Stylistic Analysis of the Poem “Meeting at Night”

The Love Song of Hair Dyal Rudyard Kipling Alone upon the housetops to the North I turn and watch the lightnings in the sky– The glamour of thy footsteps in the North. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die. Below my feet the still bazar is laid– Far, far below the weary camels lie– The camels and the captives of thy raid. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die! My father's wife is old and harsh with years, And drudge of all my father's house am I– My bread is sorrow and my drink is tears. Come back to me, Beloved, or I die!Stylistic Analysis of the Poem â€Å"Meeting at night† â€Å"Meeting at Night† Robert Browning The gray sea and the long black land; And the yellow half-moon large and row; And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed I’ the slushy sand. Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach; Three fields to cross till a farm appears; A tap at the pane , the quick sharp scratch And blue spurt of a lighted match, And a voice less loud, thro’ its joys and fears,Than the two hearts beating each to each! ]  Ã‚  The Theme of the Poem This poem written by Robert Browning is a poem of love that describes clearly the man’s sailing on the sea to the bay on the beautiful night to go to the girl she loves and meets her at night. In here, it is said that the readers can feel the excitement and happiness of the couples on their meeting at night. It is very clear at the end of the poem that the woman is somehow nervous and afraid while waiting for the man she loves.But, upon hearing the man’s tap on the window pane, she is very happy and relieved to see him, which only shows how deep their love and missing is. ]  Ã‚  Linguistic Analysis of the Poem by  Liu Yueqin Liu Yueqin has presented five linguistic presentation of the poem. Here is the following linguistic analysis he had in this poem of Robert Browning: a. Phono logical features 1. End rhyme The rhyme scheme is, in the first stanza – abccba, in the second -dedded. There are five end rhymes as follow: a. [  ? nd]  land, sand; b. [? ]row, prow; c. [I:p]leap, sleep; d, [I:t ]beach, scratch, match, each; e, [i? s]appears, fears 2. Alliteration long-land in line 1;the-that in line 3; fiery- from in line 4; pushing-prow in line 5; speed-slushy-sand in line 6; sea-scented in line 7; to-till and field-farm in line8; less-loud in line 11; than-the and two-to in line 12. 3. Repetition And the  repeats 3 times in the poem, and there are totally 8  and  in the poem. The repetition shows that the man is making long-time effort step by step to meet the woman, his lover.However, the effort is worthy since the man loves the woman and expects fiercely to see her, no matter it’s at night or at day. The refrain occurs at the close of a stanza, where it helps to establish meter, influence the mood of love, and add emphasis. With the usa ge of end rhyme, alliteration and repetition, the poem creates aesthetic pleasure and shows the feeling of the couple. b. Graphical features The description of the scene on the sea and on the bay and about the meeting is vivid, elaborate and attracting.Through the different angles of vision (the gray sea,  the long black land, the yellow half-moon, etc. ), auditognosis (two hearts beating, etc), olfaction (scented), the readers can just feel like being in the situation, and appreciating the charming of meeting at night. c. Lexical features The poem is relatively brief; consist of simple specific concrete words, mainly adjectives and nouns, just like casual and gentle narration between lovers or dramatic monologue.There are 4 adjective words about color; they are  gray, black, yellow and blue, to make the scene at night vivid to the readers. The readers can clearly know that the meeting is at night. The beautiful scene symbolizes the wonderful mood of the couple. In line 6, words of  speed, slushy, sand  have alliteration [s] for imitate the sound of the prow decreasing its speed and gently scrapping in the bay. d. Syntactic features All the sentences in the poem are statement just like dramatic monologue, what the author is very famous with.Many short sentences are linked into long sentences with devices of coordination with the usage of  and. There are totally 5 lines beginning with  and. Coordination gives clauses equal syntactic status, and establish peaceful mood. It seems that the man has met the woman at night many times, and gets very familiar with the process. e. Semantic features In first stanza, the author uses  startled  and  fiery  instead of  surprising  and  hot. The personification gives human form or feelings to the waves and ringlets, inanimate objects to show that the man’s feeling is startled and fiery.In second stanza,  tap, scratch  and  spurt  are gentler, lovelier, and shorter in time thanknock, s crape, and spring. These words can vividly to describe the feeling of the couple. The man arrives at just outside of the house, and taps the glass with the love in his heart. When he is waiting for the appearance of the woman, he is very nervous and upset. The woman is also nervous and upset. After hearing the tap, she lights a match to lights the place and feels happy and fears to meet her lover.

Salinity

Problems arise in the world due to salinity, as when the salt gets on to the top of the soil†¦.. it causes disaster to the plants and trees. Salt comes in many forms in the natural environment—calcium, magnesium, carbonate, sodium chloride, bicarbonate, and sulphate. Many landscapes are naturally saline, but secondary salinity isn’t so natural, occurring when salts from deep within the earth are dissolved and deposited into soil and water as a result of human activity. This can happen in one of two ways: Dryland salinity – from removal of deep-rooted plantsIn dry regions, deeply-rooted perennial plants, such as shrubs, trees, and grasses, play an important role in regulating groundwater levels. As water is applied to the soil, the plants drink it up and breath it out through a process called evapotranspiration. This ensures that the water table levels stay relatively stable. But this balance is thrown into chaos when farmers clear the land to gain more space for grazing animals and cultivating food crops. In doing so, they remove the deep-rooted plants and replace them with shallow-rooted annual crops.These plants do not take up as much water as once-plentiful native plants, and as a result, more water remains in the soil. Over time—up to 30 years—water accumulates in the land, causing the water table to rise. As it does so, it passes through layers of salt and dissolving the deposits that have existed in the land for centuries. The shallow-rooted plants can’t keep up with the rising water levels, which results in rising salt deposits in ever-increasing concentrations in topsoil. Irrigation salinity – from overirrigationMuch like dryland salinity, irrigation salinity results in a rising water table that brings deep deposits of salt upwards through soil layers. But instead of being caused by land clearing, it results from increased irrigation. As water soaks into the soil, it adds to existing water, raising t he water table, bringing salt along for the ride. During periods of irrigation, the water table will lower again, but salt will remain in surface soil, increasing the salt concentration with each irrigation cycle. What impact does it have? Contamination of ecosystems with excess saltBoth dryland and irrigation salinity result in similar environmental challenges: * Groundwater used for human consumption as well as agricultural and industrial applications becomes saline, making it unusable * Wetlands and bushland ecosystems are damaged, resulting in declines in wildlife biodiversity * Salt damages houses, pipelines, railways, buildings, roads, and water supply systems What has been done about it? Many conservation and regeneration options available There are many possible steps a community can take to prevent and/or reverse salinity: Identify areas where potential for biodiversity loss is significant due to salinity, setting targets to protect and bring back sensitive species * Protec ting key native vegetation species from being cleared and promoting reintroduction of these species in areas affected by salinity * Limit over-irrigation and the construction of dams in sensitive areas, such as wetlands and watercourses * Promote environmentally-sound property management planning * Educate farmers and the public about the risks of increasing salinity * Construct both surface and sub-surface drainage systems to prevent salinity that results from rising water levelsIs this action working? Reversing soil salinity a slow process – prevention is easier Progress in preventing and reversing the effects of salinization is slow and painstaking. Research is beginning to identify ways farmers can continue to cultivate their crops without increasing soil salinity. Planting salt tolerant, deep-rooted plants throughout agricultural lands in one way to see improvements, but like most solutions, it can be costly and requires by-in from farmers and communities alike. Further education of key stakeholders in communities at risk of salinization is required. Why is this? Effects of soil salinity take many years to appearIt can take up to 30 years for communities to begin to feel the effects of increasing salinity, making reversal of the problem equally time-consuming. It also requires significant funding. The Australian government, for instance, pledged to spend nearly $8 million on salinization remediation plans to 2008. Should it continue? On one side, there are those who are against Without remediation of soil salinity, great problems lie ahead Without long-sighted solutions, the problem of salinity, including loss of agricultural land, devastation of ecosystems, and the costs associated with damaged property, will continue to increase. In the US, it is estimated that 10 million hectares of land is lost to salinity every year. The challenge is equally serious in Australia.Environmentalists have been drawing attention to this growing crisis for years, an d only after seeing the effects of salinity are individuals and governments coming to terms with the magnitude of the problem. Failure to address salinity could result in widespread crop failures and even more devastating loss of biodiversity. Should it continue? On the other side, there are those who are all for it Hydro advocates oppose There are many who prefer to turn a blind eye to the problem of salinity, especially those with a vested interest in the industries responsible for the consequences. Salinity can increase in the presence of dams and other water reservoirs, making salinity an acceptable cost to advocates of large-scale hydro projects.The damming of the Colorado River, which flows into Mexico, has caused significant increases in the brackish (i. e. saline) quality of the water. Reversing these problems so that those down river can be supplied with high-quality water has been expensive for the US, resulting in costs upwards of several hundred million dollars every yea r. Farmers’ struggles Equally challenging is working with farmers who see the very long-range problem of salinity as minor compared to the desire to see short-term financial gains through over-irrigation of crops. Small and large-scale farmers alike struggle with the reality of spending money to prevent a problem that may not occur for decades.

