Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Strategic Marketing Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Marketing Planning - Essay Example This strategic marketing plan provides an outline for apt planning, management and marketing in Mandurah and the region for the next five years (Kelph 2010, p. 72). Besides, it is meant for all interested parties devoted to the coordinated expansion of the tourism, leisure and events sector in Mandurah and its environs. Basically, the strategic goal is to make certain that Mandurah and the surrounding establish a viable, vivacious and flourishing tourism industry. The plan is utterly based on sustainability and partnership as its key guiding policies. The management’s decision making takes into account the contribution of tourism to the vast society in terms of social welfare, economic progress, and distribution of resources along with environmental conservation. The strategy also embraces partnership with both the public and private sectors to capitalize on the existing wealth. Financial Summary The economic alarms, skyrocketing costs, intensifying competition as well as the unpredictable fluctuations in end user perception all depict the contemporarily progressing nature of the tourism, leisure, events and hospitality sector (Lumsdon 1997, p. 67). As a result, syndicates within the industry must uphold a well-founded grip on the fluctuating consumer wishes as well as taste inclinations to persistently create goods and services that ultimately satisfy consumer needs. In the present day, operational upheavals encompass consumer security, association, extension and customer allegiance along with labor recruitment and retention. Fundamentally, brand cognizance attracts vital concentration as the industry rummages around for fresh openings to establish dependable market share. Mandurah’s financial and economic position... The Tourism Strategic Marketing Plan 2013-2016 virtually provides a significant dream for the tourism, hospitality and service industry in the City of Mandurah. Mandurah’s direct role in the industry has progressively increased in recent times. As part of the recommendations, the city and the Australian government at large should embrace, provide and support the products and capabilities that complement the contemporary position of the destination while at the same time taking into account the prospective markets and existing tourism linkages. Besides, the management should establish a matching set of experiences that typify Mandurah and act as a magnet-card to draw target markets on top of exploiting both traditional and momentous resources in order to develop areas of specialization. The city is also projected to attract fresh venture to provide more housing elegances and marketing opportunities among other leisure nest eggs. In addition, it must also increase the quantity a nd quality of service sector experiences by facilitating access and infrastructure as well as working in partnership with the private sector to convey integrated tourism marketing posts.To maximize and uphold the expanse’s artistic powers and sporting experiences to vested interest tourists, the management must also address expertise and experience standards within the industry and the community at large besides engaging the vast industry to ensure they are utterly conversant, interested and compassionate.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Iphone 5C price decision Essay Example for Free

Iphone 5C price decision Essay The fist factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is by considering costs. For instance, since Apple Inc. wants to maximize its profits through establishing new products, the price should be set at the point where marginal revenue equals to marginal cost. We know that iPhone 5C is in the perfectly competitive market, the company can reach its maximum profit at equilibrium at X* and P*. To determine the price, Apple Inc. needs to do the marginal analysis. According to profits (Ï€) equals to total revenues (TR) minus total costs (TC), which is Ï€=(P*X)-(fixed cost+variable costs per unit *X), X is the number of units sold by Apple Inc. Of course, manager needs to ask several departments and contractors to know the cost of their product and services. From online websites, I get to know that producing a 16Gbyte iPhone, total BOM and Manufacturing Cost is about $173.45, for a 32Gbyte iPhone 5C is approximately $182.85(which accounts only for hardware and manufacturing costs and does not include other expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditure)(Andrew, 2013). The manager can differentiating the fixed costs and variable costs based on cost behavior, and plug those numbers into the equation and get an equation between Ï€ and X. then differentiate the equation and set it to zero, the manager can get the number of units when profit maximizing. Finally, plug X into assuming demand function, the manager can get the price and make a decision. But, in the real world, it is not easy to implement the marginal analysis method. So, managers usually try to combine cost-based approaches and market-based approach to make a profit satisfying approach, for example full cost-plus target profits, variable costs-plus percentage markup can both assess to pricing decision. However, the common and basic factor for the methods is costs. The second factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is product line and competitors. Strategy analysis is the company needs to consider about the Competitors as well as the whole industry, and then assess to firm’s plan. We can figure out that the competitions in the smartphone market are quite intense, there are numerous competitors and are almost equal size, such as Samsung, Microsoft. So, Apple Inc. has to investigate the cost leadership and the unique producers in order to make a competitive price in the smartphone market. The website take the example of Moto X, which has 18 kinds of colors and the functions are really similar to iPhone 5C (Darren, 2013). The price of Moto X is $599, so the manager should decide a lower price than it to gain a competitive advantage. In particular, the competition is not just from the external market, we know that Apple Inc. promoted iPhone 5C as well as iPhone 5S at the same time. To iPhone 5C, the manager needs to consider about the plastic case, which is $42 less than the metal case cost of iPhone5S (Ben, 2013). So manager should also compare the 5C’s price to 5S. It is an important thing to keep secret of the product’s price before they coming out. The manager of Apple Inc. can survey the expected price of the public, or conduct some historical sample tests before making the final price decision. The third factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is the manager should estimate the demand. Assume that we are suffering a financial crisis, most people don’t have extra money to pay for new electronic devices. They have already owned iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S and do not want to pay for another similar product. Then the manager should decrease the price of iPhone 5C to fit for people’s expectation of low pricing, using the profit margin per unit to trade for higher quantities. As I mentioned above, the estimation of demand function is also important in the marginal analysis. In order to estimate the demand, the manager should also make market survey to analyze the targeted customers. According to Pew Internet’s report, Teens and Technology 2013, 37% of U.S. teenagers now own a smartphone (which compares to 23% in 2011). And the increases of U.S. wireless carriers’ family data plans, intensive the parents to buy smartphones for their kids (Jason, 2013). Because the iPhone5C is colorful, has proper functions and easy to control, it must a first-choice for kid’s cellphone. Aimed at attracting teenagers group, the Apple Inc. manager should make the price to a certain level. What’s more, we also have to consider whether buyers are sensitive to price. In economics, we call it price elasticity of demand, which means the percentage change in the numbers of units sod to the percentage change in the price of the product. Assume most people are price sensitive, if the price of iphone5C is much higher than they expected, they will not buy it, which decreases demand a lot. So, listen to the public opinions on price is quite important. Before iphone5C facing to the public, a lot of individuals forecast that the selling price should be low enough to satisfy the low-end customers needs. Somebody was kidding that iPhone 5C is iPhone for China or iPhone for cheap. Apple Inc. wants to occupy more market percentage in developing countries, so they advertised that to make a colorful low-end smartphone. However, the price of iPhone 5C is not as low as we expected. The data shows after releasing the iPhone for 72 hours, both in China, Australia, U.S., the sales of iPhone 5S is almost 4 times compare to iPhone 5C. Especially, the graph says in the â€Å"target† country China, where the 5s is outselling the 5c five to one (Christopher, 2013). So I think the price of iPhone 5C is not reasonable. There are several reasons to explain iPhone 5C price is not appropriate. Firstly, compare to iPhone 5S, people claim 5C just looks an iPhone 5 with a candy-colored plastic shell. According to a report published by UBS, the same memory for 16 Gigabyte iPhone, 5S costs $213 in materials, whereas a 5C costs $156IPhone 5S has metal shell, Touch ID fingerprint scanner, more advanced A7 chipset, Motion Coprocessor and True tone flash for camera. The different price due to plastic case of $42 and finger print sensor of $7. However, the price of iPhone 5C is only $100 less than iPhone 5S. The UBS also estimates the gross margins of iPhone 5S is 45-55% and for iPhone 5S is 48-54% (Ben, 2013). As a rational consumer, I will buy iPhone 5S instead of iPhone 5C, since 5S has much more functions, which is not at a so much higher price. Secondly, the factors of competitor also have huge effects. Samsung is the key part for apple to make its â€Å"retina display† screen, as well as apple use Sony’s sensor in its camera. We know that Samsung and Sony are competitors. Apple Inc. is hiring, relying and paying them. But if someday, Samsung or Sony stop providing essential parts to apple, what will happen? I think Apple Inc. has to produce all manufacturing parts by themselves under a big amount of fixed cost, which will have a big effect on Apple’s price decision. Thirdly, the price of iPhone 5C is not as low as rumored. It brings the question to us, who exactly is Apple targeting? We know that Samsung has galaxy series, which with large-screen and liked by fashion people and developing markets. In china, there are a lot of really cheap phones under 1000RMB, those phones have varieties function and beautiful looking. So when Apple Inc. can really open the market to low-end customers? The price decision and targeting customer is not clear and accurate. I am kind of thinking there must be some sailing strategy when apple promoted 5C and 5S at the same time, with a huge cost performance in my opinion. Maybe Apple Inc. just wants to stimulate the sales of 5S, after people comparing these two products.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Impact of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones Upon Music During the

The Impact of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones Upon Music During the 1960's The Beatles were a new band with a difference and this led to their impact in the sixties. They were different because they were producing real music and stepping away from sounding 'like just another band trying to imitate American stars'. Beatles music was 'totally unique, a mixture of rock and roll, Rhythm and Blues and Tamla Motown'. British music had always been dominated from American produced goods but the Beatles introduced abit of their own lives into their music. They talked about where they grew up 'Penny Lane' and brought back some real music for British teenagers, something they could relate to. The Beatles were very good at relating to teenager issues. They talked about many teenager troubles in their songs- love and other issues (such as new issues of manly heartache). Lyrics such as 'I want to hold your hand' and 'I'll cry instead'. The lyrics in 'I want to hold your hand' tell us about a man pleading to a woman 'let me be your man'. Lyrics in 'I'll cry instead' deal with a man who has 'lost the only girl I've had' and in turn cries about this. John Lennon & Paul McCartney wrote all these lyrics so they were more pure and real. They were real with 'youthful energy, style, individuality and distinct personality'. The Beatles also had a unique appearance. In the early years they dressed smartly (in plain black suits with ties) and had the 'squeaky clean image' which made them respectable to the older generation too. They all had mop top hair cuts which were slightly longer hair cuts but were accepted as they were a clean cut style. Earlier ly... ...takings they were charged for 'possessing four tablets containing ' illegal stimulants. They also were arrested for 'assaulting a photographer at Warwick.' Overall they took advantage of bad publicity and as their manager was 'best at exploiting this bad view' they were nearly always in the public eye. This pushed them to go global and the young fan's hysteria also aided to them making a difference. They promoted a rebellion that the teens wanted, and they got. When I asked my teacher her opinions on the band she commented 'they were different, wild. I think I liked them because of their music- whenever I listen to their music it makes me come alive.' http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Limo/3518/lucy.htm http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/60/60music.htm http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/rolling-stones/117886.html

Thursday, October 24, 2019

1-Year Marketing Plan Essay

Introduction This one-year strategic marketing plan for Great Gaming Graphics (3G) has been created by its founder to obtain additional private funding for the company. Great Gaming Graphics has been launched two years ago and the discrete graphic chip prototypes that got developed during this time shows great promise, offering computer gaming graphic speeds in excess of 220% compared to the competition. The prototypes have been put on graphic card reference boards for standard PC’s and distributed to PC Gaming Review sites, PC Gaming magazines and PC Game companies for testing/review purposes and the reception was extremely positive. Alongside with this the Gaming Review Sites and Magazines published their findings in their publications and the reception of the general public (through letters, blogs) has been extremely enthusiastic. The next step in the process is to bring the prototype to market (expected launch is Q3 2015 and evaluate entry into new markets (mobile and High Performance Computing) See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay Mission Statement Great Gaming Graphics mission statement is as follows: â€Å"The best Gaming experience in the world. Period!!!!!!!† The Product  3G has developed graphic chips for the PC gaming market. The graphic chips (lower end model 3G100 and higher end model 3G200) offer substantially higher frame rates per second with the maximum feature set enabled (Anti-Aliasing at maximum) than the competition. The experience for the video gamer is that games can run with live like graphic experience on large resolution screens (including 4K screens) without any stutter of the motion (at least 60hz up to 4K resolution). Consumer Product Classification Gaming Graphics Cards are shopping products. Consumer usually spend 1-3 month researching the product they are looking at buying and replace their cards within 12-36 month, depending if they are hardcore or casual gamers. Gamers usually have a graphic chip brand affiliation (either AMD or NVidia), but will sway to another brand if the performance is at least 20% higher for  the same price. Graphic Cards are usually ordered through online retail outlets like Amazon, Newegg and TigerDirect. Target Market The target market for the 3G products are computer gamers (Males in the age group 14-50 years old), PC/Notebook OEM’s (HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, MSI etc.) and Graphic Card Manufactures. The gaming market represents at least 100 Mio people globally, based on the best-selling computer games ever sold. The target audience for the product is split into three distinctive groups: The Casual Gamer The term â€Å"casual gamer† is often used for gamers who primarily play casual games, but can also refer to gamers who play less frequently than other gamers. Casual gamers may play games designed for ease of gameplay, or play more involved games in short sessions, or at a slower pace than hardcore gamers. The types of game that casual gamers play vary, and they are less likely own a dedicated video game console. The casual gamer represents approx. 80% of the gaming market. The casual gamer will upgrade his gaming experience from build-in graphics (at time of purchase of the PC/Laptop), if the price is low enough to justify the upgrade. The price a casual gamer is willing to pay for a better gaming experience is up to $50. Mainstream Gamer A mainstream gamer is a player with a wider range of interests than a casual gamer and is more likely to enthusiastically play different types of games, but without the amount of time spent and sense of competition of a hardcore gamer. The mainstream gamer enjoys games but may not finish every game they buy and doesn’t have time for long MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) quests. The mainstream gamer represents approx. 15% of the gaming market. The mainstream gamer will seek out the best bang for the buck regarding his/her gaming experience and is willing to spend up to $200 for a graphic card. Hardcore Gamer A hardcore gamer is a player that spends the majority of his/her free time with gaming. The hardcore gamer is very competitive, often owns the latest high-end technology (High-End PC’s, Consoles, Multi-Monitor Setup, 7.1 Sound  System etc.), are very technology savvy and often seek out and participate in gaming communities. The hardcore gamer represents only about 5% of the gaming market, but a large part of the earnings for the gaming hardware producers, because the margin of the high-end products are substantially higher than in the other categories. The hardcore gamer will seek out the best performing product, no matter what the price is. Some hardcore gamers install up to 4 graphic cards (with a total price of up to $3000 for the Graphic System alone) to have the best gaming experience possible (very high resolution across multiple screens and all graphic options enabled for the best experience) Competitive Situation Analysis Analysis of Competition using Porter’s 5 Forces Model Competitive Rivalry The discrete PC graphic card market generates approx. $6 billion revenue annually on a global scale. The two competitors in this market are AMD (Radeon) and Nvida (GEForce) with a roughly equal market share of about 20% each. Even though Intel is considered to be the market leader in PC graphics, they only have CPU embedded graphics with low performance/features and are currently not considered a competitor. NVidia has recently released an upgraded product line (Mainstream to High-End), with performance increases of approx. 20% across the product line and power reduction of approx. 25% compared with the previous models. Pricing got slightly reduced within the classification of their products (~$200 Mainstream, ~$300 Enthusiast, ~$600 High-End) to gain market share against its only competitor who hasn’t upgraded its product line yet. Nvidia is still producing its upgraded product line in a 28nm process and is not going to 20/16nm before the end of 2016. 3G’s current prototype is already produced in 20nm and is slated to be on 16nm at Q1/2016, which gives it an even greater greated competitive advantage over Nvidia, considering that smaller structures allow substantially faster performance of graphic chips while at the same time reducing power requirements. AMD’s current product line is still based on the three year old Graphics Core Next (GCN) design, which has been refined over the years but is clearly at its limit. Power consumption of AMD powered  graphic cards is almost twice of Nvidia’s and more than 4 times of the 3G prototype. 3G has a clear advantage against both competitors, considering that 3G’s high-end prototype is currently 220% faster than either competitor, with a power use advantage of at least 50% which results in not only a lower power bill for the end consumer of the graphic card but as well reduced cost for cooling components. Additionally the low power requirements allow the use of smaller and cheaper power supplies, which is going to reduce the overall cost of a PC gaming machine even further. One large advantage of the reduced power requirements is that the graphics chip can be used in the upcoming STEAMOS machines (small form factor PC gaming machines, which resemble video game consoles) without sacrifice to performance. Threat from New Entrants There is a potential that ARM (with Mali) and Qualcomm (Adreno) redesign their current SoC (System on a Chip) products and license it to third parties to produce discreet graphic chips. Both companies offer their current products only in the mobile market (Phone/Tablets), which is high volume with a substantially lower margin per chip sold than the discreet PC graphic market. Alongside with this, both companies are in a very good position to drive power requirements even further down, considering their experience with the low power requirement of battery operated systems like phones and tablets. Threat from Buyers The following two potential issues arise from an end customer perspective. 1. Competitive products catch up or exceed with 3G’s product performance at the same price point, which will lower the appeal for end-consumers to use the 3G product. 2. A change in gaming habits to games that don’t have the high graphic power requirements and therefor curbing demand for the overall discreet graphic chip market. Threat from Suppliers Considering the initial lower volume of the product for production in a Semiconductor Fab (TSMC, Samsung etc.) 3G might get bumped to a lower priority if larger customers of the Fab are asking for a larger part of the capacity, due to higher demand. There is a limited amount of Fab Capacity available and it is not easy to move to another Fab (ramp-up time approx. 6 month). Therefor the contracts with the Semiconductor Fab have to be structured in a way to have a guaranteed amount of product delivered (with penalties associated if not fulfilled) plus a contract  clause to allow ramp up of production by 10% on a monthly bas e. Once 3G is getting bigger, it might make sense to pursue a dual supplier strategy, with the advantage of not relying on a Single Fab to produce all graphic chips and the disadvantage alongside with this with not getting high enough volume discounts. Threat from Substitutes One potential issue arising in the future is that IGP (Integrated Graphic Processing) units that are part of a CPU (Intel, AMD and SoC’s) are becoming powerful enough to play the most demanding games and therefor a dedicated Graphic Chip is not going to be required anymore. At this stage this is not a threat for the next 3 years (according to 5 year roadmaps of potential CPU/SoC providers), but could certainly change in the future. It takes 2-3 years to develop a competitive product and there is usually enough advanced notice in the market that a new competitor is going to enter the specific segment. SWOT Analysis In this first paragraph, please introduce the SWOT analysis. For more information, see the recommended text. This section is laid out to summarize the analysis in a table, and is then followed by more detailed explanations of each item. Please see specific instructions in the four sections below the table. STRENGTHS *indicates core competency *Worldclass ASIC Engineering Team Experience of the Executive Management Team Strong capital base WEAKNESSES Only two Graphic Card Manufacturers signed up to produce Graphic Cards based on 3G chips No PC OEM relationships established yet No reputation yet OPPORTUNITIES Approaching the mobile market (Phones/Tablets), with either licensing the technology to SoC companies Finance the game development efforts of Independent Game Companies to focus their efforts specifically on the 3G product Develop out of the existing product a GPGPU, to be used in Supercomputers. THREATS Competition (AMD and NVdia) moving to new Fab technology faster than 3G, removing the advantage on the power front Competition launching new designs that are as efficient as 3G’s, but with the advantage of greater brand recognition Game Developers hitting a plateau with their new generation of games, that don’t require anymore improvements on the graphics card front Strengths 3G’s first strength is having a world-class ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) engineering team. The members of the team have on average 15 years’ experience in the field of development of low power and high performance ASIC and some of the members of the 3ZG engineering team have been instrumental on developing in the past key products in the graphics card market. The second strength of 3G is the extensive experience of the executive management team. The CEO of 3G used to serve as the president of AMD (direct competitor) for over 10 years. The Sr. Vice President of engineering was the head of engineering at 3DFX in 2001 and after the acquisition of 3DFX by NVidia, he served as the head of engineering products until joining 3G. The Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing has over 20 years’ experience in building rapid growth sales and marketing teams in seven companies. The third strength/advantage 3G has is its strong capital base. 3G got ove r the past 2 years funding from venture capital in excess of $175 million and currently still has $100 million in the bank, which at current and planned spending levels should sustain the company for another 30 month. Weaknesses The first weakness in 3G’s strategy is that 3G has only managed to sign-up two mid-tier Graphic Card Manufactures (EVGA and XFX). The Graphic Cards Manufactures use the reference boards 3G delivers and implement their own cooling solution plus additional tweaks to boost performance of the cards by 5%-10%. A large part of the Mainstream and Hardcore Gamers like to buy their graphic cards from the top graphic card companies (ASUS, MSI, GigaByte), due to the custom designs and extended warranties. This might limit the initial availability of cards in the market until 3G can sign-up the top graphic card companies as well. The second weakness in the strategy is that 3G has not established any relationships with PC OEM’s (Dell, HP, Lenovo etc.),  which will limit the initial exposure of the product to the mainstream and hardcore gaming user. 3G will start pursuing 6 month after the launch of the product the PC OEM’s, to start including the lower end 3G products in their offerings. The third weakness in the strategy is that 3G doesn’t has the reputation of the two main competitors. AMD and NVidia have both been in the graphic card marketplace for almost 20 years and the end consumer knows what to expect from both companies. 3G is new to the game and will need to build this reputation over time to gain the confidence of the gamers. Opportunities Additional opportunities persist for 3G in several areas that can be explored once 3G had a successful launch of its core product and got additional funding for development. The first opportunity is in the mobile market (phone/tablets). 3G is actively looking into creating reference designs for the mobile market that satisfy the unique requirements present (very low power, with fast performance). The big advantage of the mobile market is that the volumes of the market are extremely high (total annual volume in excess of 1 billion units) and 3G would only need to license the product to SoC companies (e.g. Samsung, MediaTek, Apple, Allwinner) versus getting into production as well. The second opportunity for 3G is the GPGPU (General Purpose Graphic Processing Unit) market, to develop cards that will power Supercomputers. The current prototype is already ahead of the completions (NVidia’s Tesla and Intel’s XEON Phi) and this is a very high margin, but low volume market that will give 3G additional market recognition. The third opportunities for 3G is to finance the game development of up-and-coming independent game developers to specifically optimize the games for the 3G product line. AMD (with Mantle) and NVidia (with PhysX) have been quite successful with the strategy to boost the sales volume of their products. Threats 3G wants to look at potential threats that can derail the strategy in the future and has identified the following three areas: The first threat is that 3G’s competitors are moving faster to a new fab technology than currently presented in their roadmap, which would allow them to come closer to 3G’s low power requirements and allows them as well to boost the performance of their current generation of graphic chips without redesign.  The second threat comes from 3G’s competitors launching radically new design concepts for their graphic cards, which are equal or better to 3G’s design. This would remove 3G’s current advantage entirely and 3G would potentially lose market share. The third threat not only for 3G but as well for 3G’s competitors comes from Gaming Developers hitting a plateau with their next generation of games, which won’t require anymore additional performance from graphic chips. The graphic chip market is largely driven by game developers putting graphic features in place that require substantial upgrades to older gaming platforms. One example of developers driving the graphics chip market was the release of Crysis by Crytek in 2007, which was not playable (with all graphic options enabled) even on high-end hardware available at the time. It took almost four years to have powerful enough graphic chips to be able to play the game with all options enabled, which gave the gamer an almost super realistic view. Market Objectives (launch Q3 2015) During the next year, 3G seeks to achieve the following objective using their marketing mix, including product, price, place (distribution), and promotion strategies. Successful launch of the 3G graphic chip/card on a global scale.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Dichotomies in the Workplace Privacy Issues Essay

There is a genuine divergence of ideas from both the management and employees view on privacy issues. Companies often times say and act differently with regards to workplace policies, and employees also have opposing perspective on privacy expectations and their own actions. Employees should have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and the management should be clear and considerate of those expectations. In context with privacy concerns, there is the difference in stating the policy and acting out the policy, and the expectations of employee’s privacy and how they act. The Thin Line There is no such specification of having â€Å"no expectation of privacy† in the workplace. (Rasch, 2006) If a company intends to provide the technology and services to its employees granting that it should be of and for corporate transactions only, then employees must abide to it. But if there are no policies stated as such, â€Å"personal† transaction or communications must also be respected by companies. The extent of expected privacy differs in purpose. For example, if personal transaction of an employee involves any suspicion on violation of laws, then the management can not protect the privacy of the employee because it can not resist any mandate of the law to perform investigation on the employee. It is also related by the US Supreme Court that employers have the obligation to â€Å"enter offices and desks of employees for legitimate work-related reasons wholly unrelated to illegal conduct†. Lessons on Workplace Privacy Issues It all concludes to proper address of the corporate rules and policies and the implementation of such. Both management and employees must state their expectation on privacy and defy the line on privacy issues as much as possible to avoid the great debate on workplace issues. If policies are made and implemented, then actions should reflect the extent the understanding of the situation.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Problemas en las aduanas al entrar a Estados Unidos

Problemas en las aduanas al entrar a Estados Unidos Entrar en Estados Unidos no siempre es posible, aunque se tengan todos los documentos en regla. Y es que cuando un extranjero se presenta en las aduanas puede suceder que no se le permita entrar, por considerarlo inadmisible. Esto puede suceder no sà ³lo con extranjeros que intentan llegar al paà ­s usando pasaportes o visas falsas, sino tambià ©n con aquellos que cuentan con una visa vlida sin expirar, o que viajan sin visa porque pertenecen a un paà ­s acogido al Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas. Esto ocurre porque el oficial de Proteccià ³n de Aduanas y Fronteras (CBP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) tiene la à ºltima palabra para decidir quià ©n entra a Estados Unidos y quià ©n no. Causas por las que se prohà ­be entrar en Estados Unidos Las causas son variadà ­simas y pueden ir desde que se ha intentado utilizar un pasaporte o una visa falsa a alegar ser ciudadano americano cuando no es verdad. O haber tenido una presencia ilegal con anterioridad, haber cometido delitos agravados o inmorales o ser un peligro para la seguridad del paà ­s. Incluso posesià ³n de marihuana por ms de 30 gramos para consumo personal. Tambià ©n es posible que la visa està © cancelada o revocada aunque su titular no lo sepa. Si sospecha que ese puede ser su caso, es recomendable obtener un rà ©cord de inmigracià ³n o si no tiene ni idea de cul puede el problema. Y por supuesto que puede suceder que se niegue el ingreso a Estados Unidos porque el extranjero no est utilizando la visa correcta. Por ejemplo, pretende entrar con visa de turista para casarse. O quiere estudiar en el high school o en la universidad o en academia de inglà ©s pero pero llega sin visado si es de un paà ­s como Chile o Espaà ±a o tiene uno de turista.   Incluso circunstancias como ser una amenaza a la salud pà ºblica por padecer ciertas enfermedades o generar la sospecha en el oficial de la CBP de que se tiene la intencià ³n de violar la visa y quedarse en el paà ­s por ms tiempo del autorizado.   Para evaluar si existe un problema que convierte a una persona en inelegible para la visa que trae o en inadmisible para ingresar a Estados Unidos, el oficial migratorio realiza, como mà ­nimo una pregunta. Estos son 7 ejemplos tà ­picos. Y a continuacià ³n puede decidir permitir el ingreso, enviar a la persona a una segunda inspeccià ³n (el famoso cuartito) o decidir regresarlo. Quà © sucede cuando la CBP no permite la entrada Pueden ocurrir los siguientes escenarios: El extranjero es objeto de una expulsià ³n inmediata. Es lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como expedited removal. Sà ³lo en el caso de que se tenga una visa vlida puede suceder que el oficial de aduanas prefiera que la decisià ³n final la tome un juez de inmigracià ³n. En este caso se entregar una citacià ³n en una corte con jurisdiccià ³n en el lugar de destino final del extranjero. O tambià ©n puede suceder que se le conceda la oportunidad de retirar su peticià ³n para entrar a Estados Unidos. Es lo que se conocen inglà ©s como permission to withdraw his/her application for admission. Esta opcià ³n es ms ventajosa que la de la expulsià ³n inmediata. Hay que entender que retirar la peticià ³n para entrar no es un derecho, sino que es un privilegio que concede a su discrecià ³n el oficial de la CBP a cargo. Para concederla tendr en cuenta distintos factores como que el extranjero no tiene intencià ³n de violar la ley, que la causa por la que es inadmisible es leve y puede ser subsanada y tambià ©n circunstancias humanitarias como su edad y salud. Si decide darle la oportunidad de retirar la peticià ³n para entrar en Estados Unidos entonces el oficial de inmigracià ³n completar la forma I-275, que cancela la visa, y en la que se especifica claramente la causa de la inadmisibilidad. A esta forma se adjuntar una declaracià ³n jurada del extranjero. Adems se le explicar quà © debe hacer para corregir el problema que en esa ocasià ³n ha impedido que pudiese entrar a Estados Unidos. