Transworld Auto Parts Essay Example For Students

Transworld Auto Parts Essay She wow loud soon bee meeting with the heads of each division and wow entered vatu feedback SSH he should give eve them AIBO UT their progress in implementing their strategies. With Task future on thee line, any m misstep she m made now coo old be repair arable. AP, a $6. 6 billion b subside diary off U. S. Diversified manufacture urine company, was a T Tier 1 Mann effectuate of original and after-market parts p for auto mobile prod duckers in the United Estates and abroad ad. TAP had been directly y affected by the downturn in the auto o industry (see Davys financial reports in Exhibit 1). We will write a custom essay on Transworld Auto Parts specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Major customers, uncle ding Chrysler and General Motors, were on the brink Of insole evenly, and eve even robust ca AR makers, us such as Toyota and Honda, were selling g many fewer cars amidst the global recession. The he parent com many had hired Ellen Bright, a veteran in the auto and aerospace pace industries, in Actor beer 2008 to TU urn TAP roar undo. The dismal 2008 results and pro ejections for 2009 led Brig get to conclude due that she had to make radical chaw angels in Strategy and then implement the new strategy flawlessly. She had d no room for error. If she were successful, however, TAP could d take advantage of opportunities in the troubled auto industry. She recalled a recent report that outlined booth the challenges and thee opportunities for auto parts makers: d volume pressure, and, at Suppliers rare still facing g challenges of higher co sots, price and mess, erratic production schedules fro mom their auto 0-producing customers. T Thus, our LLC original equine meet sales o outlook for 2009 is negative Me. We see leg get vehicle sales volume of bout 10. 3 million in 2009 and 11. Million in 2010, d down from 113. 2 million for 2008, with ha milady scaled d reduction in production on. Because the economy y has weakened, however usability in 200 go is more lime mimed than usual. We expo pact the Deter Tit Three to collectively 10 SSH hare to foreign gnu brands in n 2009. Thus, the greater a suppliers exposures to U. S. -abased companies, the greater will be b the impact on its performance, in o our view. Still, we believe the 1 This case borrows he evilly from an EAI earlier case: Robert Kaplan, Doom mastic Auto Parts, HUBS No. 055078 (Boston: H Harvard Businesses School Publishing, 2005) and its accompanying teaching note: HUBS No. 107-087 (Boston: Harvard Business School Publish hinge, 2007), as well as professor Kaplan scum emulated published works on strategy maps and the balanced Soc rerecord. The authors voguish to that Ann. Professor Aka plan for his GUID dance, ideas, and d direction in Dave belonging this case. Professor or V. G. Maryanne n and Research Associate Lisa Brew prepared this case. The company men mentioned in this case is fictional. FIBS cases are develop peed solely as the baa axis for class discussion. Cases are no to intended to serve eve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective man management. Copyright get 2009, 2010, 20 011 President and Fellows Of Harvard d College. To order copies or request p permission to roper duce materials, call 1-800545-7685 5, write Harvard Buy equines School Pub blushing Boston, MA M 02163, or go to w www. Hubs. Harvard d. Due/educators, T This publication may not be digitized d, photocopied, or thinness reproduce cued, posted, or trans insisted, without the permission of H Harvard Business S School. This document is authorized for use only in AAA Management Planning and Control by Lily Lieu, University of Technology Sydney from March 2015 to August 2015. For exclusive use University of Technology Sydney, 2015 110-027 Translator Auto Parts (A) in the long term, rising automobile production in Asia and other emerging arrest presents an opportunity for the larger multinational suppliers to increase sales and profits. Despite near-term challenges, LIE. S. Auto parts suppliers are increasing the proportion of business they do outside the U. S. Emerging markets are becoming more attractive to parts manufacturers due to lower labor costs for manufacturing and engineering, and/or growing demand in local and regional markets. China, for example, is important both as a source of low-cost parts to ship abroad, as well as for local market vehicle demand. Global expansion among the Tier 1 parts makers is important, as it supports automaker efforts to consolidate designs across international markets and to expand international businesses overall . The Executive Staff Meeting: Defining a Strategy In December 2008, following extensive consultations vivid her board of directors and the corporate executive team, Bright prepared for a high-level two-day offside strategy meeting in which she would announce a dramatic restructuring. TAP manufactured two core product lines-electronics and interiors-in four customer-centered divisions: luxury, economy, impeded, and truck TAP served three geographic markets: North America, Europe, and Asi a. The four customer visions each had very different customers and customer value propositions. Bright looked over the marketing reports that Mary Stewart, her vice president Of marketing and sales, had put on her desk that morning (see Exhibits 2 and 3). These reports reinforced wherever that future success would depend on how well she positioned TAP to compete aggressively in its most profitable segments. Attending the meeting were Aaron Gerhard, the president of the luxury division; Kim Swoon, the president of the economy division; the chief financial officer; and the vice presidents of marketing, manufacturing, and research and development. After presenting a report that showed the product level financial (Exhibit 4), the global market production figures (see Exhibit 5), and the market segment reports, Bright summarized her position: If you look at our data and the reports coming out of the industry analysts at a macro level, you can see that the best course to action tort us would be to go after the segments that give us the potential for the most profit, Those segments are the luxury car makers (mostly serviced from plants in Europe) and the economy car makers. Now, I realize that plants in both the U. S. And Asia serve a high reapportion of economy car makers, but feel strongly that TAP should focus its resources on Asia, since it is a growing market with great potential. As for our other customer segments, we are losing money in the truck and mid-price segments and these are dragging down our more profitable lines. .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .postImageUrl , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:hover , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:visited , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:active { border:0!important; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:active , .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13 .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubf1468b0eb7255f8a6773ca2e0434f13:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Creative Story: Concusion EssayAfter much discussion at the corporate level, a thorough review of the alternatives with TAPs board of directors, and gaining preliminary agreement from union leaders, weve made the difficult decision to shut down the product lines and customer divisions that cater to these low-performing segments and focus only on luxury and economy car makers. Most of the plants affected Will be in the LIST. , leaving the majority Of the facilities in Europe and Asia intact (see Exhibits AAA and b). We have not made this decision lightly, but we feel it is the only way eve can save TAP. On the positive side, I believe we can grow our top line by selling more products to our customers in profitable segments and win over new customers in new markets, primarily in Asia. 2 Afraid Levy, Autos Auto Parts, Standard Poors Industry Surveys, June 25, 2009, up. 3-4. Control by Lily Lieu, University of Technology Sydney from March SASS to August For exclusive use university of Technology Sydney, 2015 Based on a competitive analysis conducted by an outside market research firm and an internal analysis of our core competencies, weve decided to differentiate Ourselves in the economy division by producing high quality car parts with the lowest lifetime price. All of our major competitors in the economy segment focus their strategy on producing parts With the lowest initial cost. We will differentiate ourselves by instead producing high quality parts that Will be known in the industry for durability and low maintenance COOL We must make sure that we clearly communicate our value position to auto makers who have lilt a reputation for durable, high quality cars in the economy segment. In the luxury division, our strategy will be to produce the most innovative, quality parts on the market. While our major competitors are pursuing a customer integration strategy, we believe that if we focus our efforts on producing the most innovative and technologically superior car parts in the industry, then luxury Memos will come knocking at our door. You all know that our parent company has set a stretch target goal for us: By 201 1, achieve an 8% return on capital employed dramatic increase over our current negative ROCK, The company CEO stated that if we do not reach these goals and maintain a positive cash flow, he will seek to either divest or close TAP. It appears that the unions will agree to the plant closures and offer substantial concessions on health care and pension benefits in order to save the company. We also have some resources available to us for capital improvements, RD, and other investments: and we qualify for the IS_S. Governments Auto Supplier Stability Program. We must do what we can within this constrained environment Id like to hear from each of you about how your division will help us achieve both our financial goals and our market sweater. Lets start off with you, Joe. Joe Nathan, Frights newly hired GO, shared his data With the group: Ellen and have worked extensively to develop the economics that must be in place for TAP to achieve its financial goals. Designed a simple model to pinpoint the critical economic drivers needed to reach our goal of an 8% ROCK and positive cash flow by 2011. Due to the economic downturn and the extensive plant closures, we forecasted only SYS billion in sales in 2003. That means, to cut our negative ROCK from -15% to -7% in one year, we need to reduce our cost of goods sold (COGS) from 95% to 90% in 2009, then to 83% over the next two years. If economic forecasts are on track, and if we can target the right growth segments, we should see revenues increase to 55. 5 billion why 2010, and SO,5 billion by 2011, We need to better utilize our capital assets, both current and new-currently we are operating at on old assets-and we must get to utilization on an upgraded and downsized asset base. Finally, we must minimize our total cost structure-today we are operating above the average cost in our competitor group and we are bleeding cash. We need to get to the lowest cost quartile to compete. These are the key drivers needed to get to the financial results expected by the parent company. We must balance them-one against the other -to achieve our overall goal of 8% ROCK by 201 L Gerhard, the luxury division president, chimed in: am glad to see that the company is putting its focus and resources toward the luxury division. As you know, we have always been a leader in product innovation, something our customers continue to value. What you may not realize is that the innovative products we designed for our high-end customers five years ago have started to filter down to the rest Of our customer divisions. Satellite radio and Bluetooth capability, for example, are now becoming options or the economy segments. Bright asked Michael Milton, vice president of manufacturing, for his perspective. Milton said: Were under huge pressure to reduce costs and prices to the customer, except for the very high end. Because of the uncertainty in the market, the Memos production schedules are all CNN. ere the map, making it nearly impossible to anticipate their volumes, which in turn makes any capacity utilization target extremely difficult to make. In addition, our raw material costs are so unpredictable that its hard to keep COGS under control. To remain competitive in this environment-heck, to remain solvent in this environment Eve need to do a lot of internal things better. We need to coordinate supplier management, manufacturing, and product delivery so we can effectively and efficiently get products to the customer. We need to be on time and on spec just to get the opportunity to sell new products. Key in my mind is managing the supplier pipeline, the raw materials-theres a lot Of money to be saved there, especially if we can consolidate our product line, increase capacity in the remaining plants, and redesign our products to reduce their materials costs without sacrificing product quality or functionality. .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .postImageUrl , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:hover , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:visited , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:active { border:0!important; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:active , .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74 .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u29e8fbbe2b6d689be0a5e60d77016d74:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay on Cyber Crime and BusinessesWe also need to balance our focus on cost cutting with the need to make investments in process improvements and new and upgraded equipment, Languished downtime and the inability to make fast product switchover on the manufacturing floor are killing us. Upgraded capital will both reduce our costs and help deliver consistently on time and on spec. We talk a lot about preventive maintenance, hut we need to get real about it. This could save us big time in terms to costs and effectiveness. It we dont do these operational things, we will have trouble convincing the luxury manufacturers to pay a premium price or our product. Plus we wont be profitable in the economy segment if we cant get our manufacturing costs under control. Swoon, president of the economy division, added his thoughts: It is not just that we should become better manufacturers-we have to be the best. Our customers, particularly in Asia, have no tolerance for substandard suppliers. We must not only be competent, but fully master just-in-time (JOT) and lean processes in order to gain and retain the economy car MOM customers in Asia. Our entire division must become lean-every single employee must be trained in these recesses-and we can only do this with resources and total leadership buy-in from the corporate level. Rata Richardson, vice president of research and development, responded to the challenge to produce state-of-the-art, technologically sophisticated products: To go back to what Aaron said, agree that if we are to compete in the luxury segment, we certainly need to get creative and bring to market new and improved products in partnership with our leading customers. Our customers have been demanding more frown us on product development. In Europe, they want us to move faster-we have to come up with new designs and product innovations-because they are having trouble keeping up with new regulations on emissions and safety standards, and its very hard to anticipate what the customer will want. To reduce new product development time, we need to invest in new CAD/CAM software, and acquire and train skilled design engineers, scientists, and technicians trot toper schools and competitors. We also need to invest in prototyping equipment, We want to be able to strip our competitors products, see what technology they have that we do not, reverse 3 Original equipment manufacturer, engineer those technologies, and acquire those capabilities. We should be a one. Stop shop for all the technological needs of our premier customers. Stewart, UP of marketing, added: There are many things we should address from a marketing perspective. First, we must be much more aggressive in signing new customers in Asia. Everyone in the industry knows this is a growing segment, so the competition will be fierce. As Kim pointed out, we need to quickly get up to speed on lean processes to leverage our presence there and gain a reputation for delivering low-cost, high- quality parts in that region. Next, we should respond better to the evolving needs of our customer base. Our MOM customers are changing the way they do business; they are looking to partner much more closely with their suppliers. The parts suppliers that will flourish in this environment will be able to take total responsibility for key subassembly Gone are the days venue the Memos just wanted a specific part; now they want fully assembled systems that they can use for final assembly. Finally, we need to showcase the enhanced capability that Rata is talking about by working more closely with our customers to anticipate their needs. We need to help our customer divisions get closer to their key customers to drive the usage that TAP is an innovator with new and enhanced abilities to design the products they want. We should seek to partner closely with our thought-leading customers in product development from the inception of the idea to producing the final product. Perhaps a closer customer relationship can also solve the production lead time problems puree been experiencing in manufacturing, Mike. Milton replied: Yes, agree that working more closely with our customers could help us anticipate changes in production schedules, and better employees with better training and better IT systems will help in that regard. However, with all due aspect to Rata and Aaron, think were getting ahead of ourselves here with all this commitment to RD. We have to do the basic things right before we can move to innovation and new customers, We dont have unlimited resources; we have to pinpoint where we should invest our time, people, and money so that they will have the most impact. Say we should focus on efficiencies and quality control at all our plants, then once weve established ourselves as the low-cost provider and are making some profits, move on to the side. Richardson rebutted, If you wait on RD Lentil you have all the factories working lawlessly, well be so far behind that well never catch up. Bright interrupted the argument by saying: We have to be able to be competitive in all these dimensions, but each division will emphasize its own value proposition. As long as we can keep our operating cash flows healthy, the parent company is willing to invest in programs that can help us compete. Know this is difficult and these are probably the most grueling economic times that any Of us has experienced. Thats Why we need a clear strategy for our customer divisions, and an implementation plan and agreements that can keep us on track. We know our overarching strategy is to target the luxury and economy segments with low-costhigh-quality products and enhanced product innovation. We know our financial goals are to increase cash flow and ROCK; our customer goals are to increase market share in Europe and Asia. We know we have 5 1 10-027 to improve our internal processes and our employee competency levels to accomplish this. Now we need to decide how to craft implementation plans for each division that will help us reach our goals.

Crime and Criminal Justice Essay

Crime and Criminal Justice Essay Crime and Criminal Justice Essay Equipment needed in Chapter 11 Beaker- The use of the beaker is to hold and pour liquids. They can also be used to heat liquids. It is really just a round glass container with a flat bottom. They come in many sizes, from tiny ones that only hold 10 mL to giant ones that hold many liters. Dropper- Medicine droppers are useful devices for distributing small volumes of liquid. Electronic Scale- It will calculate weight in grams, onces and pounds depending on the settings. They come in various sizes depending on what your weighting. Erlenmeyer Flask-Erlenmeyers are used in chemistry labs for titration. An Erlenmeyer flask, also known as a conical flask, is a widely used type of laboratory flask which features a flat bottom, a conical body, and a cylindrical neck. Filter Paper-It is an absorbent paper, which is used to separate small particles from liquids. Cylindrical Graduate-A graduated cylinder is a piece of laboratory glassware used to accurately measure out volumes of chemicals for use in reactions. They are generally more accurate and precise for this purpose than beakers or Erlenmeyer flasks, although not as precise as a volumetric flask or volumetric pipet. They come in a variety of sizes for different volumes, typically 10 ml, 25 ml, 50 ml, or 100 ml and up to as large as 1 or 2 liters. Determine the volume contained in a graduated cylinder by reading the bottom of the meniscus at eye level. Conical Graduate-Actually, a conical graduate is more commonly used for

Euphemism and Euphuism

Euphemism and Euphuism Euphemism and Euphuism Euphemism and Euphuism By Maeve Maddox Political correctness is nothing new. People have desired to avoid calling a spade a spade since ancient times. People dont die, they pass away. Politicians dont commit crimes, they make mistakes. Married men dont commit adultery, they cheat. People dont fart, they pass wind. The word for this substitution of a less offensive word or phrase for a more specific or unpleasant one is euphemism. The word is from Greek euphemizein speak with fair words. The concept stemmed from the belief that the gods listened to human conversations and could be easily offended. People were careful not to boast of their wealth or accomplishments, so as not to prompt some god to reverse their fortunes as punishment. The maiden Arachne, for example, learned to her cost what came of boasting. For claiming that she was a more skillful weaver than the goddess Athena, Arachne was transformed into a spider. (To this day spiders bear her name.) The more horrific the deity, the more necessary it was for mortals to speak nicely about them. The Erinyes, female personifications of vengeance, were really gruesome. Like the Gorgon, they had snakes on their heads. Drops of blood oozed from their eyes. They flew after oath-breakers on the wings of bats. Watch the film Jason and the Argonauts to see the Furies in action. In order to stroke their egos, ancient Greeks referred to them as the Eumenides, the Kindly Ones. Modern mortals use euphemisms to avoid offending (or frightening, or informing) other people. The opposite of euphemism is dysphemism, an intentionally harsh word intended to shock or offend. The Coen brothers go a little overboard with the F word in The Big Lebowski. Euphuism is a term that describes a flowery, affected type of writing. Euphues is Greek for graceful, witty. Sixteenth century English author John Lyly wrote a book called Euphues: The Anatomy of Wyt (1578). The main character is a fashionable young man named Euphues. The style in which the book is written is full of convoluted sentences, euphemisms, rhetorical questions, alliteration, and references to classical literature. (In the 16th century educated people were assumed to be familiar with Greek and Latin literature.) Heres an example of Lylys euphuistic style. For the fun of seeing how English has changed since the 16th century, Ill give you both the original and a modernization. It happened thys young Impe to ariue at Naples (a place of more pleasure then profite, and yet of more profite then pietie) the very walles and windowes whereof shewed it rather to bà ©e the Tabernacle of Venus, then the Temple of Vesta. There was all things necessary and in redinesse that myght eyther allure the minde to luste, or entice the hearte to follye, a courte more mà ©ete for an Atheyst, then for one of Athens, for Ouid than for Aristotle, for a gracelesse louer then for a godly lyuer: more fitter for Paris than Hector, and mà ©eter for Flora then Diana. Modernization: It happened that this young playboy arrived at Naples (a place of more pleasure than educational value, and yet of more value than piety) the very walls and windows of the place showed it rather to be the place to occupy oneself in matters of sex than in those of chastity. In this place were to be found all things necessary and in readiness that might either tempt the mind to lust, or entice the heart to folly, a court more suitable for an atheist, than for a pious person, for Ovid [who wrote about love] than for Aristotle [who wrote about intellectual matters], for a promiscuous person than for someone who lives a godly life: more appropriate for Paris (he stole another mans wife] than Hector, [faithful husband of a faithful wife] and more suitable for Flora [goddess of the Spring and, presumably in Lylys mind, associated with mating] than Diana [virgin goddess]. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About TalkingThe Six Spellings of "Long E"5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation

How the sector matrix framework is useful for analyzing demand and Essay

How the sector matrix framework is useful for analyzing demand and supply in an industry - Essay Example A strategic management system is one that maintains good follow up on matters in the firm over time. It is important that management strategies be consistent and systematic (Ansoff 1979). According to Porter (1985), a firm’s competitive advantage is achieved by quality development of differentiation and leadership in the chain of that firm. Porter classifies these chain activities into two groups; the primary and the support activities. Primary activities are activities such as marketing and sales, inbound-outbound logistics, and service. Inbound logistics receive actual raw material during the beginning of the production process. Operations comprises of physical activities of processing raw materials. Outbound logistics involve storage of produced goods while marketing and sales refers to the actual and physical processes of sale of goods and marketing. Services relate to activities that follow after sale to customers. Support activities include technology advancement, firm infrastructure and management of human resource. Primary systems are aided by firm infrastructure which consists of the company’s culture and its systems of control. The human resource management engages in activities like hiring, firing and training staff. Technology advancement factors are useful support to activities during work process and procurement such as purchasing and obtaining material. Primary activities are those activities directly and physically involved in the production process while support activities comprises of those processes indirectly and not physically involved in production and sale of products created. Furthermore, Porter argued that support activity provides an anchor on speci fic primary activities while firm infrastructure support the entire line as a whole. Sector matrix is a long known phenomenon. Since organization of production processes was challenged, it has been a topic of debate. The challenges began after Porter. When observations made by scholars of management like Geffen came up with the commodity value chains. Value chains are further argued against the sector matrix Froud et al (1998). Maiden arguments made concern overall effect of a single factor such as firm infrastructure on the cause of competitive advantage. It is argued that competitive advantage is an aspect of many activities incorporated together to gain the firm a general step ahead. This argument led to value adding effect of more than one activity being achieved in production, marketing and delivery of products. Sector matrix system is developed especially for complex management structures. Though a popular system that is established effectively in many organizations, the matri x has its limitations. Sector matrix is a system of management with a number of managers in different departments who report to one overall manager. The strategy is excellent in some large firms. It is however yet to be adopted by other companies that follow trend and wish to use it. Sector matrix framework has been an issue of trying and making mistakes. It has created such downfalls and rising cycles for companies trying to incorporate it for the very first time. Sector matrix in general is only efficient in the long run. Some of the challenges faced by organizations with or trying to adopt the matrix include; decision process complications. These could be lengthy since major decisions have to involve departments while it could just be

MKTG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

MKTG - Essay Example Firms usually seek to minimize turnover of salespeople possessing high transaction assets, which may be costly to the organization as this translates into an opportunity loss and direct costs flowing from fresh training. Executives within a company may be lured into believing that promoting the top salesperson and putting five people under them will translate into five times the sales. This may be an illusion and may be far from reality. Promotion to a management position should not be solely based on performance only. This stems from the fact that a selling role and managerial position require distinct abilities and diverse motivators (Ingram et al. 289). A core trait that should be sought in the promotion of salespersons into management is a demonstration of being a top salesperson with a possession of a solid work ethic, among other aspects. Promotion into management for a salesperson is not a soft option as the manager is expected to manage a successful sales team and deliver predictable performance. Moreover, top salespeople who get promoted are rarely awarded a functioning, highly-effective sales team. The pressure to turn around the fortunes heaps a lot of pressure on the manager. Critics to promotion based on a selling role point out that this is a prime example of promoting people to â€Å"a level of incompetence.† The move should not be inspired by â€Å"disciple selling,† as this is a recipe for failure. The motivation of the promotion should be a conviction that the salespersons have the potential to succeed in that capacity. This demands an application of a clear cut process and methodology in order to evaluate the best sales management candidates. The depressing aspect of most promotions from selling roles is that the vast majority of the new managers are not successful in their endeavors. The move from a technical or sales position into management is usually complicated

Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Essay Martin Luther King Juniors â€Å"letter from Birmingham Jail† was the reflection upon protest against unjust laws was established against him and his fellow men. Throughout his letter he uses many great philosophers and historical events to justify his own protest to be necessary to do what’s right. King was the leader of civil-rights group that supported protest against traditional views of the society and unjust laws established in the era.† In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. † ( Taylor) In his letter from Birmingham Jail King states: â€Å"It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s anti-religious laws† (King, 6). Here in this excerpt shows that King encourages protest because in some extreme circumstances becomes necessary, be it in Hitler’s Germany, a Communist country, or any situation in which injustices are occurring. In the end of the sentence King openly admits that he would protest against established laws or traditions by all means necessary because they favor the unjust. The letter was written to his fellow clergymen to explain his prior actions and to attempt justified and appropriate for the situation. He expressed that he exhausted every other option to justify them. In the letter he tried to explain to the clergy that his actions although illegal were possible and direct action was the only available option left, which could make a difference. â€Å"One may well ask: â€Å"How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?† The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all†. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? (King, 5). Throughout history, there have been many unjust laws. Many people follow laws just because they are laws. Sometimes people don’t even agree with a law, but they go along because it’s in society acceptable or because it’s just the law. I think that by writing the letter, and putting forward the definition, King is challenging his readers to consider whether or not a law is just. If a law is unjust, it is the responsibility of the people to get it overturned. A society should not live with an unjust law. By choosing to go against law it shows that king primarily a teleological thinker. In conclusion, King wrote â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† for the purpose of making his audience realize that they are not carrying out our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence which is the United States was founded upon. King only wants what should be granted to all United States citizens, this being freedom, justice, and equality. He is saying he is in jail for only doing what is right, by trying to achieve what is right through non-violence and the fact that he is in jail is unjust, does not support equality, and freedom. Work Cited Taylor, Justin.† Between Two Worlds. Martin-luther-king-jr-letter-from-birmingham-jail† http://thegospelcoalition.org/. 23 Jan. 2013.

Protecting Women from Domestic Violence Essay -- Abuse Violence Essays

â€Å"Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach† -Joni Seager Abstract: Domestic violence against women is a social problem that occurs in nearly every corner of the world. Recently, some states have begun to recognize that women must be protected from abuse by family members and intimates. While policies and practices designed to protect women have emerged in a number of countries, many lag behind on the issue. This paper will examine the causal factors behind the variation in protection for women. The literature on women and politics suggests that women’s representation may increase the level of protection against domestic violence because female legislators are more likely to put women’s issues on the agenda and make policy choices that benefit their sex. Alternatively, the culture of a state may determine whether the society supports rights for women, including protection from domestic violence. A variety of statistics indicating women’s representation and culture were gathered for analysis. Using bi variate cor relation and multiple regression, the theories were tested against each other in an attempt to determine the cause of variation in levels of protection. The findings suggest that both women’s representation and culture are significantly correlated to level of protection. Because the number of women in elected office influences protection to a greater extent than culture, improving women’s representation appears to be an important factor in fighting the domestic violence problem. THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM Across... .... [3] For data source, see UN. The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [4] For data source, see World Development Indicators, 2003 [5] For data source, see UN, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [6] For data sources, see Kamerman, Neuman, Waldfogel and Brooks-Gunn. â€Å"Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries.† OECD, 2003. Luxembourg Income Study, 1997; expert opinion [7] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [8] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [9] For data source, see The World Bank Statistics, 2001 [10] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. Protecting Women from Domestic Violence Essay -- Abuse Violence Essays â€Å"Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach† -Joni Seager Abstract: Domestic violence against women is a social problem that occurs in nearly every corner of the world. Recently, some states have begun to recognize that women must be protected from abuse by family members and intimates. While policies and practices designed to protect women have emerged in a number of countries, many lag behind on the issue. This paper will examine the causal factors behind the variation in protection for women. The literature on women and politics suggests that women’s representation may increase the level of protection against domestic violence because female legislators are more likely to put women’s issues on the agenda and make policy choices that benefit their sex. Alternatively, the culture of a state may determine whether the society supports rights for women, including protection from domestic violence. A variety of statistics indicating women’s representation and culture were gathered for analysis. Using bi variate cor relation and multiple regression, the theories were tested against each other in an attempt to determine the cause of variation in levels of protection. The findings suggest that both women’s representation and culture are significantly correlated to level of protection. Because the number of women in elected office influences protection to a greater extent than culture, improving women’s representation appears to be an important factor in fighting the domestic violence problem. THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM Across... .... [3] For data source, see UN. The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [4] For data source, see World Development Indicators, 2003 [5] For data source, see UN, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics. NY, 2000. [6] For data sources, see Kamerman, Neuman, Waldfogel and Brooks-Gunn. â€Å"Social Policies, Family Types and Child Outcomes in Selected OECD Countries.† OECD, 2003. Luxembourg Income Study, 1997; expert opinion [7] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [8] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003. [9] For data source, see The World Bank Statistics, 2001 [10] For data source, see Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books: New York, 2003.

Developing language skills Essay

1. INTRODUCTION Throughout the last several years English teaching course books have become the essence to learning the English language successfully. There has always been a major necessity to reading, listening and writing but recently educators have found that communicative competence is an important asset that needs acquiring. According to this latter statement, recent course books are equipped with all four skills in order to achieve a proficient level of English. However, due to new discoveries such as the learner-centered learning or Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory , many books are inclined to the different necessities that better suit the  student. Here, for example, we are presented with two very different books directed to teenagers. In the following course books: Bachillerato book Made Easy and the Basque book ‘Botellà ³n!’ we will intent to make various contrasts and comparisons amongst the four major skills to English language learning. 2. METHODOLOGIES We must realize that all course books have many methodologies.. We have seen in Methodological Approaches (See Funiber Subject 1) that Marianne Celce-Murcia quotes that â€Å"a historical perspective needs to be taken into consideration to be able to evaluate innovations effectively†. As we can see there has been an immense amount of detail added to language teaching from the early 19th century when comparing the Grammar – Translation method to the newly adopted approaches although there are still signs of the methodologies present within the newer books. Here are some: 2.1. TABLE MADE EASY BOTELLON! both Grammar-Translation Method Exercises to translate into L1 Use of dictionary Direct Method No use of mother tongue Reading Method Lots of reading material Structuralism Plenty of drilling and repetition Contrastive Analysis â€Å"Bachillerato† will focus on common Spanish errors, eg. DO/MAKE The theme/subject is inclined to a Spanish saying: botellà ³n.. Behaviourist Stimulus, response, reinforcement: activities Cognitive Approach Rules are made clear first before practice (TPR) CALL The course book is equipped with extra material: resource books for teachers and a website TPR â€Å"Learn language through doing† CLL Extensive list of themes: appreciating the learners needs. – No textbook. Natural Approach – Contain all four skills – Teacher support. Lexical Approach Vocabulary importance. Audio-visual Method Meaningful communication and social contexts. 2.1.1 THE LEARNING THEORIES IMPLICIT This chart shows both course books seem to have adopted some essence of the older methodologies. Nowadays approaches are more familiar where teachers can choose a method that will better suit the learner. However, our next research will be on : integration and segregation of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. 3. INTEGRATION First: the meaning of integration is the usage of all four language skills simultaneously in various activities. Some exercises begin with reading, perhaps a follow up of discussing the article and finally concluding a written summary of the text. By doing all three activities we are utilizing the skills of reading, speaking and writing. As Dr Garza quoted it â€Å"most teachers recognize that the four language skills support each other and are found together in real-life language use†. Also, none of the separate language skills are ever used in isolation (Funiber, Developing language skills in the classroom). Now we understand the significance, we can continue to analyse this method in the books. 3.1. EXTENT Made Easy, from an external perspective looks as though the skills have all been segregated but in fact they have all been integrated. The reading, which is divided into a before, while and after reading which are entwined with various grammatical activities for preparation. However when you look at an internal view of the course book we see that there is a high level of integration with the four skills. Take the writing section which has various grammar exercises (Language/Vocabulary) Assignment – DLSC beforehand to ensure understandability of the learner which also holds a cognitive approach to learning according to Chomsky. Here, reading and writing are both merged then followed by reinforcing activities. As we have learnt reading in traditional terms at least, seems to be a natural bedfellow of writing (Funiber). Lastly, we have a division of the listening and speaking activities from an outer look in the last page but they are  however united through the theme of the subject which locks them together. On the other hand, the Botellà ³n book is relatively distinctive. Firstly, the format that is uses is generally integrating reading and plentiful of brainstorming writing activities with the final intention of speaking. However there are activities of listening which is integrated with writing. However there is only the one activity (2) that is segregated which is the skill of speaking as is the final activity which perhaps helps the teacher to evaluate the extent of the learne rs new acquired knowledge throughout the course. 4. PRODUCT AND PROCESS ASPECT However, there are some similarities worth mentioning between the two course books. They both take a process approach which has the student â€Å"working up to† the final contribution. A process approach tends to focus more on various classroom activities which promote the development of language use: brainstorming, group discussion and rewriting (Steele, 2004). In the Bachillerato book Made Easy on page 61, we have: before and after writing preparation: an insight, planning, mind mapping, writing first drafts, feedback, editing and evaluating.Chen for example states that â€Å"these studies have quantitatively measured improvements in learners’ test scores following the completion of a strategy training programme† (2007). Furthermore, the Botellà ³n book also includes a process approach but in a broader sense and tends to cover most of the book with an abundant amount of brainstorming activities that drive and lead to a final proposal (writing) and a discussion part (speaking) at the end. As Lynch quotes: â€Å" the route one takes to that goal† (1996:148). To compare: 4.1.1 TABLE Process writing Product writing Text as a resource for comparison Imitate model text Ideas as a starting point Organization of ideas are more important than ideas themselves More than one draft One draft More global, focused on purpose, theme, text type i.e. reader is emphasized Features highlighted including controlled practice of those features Collaborative Individual Emphasis on creative process Emphasis on end product * Table 1: Product and process writing: A comparison (Steele 2004 p. 1) 5. AUTHENTICITY Now looking more closely to the aspects of authentic/genuine exercises. The significance of an authentic text: some researchers have gone on to say: â€Å"authentic materials are materials that we can use in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students† (Sanderson, 1999). Harmer (1991) defines authentic texts as â€Å"materials which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts; designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language†. Authentic texts is language used by natives which have not in any case been manipulated by authors to suit the level of then learners. Although, what matters is the response and expression of the learner, if it in accordance to the text then the response has been made authentic as once quoted by Widdowson (Funiber, Developing Language Sills in the Classroom). In Made Easy, there are many reading activities. In the text â€Å"Making and keeping friends† we can see that there is a previous activity to help the learner think and analyse the text before reading; predicting. According to Revell and Breary, a way of dealing with this problem is to get the learners to predict the main points of the text (Funiber). After the reading there are questions to be answered straight after the comprehension: if we immediately ask questions then we are denying the chance to give an authentic response (Lynch 1996: 124-125). The next â€Å"authentic† text would be the possible newspaper or magazine article (pag 63) which has probably been falsified to a certain extent to suit the level of the learner. In the  speaking, on page 67, they are able to give their own opinions in relation to the listening previously heard which allows their own expressions to be considered. The listening provides the learner with many different ideas for brainstorming. However, they are not real life situations, there is no genuine media and there is an exclusion of body language and facial expression and thus there is no possible reply (Funiber). In the Botellà ³n book, we are presented with a real problem of teenage street drinking which induces a genuine problem. The first speaking exercise allows the learner to give real feedback with an authentic and genuine response. Throughout the unit we have, as mentioned above, many reading activities: real life opinions, newspaper articles and a diplomatic meeting. This all seem extremely genuine but to what extent is unclear. On another positive note, we have two You tube debates: Pregnancy Discrimination and The Iraq War. These last two are very opposite to the general and ordinary listening we are used to and they are in fact impossible to manipulate. Following this virtual debate, we have a more general listening about p sychology with Dr. Lindee which although is a very universal reciprocal activity it may have some essence of credibility. 6. SIMPLIFICATION Widdowson says that â€Å"text simplification for second language learners is the adaption of a â€Å"genuine text† in order to facilitate reading and comprehension skills. Some authors claim that Assignment – DLSC authentic materials (genuine) are often too hard for students who read at lower levels .Though is controversial issue, a genuine text is not necessarily better than an adapted one, what matters if the student responds to it as he would in real life.† On the one hand this will benefit the some learners, as by manipulating the text to suit the learners interest this will stimulate their motivation and interests. However, Honeyfield (1977) says that the two principal aspects of text simplification, namely simplifying language and simplifying content, produce material which differs significantly from ‘normal’ English in the areas of information distribution and common structure. By altering the language,it reduces the colloquial and â€Å"realness† of the language. Now the question remains as to how do we  identify if the text has been adjusted? Swaffar (1985) says that the primary intent of an original text is to communicate meaning, and in her view, authentic messages which perform this function have the following characteristics: authorial cues, repetition, redundancy, and discourse markers. She claims that simplified texts do not have these characteristics because they have a â€Å"pseudo-intent†, which is to teach language, rather than to communicate. Made Easy has three very different texts: firstly on page 61 the text holds an easy vocabulary, short sentence structures, redundancy and a a simple content of topic. On page 63 however, in activity 6 we have a newspaper report, we are given information with an unsophisticated vocabulary and a structure that is in relation to the grammar explained in the previous activity: the reported speech. Lastly, there is an essay written in an academic format, supposedly by a native adolescent. There are longer sentences with subordinate clauses and a wider scope of vocabulary . All three text show some sign of simplification which is not ideal because as Willis says, in developing their communicative skills learners need to become aware of the choices realised in genuine language use in order to create appropriate meaning (1996: 26). This opinion puts learning on fluency. The Botellà ³n gives more of a realistic and pragmatic cognizance because all of the texts represent â€Å"real life† opinions which should all interaction between natives should be genuine. Firstly, on page 64, activity 3, we have 7 different views about the subject of alcohol. By analysing the content we have a very colloquial type of language expressed by native English foreigners living in Spain. Secondly, on page 71, activity 6, we have more viewpoints but there is a more complex vocabulary and structure with more detail, plentiful of subordinate clauses and some acronyms. Lastly, on page 74, activity 7, we have more opinions but these are inside quotation marks which indicate direct speech and should be understood as a natural and spontaneous spoken English. The amplest difference about the two books when identifying these concepts is on page 77 of the Botellà ³n book on activity 8: There are two virtual debates (Pregnancy Discrimination and the Iraq war) which are provided to the students to watch from the web. This is the closest encounter we  have to real conversation. McCarthy and Carter explain that â€Å"’language in action’ involves participants in using language to refer to action in an easy and unproblematic way because they are taking place before their respective eyes (pag. 209). 7. SKILLS The next subject is the relationship between the work and learning/practice of grammar: When teachers first began to adopt a communicative approach to foreign and second language teaching, â€Å"learning communication† was often presented as an alternative to â€Å"learning grammar†. We noted a strong sense of convergence between stated beliefs and actual classroom practices. Having our self-experienced English language learning by explicit instruction on the rules of grammar, the belief that grammar teaching should be integrated into speaking, writing and reading. belief that grammar is central to language learning and direct grammar teaching is needed by their EFL/ESL students† We think this particular type of study vitally important especially in light of the results of the recent Richards, Gallo, and Renandya (2001) survey that suggest evidence of divergence between teachers’ stated beliefs and actual classroom practices related to grammar teaching. 8. PRODUCTION: ORAL AND WRITTEN In Bachillerato Made Easy there is a continual relationship between production (oral and written) and grammar because we can see that the step includes a written part where the students write sentences to take into account the ways to report what someone has already said, then in an oral practice they report the message using a reporting verb and making some changes in tenses pronouns, adjectives and adverbs. In â€Å"Botellà ³n† there isn’t a relation between skills and grammar because the unit doesn’t show any grammar description. They have a brief model to write, read, speak and listen but they don’t have the grammar reference to follow the different skills. What are the opportunities for production do both units provide? Oral communication is a two-way process between speaker and listener where both the speaker and the listener have a positive function to perform (Byrne  1986: 8). So speaking is therefore an interactive process but we have to recognize that there will be times when the speaker’s role will be essentially passive which is emphasized in McGregor’s model of collaborative discourse (see Section 2.2.3) Furthermore writing is labeled as written production and is one of the branches, it is a skill that students must develop. When expressing oneself in a language, this is only done in an oral fashion; written communication is extremely important in language learning. So both units provide their students with situations that allow development and progress in the four skills: Bachillerato Made Easy the unit provides opportunities with a group work, self-access and Presentation – Practice –  Producti on, for both production skills (oral, written) the unit tends to be teacher-centred, as the teacher leads the activity and provides necessary information. Furthermore it is a student centred activity because the learners in some steps are able to decide what to say, and how to say it, for example: for oral production the learners start discussing with a self-assessment task in two different exercises. In the first exercise learners have to reflect about their behaviour in given situations and in the second part they have a free group discussion about the same topic which is presented in all the unit and provide the learners with the necessary structure, vocabulary and grammar (previously taught). ‘Botellà ³n!’ provides opportunities with interaction where the learners work in groups or independently where they have the chance to work together and interact autonomously and the teacher acts as a facilitator by monitoring their work. For example for the written part they use the steps in the reading part to refute a diplomatic way the topics given. Now the learners are totally trained for talking about different points of vi ew. As we know there are three main stages in any unit: Presentation, Practice, and Production. A unit which includes all these stages can help learners to learn more efficiently. 8.1 TYPES The presentation stage involves explaining the aims of the unit so that children know what they will learn and why. It is also during this stage that the teacher explains the new language, including both its meaning and  form, and how to say or write it correctly. The goal of the practice stage is to help the children use the new language you have just explained to them. It is at this stage that error correction is most important. The final stage is the production stage. This can help motivate children to communicate meaning with the new language. Children should experiment with the language. For example in Bachillerato Made Easy, they write an essay but in the part for production it is required to follow the steps to create the essay: description, narration, exposition, and argumentation) or it is better to write a paragraph or notes for a letter to produce learning.In â€Å"Botellà ³n† they make a diplomatic discussion, this part requires more group work and pair work to achieve more examples of communicative language. 8.1.1. ACTIVITIES Assignment – DLSC The variety of the activity types provide opportunities for students to build Awareness or Conceptualize understandings related to the learning. They help the learners to apply their knowledge of the contents using a variety of processes and techniques. The four skills work in tandem when the activities that require their use are designed to support learners in the process of learning, creating and producing a specific product. The Bachillerato Made Easy unit presents the following activities for the speaking section (oral): dialogues, role play, talking about themselves related to behaviour in different situations that mention generalization and advice to take into account in our real world to be good friends. In this activity students are allowed to answer questions using their own words. On the other hand, a written section follows these activities: Written practice to responding to questions that are related to friendship. In the speaking section the activity discusses some of the issues, factors and solutions for the problem. Apart from that the other activity is to work individually, whether they agree or disagree and to state their own reasons about the proposed solutions. The last activity is a discussion in groups, giving for and against arguments. In the written section the unit uses a discussion organiser in a written practice where the students have to write some notes proposing a solution which could be appropriate for everybody on the subject of botellà ³n. 9. OPINION AND CONCLUSION We can say a textbook is only as good as the teacher who uses it. A textbook is just a tool, in our teaching arsenal. Sometimes, teachers over-rely on textbooks and don’t consider other aids for the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area, but we know that a book or a unit is very important to learning the language. So we prefer both units: Bachillerato because this unit is considered Authentic and Genuine, the unit works with the four skills and other points such as grammar which are vital to learning the language. Furthermore the unit has different activities for each skill. On the other hand the unit â€Å"Botellà ³n† because it is algo genuine although this unit is more student centred. In this case it is focused on each student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles, placing the teacher as the facilitator. BIBLIOGRAFY 1. Berliner, D. C. (1987). Ways of thinking about students and classrooms by more and less experienced teachers. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers’ thinking (pp. 60-83). London: Cassell. 2. Chen, Y.(2007). Learning to learn: the impact of strategy training. ELT Journal, 61 (1), 20-29. 3. Gabrielatos, C. (2002). EFL writing: product and process. Retrieved on 25 August. 2010 from 4. Funiber, Methodologies and Approaches. Developing Language Skills in the Classroom. 5. Gardner, A., & Johnson, D. (1997). Teaching personal experience narrative in the elementary and beyond. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona Writing Project Press. 6. Higuchi, M. (1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning 7. Honeyfield, J. (1977). Simplification. TESOL Quarterly, 11(4), 431-440. 8. McCarthy, M. and R. Carter. 1995. â€Å"Spoken Grammar: What Is It and How Can We Teach It?†. In English Language Teaching Journal, 49ï ¼Ë†3ï ¼â€°: 207-18 9. Steele, V. (1992). Product and pro cess writing: a comparison. Rowley: Newbury House. 10. Swaffar, J. (1985). Reading authentic texts in a foreign language. The Modern Language Journal, 69, 115-134. 11. Swan, M. 1980. Practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 12. Widdowson, H. (1976). The authenticity of language data. J. F. Fanselow & R. H. Crymes (Eds.), ON TESOL ’76. Washington: TESOL. Assignment – DLSC 13. Willis, D. et al. 1996. MA TESLï ¼ TEFL Open Learning Programme Pedagogic Grammar. Birmingham: The Centre for English Language Studies, the University of Birmingham. WEB READINGS 1. Claridge, G (2005) Simplification in graded readers: Measuring the authenticity of graded texts http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/october2005/claridge/claridge.html 2. Higuchi, M. (1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning http://bambi.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/~kiyou4228021/12_1/12_1_03.pdf 3. Md. Kamrul Hasan & Mohd. Moniruzzaman Akhand Kamrul, H. and Moniruzzaman, A. (2010) Approaches to Writing in EFL/ESL Context: Balancing Product and Process in Writing Class at Tertiary Level http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/viewFile/4612/3823 4. Tamo, D. (2009) The Use of Authentic Materials in Classrooms http://www.lcpj.pro/skedaret/1277547685-74_pdfsam_LCPJ,%20Per%20shtyp.pdf

Alcohol Consumption Should Be Banned. Agree or Disagree Essay

Alcohol consumption should be banned. Argue for or against the statement. Alcohol is one of the most widely used and abused drugs in the world. It is a legal drug that can be found just about anywhere, restaurants, liquor stores and even in some supermarkets. It is a drug that is used by many, some just to relax, others to party with the intention of getting drunk and those that are addicted and who abuse the drug like no other. Alcohol causes several problems and injures the lives of many, it is the fifth most dangerous drug in the world being higher than LSD and ecstasy, yet it is a drug that society allows to be used everyday. Alcohol is a drug, which is classified as a depressant. This means that after being consumed it slows down the body’s vital functions, if taken in too much, it may result in slurred speech, problems with perception and unsteady coordination. It is known as a downer, which means that it actually puts the mind in quite a depressed state. It affects the mind, in the case of reducing a person’s ability to think rationally and it impairs judgment. (http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol.html). Alcohol is a legal drug, meaning that, it is allowed to be consumed freely with a few laws that prohibit people from driving and consuming it under a certain age. Yet it is a drug that has been proven to cause the most harm to users and others around them. It is not listed as a class A, B or C drug, yet it is listed as the fifth most harmful drug, being higher on the list than LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. Yet all these three drugs are seen as class A or B drugs, making them highl y illegal. (http://www.listology.com/list/top-twenty-most-dangerous-drugs-according-bbc-horizon). Recent studies have shown that the consumption of alcohol is worse to its users and to the people around the users than any other drug. It has shown that when all factors are taken into consideration, alcohol comes out at the top as the most costly drug towards society and it causes the biggest harm. In a study done by Professor David Nutt, he created a bar graph showing the most harmful drugs to users and the society. When conducting his study he took into account all the harms that the drug creates, including mental and physical damage, addiction, crime and costs to the economy and communities. His study showed that alcohol was even worse than heroin when  all factors were taken into consideration. Professor Nutt’s study has showed that the drug classification system, currently in place, have little relevance to the actual harm that is caused by the drug. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11660210). Many studies have now been taken into consideration and a ‘deeper’ look has been taken in to establish exactly how and which drugs cause the most harm. With all these studies, alcohol has been seen as a very high-risk drug. With all these studies there has been the debate in many countries across the globe as to whether alcohol consumption should be banned completely. It has been shown that alcohol is one of the leading causes in death amongst young adults, aged between 15 to 25 years of age, in the cases of accidents, homicides and suicides. Statistics in the USA in 2005, show that 6.6 of the population who are 12 or older, so around 16 million people, are heavy drinkers. In the same study it was shown that out of the 3.9 million people who received treatment for substance abuse, 2.9 million of them were receiving treatment for alcohol abuse. A later study in the USA in 2007 showed that 12998 people had died in car accidents due to alcohol. In the USA alone there are around 1.4 million drunken arrests every year. Studies from England in 2005 showed that there were 6570 deaths caused by alcohol and a later study in 2006 showed that the death toll, from alcohol, had risen to 8758, this shows a gradual increase of 7% each year in alcohol related deaths. Worldwide it was shown that in Europe, out of the 490 million people, 23 million of them were dependent on alcohol. In 2005 out of all traffic deaths 39% of them were alcohol related and 40% of violent crimes occur under the influence of alcohol. (http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/international-statistics.html). Statistics show that alcohol appears to be a very negative drug. Taken on a worldwide scale alcohol causes more deaths than any illegal drug. But this is not to say that all alcohol consumption is bad. Statistics have shown that wine, in moderation, is actually healthy for a person. Red wine has been proven to actually help the heart and lessen the risk of heart disease. Studies shown have indicated that red wine contains antioxidants, which actually help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of ‘good’ cholesterol and protecting the heart against artery damage. Although this has been seen, doctors still do not encourage people to start drinking as all alcohol can, in the long term effect, cause problems towards health. Red View as multi-pages

Oppression-three licks

1. Oppression-three licks for speaking spanish, talking back, speech classes. Traditions of silence-well bred girls dont answer back, big mouth, questioning, carrying tales but not parallel to men. (nostros-nostros) It again brings to the forefront that women or children should be seen and not heard. Nevermind that an open mouth should indicate that they would like to be heard, the most important thing should be not to let flies enter it. This leads back to Anzaldà ºa's point of taming a wild tongue. In order to tame it, the mouth should also be closed...silenced. Silence is also another form of oppression in many women's lives. Is this where the phrase 'Silence is golden' originated? Later on in the selection, she tells us that "language is a male discourse" (54). Perhaps that is why females are taught not to have big mouths. The adjective is placed in front of the "American" in order to separate the individual (or minority) from white Americans. It seems to me now ! to imply that they are not completely American. The name then puts the individual inbetween two identities, but not completely in either. Language is definitive of culture. Chicano Spanish~mutilation of Spanish, not Anglo (pocho-distorts sounds of a language). Illegitimate, a bastard language. Childhood, repeated attacks, continuos. English as a neutral language. Linguistic Terrorism," Anzaldua speaks of how Chicano Spanish as a bastard language. We are looked down upon by other Spanish Speakers because they say we speak a poor Spanish. As stated before, it is not a poor Spanish. It is just a way of identifying ourselves from everyone else. We are the unwanted Spanish. Unwanted by everyone, but ourselves 2. Some on the campus immediately decried the new logo as offensive, but it wasn't just the logo that bothered them. They didn't think much of the use of a Sioux Indian as the university's mascot. Last month, mor

Advantages and Disadvantages of Psychological Contract

Advantages and Disadvantages of Psychological Contract Outline and critically evaluate the concept of the ‘psychological contract’. Why is an understanding of the psychological contract considered to be important to the management of the contemporary employment relationship? The concept of psychological contract Introductions There are two kinds of contracts which are the formal, written economic contract as well as the euqally important, informal and unwritten psychological contract. It’s all about how people think they should be treated. Both involve rights, obligations and expectations on the part of employer and the employee. The key feature of the word ‘contracts’ is exchange in term of reward or the effort that employee puts in etc. For instance, the level of effort which employee puts in or employee’s perception can be affected by how they are being treated by the organization. A quite large research literature on the psychological contract has been produced in only a short time with the ke y players being, in the United States, Denise Rousseau (Rousseau, 1995, 2001), Schein (1980) etc. Although much of the interest in the psychological contract is recent, its roots go back a long time, it having originally been discussed by Argyris (1960). History The concept of a â€Å"psychological contract† was first coined by Argyris (1960); it refers to employer and employee expectations of the employment relationship as well as represents the mutual beliefs, perceptions and informal obligations between an employer and an employee. Expanding the concept of the contract was Schein (1980). According to Schien it may be defined as an†Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦unwritten set of expectations operating at all times between every member of an organization and the various managers and others in that organization.† More recently Rousseau and her co- workers (Robinson and Rousseau, 1994) have suggested a more specific definition of the psychological contract. According to them, the psychological contract is characterised not only by expectations, but by promissory and reciprocal obligations. When these obligations are broken, they produce more emotional and extreme reactions than weaker expectations produce feelings of disappointment. Broken obligations lead to feelings of anger and reassessment of the individual’s relationships with the organization. Content The term psychology is derived from the Greek, meaning ‘mind, spirit or soul’ and contract is that the expectations concern non- tangible, psychological issues. There are significant elements of all definitions of the psychological contract include: 1.3.1 integration of beliefs, values, expectations and aspirations of employer and employee, the beliefs of implicit promises and obligations are included, the level to which these are perceived to be met or violated and the level of trust within the relationship. 1.3.2 All the expectations must not be made explicit. It could be the implici t deal between employers and employees. Fairness and good faith are involved. 1.3.3 An significant feacture of the concept is it can be repeatedly re-negotiated, changing with an individual’s, and an organisation’s, expectations, and in shifting economic and social contexts. Yet, a snapshot of one point in time was only provided thus capturing only one stage in this social process. 1.3.4 Because it is based on individual perceptions individuals in the same organisation or job may perceive different psychological contracts, which will, in turn, influence the ways in which they perceive organisational events for instance redundancies or developing or modifying a flexitime system.

Critically evaluate the evidence suggesting that mTOR inhibitors can Essay

Critically evaluate the evidence suggesting that mTOR inhibitors can help induce tolerance to foreign antigens and discuss the i - Essay Example It integrates the cell signals that give information about the energy status of the cell, nutritional status, mitochondrial potential, oxygen tension, aminoacids, ATP, and growth signals. During nutritional deficiency, the mTOR signaling becomes active and increases the protein synthesis and increases the cell size. If something is lacking inside the cell, then mTOR will decrease the protein synthesis and thus decreases the cell size and there by reduces the energy expenditure of the cell and prevents cell proliferation. The mechanical induced overload-hypertropy is due to the mTOR and their activity is inhibited by the introduction of Rapamycin. (Polunovsky and Houghton, 2010). Immune system consists of many types of regulatory cells. The regulatory cells contribute to the immune tolerance and immune homeostasis through many different mechanisms. The manipulation of these cells therapeutically to improve the transplant tolerance has become the most important field of interest nowada ys. The important subsets of T cells are the CD4 (helper T cells) and CD 8 (Cytotoxic T cells) cells. Of these two types, CD4 T cells are called as regulatory or suppressor T cells. These cells are responsible for the immune toleran ce. (Fernandez 2010). These cells instead of increasing the immune response, decreases it there by enabling the transplant to get adapted to the body. They play an important role in auto immune reaction. The balance between the regulatory and the effector T cells are much necessary for the immune response and also for the controlling of many diseases. The developments of these regulatory cells are mediated by the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling protein. (mTOR protein complex). Rapamycin is isolated from the soil bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Rapamycin is commonly used as the immune suppressive drug in the transplant recipients and also found to inhibit the intracellular kinase of mTOR. (Polunovsky and Houghton, 2010). mTOR the check point protein kinase was found to have a major effect on the cell proliferation and growth, it is also found to have many downstream targeting based on phosphorylation of the protein. The major inputs for this protein are obtained from the growth factors and growth hormones such as insulin, IGF-1 and IGF-2 and some extracellular amino acids. (Polunovsky and Houghton, 2010).mTOR can also identify the status of the energy requirements and the redox level of the cell. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the signaling network only after the identification of the mTOR protein kinase. If this pathway is dysregulated in the human system, it leads to certain diseases in the human, most importantly some cancers. So a detailed study about the protein is very important. mTORs are high molecular weight molecules with many conserved structural domains. They contain 2549 amino acids with N-terminal containing 20 tandem HEAT repeats. (Hay and Sonenberg 2004). mTOR contains two protein complexes mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1 is the main upstream centre for growth factors, stress signals and nutrients. They also help to convert the anabolic and catabolic pathways of the cell for the normal functioning. The mTORC1 cell signaling is high associated with the human cancer. The signaling network of the mTOR contains many oncogenes such as EGFR, PDGFR, PI3K, Ras, Raf, S6K1, Akt and tumor suppressors such as PTEN, LKB1, PDCD4, NF1 and REDD1. (Polunovsky