Being a Solomon Islander

I sit with my brothers and my cousins, watching our mothers stomp out the dance, their hips swaying and the dust kicked up by their bare feet settling in their hair. My mother seems to have been dancing for hours, her soft hair is covered in a fine layer of dirt, and her smile flashes every so often in my direction. The drums and pipes carry the light tone through the air and I clap with my brothers and cousins in beat with the motions of the dance, laughing and singing.Caught up in my own traditions, I can almost forget the voice of the missionary teacher who follows me each day as I join my older brothers in their daily journey to and from the waterside. I watch as they sail away from the shoreline, the long canoe gliding across the water. They can escape the confusing words of this colorless man who wears too many cloths and wonders still why he is hot. This man follows me and my friends as we trap lizards or play other boyish games, trying to dodge him and his talks of being burn ed in a volcano forever.My brothers tell me to ignore him, as they have. The missionary is not the threat, it is the kings who will take our homes and the food we eat. I hear my auntie telling my mother that morning as they prepared the pig for the feast later that evening, that the missionary plans to open a school and make me and my friends be students. My auntie told my mother, that my uncle feared they would teach us to be colorless too. For now though, we are away from the eyes of the missionary.My cousin says that he hides in his hut and prays for us to be thrown into a volcano when we dance. If only he could see my mother smiling and throwing her arms above her head. He does not look at us though, instead he follows and speaks of fire and his father, scaring my sisters and little brother. He scares me too but I will soon be a man, I am almost 9 already, I cannot show my fear. I will learn to laugh as my mother or walk away unhearing like my brothers and father.

Dichotomus key gram postive bacteria coccus Lab Report

Dichotomus key gram postive bacteria coccus - Lab Report Example However, so is the gram-(+) Streptococcus and Enterococcus. In fact, they are collectively known as the gram-(+) cocci. Thus, to differentiate them, we use the catalase test, which determines whether an organism is able to convert the toxic hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Of the four main gram-(+) cocci genera, only Staphylococcus and Micrococcus are catalase-(+). We then try to grow it on Mannitol Salt Agar. The genus of Micrococcus is unable to use mannitol for food, and thus will not grow on MSA medium. On the other hand, Staphylococcus is able to grow on MSA because they can oxidize mannitol. Finally, we try to determine whether the unknown is S. aureus or S. epidermidis by growing it on blood agar. Since it did not cause hemolysis, then the organism is S. epidermidis, because S. aureus is a known alpha-hemolytic organism. http://www.mesacc.edu/~aleid84161/personalhomepage/Flow%20Charts.pdf, n.

Health organization case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health organization case study - Essay Example The growth of the network may be attributed to dedicated workforce, excellent facilities, and a purposeful mission statement that drives towards providing high quality healthcare services that enhance people’s lives positively. Indeed, the network prides of having one of the largest hospitals in the US, the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, which also serves as the network’s headquarters. Moreover, the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital boasts of being a leader in a number of health services and treatments programs, including diabetes, heart care and surgery, and gynecology. Nevertheless, the network enjoys diversity not only in its workforce, but also in the clients it serves, especially considering that, different states have different demographic compositions. Care Management Banner Health values and takes cognizance of the importance of quality of service and patient satisfaction, as the drivers for excellent performance. In this regard, the network ha s put in place mechanisms to ensure its workforce deliver services with minimal or zero patient errors, as well as enhancing safety of both employees and patients in its facilities. In addition to improvement of quality, Banner Health has prioritized on cost control through elaborate management practices, care coordination and performance enhancement. Moreover, Banner Health promotes cross-facility harmonization through a system that ensures sharing of knowledge and information, as well as intergration of activities across the network. The success of this harmonization is evident from the fact that, medical services that patients receive in different Banner facilities are not only of high quality and timely, but they are also uniform across the system. In addition, sharing of knowledge allows healthcare professionals across the network to develop skills that will enhance their service delivery. However, due to diversity, Banner Health promotes functional teams and work groups that c ooperate in establishing and developing policy applicable in all facilities, but giving each facility the discretion to implement such policies. All these functions are enhanced though a dedicated team of professionals and leaders as well as an elaborate technology system that enhances communication across all facilities. Despite operating as not-for-profit organization, Banner Health has managed to be efficient in its operation, making it one of the best health care providers. Indeed, the organization was recognized earlier in year 2013 for excellence in quality, patient care and efficiency by a Truven Health Analysis survey (Banner Health Website, 2013). More specifically, Banner Health scored admirably in its ability to â€Å"save lives and causing fewer patient complications, compliance with industry-recommended standards, making fewer patient errors, releasing patients half a day sooner and patient satisfaction† (Banner Health Website, 2013). In order to enhance quality, the organization invests heavily in innovation as well as in performance management. Primarily, Banner Health collects data from all its facilities and then analyzes such data to measure the level of performance in comparison to predetermined goals and national standards. This allows the organization to identify any gaps that need improvement. Use of technology at Banner Health Banner Health has recognized the importance of technology in today’s health care environment. This aims at ensuring that services are provided with the

Contract Creation and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contract Creation and Management - Essay Example It also shows how serious the leasing contract is being broken. The executives of Quick Takes video are extremely much surprised on learning of the news of the lawsuit. They argue that the contract was not viable since they did not sign it as they are the owners of the company and that they had not authorized Janet, the secretary to sign any contract that was binding them with Non-Linear Pro in the leasing of the equipment. The Quick Takes Videos’ attorney argues that Janet was acting as an agent to the company, and thus the argument cannot work since an agent is permitted to conduct business on behalf of the principal who was away during that time. The executives also try to argue that Non-Linear Pro brought faulty junk equipment and hurriedly gave the secretary the contract to sign. Janet said that she signed the contract because she taught it was a delivery. The equipment that was brought was to be on a trial basis for a month, and then they would sign the lease. That was s upposed to be the agreement that was made by the Quick Takes Video executives and Non-Linear Pro. ... This shows how the Non linear Pro is misrepresenting its equipment and its product in general. The other issue is that the secretary of Quick Takes Video, Janet acted on behalf of the company’s executives in the level of an agent and signed the lease by mistake thinking it was a delivery paper that she signs all the time. She did not take her time to read what was in the paper before signing it. This in turn, is souring up the two company’s relationship and it is making it worse. One of Quick Takes Video executive Hal says that piece of equipment that was supplied by Non Linear was a piece of junk and that the equipment that was brought was supposed to be one month trial equipment and not the real lease. Administering of Contracts In this case, the executives of the Quick Takes Video did not define to Janet on who was responsible to signing off some specific contracts in the company. During creation of contracts and managing them, business owners are supposed to define to their employees on who is responsible for signing contracts that bind the company to legal terms. Quick Take Video should define to Janet on what her authority in the company actually is. She should be told on what contracts she is responsible for signing and which contracts are her natures of signing. In the video, the executive of Quick Takes is to blame since they directed the Non Linear Pro to finish all the arrangements with Janet. They did not however, limit the sales person that specific contractual signing was to be made by the executives alone. This is where the problem arose from. The Non Linear Pro sales person might have thought that Janet had the authority to sign off these contracts. On looking at both companies allegations against each other, they both have strong cases against

International Law and Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Law and Human Rights - Essay Example The idea for the respect of the laws of a society is ingrained into the members of a society with the aid of the education which is given to them. It is a necessity because without respect for the law, a society could fall apart with each member of the society doing exactly as s/he wished. Of course, there is also the threat of punishment associated with breaking the law but if someone is completely sure that they can get away with it, it would be unlikely that they would continue to follow the laws without having incredible self restraint (Barak, 2005). When the same idea is applied to the global situation, we see a society where certain members can play loose and fast with the laws of the collective which can lead others to think that international laws and covenants on human rights are meaningless to begin with (McCarthy, 2006). They may be taken as guidelines or suggestions rather than the dictates of the global government which apparently works without an established arm for the enforcement of its laws. In any civilised society, there is a group of people who are responsible for maintaining the law of the land. While it is easy to enforce the law where jurisdiction is clarified and law officers know what they can and cannot do, international law enforcement becomes more an issue since certain authorities may not be recognized by other sovereign nations (Shaw, 2003). In such tricky matters, it is possible that international force becomes more important than international law (Palmer & Palmer, 2004). There are quite a few places on the planet where the government of the people is accused of acting against the people in violation of human rights. This violation of rights may be limited or ignored altogether as in the case of Japan where women are treated as less than men (Asian Human Rights Commission, 2001), or it may cause the international powers to get together and take real notice of the situation. Violators of human rights can even face the

Genetically modified seeds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetically modified seeds - Assignment Example This report summarizes public awareness on GM seeds, their benefits, risks, safety concerns, environmental concerns; and makes recommendations based on these findings. This study uses simple random sampling. The population of the sample includes individuals in the neighbourhood who were randomly selected. Findings are based on case data to derive general conclusions. To meet the objectives of this study, a questionnaire focussing on the objectives of the study was established. Most people said that there is little public awareness about GM seeds. However, eight out of fifteen respondents said that over 70% of foods in grocery stores contain an ingredient grown from GM seeds, which did not surprise them. The results showed that most consumers do not have entrenched knowledge about the benefits and risks of genetically modified seeds. However, most people are suspicious that GM seeds pose health and environmental risks. People are generally uncertain about consumer benefits from GM seeds. Environmental threats posed by GM foods are the leading contributors of these uncertainties. Although most people are concerned about safety of GM seeds, more concern is on the risk these seeds pose to the environment. When asked on benefits of GM seeds to consumers and farmers, nine out of fifteen respondents indicated that GM seeds have richer nutritional value, higher quality and are better priced. Five of the respondents claimed that GM seeds are drought resistant, pest resistant and weed resistant. Most respondents were aware that the seeds would ensure adequate food supply for the booming population. Six respondents argued that GM seeds would lead to high quality foods free from chemicals needed to keep pests and weeds away. Eleven respondents felt that GM seeds would greatly benefit farmers in producing high yields and reducing production costs. Results indicated concerns about future

Business research method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business research method - Essay Example se, it is necessary to use the following steps in order to determine whether the bias in recommending for promotion was a change variable or was due to discrimination. The students could work in groups and brainstorm regarding the possibility of discrimination or the absence of it. It is next necessary to work out a two way mathematical table showing the two variables- recommended or not recommended for promotion, and gender- male / females. It is now necessary to consider the three possible outcomes that could arise: From the above, it is well discerned that there is no element of discrimination present. In the event, where there was perceived discrimination against women, the figures for recommendation would not be as figured above. The use of the simulation technique is indeed a robust tool for repeating the exercise several times to determine its probability or the absence of it. In this case however, it is seen that the value of probability of occurrence of discrimination is just 4%. Thus in most cases, the theory of discrimination may not hold water and could be rejected after ruling out the possibilities of Type 1 or Type II errors. Typically, a Type I error is when we could make an error in asserting that discrimination against women does play a part, when actually it has not; and secondly Type II error, when in reality, there being evidence of discrimination against women, but it was not accepted. Navigating through data analysis: Chapter 2: Making decisions with categorical data. (2009). Navigations Series, p.1. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from

German military Essay Example for Free

German military Essay The overwhelming tactics unleashed by the Nazis at the beginning of World War Two signaled a shocking advance in the art of warfare. The allies struggled to devise defenses against the blitzkrieg of the German military. Eventually, they were able to repel the Germans. However, the nations of the world learned a great deal from the blitzkrieg. This frightening tactic would be emulated and modified in the decades to come. As the Blitzkrieg inspired fear in its opponents, it also eventually inspired overconfidence in the Germans. Many of the nations that the Germans attacked in the first years had antiquated militaries and were ill prepared for the onslaught of the German Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. In the first years of the conflict, the Luftwaffe seemed both omnipresent and nearly invincible as it fought on fronts as distant as North Africa and Northern Russia. 1 The Allies would be forced by the Blitzkrieg to rapidly retool their militaries and their military strategies. In the mean time, the Blitzkrieg would cause devastation across Europe. War in the early 20th Century World War One served as a major turning point in the conduct of warfare. Prior to this war, the idea of honor for ones opponent still existed to a certain degree. Many commanders frowned upon sneak attacks and civilian casualties. By 1914, the technology of weaponry had advanced significantly. It was now possible to kill large numbers of 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). soldiers easily. The tremendous number of casualties eliminated any sense of battlefield chivalry that remained. The machine gun, deadly gases, air power and more accurate and deadly shells resulted in unprecedented casualties. Yet, neither side was gaining any substantial ground. The war settled into a deadly stalemate in which soldiers were routinely sacrificed in large numbers with little hope of gain. With the exit of the newly formed Soviet Union and the entry of the United States into the conflict it became clear that Germany would run out of manpower before the allies. The eventual peace levied a punitive price on Germany. The nation was forced to accept full blame for the war, change its form of government, pay reparations and reduce the size of its military. Feeling the humiliation of the Versailles treaty, the Germans who would later come to power were determined not to make the same mistakes as their predecessors. After World War One, a committee was formed to assess war issues and strategies. It was decided that strategies emphasizing maneuver and surprise would be necessary in the future. Carl von Clausewitz and other German military theoreticians had successfully used such tactics in prior wars. 2 The new German command would draw on these principles, and merge them with rapidly advancing military technology. The Germans knew that, for them, a war of attrition was unwinnable. Yet, there were some who wanted to avenge the harsh terms of the Versailles treaty. The Nazis only held a minority in the Reichstag, but Hitler managed to maneuver his way into absolute power. From the early 1930’s, the Germans violated the terms of the treaty and rebuilt 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. their military to frightening levels. Military leaders, such as Goring and Himmler studied the theories of J. F. C. Fuller and Liddell Hart in order to craft military strategies that took advantage of cutting edge technology. 3 Shades of the future could be seen even before the end of World War One. The Germans used Blitzkrieg-like attacks in Russia and in France during 1918. By that time, however, attrition had decimated the German forces and they were ultimately unable to capitalize upon these successes. What is Blitzkrieg? Blitzkrieg, or â€Å"Lightning War† was a startling advance on warfare first used comprehensively in the Nazi attack of Poland in 1939. The tactic was used extensively in the following years. The Blitzkrieg provided great success for the regime throughout Europe, in North Africa, and initially in Russia. The term â€Å"Blitzkrieg† is now a general term used to describe a variety of military actions. In all cases, it is a well-planned, widespread attack used to decimate the enemy’s defenses swiftly. In World War Two, the Nazi blitzkriegs often consisted of a specific sequence of actions. Any definition of Blitzkrieg should include the following elements: a decentralized command structure, the avoidance of combat in favor of targeting infrastructure, the use of air support, and the use of mobile, mechanized artillery. Engineering assets must also be prevalent in order to keep the force moving quickly. 4 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. The term itself came into use in the mid 1930’s, although elements of the strategy had been around for centuries. It came into widespread use after Time magazine used it to describe the German attack on Poland in 1939. First, infrastructure, communications, and the front and back line troops are attacked by air. Any air forces were to be neutralized immediately. This is done by heavy, concentrated bombing sorties. The goal was to effectively blind the enemy and gain air superiority. Following closely behind, tank divisions break through and advance quickly. Other mechanized units follow the tanks, engaging the enemy and establishing strategic strongholds. Communication is critical for such an attack. Advances in radio technology allowed the Germans to create a seamless network in which commanders could receive, and react to, real time information from any sector of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the infantry is engaging the enemy forces. Those forces are then unable to pull back and defend against the fast-moving mechanized forces. The enemy flanks are also attacked. Ground forces continue the process of encircling the enemy forces, while the tank units plunge ever further into enemy territory. The highly concentrated, fierce attacks often caught enemies off-guard. The mechanized units advanced at such a rate that they were able to continually out flank defenders. Often within weeks the enemy forces would be circled and cut of from reinforcements. To enhance the effectiveness of these attacks, the Germans usually did not declare war. In some cases, Hitler had even made non-aggression pacts with countries he later attacked. Unleashing the new war machine The Nazi war plan was the product of years of preparation. Although the Blitzkrieg is a name specifically describing actions that began in 1939, the Nazis had already experimented with the idea prior to the war. The Spanish civil war of the late 1930’s provided a proving ground, of sorts, for a new theory of war. German high command participated in the war, evaluating and honing tactics for the larger conflict to come. According to Dale M Brown in The Luftwaffe: The eruption of that conflict in 1936 had been welcomed by Hitler and his Generals as a heaven sent opportunity for the young German air force to test its planes, train its air crews and develop new fighting techniques under modern battle conditions. 5 In 1939, the Nazi government manufactured a border dispute with neighboring Poland. The Polish army was accused of entering German territory and committing murder. Coincidentally enough, German forces were already poised at the border and ready for an offensive attack. What would occur next would come to be known as the Blitzkrieg. Poland and the other European nations were ill-prepared for the German onslaught. German forces poured in to Poland with lightning speed, while the Luftwaffe quickly neutralized the Polish Air Force. The Blitzkrieg had achieved its first major success. Edwin P. Holt writes in Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe: The effect was terrible. In minutes the roads were scenes of devastation and carnage. It was a case of a modern war machine 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). fighting a nineteenth-century army. 6 The speed of the attack was unprecedented. It was both physically and psychologically devastating for the Polish populace. Centers of population thought safely within the country’s interior were now reachable in a matter of days. The stunning attacks struck fear into both the civilian and military population. This, in fact, was a critical part of the Blitzkrieg plan. A population that feels utterly vulnerable is likely to submit quickly. The eyewitnesstohistory. com website provides a diary entry fro a German tank commander. He writes of the later French campaign: The people in the houses were rudely awoken by the din of our tanks, the clatter and roar of tracks and engines. Troops lay bivouacked beside the road†¦Civilians and French troops, their faces distorted with terror lay huddled in the ditches. 7 The Blitzkrieg later used against the French would be ruthlessly efficient. Historians disagree as to whether the Polish campaign was technically a Blitzkrieg, citing many of its conventional elements. It has come to be known as the beginning of Blitzkrieg none the less. It was devastatingly fast, and nearly impossible to defend against. The Polish defenders fought valiantly, but they were over matched. Polish troops repeatedly charged the German tanks in what amounted to a suicide mission. Nazi commanders, secure in their tanks spoke arrogantly of the Polish campaign. In Tank, Patrick Wright described the Nazi’s attitude: 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Hitler’s tank General, Heinz Guderian, claimed that the Polish Lancers took this desperate step â€Å"In ignorance of the nature of our tanks† and suffered â€Å"tremendous losses† as a consequence. 8 After the successful campaign against the Poles, the Nazi regime turned its sights toward the other neighboring countries. Some of them, intimidated by the Blitzkrieg, fell without a fight. Others were quickly overwhelmed by the ever more efficient blitz tactics. Before the end of 1940, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium had all fallen into German hands. With military confidence at an all-time high, Hitler unleashed the blitz on Russia in 1941. In short order, German troops surrounded Moscow and Leningrad. In the East, Hitler stood triumphantly in Paris. France had been conquered in less than two months. After the First World War, the French had constructed a system of border defenses called the Maginot Line. It was thought that this line could prevent any invasion, or at least delay it long enough for defenders to assemble. The Germans studied the line intensively and found its weak points. This illustrates the theory of schwerpunkt – a maximum concentration of integrated forces at one focal area. 9 From there, mechanized forces could get behind, and eventually encircle defenders. Ultimately, the Maginot line could not stand up to the much-advanced German tanks and artillery. Mechanized units plunged through the line, fanned out, and quickly drove remaining French forces underground. The process would be repeated many times throughout Europe. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. German forces under Gen Erwin Rommel also used Blitzkrieg tactics in North Africa. Initially, they faced little resistance. Deception was often a part of the North African version of Blitzkrieg. Tanks and the Luftwaffe were still the spearheads of the attack, but Rommel also used the natural elements to his advantage. From The War in the Desert by Richard Collier: Behind them [the tanks] groaned trucks whose drivers were doing their best to obey Rommel’s order: â€Å"Rear vehicles to raise dust – Nothing but dust. † 10 Small deceptions such as this allowed the Germans to stretch their forces farther than otherwise possible. The Germans streaked across the desert, acquiring strategic positions and valuable natural resources. The allies had seen the devastating Blitzkrieg in Europe and now they faced a foe of unknown strength in Africa. That was how the Germans wanted it. From The War in the Desert: It was becoming increasingly clear that the enemy believed us to be far stronger than we actually were, Rommel said, â€Å"A belief that was essential to maintain. 11 In addition, the bombing of London is commonly referred to as â€Å"the Blitz†. From the perspective of those being bombed, this is understandable. Militarily, however, these attacks did not meet the technical definition of Blitzkrieg. Still, the whistle of the dive- bombing German Stukas provided the intimidation that could have made a later invasion easier. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). A key aspect of Blitzkrieg is the integration of all branches of the military in a well-coordinated attack. Air power was still relatively new to the battlefield. It had existed in WWI. Initially, balloons had been used for reconnaissance and occasional bombing. Later in the war, fighter aircraft were developed to the point of effectiveness. Strategy, however, was in its infancy. Using air power in concert with the army was rare and often ineffective. The Nazi’s were innovative in using the rapidly developing flight technology to its best advantage. If air power was important to the success of the blitzkrieg, the tank was critical. The mobility, firepower and defenses of the tank were substantially better than their WWI counterparts, due mainly to the innovation of the Germans. In World War One the tank was still relatively new. It showed potential as an offensive weapon, but it had many problems as well. WWI tanks frequently got stuck, broke down or were sabotaged. Some were very lightly armored. By the end of the war, the Germans had realized that the tank was ineffective in a stalemate situation. However, it showed great promise in swift, mobile attacks. Some of Germany’s potential foes also realized the military potential of mechanized warfare. British generals, including Sir Basil Liddell, were simultaneously developing the strategy of mechanized warfare. George Parada writes: They all postulated that tanks could not only seize ground by brute strength, but could also be the central factor in a new strategy of warfare†¦. All of them found the tank to be the ultimate weapon. 12 Speed was the central aspect to the Blitzkrieg. The Nazi’s had to cut off 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. reinforcements and prevent enemy troops from regrouping to be successful. All of the actions of the Blitzkrieg were aimed toward those ends. Technological advances allowed for that speed. If the first wave of potential defenders could not be completely destroyed, at the logistics and communication that support those defenders could be interrupted. Further reinforcements would then have a difficult time catching up to the speedy German attack. The differences in military hardware between WWI and WWII are stark. Aircraft, for example, had become many times faster and more deadly. Tanks, also, were far more powerful and mobile than in the First World War. The changes in strategy that created the Blitzkrieg soon followed. From the eyewitnesstohistory. com website: This was a new kind of warfare integrating tanks, air power, artillery and motorized infantry into a steel juggernaut emphasizing speedy movement and maximization of battlefield opportunities. 13 The end of the Blitz? The success of the Blitzkrieg was reliant on many factors. For years, the Germans had been planning out every detail of their actions. One critical element, however, was beyond their control. The lack of enemy preparedness was as important as anything the Germans did in the attacks. As the war dragged on, German resources waned and the preparedness of the Allies increased. The blitz proved to be devastatingly effective against Germany’s European neighbors. Most were overrun within weeks. The blitz had its limitations, though. When the Nazi’s attacked the Soviet Union success appeared imminent. Russia is a massive 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. landmass with a vast amount of resources and often severe weather conditions. These forces would spread the German military too thin, and eventually turn it back. In the West, the English Channel provided a natural barrier against the Germans. The same fast, well-coordinated and overwhelming attacks that had brought great success in Europe were simply not possible against Great Britain. Germany was never able to gain air superiority over England and never launched an invasion. By 1944 the Blitzkrieg attacks had run their course. The Soviets had outlasted the Germans on the Eastern front. In the east, the Americans had joined Allied forces for the successful D-Day invasion. On the defensive, Germany was no longer able to mount massive blitz attacks. During their retreat, they were able to perform one final coordinated attack, at the Ardennes in France. The Blitzkrieg was undoubtedly effective in the early going. The stealth and speed of the attacks allowed the Germans to quickly conquer territories that might not have been possible with conventional tactics. As effective as it was, the Blitzkrieg could not counteract one maxim of conventional warfare – The side with the most resources will eventually win. The Germans simply could not match the resources the Allies could muster. The element of surprise was also gone by 1943. In the face of overwhelming force, the Blitzkrieg was neutralized. Pointing toward the future The Blitzkrieg advanced warfare to shocking levels. At least in the early going the Germans were successful in avoiding long wars of attrition. The Blitzkrieg also provided an intimidating image in which civilians were often in the crosshairs of the war machine. From Tank by Patrick Wright: †¦the image converts the opening weeks of the Second World War into a collision between eras; petrol against muscle, faceless mechanized power against personal valour. 14 It was a rude awakening to a new era of warfare. Killing was now impersonal in many cases. It could now be done from great distances in any conditions. Te days of two armies warring endlessly along a well-defined front were over. The Germans cannot be given all of the credit for developing what would become the Blitzkrieg. Mobile warfare had, in fact, been around for centuries. German commander Guderian and others gave credit to British theoreticians Liddell Hart and J. F. C. Fuller, although the extent of their influence is still a matter of debate. 15 During the late 1920’s the British had created an experimental force to test the effects of fully mechanized warfare. Fuller created new battle plans emphasizing the role of the modern tank. The Germans studied these actions closely, and improved upon them. Germany had also emerged as an industrial and scientific power. This was critical in the development of their new military. The advances in machinery in the early twentieth century allowed for unprecedented military speed. The Germans learned well from their World War One experience. Other nations were also developing Blitzkrieg-like tactics before WWII. The Germans, however, were the first to use the new strategy in a comprehensive way. In a world still war weary and suffering an economic depression, the Blitzkrieg achieved maximum shock value. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Anything successful is bound to be copied. The Allies were not oblivious to the new German tactics. The innovative German tactics would now be used against them. George Parada describes the process of adaptation: At the same time [the] potential of Blitzkrieg and related tactics was fully appreciated by the Allies, who implemented its tactics on both fronts†¦George Patton used Blitzkrieg and mobile warfare tactics in his European operations of 1944. 16 Echoes of the German blitz can be seen in modern warfare. The â€Å"shock and awe† campaign of the United States military against the Iraqi regime is one such example. It was a well-prepared and widespread attack on a vast number of pre-designated targets. Unlike the German attacks, this was not initially an invasion. The advances in air and missile technology allowed for this. The Iraqi regime, unlike the European nations in WWII, had plenty of warning that the attack would occur. The goals of the blitz and the â€Å"shock and awe† campaign remain the same, however. The attacks were designed to target military assets and the infrastructure that supports them. At the same time, the attackers want to intimidate and overwhelm their foes. The ultimate goal is to avoid a bloody stalemate such as that in World War One. Today, weaponry has advanced to the point where the element of surprise is no longer necessary for a major power. Guerrilla wars are also far more prevalent today. These types of wars limit the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg-type attacks. In short, the Blitzkrieg has greatly influenced attack strategy. However, the strategy is not as invincible as it once was. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Notes 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg : 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Sources Addington, Larry H. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. Brown, Dale (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. Collier, Richard. The War in the Desert. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. Corum, James S. The Roots of Blitzkrieg. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1992. Ferguson, Niall. The War of the World: twentieth-century conflict and the descent of the West. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Hoyt, Edwin P. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Macksey, Kenneth. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Perrett, Bryan and Hacket, John. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. Rossino, Alexander B. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. Rutherford, Ward. Blitzkrieg 1940. New York: Putnam Sons, 1979. Sheperd, Alan. France1940 Blitzkrieg in the West. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. Wernick, Robert. Blitzkrieg. New York: Time-Life Books, 1976. Wright, Patrick. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.

Tesco Value Proposition

Tesco Value Proposition INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report was to critically evaluate the value proposition of Tesco Plc to its customers. Given information about the target customers of Tesco and even a PEST analysis of the company was done. Tesco Plc competed with big supermarkets to become one of UKs best supermarkets ever. 1. DISCUSSION 1.1 Tescos Value proposition to its customers Companies that offer outstanding value turn buyers (tryers) into lifetime customers ( Weinstein and Johnson 1999,p.4). Some of the value driven strategies are Understanding customer choices Identifying customer segments Increasing competitive options(for example, offering more products) Avoiding price wars Improving service quality Focusing on what is meaningful to customers Improving brand success and (Weinstein and Johnson 1999,p.5). Tesco Plc is worlds third biggest super market (Sky news 2008). What would have made them reach this position? To compete the supermarkets like Sainsbury and Morrisons , there must be some talent behind. Tesco Plc which started its life in 1919 when Jack Cohen started selling surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. By 1970s, Tesco was building a national store network to cover the whole of the UK, which it continues to expand to this day, while also diversifying into other products (Telegaph 2008). As if now Tesco continues to dominate in UK. Why many customers turned to Tesco when they were happy shopping in Sainsbury and Morrisons ? How Tesco stole these customers from these supermarkets? The answer to these may be value proposition of Tesco Plc to these customers. Understanding customers is what the most important thing in business today. As in the lecture of adding value on week seven by Prof.Phillip Mutter, value proposition is how we intend to create value for our customer? Value of one customer may not be valuable to another customer. The impact the suppliers offer has on the customers own value chain. Customers do not buy features, products or services but solutions to their problem. May be this is what Tesco Plc is being doing. They might have understood customers more than Sainsbury and Morrisons do. How Tesco offer value to customers? Tesco in 1997 developed certain values some of them were: No one tries harder for customers. Understand customers better than anyone. Be energetic, be innovative and be first for customers. Use our strengths to deliver unbeatable value to our customers. Treat people how we like to be treated (Tesco Plc 2009). Cutting down the price Tesco studied that price can be one of the important factors which could bring customers to them. Tesco also maintained quality as the price cuts. Tesco made sure that no one could beat them in price. We have introduced bigger packs, representing even better value, on products like coffee, tea and bread and have also added 60 new products to the Value range, bringing the total to over 200. On Tesco Value, we promise customers that our prices wont be beaten (Tesco 1999). Use of ClubCards Using clubcard was one of the top strategies used by Tesco in 1995 to understand their customers. As for most other companies, did not realise the importance of Tesco using the clubcards. By the use of clubcards Tesco was actually stealing customers from other supermarkets. Tesco gave clubcards to frequent shopping customers. With the clubcard, Tesco got every information they wanted. Tesco stored all the information about customer in the customers clubcard. Like what did they shop? How much they use to spend in a day? What product they purchase etc. Tesco then sends special offers to them. Internet capture By seeing that many customers were shopping online, Tesco also used to give values through internet. Delivering products to the customers door. Customers used to visit the website and order things like groceries, books, cds, furniture, videos and other items and also arranging personnel finance. All in all great value. (brandingasia). Private label success In the idea of increasing sales, Tesco thought to give more to existing customers in existing stores. Tesco started using private labels to sell the product with which they tried to give almost same quality of top brands with cheap price. Tesco labels it as Tesco value. Items which they sold using private labels were bakery, meat, ready meals, deli, dairy, HBC, wine and non foods. Many others too (corioliosisresearch 2004,p.20). Porters value chain on Tesco Plc As in the lecture discussed by Prof. Phillip Mutter, Porters value chain consists of five activities which are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, service activities(Lysons and Farrington 2006,p.102). Inbound logistics include receipt of goods from suppliers, storage, handling and transportation and stocking. Tesco always tried to keep the customer choice in store. In Tesco, there is an opportunity to reduce the cost unfairly incurred by company and therefore preventing the cost being passed on to the customer. In operations, Tesco maintains the tasks such as opening every day in accordance with trading hours, maintaining the shelves, and the stocks. In outbound logistics, Tesco has home delivery service and also they increase the number of staffs at till to save the time of customers. Trolleys are arranged such a way that they are easily accessible. In marketing and sales, Tesco issues clubcards as discussed above and advertise in news papers, radio, national TVs etc Service activities include human resource and technological activities. In human resource management, Tesco trains the staff to do the job.There are a number of ways we support our people to achieve this, be it through an Options Development Programme, offering an Apprenticeship or encouraging the studying for a qualification whilst at work.(Tesco 2009) In the technological, Tescos brand name gives the product vitality and with the start of internet shopping, Tesco can be the best to shop. 1.2 PEST Analysis on Tesco Plc Political, economical, sociological and technological (PEST) analysis on Tesco Plc gives out the following results. Political Credit crunch usually leads to unemployment. As, Tesco being one of the largest and fastest growing supermarkets, more jobs are expected to be available in Tesco. Tesco politically, is facing a charge of driving out other retailers out of the competition. But under EU law, if an organisation has large market share can be dominant. Tesco to date has no charge legally of exploitation. Economical Economically, Tesco has not been badly affected when compared to others. Tesco has the brand name and all products cheap for all segments of the market. So whatever happens when Tesco opens the door, customers are ready to flow in. Sociological Sociological aspects for Tesco have also helped a lot. As the number of career minded persons like students from abroad are increasing in UK, ready meals are in demand to make the cooking easy. Tesco has also understood this segment too. Tesco has variety of products for such students. Technological Technological factors like internet are also friendly to Tesco. Customers can go online shopping in Tescos site. Tesco has also started carbon reduction programme. Customers are also encouraged to make low carbon choices. 1.3 Tescos Value proposition on Target customers The Clubcard database is helping us to give customers an even better and more focused offer: the mail-out at the end of February 1999 contained 80,000 variations of letter, offer and magazine, and issued  £50m-worth of reward vouchers, together with  £25m-worth of product coupons. By understanding customers shopping habits, we are now even better at targeting our offers to them ( Tesco 1999). Tesco created a student card and a card for mothers in 1996 which suited their needs. In 1997, Tesco direct service and financial services were added. Adding value also became mandatory, like expectant mothers were given the priority of parking outside the store, even personnel assistance to help them. In 1998, Tesco began to offer electricity and telecommunications products and services. By this time, Tesco had identified 108 customer market segments (brandingasia). For middle-income with young children, Tesco has opened bank with jargon-free, customer friendly approach, coupled with its perceived low prices, has obviously proved a winner (guardian 2005). Market share rose tremendously even customers are happy. Making nice use of technology, provided customers with great experience (brandingasia). CONCLUSION By looking into the value proposition of Tesco, it is for sure that it is going to be very difficult for any other supermarket to emerge. PEST analysis shows the company is still strong to compete politically, economically, socially and technically. Also Tesco is well aware of its target customers and doing well to them too. REFERENCES: Branding Asia. (). Tesco The brand experience is everything. Available: http://www.brandingasia.com/cases/tesco.htm. Last accessed 2 Jan 2010. Clark,T. (2008). A history of Tesco: The rise of Britains biggest supermarket. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2788089/A-history-of-Tesco-The-rise-of-Britains-biggest-supermarket.html. Last accessed 1 Jan 2010. Coriolis research. (2004). TESCO: A CASE STUDY IN SUPERMARKET EXCELLENCE. Available: http://www.coriolisresearch.com/pdfs/coriolis_tesco_study_in_excellence.pdf. Last accessed 2 Jan 2010 Lysons,K.Farrington,B (2006). Purchasing and supplychain management. 7th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. P102. Sky News. (2008). Tesco Sees Huge Jump In Profits . Available: http://video.news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Tesco-UKs-Biggest-Supermarket-Chain-Unveils-Profits-Of-145-Billion-Pounds-For-First-Six-Months/Article/200809415109917?lpos=Business_Article_Related_Con. Last accessed 1 Jan 2010. Tesco. (2009). Company Information: values and cultures. Available: http://www.tesco.com/recruitment/html/careers/compInfo/values.htm. Last accessed 1 Jan 2010. Tesco. (1999). from pennies to pounds. Available: http://www.tesco.com/investorInformation/report99/content/value.html. Last accessed 1 Jan 2010. TESCO. (2009). Training Development. Available: http://www.tesco-careers.com/home/working/training-and-development. Last accessed 3 Jan 2010. The Guardian. (2005). Every little helps so forget those Tesco quotes. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2005/sep/24/insurance.moneysupplement. Last accessed 4 Jan 2010. Weinstein,A.Johnson,W,C (1999). Designing and delivering superior customer value: concepts, cases, and Applications. United States of America: CRC Press LLC. p4.

Implications For Integrated Marketing Communications Marketing Essay

Implications For Integrated Marketing Communications Marketing Essay The rise of social networking over the last two decades has revolutionized communications and information management for thousands of companies all over the world. One of its most powerful effects is the near-instantaneous and influential spread of personal opinion across vast distances, time and space through virtual means. Social network communities, especially, have emerged in recent years as one of the most influential forums for consumers opinions, allowing almost anyone who is connected to the Internet to influence brand perceptions and consumption (Vogt and Knapman, 2008; see Blackshaw, 2008). The rise of this phenomenon in the age of social media and Web 2.0 has been described as one in which key types of personalities engage with digital media in order to influence public and political opinion (Ecclestone and Griseri, 2008). Whether they are called influencers, connectors, salespeople or mavens (ibid., 2008), we are undoubtedly living in a time when marketers have to take the power of peer-generated opinion seriously, particularly in a Web 2.0 environment. The implications of social media communities continue to concern marketers and marketing strategy in a fluid, porous and dynamic online environment. This is an environment in which the traditional rules of controlled media, carefully-executed strategies and market/customer feedback research and analysis no longer hold, at least not the same extent as they have done in the 1970s and 80s. Today, social media networks permeate virtually all realms of marketing and can have a powerful influence upon how consumers perceive and consume brands. The effects can be highly positive or corrosive, depending on how companies manage online word-of-mouth (Jones, Temperley and Anderson, 2009). The rise of massive brand communities (Ouwersloot and Odekerken-Schroder (2008) is also a matter of concern for marketers because of their cult status among consumers. Fans of Harley-Davidson motorbikes, for instance, of Apple devices, drive sales and revenues for the respective companies. They When it comes to planning, designing and executing an Integrated Marketing Communications campaign (hereafter referred to as IMC), therefore, social media can prove to be both simple and complex. It is worth stating that textbook accounts of it often do not delve sufficiently into how newer technological developments like social networking affect its operations and eventual success or failure. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to provide a critical examination of how social networking has thrown up new challenges for marketing communications and to examine some solutions in the literature. The rest of this paper is structured as follows. I first put forward some of the mainstream and traditional conceptualisations of marketing communications and current discussions of its significance for branding as well as its pitfalls for unwary companies and consumers. Next, I discuss some of the implications of social media networks for IMC. Some examples follow. Finally, I examine the implications of my discussion, identify a couple of limitations of this paper and propose fruitful avenues for future research. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC): Definitions and Conceptualisations Although there are a number of elements to marketing communications including visual logos, corporate communications, promotions, advertising and sponsorship, just to name a few there is widespread agreement among marketers and marketing academics alike that these elements have to be brought together in order to achieve cost efficiencies, synergies in resource utilisation and for a consistent and compelling overall message to be offered to a range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, the end-customer (Schultz, 2008). In other words, integrated communications can be defined as the notion and the practice of aligning symbols, messages, procedures and behaviours in order for an organisation to communicate with clarity, consistency and continuity within and across formal organisational boundaries (Christensen, Firat and Torp, 2008: 423). The process of IMC planning can be broken down into discrete stages, although some of these overlap in practice . There can be broken down as follows in terms of the SOSTAC Model (Roberts, 2006): Situation Analysis (where are we now ?) Objectives (where do we want to go?) Strategy (how do we get there?) Tactics (what steps do we take to get there?) Action (implementing the steps of action) Control (reviewing and monitoring the strategy against stated objectives) Although there are a number of different models in the literature, this conventional paradigm for IMC is still regarded as a kind of textbook model for how to do IMC. It is a fairly linear process, as the outline above shows. According to this framework, the marketing manager would perform an analysis (typically a SWOT analysis) which breaks down a companys performance into its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (from the environment, other competitors, and so on). Following this step, the marketer would identify key goals and objectives to drive the marketing campaign forward in terms of sales, revenues, return on investment, and/or other drivers of success. In traditional terms, these metrics typically include projected and actual sales. In the online environment, however, corporate reputation is far less able to be planned and controlled in this way and sales now takes on complex meanings. Tactics is next. These traditionally include sales tactics, sales promotions (using brochures, flyers, exhibitions at trade events, advertising and other forms of offline marketing communications). Companies then take actions which lead to desired outcomes. Finally, companies (under the traditional model) monitor and review progress of these tactics against stated objectives. This entire model of IMC is being revolutionised by the emergence of social media and social networking. In terms of tactics, the game has changed. Instead of relying on expensive (and sometimes ineffective advertising) or on sponsorship of events (which can prove politically contentious and generate negative press), a number of global companies choose instead to invest heavily to boost corporate reputation through their their web presence. Global companies such as Toyota and IBM have dedicated corporate Facebook accounts for customers and members to interact and share their user-experiences online. These brand communities perform several valuable functions for companies: they are, firstly, an effective way to test the waters before new product launches, secondly, a way to get instantaneous feedback from potential users, thirdly, a good platform to communicate directly with diverse users and last, but not least, a kind of public relations exercise to generate positive word-of-mouth f or the company (Lee, Cheung and Sia, 2006). However, it is only logical to expect that social media networks can also pose dangers for unwary companies and do damage to their brands. We now turn to these social networks to see how they function. Online Social Networks Online social network communities, such as online customer forums and chatrooms, have a powerful effect on its participants and even on casual visitors. Research has shown that people have a high propensity to trust online testimonials and user-generated feedback generated through word-of-mouth (WOM) communication (Sweeney, Soutar and Mazzarol, 2008). Positive WOM can be a useful and even profitable avenue of additional revenues for a companys products and services; even more significant is the fact that it can force companies to change unethical practices or their processes, including supply chain procurement and management, labour management practices, right down to accounting and financial reporting measures. Social media also make it easier for companies to do market research (Precourt, 2008), especially after certain crucial events, such as product launches, product updates and so on. Microsoft is an example of a company that relies on such media to improve its products but many technology companies now use these methods to collect valuable market data. On the other hand, there is certainly a dark side to social media for brand communications. It has been noted that consumers today enjoy unprecedented levels of consumer sovereignty (Hollenbeck and Zinkhan, 2006). Given the vast amount of information available over the Internet and increasingly vocal and powerful citizen-led lobbies and activist groups such as Greenpeace and so on, even governments sit up and take notice. The trend towards the democratization of opinion has been conclusively proven in the West but also increasingly in many other parts of the world. Social Networks, Brand Impact and Marketing Communications Based on the above discussion, social networks have a range of interesting impacts upon how brands are perceived and consumed. This section examines some pertinent examples of how social media can positively and negatively impact IMC. Positive and Negative Impacts As discussed earlier in this paper, the traditional notion of IMC was that it would be controlled and organized at a profound level (Christensen et al., 2008). Two key elements come into operation in IMC planning: consistency and control. Let me discuss each of these elements in turn. First: consistency in IMC is emphasized repeatedly in the literature as being of paramount importance for any firm seeking to run a successful campaign. That is to say, every element of the marketing chain (from the consumers first becoming aware of the brand to the actual purchase and post-purchase evaluation) needs to be coordinated to ensure a successful outcome for the consumers experience of the brand. This alone is hard enough for many companies to achieve: what adds to the complexity today is that the consumer then goes online, types in her or his comments on the purchase, the brand, and so on and either reports a good or a bad experience with it. This aspect of the brand experience still needs more research, in my view, but there are already myriad examples of what it can to brand reputation. Second: in more traditional contexts, marketing communications would be organised or influenced heavily either by an individual, a set of individuals or a divisional/team function. In social media/networking, there is no obvious or identifiable owner of such communications. There is no way to trace back opinions to an original source. It has become apparent, however, from recent developments, that companies and governments are prepared to take a stand against the anonymity afforded by the Internet. The recent furore over WikiLeaks, for instance, is a case in point. Although its founder, Julian Assange, intended WikiLeaks to be a wholly anonymous organization, he has, in fact, come to the forefront of public consciousness as a celebrity of sorts, hunted and wanted by different national jurisdictions on a number of charges, including sexual assault and treason. Other examples can be cited of the double nature of social media and its uses for marketing communications. Further Examples The implications of my discussion so far for brands are numerous. I have already provided some examples of the implications of social media for marketing research and data collection purposes, but further examples would make the point even clearer. A recent example of how Kenneth Cole, the well-known American brand of shoes and clothing, tried to use Twitter to generate publicity using the recent political unrest in Egypt shows how easy it is for companies to receive a backlash from appearing to be insensitive to groups and people. According to the site, Nancy Myrland, the brand manager of Kenneth Cole made a joke about the Egyptian crisis, saying that protesters must be on the streets because they had heard about Coles most recent collection (Lacy, 2010). Such an attempt at humour completely backfired upon the company and the brands reputation suffered one of its worst crises in years as a result. Although it would be difficult to measure the impact of such an incident upon Kenneth Coles long-term reputation, its short-term brand image certainly suffered. Another example is that of personal or celebrity brands. Facebook, Youtube and Twitter have greatly increased the influence of celebrities like Stephen Fry, Elizabeth Hurley and any number of Hollywood stars, sports celebrities and so on and so forth. Even the Queen has reportedly taken to using tweets to communicate her thoughts. In a world saturated by images, celebrities have become powerful brands in their own right through social media. This is an example of the power of instant communications and Word-of-Mouth advertising of products endorsed by celebrities (see Smith et al., 2007). Conclusion and Future Research In summary, I have identified and analysed some of the implications of social media/networking for brands and marketing communications. This paper has not been able to analyse some of the impacts in-depth due to the constraints of time and word limits nor has it been able to convey the scope and range of key social media developments today. The field is still developing and this paper has tried to convey some of the key issues surrounding the impact of social media on brands. Future research could include more detailed case studies or empirical research to track and monitor the effect of social media upon companies over a period of time (longitudinal studies). Even more interesting would be focus groups or action research taking place in young, start-up companies which want to use social media platforms to initiate their brand campaigns, rather than using it as an add-on after trying traditional media or as a supplement to traditional media. While there is certainly a place and time for more traditional communications channels, I hope this paper has made inroads into showing the potential benefits and dangers of this powerful medium.

Gray-Hat Hacking Essay -- Computers Technology Hackers Essays Research

Gray-Hat Hacking Overview Computer security is a growing concern with the onset of always-on connections in the home and the emerging global network. More and more people become connected everyday. The reliance on computers in our daily lives has increased the need for security and has shifted the ethical line for hackers and hacking. â€Å"A hacker is someone with deep knowledge of and great interest in a system. A hacker is someone who likes to delve into the inner workings of a system to find out how it works.†2 The definition of a hacker has been skewed in recent years by the press to connotate people who break into computer systems. The term has also evolved to represent people who protect computer systems and those that break into them. These newly termed hackers can be classified into three categories white-hat, black-hat, and gray-hat hackers. White-hat hackers are employed by corporations and work on the good side to secure computer systems without breaking into them. Black-hat hackers work on the bad side and attempt to compromise systems in illegal ways. Gray-hat hackers occupy the gray space of hacking and break into systems to learn and expose flaws, often as a service to the computer community. The ethical line dividing white-hat hackers and black-hat hackers is clear. However, the line that separates gray-hat hackers from black-hat hackers is constantly shifting in the new global network. Hacking that may have been considered ethical yesterday may not be true today due to the impact on global systems in the form of dollars loss and downtime. Hacking has evolved from simply having knowledge of systems by harmlessly breaking into them to an issue of security and computer crimes (cybercrimes). Hacking attac... ...um Copyright Act, 1998, http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf 5 Deborah Radcliff, Playing by Europe’s rule, 2001, http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,62057,00.html 6 US Department of Justice, Federal Computer Intrusion Laws, http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cclaws.html 7 Council of Europe, Convention on Cybercrime CETS No.:185, 2001, http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/cadreprincipal.htm 8 CSI / FBI, Computer Crime and Security Survey, 2003, http://i.cmpnet.com/gocsi/db_area/pdfs/fbi/FBI2003.pdf 9 George W. Bush, President’s Message to the Senate on the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, 2003, http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/senateCoe.pdf 10 US Department of Justice, FAQ on Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, 2003, http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/COEFAQs.htm

Colonization and Wealth in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Chinua

Colonization and Views on Wealth in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart The novels Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe share a common theme; both deal with the colonization of Africa by settlers from Europe. When one examines the motives for this imperialist attitude in each book, one notices that in both books the motivation for colonization revolves around the gaining of wealth. However Conrad and Achebe define wealth differently. In Heart of Darkness the Europeans view wealth economically, such as the trading of ivory. In Things Fall Apart the idea of wealth is viewed by Europeans as belonging to and spreading the European culture and religion. Despite these different definitions of wealth, both groups of Europeans obtain their wealth by assuming a position of power over the Africans. However, the Africans in Things Fall Apart have an opposing view of wealth; that of peace and status within their society. Because of this they achieve wealth in a different manner than the Europeans. These methods of acquiring wealt h suggest that the conflicts in Africa are a result of the colonization efforts of the Europeans. The main reason for colonization of Africa by Europeans is for profit. In the novel Heart of Darkness, profit comes from the ivory that the Europeans receive from trade agreements with the Africans. This desire is evident as suggested in this quote: â€Å"The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages† (Conrad 42). This statement shows that all the Europeans want from Africa is ivory. Therefore, it can be assumed that one of the main reasons that colonization to... ...onial conflict is entirely one sided. The Europeans have been shown to define wealth as gaining money and spreading their religion, therefore they can be seen as the aggressors in this conflict, reaching outside of their area for personal gain and profit. To obtain this wealth they assume a position of power over the Africans by enslaving them and using their knowledge to overthrow the African culture and religion. The Africans view of wealth and their method for obtaining this wealth in no way involves the Europeans. All that the Africans wanted to do was to continue living on their own and to not be intruded upon. From this, one can see that the colonial conflict is entirely due to the Europeans desire for wealth. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Penguin Books, 1999.

Article; Train Fares Essay

Train fares go off the rails. Are train fares becoming affordable for only the rich? Travel is ridiculously expensive: bus train or taxi, but especially the train. As trains are used by many people for various reasons to travel: to and from work; to and from school; to and from visiting family or holidays. They are used daily, and can be used by anyone any age, to anywhere they need, and this is why trains shouldn't be so expensive.Trains are know as being the quickest,most efficient type of transport, as they travel through many different towns all over the country, and because they have professionals driving them already, they allow you to work on the move- something you can't do whilst driving. But the train isn't as great as they make it out to be, Dan Lane a business worker who travels by train to get to work everyday quoted ‘The price of a train ticket is absolutely ridiculous, I have to pay at least ? 200 a month to travel to and from work. I don't really earn alot, and most the money I do earn is mostly spend on buying more train tickets.I Could travel by car for a cheaper price, but i cannot afford a car, and I don't have a drivers licence. † Great Western obviously don't think the prices are enough, so keep rising them more. On average they earn ? 2 billion a year, but want more. High rail fares at peak times could be adding to ‘social exclusion' as the high prices are barring poorer people from using trains because they cannot afford a ticket; Because poorer people are less fortunate to use the train, they could be forced on dependence of cars, but to some could still not be accessible.As they are employed in different towns, they will need to find a way of transport, so many rely on using the train, but could be finding it difficult to pay to use it everyday. Train fares are highly expensive, and still rising to outrageous prices. Some are even finding it too much to pay for; housing, food, children, families and paying up to ? 200 on fares, they could end up finding theirselfs with very little money.If train fares continue to rise, and stay unable to keep affording tickets, it could consequence to them being forced either out of work because of unable access to get their destination, or forced out of their homes because they could end up unable to afford to live their any more. On the subject of ridiculous prices- Great Western made a ? 2 billion profit last year, -No wonder! Prices rose by an outrageous 50%. These rises in price could be the reason families have to relocate or change jobs- because the new locations could make their transport a whole load cheaper and quicker.Many people like visiting their families or friends, and may have to use the train to get their, which could be a problem because transport is essential and they could simply not afford it. Great Western managers don't realize they are preventing people from seeing: family, friends, going to work, or going to school. They only care about making the money, they don't care about their passengers. Some people simply can not afford the ridiculous price of just 1 train ticket. This year has flew by, leaving Christmas very soon.This means that people will be traveling to towns to do their Christmas shopping, which they need their money for, not to spend on a little piece of paper. Also people struggle to afford Christmas because they need to use the train to visit their families all over the place. John Lunton, 60 who is retired is angry with what is going on with the prices and wants to do something about it. â€Å"The prices when I was a teenager is what the prices should still be now, as they were reasonable. The prices have over doubled since then and I think it is absolutely ridiculous.I need to travel because I have Grandchildren and other family all over Britain, and I would like to see them over Christmas. Sadly, I cannot afford to travel to see all of them, but if I do choose to, then it would result in me not looking after myself by not eating, because I will need the money to travel. † A major problem with trains, is how managers allow them to get so overcrowded,which could be bad for others health, some people are claustrophobic so it could be bad for their health. Also trains are dirty and their is litter all over the floors, there are security cameras but they don't seem to help with anything at all.Trains are sometimes late and delayed, this shouldn't happen, as people need to get to work and if the train is late, and results in them being late for work, it could cost them their job. Trains show absolutely no sign of improvement for the conditions and them being on time, but which they should. Do the government care about their passengers and wasting their money? I think not. As long as their making their nice, big comfortable profits, they don't care who their passengers are, and how much they charge them.In my opinion, I think that the prices should be lowered to suit the co nditions of the trains, which would be quite low, but would result in them not making as much money. Oh no, What a shame! I'm not surprised that British citizens complain about the prices of train fares, as Britain has the highest price of train fares in the whole of Europe. The railway has been described as being a ‘rich mans transport' because it is becoming affordable for the rich only. An example of the ridiculous prices is from Exeter to London– The price of a single way journey is ? 130 minimum price. this shows how outrageous our county is getting.Many people have described ‘First group' as being ‘Worse group' and some people have even be complaining. So why are train fares so expensive? to get money for themselves, not caring abut other peoples money, as long as they have as much as they desire. Trains are used by many people for various reasons, therefore the prices should be reduced. but if the rising prices continues, they could lose customers, de scribed as ‘price increase= Passenger decrease. ‘ So if they want to maintain the high number of customers they are currently obtaining, they should either: lower the prices or stop rising them.

Bach (Acorus Calamus) Essay

Bach or Sweet flag is thought to have originated in Central Asia and probably indigenous to India, found common in areas that surround the Himalayas. As a result of cultivation, it has spread throughout the globe, found across Europe, in southern Russia, northern Asia Minor, southern Siberia, China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Australia, as well as southern Canada and northern USA. Calamus has long been a symbol of male love. The name is associated with a Greek myth on Kalamos, son of the river-god Maeander. In Japan, the plant is a symbol of the samurai’s bravery because of its sharp sword-like leaves. Teton-Dakota warriors chewed the root to a paste, which they rubbed on their faces. It prevented excitement and fear when facing an enemy. In Penobscot homes, the root was cut and hung up. Steaming it throughout the home is thought to cure sickness. have also been used as a thatch for roofs. Food and Flavouring: An essential oil from the rhizome is used in perfumery and as food flavouring, it has a fragrance reminiscent of patchouli oil. An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used in perfumery and for making aromatic vinegars. Insect repellent: The essential oil is also an insect repellent and insecticide. It is effe c t i ve a ga i n st houseflies. When added to rice being stored in granaries it has significantly reduced loss caused by insect damage because the oil in the root has sterilized the male rice weevils. All parts of plant can be dried and used to repel insects or to scent linen cupboards. Incense: The leaves and the roots have refreshing scent of cinnamon. They can also be burnt as incense. Medicine: In Ayurvedic system of medicine, the rhizomes of Sweet flag are considered to possess anti-spasmodic, carminative and anthelmintic properties and have been used for a number of beneficial reasons. Vacha is considered as a ‘sattvic’ herb which feeds and transmutes the sexual ‘kundalini’ energy. It is forms a popular remedy for cough and cold and also the other respiratory disorders like bronchitis. In raw form it is used as cough lozenge. Sweet flag provides aid to the digestive system and acts against flatulent colic, dyspepsia, and vomiting. Acorus calamus depresses central nervous system and is a well known ingredient in formulation for psycho-somatic disorders like epilepsy. The vapours of Sweet flag repel some insects. THE PLANT Sweet flag is a perennial, semi-aquatic and smelly plant, found in both temperate and sub temperate zones. It is up to 2m tall, aromatic, sword-shaped leaves and small, yellow/green flowers with branched rhizome. Plants very rarely flower or set fruit, but when they do, the flowers are 3-8 cm long, cylindrical in shape, greenish brown and covered in a multitude of rounded spikes. The fruits are small and berry-like, containing few seeds. CULTIVATION It’s a hardy plant found growing from tropical to sub-tropical climates. Plenty of sunshine should be available to the plant during its growth and after harvesting for drying the rhizomes. This species comes up well in clayey loams, sandy loams and light alluvial soils of river banks. The land should be ploughed twice or thrice prior to the onset of rains. Acorus is propagated through rhizomes obtained from earlier planting. The best time for planting is the second fortnight of June. The river or canal bank where the land is saturated with water is very suitable for its growth. Timely weeding and hoeing to control the spread of weeds and to obtain good yield is essential. After each weeding the growing plants are pressed down into the soil. After 6-8 months, in December, the lower leaves turn yellow and dry indicating their maturity. The field should be partially dried only leaving sufficient moisture for uprooting the plant. The uprooted rhizome is cleaned after washing with water and cut into size and fibrous roots removed. The cut rhizomes are dried by spreading under the shade so that the amount of oil present in it is not harmed. TRADE AND COMMERCE Sweet flag has been an item of trade in many cultures for thousands of years. Sweet flag forms a useful adjunct to other tonics and stimulants. Its domestic demand is quite large. As the production is much less in India, the internal market itself is highly potential. Importers, buyers within the country, processors, traditional practitioners, Ayurvedic and Siddha drug manufacturers throng the markets for procurement of this plant every year.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know-Now Essay

Penton Media is a publisher of several business trade magazines, and their research department is studying the long-term viability of the reader service card within its publications (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). This card is an advertisement card used for readers to request product or service information, and potentially could be generating fewer leads than in the past (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). The research division of Penton Media conducted a meticulous research with many diverse readers through various diverse forms of communication. Penton Media is now faced with the challenge on determining if this reader service card will sustain ad be beneficial in the future. The survey is not clear and is perplexing. Questions should be directive and closed ended. In this survey the questions asked are not directive questions, but moderately open ended questions that would discourage a user from completing the survey. When the questions are not specific it would give feedback that is not what key decision makers are seeking. The wording of the questions is equally adequate for the responses needed; but, they could be more designed to yield desired results. This method could motivates users to not only complete the survey, but also provide honest and reliable feedback. There is not enough purpose or direction present to encourage the participant to give revealing answers (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). Having a more direct, concise, and structured questionnaire would not only get the feedback that is warranted, increase participation, but more time could be used to reevaluate the response that are received. This survey was not designed properly to accomplish the specified objectives. Coding involves assigning numbers or other symbols to the questionnaire for the purpose of grouping the data (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). For each question the researcher must assign numbers to each response available in order to code the data correctly. A code sheet will allow an SPSS system to quickly find the frequency, percent, valid percent, and cumulative percent of each response. The detail of the code sheet will produce detailed SPSS results which will allow the researcher to clearly interpret the data.

Health and safety needs of individuals Essay

Introduction Write a reflective account that evaluates your own contribution to the health and safety needs of individuals whom you have worked with in your placements over the last 9 months. Reflections – Domiciliary Care Work. The purpose of reflection stated by (John, 1995) â€Å" is to promote desirable practice through the practitioner’s understanding and learning about his/her lived experiences†. The key laws and policies that have an impact on my work as a social care worker are The Health and Safety at Work Order (NI) 1978, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (NI) 2000, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (NI) 1992, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2002 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (NI) COSHH 2003. The organisation that I am employed with provides a domillicillary care service to vulnerable adults within the community in their own homes. Before any work can commence with a service user, â€Å"a skilled assessment of clients needs and strengths is essential to effective planning† as stated by (Taylor & Devine, 1993). A risk assessment is then carried out by the occupational therapist. The law states â€Å"you are required to protect people as far as is reasonably practicable†, (Hse, 2014). The findings of the risk assessment are recorded and included in the care plan. At the service user’s home I would familiarise myself with their care plan. I need to ensure that as a social care worker I contribute to the welfare, health, safety and security of that individual as outlined in my employers code of practice and other relevant recommendations of safe moving and handling that is listed for my attention and other care workers. I used â€Å"PPE in accordance with training and instructions†, (Rsi, 2014) supplied by my employer to ensure I protect the service user and myself from infection. On one occasion, I found that a service user was afraid of the hoist because of a fear of falling, feeling vulnerable and embarrassed. I felt empathy for the service user but stated that all moving to and from the bed or chair had to be carried out using the hoist which is stated on the risk assessment for her safety and it is against the moving and handling policy not adhering to the care plan. The service user was further advised that since she had refused to allow the hoist to be used, unfortunately she had  to stay in bed or be lifted by a member of the family. It was my responsibility to have adhered to the moving and handling policy for my own safety and that of the service user whose mobility is impaired. As an employee within the health sector it is my responsibility to conform to the health and safety policy. By adhering to this, I feel that it has enabled me to observe all the safety rules and regulations that are required by law for me to follow. Wearing of gloves, apron s and footwear at all times are standard precaution to take for infection control. Infection control practices are adopted to minimise the spread of infection from one person to another. I feel that it is also my responsibility to report all potential hazards, accidents or incidents to my line manager. Yesterday when I arrived at the home of a service user who has mental impairment, I was confronted by newspapers strewn all over the room, split urine bottles and bags of soiled pads that was taken from the rubbish bin outside. The service user was hoarding these in his room. I felt uncomfortable and immediately, I called my line manager where arrangements were made through his social worker to get his room cleaned to avoid any potential infection from the soiled pads and spilt urine. By attending all mandatory training on moving and handling, food hygiene, administering of medication and first aid. I feel I am kept up to date through training and have improved my own awareness and skills whilst working with service users in a health and safety environment. Recently a service user was walking in the kitchen with her walking stick when she fell and sustained multiple br uises. On my visit I was informed of the incident, which I immediately recorded and reported to my line manager. Since the service user mobility was impaired I encouraged her to use the zimmer emphasising that by using the zimmer it would reduce the risks of her falling and causing potential injury which could be serious. Another issue I had recently was with a co-worker who had decided that in order to save time, we would drag lift a double amputee service user instead of using the glide sheet to glide him up the bed. I was uncomfortable with that suggestion and I refused to partake in that method of moving and handling which was against company policy and I feel I could have potentially caused serious damage to the service user and ourselves. I now think that by insisting that we were to follow the correct moving and handling procedures this prevented any incident from happening and did not leave us open to  disciplinary action. Conclusion Health and safety is an important part of my work out in the community and I need to continuously reflect on this in my every day practice. I feel more secure I the knowledge that it is acceptable to use reflection as a tool in order to turn any unpleasant experience into a positive one