoy1/case-study-on-erp-successcadbury-and-failurehersheys [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Jennifer Kinzel, C. (2017). Implementing A New ERP System: Its About The Journey. [online] William Vaughan Company Costing for Profitability. Available at: https://costingblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/implementing-a-new-erp-system-its-about-the-journey/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Ram, J. (2017). Competitive advantage from ERP projects : examining the role of key implementation drivers. 1st ed. Pergamon. SearchCIO. (2017). ERP Project Journey Kicks Off for One CIO - CIO Magazine. [online] Available at: https://searchcio.techtarget.com/magazineContent/ERP-Project-Journey-Kicks-Off-for-One-CIO [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. guide, I. (2017). Implementing an ERP system: a step-by-step guide - South Florida | WhiteOwl. [online] WhiteOwl. Available at: https://www.gowhiteowl.com/2017/01/implementing-erp-system-step-step-guide/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Blogs.infor.com. (2017). Why is a modern ERP system so crucial? One companys journey - From the Source. [online] Available at: https://blogs.infor.com/fromthesource/2016/05/modern-erp-system-crucial-one-companys-journey/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. SearchCIO. (2017). ERP Project Journey Kicks Off for One CIO - CIO Magazine. [online] Available at: https://searchcio.techtarget.com/magazineContent/ERP-Project-Journey-Kicks-Off-for-One-CIO [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Memoire Online. (2017). Memoire Online - Influence of an ERP system on the value chain process of multinational enterprises (mnes) - Bosombo Folo Ralph. [online] Available at: https://www.memoireonline.com/01/10/3095/m_Influence-of-an-ERP-system-on-the-value-chain-process-of-multinational-enterprises-mnes8.html [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Seo, G. (2013). Challenges in implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in large organizations. 1st ed. NetSuite.com. (2017). Do you know what ERP is? Learn how ERP can help your business with this informative article. [online] Available at: https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/erp/what-is-erp.shtml [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Wailgum, T. (2017). ERP Definition and Solutions. [online] CIO. Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/2439502/enterprise-resource-planning/erp-definition-and-solutions.html [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Searchsap.techtarget.com. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: https://searchsap.techtarget.com/definition/ERP [Accessed 31 Mar. 2017]. Klckner, C. and Nayum, A. (2017). Specific Barriers and Drivers in Different Stages of Decision-Making about Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Private Homes. Venkatraman, S. and Fahd, K. (2016). Challenges and Success Factors of ERP Systems in Australian SMEs. Systems, 4(2), p.20. Bansal, V. (2013). Identifying Critical Success Factors for ERP in SMEs through a Case Study. International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, pp.471-475. Ganesh, L. and Mehta, A. (n.d.). Understanding Cloud Based ERP Implementation in Light of Conventional ERP Implementation at Indian SMEs: A Case Study. SSRN Electronic Journal. Hong, K. and Kim, Y. (2002). The critical success factors for ERP implementation: an organizational fit perspective. Information Management, 40(1), pp.25-40.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Sports Essay Example

Sports Essay Sports and sports culture have become one of the biggest sources of revenue for the country as well as for the individuals who play it.   And the higher one is able to rise in this medium, the more pressure there is to stay competitive or risk losing not only their edge on the field, but also the fame and fortune that comes with being the best. In the past few years, as sports, specifically: Football, Basketball and Baseball have become more popular than ever, subsequently, there has been found more cheating than was ever known before. In the 1980’s baseball players like Tim Raines and Steve Sax were known for their illegal drug use and Pete Rose was caught betting on his own team but those instances were not in order to give them an edge on the competition but were in response to their own personal demons that they were dealing with.Today, with steroid use running rampant to the degree that just today, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commented in a news conference on Februa ry 8th, 2007 that he will not be on hand when Barry Bonds breaks the most important record in sports: the all time home run record held by Hank Aaron and which stands at 755.(Tribune, 2007) Floyd Landis tested positive for drug use twice after he won a spectacular Tour De France race last year and Marion Jones in track and field has tested positive for steroids as well. A small minority of baseball fans in response to the steroid allegations of some of baseball’s brightest stars said that they didn’t care and that the extra homeruns brought on by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in the memorable ’98 season was worth it and good for baseball. This would mirror the warped logic and ethics that the statement: We obeyed all the rules and finished last in the conference. Now there isn’t a rule we haven’t broken and where are we? Playing in the biggest bowl game ever would seem to portray. First, it is unlikely that this statement is factual.   The referees and the NCAA are not perfect but student athletic games as well as the booster clubs and the funding that each sports program receives as well as recruitment practices by the coaches are so closely monitored, that such teams would find it impossible to break â€Å"every rule† or even a majority of the rules and not be found out. Also, regardless of any sport, consistently breaking the rules will eventually be found out and more times than not, the cheating is not a fair substitute to hard work and self discipline.The most recent tragedy in sports is that of Mark McGwire. I must confess that the ’98 season was one of the greatest in baseball. After the strike of ’94, a majority of fans, myself included, were dumbfounded at the idea that men playing a kids game and getting paid millions of dollars when I would have gladly done the same for the minimum, went on strike for even more money. The ’98 season brought most of them back as Mark McGwire and Sammy So sa battled all summer long to see who would eventually end up owning the new home run record for a single season. The home runs that Mark McGwire hit which soared more than 500 feet were a sight to see. And with being a Cubs fan, it was all to appropriate to see Sammy Sosa capture the attention of a city as he finally ended up with 66 homeruns for the year. However, when McGwire was made eligible for the hall of fame last year, he received almost no votes. A man with over 500 home runs is guaranteed a spot in the hall of fame.   That is unless it is seen as probable that said individual spent a majority of his professional career using illegal steroids and that the use of these steroids were denied under oath along with Rafael Palmerio in May of 2005 who tested positive for steroids later that year. (Tribune, 2007) This deception put a black mark on the game itself and there are many who will still regard Hank Aaron as the home run king, regardless of whether Bonds hits 800 career home runs.What the above mentioned players was abuse the trust that millions of baseball fans have for them and for the millions of little kids, myself included, who dreamed that one day, we could be playing at Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium during the 7th game of the Worlds Series and that hard work and determination was enough to be successful in life. This is not entirely true but the idea that the athletes we were watching were breaking the rules, cheating in effect, was something that we did not even consider. In baseball, unlike any other sport, there is a respect for the past. The accomplishments of a player are measured against the people that can before him. When a person cheats in any manner, it does a disservice to the great men who came before and who accomplished major feats while staying clean. Every record in sports today should be under scrutiny and in my opinion, every record should have an asterisk around them since they were achieved through cheating. And that s hould disqualify them from receiving our trust, recognition and faith in their supposed great feats of human strength, endurance and skill.Sportsmanship is not what it was in years past. Muhammad Ali is known, and rightly so, as the greatest boxer of all time and one of the most important and influential athletes of all time. But even though I am in the minority in this, I do not regard him as a good person or one who displayed proper acts of sportsmanship. He purposely demeaned his opponent both in and out of the ring and when he was banned from boxing for three years, both Joe Frazier and George Foreman assisted him both financially and emotionally only to be repaid by being called an uncle tom and a monkey to which Joe Frazier is still mad about. This example is a few years removed from contemporary society but he is brought up now because he still has influence on today’s athletes and people still want to act like him. This does a disservice to the idea of sportsmanship.S portsmanship has to do with an individual doing their best, not complaining about one’s coach or other players and to be humble in both victory and defeat. Jeremy Shockey, an average player for the football New York Giants, is quick to blame everyone but himself when the Giants lose another disappointing game. ( Pearson, 2007) Ron Artest, the thug of the NBA, feels that he was fouled and responds by going into the stands are beating up fans. Thomas Jones, running back for the Chicago Bears, held out for more money than he was worth and as a result, missed a good portion of training camp this last year. When scoring a basket in the NBA, half of the attempt is to score the points and the other half is to demean one’s opponent in the process. People lead by their words more than their actions and an oblivious teenage fan is made to believe that is how the game should be played and thus, imitates what he sees on the court. This also does a disservice to the idea of sportsm anship.A shining light in a sport with the biggest egos would have to be Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harris. He is one of the greatest wide receivers in the game today and is on his way to a hall of fame career. Yet, many people do not know of him. That is because is very humble and soft spoken. He realizes that he has a blessed life, and unlike the majority of athletes, feels that he does need the acceptance of millions of strangers in order to be happy. He does not demean his opponent and usually after a touchdown, simply hands the ball to the referee and goes over to the sidelines. Does he pay a price for being humble and a proper sportsman? In the long run he does not because he is starting to receive attention that he deserves and people are now starting to recognize him for the great human being that he is.   If he were more like a Terrell Owens or Keeshawn Johnson; over the top wide receivers who are high on talk and low on talent, he would have been forgotten a long with them. (Owens will be forgotten soon enough) This is the proper code of sportsman ship and Marvin Harris can also rest easy at night knowing that he is a proper role model for the young people who look up to him and try to act as he does. He has a proper respect for the social responsibility that has been placed on him.When Charles Barkley proclaimed that he was not your child’s role model, he was unfortunately mistaken. It would be advantageous to millions of children if their own parents or leaders of the community served as role models but with 70% of African American children being born without a father in the picture and the number of role models that are not rap artists or athletes at a minimum, athletes serve as a role model, whether they like it or not. When Latrell Spreewell chokes his coach and then goes into the locker room to cool down and then comes back to do it again, he is oblivious to his social responsibility. When Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwuire, Jason G iambi, Marion Jones and Floyd Landis all test positive for steroids, they are oblivious to their social responsibility. When athletes hold out for millions of dollars on top of the millions that they are already making to play a game that many would play for free, they are oblivious to their social responsibility. When Michael Jordan is making $30 million a year but complies with NIKE charging upwards of $200 for a pair of shoes, which is marketed to lower income of broken homes and is caught cheating on his wife and losing millions of dollars through gambling, he is oblivious to his social responsibilities. (Pearson, 2007) Sadly, it is the media that perpetrates this injustice as the silent majority who respect the game and the blessings that they have received to play the game, never make the news and are ignored. One exception to this would be Stephan Marbury who plays in the NBA and who spent last summer developing a gym shoe that is only sold for $15 per pair, making it afforda ble for almost every child to dress like a NBA star without having to chose between that and whether or not they will be eating for that month. He is the rare exception of an athlete that recognizes his role within the community and responds accordingly. There need to be more people like Stephon Marbury in the NBA.If individuals or teams are able to cheat, then there is not a level playing field that is present. This is the idea of the salary cap in baseball in order to keep the richest teams from securing a monopoly on the best players. But as seen by The New York Yankees, many rules can be spun as bonuses and good play incentives make the idea of a salary cap non existent. When baseball players ignore the rules of fair play and take illegal substances which push their fly balls to the warning track that now go over the fence, the game and the well respected records are cheapened and the innocence of the fans are lost as they are made cynical at an early age and that type of cynici sm is hard to erase as one gets older in life.When college coaches break NCAA rules by conducting illegal recruitment practices, it puts into jeopardy, the future of the team as well as the funding received by the NCAA as well as the trust that the fans have for their coach. The human element of fair play must always be kept within sports. Many people prefer the college game to the pros.   Even though there is more talent on the professional level, the college game is seen as more pure since it is believed that, for the most part, the corruption that comes with multi million dollar salaries, steroid use and incredibly large egos have not yet been able to taint the college game and is the last bastion of pure sports and fair play. More times than not, they are correct and the professional game, if they care at all about their social responsibility and ethical competition, should take a page out of their playbook.In recent times, fair play and a clean consciousness has been overshad owed by the vague promise of cheating being able to extend one’s career without getting caught or the effects of the mode of cheating, cause permanent health damage to the individual. It may seen overly optimistic, but in the end, a large majority of the people who cheat in American sports get caught eventually and in the process, their entire career and the entire athletic program will forever be under suspicion and in many cases, the punishment made the crime unnecessary. Fair play is the quintessential aspect of sportsman ship but such ideologies are seen as old fashioned and dull in today’s contemporary society and the few who do practice humility and fair play, are overshadowed by the vocal minority and their accomplishments. I do not see much changing for the future however, one can always hope.

Friday, March 6, 2020

A Comparison of Styles and Settings essays

A Comparison of Styles and Settings essays In the short story "Soldier's Home," by Ernest Hemingway, Kreb's rejection of his community's values can be related to Sammy's relationship to his supermarket job in John Updike's "A he never lets readers become personal or emotional to Kreb's. Where in "A unky kid, with a good tan, and a sweet broad soft-looking can, with these two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs" (480). Comments about the girls like this one gives Updike's "A&P" a youthful humor for readers to enjoy. Another example of this is when Sammy thinks to himself, "She did not look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prema-donna legs" (481). Statements like this gives readers comic relief and throughout the rest of the story he refers to this leader of the girls as Queenie. An example of when Sammy refers to her is when he says, "Queenie blushes, though maybe it's Hayes 2 maybe just a brush of sunburn I was noticing for the first time, now that she was so close" (483). There is no light-hearted or uplifting thoughts given from Krebs in "Soldier's Home" just serious, cold, not so happy statements for example, "Krebs acquired the nausea i...

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employee Relations - Essay Example Employee involvement as well as participation is measured to be equally significant for the reason of attaining organisational objectives along with ensuring the effectual functioning of the organisations (Light, 2004). Human capital has been considered to be an imperative asset since long for every kind of organisations. All the other existing resources are made use of and dealt by the human resources itself. It is in this context that it becomes essential to achieve the involvement and participation of the employed human resources with regard to every sphere of work so as to ensure enhancement in their respective performance as well as attaining satisfaction. The present business environment is considered to be quite competitive as well as turbulent which makes it mandatory for organisations to look for various ways to attain increased adaptability, flexibility and competitiveness (Light, 2004). The research study would aim to provide a lucid understanding regarding the aspects of employee involvement and employee participation along with vividly identifying their key differences. Understanding the Aspect of Employee Relations The aspect of employee relation is perceived as strategic with regard t o the management of the business risk associated with organisations. Employers are learnt to make use of the proficiencies and potentials linked with employee relations. These mentioned proficiencies as well as abilities are regarded by the employers or the organisations to be vital for attaining performance specifications with the help of concentrating on employee participation as well as involvement. The employee relations are supposed to be strategic with regard to the management of business perils that exists both upside and downside risks. Notably, the upside risk refers to the disappointment regarding the failure of displaying or attaining utmost business performance. The downside risk refers to the nonconformity with the rules as well as regulations related to employment (Williams & Smith, 2010). In this regards, Human Resource Management (HRM) is learnt to emphasise on the ways organisations build and encourage employees to attain the superior specifications related to perfo rmance that is considered and believed to be essentially imperative in the present competitive environment. Employee relations can therefore, be stated as the emphasis that is exerted on the broader associations existing among the employer and the employees (Dicker, 2003). Superior degree of employee relations is believed to be the primary essential condition that is required to attain success by the organisations. The methods related to the facet of employee involvement are believed to prove helpful in circumstances where the employees and the management maintain flexibility in their respective behaviour as well as attitudes. It is believed to trigger employee participation accompanied with employee encouragement with the help of mutual agreement. Therefore, it can be deduced from the stated explanation that with the intention to ensure superior and successful employee relations, there need to pertain an environment of dependency and belief (Gennard & Judge, 2005). Concept of Emplo yee Involvement Employee involvement refers to the assortment or series of processes that are devised so as to employ the comprehension, encouragement and the best possible contribution of every individual

Monday, February 3, 2020

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Essay

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development - Essay Example 'Innovation' has always been a word synonymous with Bill Gates. Even as a child, he would fiddle with software, improving on existing ones and writing his own. Before exploring his history of innovation, however, it would be more prudent to discuss what innovation is first. As already mentioned above, innovation is the one characteristic no entrepreneur would get very far without. Sticking to what works and what is known may allow one to get by and make some money, but the ones who truly make it big are those who are unafraid of challenging conventions and taking risks, and who manage to breathe new life into supposedly exhausted industries. In short, while a conservative approach to entrepreneurship may bring security, it is a more innovative approach that one would be more likely to experience success. That being said, it would be well worth defining exactly what innovation is supposed to be. It is said to be a way of encouraging customer value, which can be done either through meeting new needs or through meeting old, existing needs in new and different ways. From an entrepreneur's perspective, this is most often attained through the introduction of unique products, services, technologies or ideas to the market. What sets innovation apart from mere improvement is that it is more concerned with taking a new, unique and different approach to something, rather than just building on the usual approach. The current environment has evolved such that innovation has become a major, major catalyst for growth, as the greater ease of transportation and communication has made factor endowments and comparative advantage less important in the long run. Instead, argues Schumpeter (1943), companies such as Microsoft need to constantly revolutionize the economic structure, as can be seen from the constant innovation of their products and services. Heyne et al (2010) lend further credence to this statement, describing a pattern among entrepreneurs in which they constantly aim to satisfy customers by continually improving on the quality, durability, service and price of their products, using a combination of technology and organizational strategy

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Highland Springs Entry into China

Highland Springs Entry into China International Marketing: Highland Springs Entry into China Market Selection and Environmental Analysis Executive Summary â€Å"Increased global communication has also created a greater diversity in the marketplace. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated because of the increased scope of communication, requiring a flexible and responsive strategy, instead of standardisation.† (Prevos, 2008) page Despite converging consumer and market factors, intrinsic differences still exist between country markets and even within countries in terms of regional and cultural factors.Ref More recent debate has tended to centred around the notion of increasing fragmentation, thought to be in conflict with the concept of globalisation itself ref and Yangs (1995)page research deals in much detail with what he refers to as â€Å"the seeming contradiction between rising nationalism and globalism† citing that â€Å"it appears that political and economic boundaries need not necessarily converge anymore.† Although many believe that C consumer markets have converged in terms of tastes and preferences across markets, thus offering potential for strategically equivalent segmentation (Kale Sudharsham, 1987). Tthere still exists vast disparities in terms of the PESTLE factors impacting upon business, particularly social and cultural elements but also the regulatory factors which govern industry, and ultimately, determine the strategies firms opt to pursue. Thise report shall proceed to analyses those factors which impact most on Highland Springs entry into the Chinese market and the subsequent strategies it pursues. It is by no means exhaustive as there are so many inter-related factors at play simultaneously and in varying degrees from a global perspective. Thee report has attempted to analyse those factors deemed to beconsiders the most significant factors, and in particular, with a focuses on the cultural elements which eaffect consumer behaviour and which have the most direct impact o n the strategy which Highland Springs opts to pursue strategy in the Chinese market in the launch of its premium bottled water brand. Environmental Analysis â€Å"There exists a well-developed literature of market failures committed abroad by international marketersOne major reason of such failures is poor market selection.† (Rahman, 2003) Although From table 1, It is clear that China is viewed as offers offering muchsignificant potential for western manufacturers, particularly of consumer goodshowever , a thorough environmental analysis is highly recommended, Ggiven the stage of Chinas economic development and the fact that despite its rapid and impressive progression in recent years, it still lags behind developed markets not only in terms of consumer buying habits and and sophistication, but also most significantly, in terms of market infrastructure which impacts significantly on the subsequent elements of the marketing strategy to be implemented, particularly distribution and logistical elements of bringing the product to market. The Chinese market is highly fragmented on a regional basis and is characterised by much diversity in terms of consumer income as well as propensity to buy certain goods or products. Such disparities are most notable when analysing the vast discrepancies in income levels between the urban and rural populations. â€Å"Few of us know even simple facts about the geography, culture, and economics of countries other than our own. Even fewer people have at their fingertips details that tell whether their goods will sell in a particular market.† Cavusgil (1985) states that few people know the basic tenents of geography, culture or economies of countries different from their own and continues that there are even fewer people who know whether their products will be sold successfully in specific markets. (Cavusgil, 1985) Chinas market is geographically vast in comparison to Highland Springs domestic UK market and its other international markets primarily in developed economies, with much higher numbers of potential consumers. It is also highly diverse in cultural terms internally than the company may be used to dealing with in international markets and characterised by huge differences in terms of social and cultural aspects including language variations on a regional basis which implies that a standardised approach is less applicable. Arguably, Carey (2006) posits that much of the demand for Western-type products is forecast in the highly urbanised areas and in the special economic zones where many workers with available spending power are located and given the nature of the product, considered at the luxury end of the market, this is highly relevant. Despite its progression, as Carey (2006) highlightscontinues that, â€Å"tThough urban incomes are rising, the majority of the Chinese population rem ains mired in rural poverty, awaiting economic and political reforms that may not happen for another decade, if at all.† Table 21. Off-Trade Sales Value and Growth of Bottled Water Region Value ($ million, 2003) CAGR (1998-2003) CAGR (forecast) (2003-08) East China 827.5 18.4% 12.0% North and Northeast China 511.5 17.8% 12.0% Mid-China 466.8 22.3% 16.0% South China 475.7 18.0% 12.0% Southwest China 335.7 23.1% 16.0% Northwest China 179.6 24.3% 16.0% Source: Euromonitor. Soft Drinks in China. April 2004. Check Chinas economic progression has resulted in increased demand for many products and services, such as for example mineral water. In addition, the fact that as clean drinking water is a scarce commodity, has seen the market has grown rapidly in recent times, highlighted by the table abovesince 1989 (Table 2), though this also has implications for the strategy to be adopted, particularly with regarding to issues relating to Corporate Social Responsibility. Highland Spring is different from many of the suppliers in the market given that it is considered to be a premium brand which emulates certain lifestyle elements of the developed West in much the same way as Perrier or Evian of France do., Ttherefore entryherefore, entry into the market does not indicate that it would be competing head-on directly with the domestic playerscompetitors. This is relevant as many market commentators see higher income consumers in emerging markets as chooseing to purchase foreign brands which tend to commu nicate wealth and success. In this respect, Highland Spring is therefore at the premium end of the water market and its Scottish origins should allow the brand to align itself alongside the leading foreign brands that are already established in this e market and to which many in the emerging markets such as China are viewed as aspiring toaspire, for example, China. The Scottish origin should also allow it a degree of differentiation to the predominantly French origin of the leading playersbrands. â€Å"Although in countries such as India and China consumption rates are not as high they have risen dramatically, tripling in India and doubling in China over the past 5 years. In countries such as these the main product line is Nestle pure life, a low cost purified tap water with added minerals.† (Edwards, A., 2007) The analysis here has highlighted demonstrated that the potential demand for Highland Spring is likely to derive from those consumers who earn proportionately moremore, for example, in income terms such as professionals and also the younger segments of the market who are likely to be more exposed to Western- style goods particularly with the increase in overseas education and travel as well as exposure to media, such as including the internet and cable/satellite television., though Though censorship remains high in the nation, it is assumed that the nature of the product should not make this such an problem issue as it would for manufacturers of, for example alcoholic beverages, for example. In addition, an important target segment shall be is the expatriate community which could prove a lucrative segment, particularly in the leading cities of Shanghai and Beijing, thus making the hotel, restaurant and leisure segments of the market highly attractiveprofitable. It is unlikely that th e product shall achieve much success in targeting the lower-income segments of the population given the availability of and loyalty to local regional brands as well as the substantially lower prices of such products. This highlights demonstrates how, despite the substantial cultural differences in existence regionally in China, there is still scope to adopt strategically equivalent segmentation (Kale Sudharsham, 1987) across specific target segments in the market, (Kale Sudharsham, 1987).Tthough clearly, adaptation may be necessary to some or all aspects of the marketing variables in the context of the political, regulatory and cultural factors at play. This market analysis is by no means exhaustive but has rather highlighted those factors at play which have the most impact on the subsequent strategy to be pursued by Highland Spring in China. Further information relating to the market and consumer buying behaviour is contained in the appendix. The preliminary analysis has also highlighted demonstrated that despite the diversity inherent in the Chinese market, there is certainly potential for the Highland Spring brand across specific market segments. In addition, despite the apparent differences between consumers in mature markets in comparison to China, in terms of the Highland Spring brand, given the luxury nature of the product, there is also much similarity, thus epitomising Levitts (1983) theory of converging commonality and Ohmaes (1989) view of â€Å"Managing in a Borderless World† where he highlights how leading premium or luxury brands lend themselves more to global standardisation. Simultaneously, while there remains much scope to extend the global branding and positioning of the product in the market, the fact remains that premium bottled water is still regarded by many as considered to be in the infancy stages in China as opposed to the mature markets of the West. This implies that despite convergence, adaptation is still required if not to the product itself, but to the marketing strategy to be implemented in order to obtain â€Å"â€Å"strategic fit† (Aaker, 1992) between the product and the market. An important consideration for Highland Spring in its launch is the image of the industry as a whole, particularly, from an international perspective. Given that many are of the opinion that Wwater is a basic human necessity., Mmany firms within this market continuum ,for example,such as Highland SpringSpring, at the premium end and Nestle at the lower end within this particular sector and Nestle at the other end of the scale, have been criticised for essentially profiteering from emerging economies such asfor example China and India where the availability of clean water is scarce and in some instances, non-existent. This must be considered from both an international as well as local perspective so as to protect the value of the brand and its positioning in consumers minds. The companys commitment to both environmental and social sustainability cannot be over-emphasised in its proposed launch of its product in the Chinese market and must also be considered with regarding to any partn erships or alliances that are formed.entered into. Marketing Mix Strategy Product Strategy â€Å"When it comes to product strategy, managing in a borderless world doesnt mean managing by averages. It doesnt mean that all tastes run together into one amorphous mass of universal appeal.† (Ohmae,( 1989) states that product strategy does not have to be â€Å"managed by averages†and continues to suggest that individual brands of water can retain their own special taste. The very nature of the product implies that little adaptation should be applied if any at all as part of the appeal and the value of the brand itself, are the Scottish origins. The â€Å"Scottishness† of the brand also appeals to the psychological experience of consumption as highlighted stated by Clegg (2005) â€Å"Working the link between place of origin and product quality is the oldest trick in the brand book. It milks our thirst for mythology and plays mercilessly on our superstitious hope that special places have the power to revitalise and transform.† Highland Spring must however, ensure that it meets with stringent regulatory requirements in the Chinese market and must also ensure that the transportation of the products does not in any way adversely affect the contents and quality of the water itself. The research has also highlighted that many Chinese consumers view bottled water as being ref more beneficial to health with many multinationals such as Nestlà © opting to add vitamins and other health-associated minerals to their water brands in an attempt to appeal to a wider range of consumers and gain advantage over competitors, particularly the local playersbrands. This, however, appears to be more at the lower end of the market rather than the premium end in which Highland Spring should be positioned and appears less relevant as the aesthetic elements of the product have more influence over the purchasing process. Labelling may require adaptation, again given the regulatory environment as well as the language barriers in existence. Although China is characterised by low literacy levels in comparison to the developed World,ref it is assumed that the target segments in question shall be characterised by higher literacy levels than one might normally associate with brands competing in the lower-priced segments. In addition, with regard to product policy, it must also be highlighted that the product itself, while remaining largely standardised across national borders, is at varying stages of the product life cycle in different country markets. Highland Spring can be considered as being in a mature market in the UK and other more developed economies, whereas in China it is at the introduction stages of its cycle and in the consumer adoption process. This has an influence on the subsequent communication and distribution elements of the mix especially at the early stages where communicating the essence of the brand and any associated benefits, both tangible and intangible shall will be of paramount importance. Price Pricing is an important variable to consider as Chinese consumers are deemed to be more price-sensitive than their Western counterparts as highlighted by St-Maurice (2008): â€Å"On average, Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium of about 2.5 percent for a branded product they purchase regularly, By contrast, in developed markets, premiums for familiar brands can reach 20 percent or more. Our research suggests that rising inflation is making Chinese consumers more price sensitive and less loyal to their preferred brands.† Analysis of competitors pricing policies should be examined especially the leading French players in the market. It may be prudent initially to introduce the product at a lower price than competitors in order to gain a foothold in the market. Appropriate distribution agreements with local agents should facilitate this and assist in keeping prices down initially with the anticipation that margins shall will rise as the product gains a foothold in the market. Given the premium nature of the product it is important than price also communicates the brands quality and prestige image while simultaneously not being positioned so high as to exclude potential customers. Promotion â€Å"As China becomes a major player in the global economy, authorities in Beijing are trying to balance the need for more information with their goal of controlling content as a means to maintain power.† (Zissis, C. and Bhattacharji, P., 2008) This is perhaps the variable in which adaptation is most likely to occur given the cultural differences inherent within the Chinese market. It is also important yet again, to be aware of any regulatory requirements regarding information communicated through promotional media as well as on labelling requirements. However, it is safe to assume that in spite of the variances in terms of regulations as well as language barriers, the promotional element should be relatively consistent on a global basis in order to create a global brand with more universal appeal. Country of origin is an important element to communicate as well as the pureness, quality and superiority of the product highlighting, perhaps, certain elements which may be deemed more important to the Chinese consumer, particularly any health or purity elements which would serve to differentiate and position the brand above the leading foreign competitors in the marketplace. An interesting element to consider is the massive inc reases in the number of Chinese visitors to events such as the annual Edinburgh Festival so some sort of tie-in or complementary advertising with relevant tourist companies or airlines, both international and Chinese operators, may be prudent in heightening brand recognition out with the Chinese market initially. As highlighted by the environmental analysis of the market, literacy levels are substantially lower in the Chinese market yet the target market in question is assumed to be within those segments that possess the relevant literacy levels as well as the available disposable income. The same can be assumed in terms of access to communication mediums such as quality and international press as well as television and internet. The same mediums may not, for example, be options for those companies targeting the lower priced end of the water market where much more local adaptation shall undoubtedly be required and thus images become much more important as well as billboard and regional campaigns such as in-store promotions. However, despite recommendations to promote a global campaign â€Å"adapting global programs to the local level can often improve the effectiveness of a campaign.† (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 1999) and this is likely to be reflected in the medium used rather than the promotional messages and images themselves. Sponsorship with leading sporting or other social events and special offers or tie-ins with other products or establishments such as hotel chains and health spas should also be examined in order to gain more exposure for the brand in the early stages. Place Highland Spring is involved in both the on and off- trade in its domestic market whereas in China, sales are likely to be predominantly, if not wholly concentrated in the on-trade, primarily through hotel and restaurant chains and in exclusive wine bar/bistro type establishments in the highly urbanised zones of the main cities of Beijing and Shanghai in order to target segments directly as well as to raise the profile of the brand. Clearly the reputation and standing of such establishments in the market must be consistent with the quality and image of the Highland Spring brand itself. Market Entry Strategy This is perhaps the most important element of Highland Springs launch in the Chinese market as the choice of suitable partnerships in terms of distribution, logistics and retail establishments shall be overwhelmingly important to the subsequent success or failure of the product launch. Analysis has highlighted that the Chinese market per se is still extremely complicated to operate within. Despite the progress made in terms of lowering trade barriers, many obstacles still exist and protectionism is still very much a reality which foreign operators must contend with. As a result, many markets, particularly consumer markets, are characterised by a high proportion of strategic alliances and joint ventures and distribution arrangements than one might normally encounter in more developed economies. Foreign companies appear to have opted for this style of partnership as a means to overcome some of the obstacles in the marketplace, affording them more control over activities and gaining add ed insight into the local operational complexities. This is in line with what Ohmae (1989) refers to as â€Å"market insiderization† achieved through collaboration with local agents established in the market who are aware of the intricacies of operating in the Chinese business environment. Although predominantly entering the market through exporting, also deemed necessary given the nature of the product and the fact that country of origin is an essential part of the brand itself, C collaborative arrangements shall be necessary with domestic Chinese firms in order to facilitate entry into the market, as well as the subsequent distribution of the product itself. The identification of a suitable partner shall be required, one which offers expertise in terms of knowledge of the market and a well-established and reliable distribution network in place with links into prospective retail outlets. Given the premium image of the Highland Spring brand, partners, distributors and any other agents appointed in the market, must also be reliable and well-thought of within the industry. Another important element to consider is that all storage and distribution facilities comply with both Chinese and international regulations to ensure that the product quality shall be retained when in transit and in storage. Highland Spring already have an arrangement in place with a US-based company named Savi Networks and employ the companys SaviTrak(TM) for Wireless Cargo Monitoring system in many of their international markets. This shall be explored in terms of capabilities within the Chinese market as the company is already active in Hong Kong. As Highland Spring explains, â€Å"Whether it is our devotion to protecting our Organic Land or using the latest in technology to manage the flow of our natural product to distant consumers, we are incessant in our quest that the customer experience, whether in Hong Kong or Dubai, be the same quality as those in the UK.† (PR Hub, 2009) Further details of this are contained in the appendix. Clearly a major factor for success is the distribution capability of potential partners in the marketplace. Related companies in the alcoholic and soft drinks segments of the market, particularly international companies such as PepsicoPepsiCo or Diageo, or even in conjunction with other food related companies such as Scottish Salmon, may offer the potential to form collaborative distribution arrangements such as piggybacking. This could also be of benefit not only in terms of lowering costs but also from the point of view of providing non competing but complementary products to the market and may be of particular appeal to many of the larger hotel and retail outlet chains in the nation. This would also substantially lower the risks involved in market entry into the Chinese market. Although on the whole, the analysis has highlighted that some sort of partnership or arrangement with local players is deemed necessary, this does not rule out the opportunity to enter into partnership with other foreign firms already established in the market, and as highlighted in the preceding paragraph, this could provide added opportunity and and economies of scale scale economies for all involved in both the supply and demand for the product in question as explained by Young et al (1989) â€Å"where the company sells its goods abroad through the overseas distribution facilities of another producer; the two firms would normally have complementary, non-competitive products.† References Aaker, D. and Joachimsthaler, E., 1999, The Lure of Global Branding, Harvard Business Review, November-December. 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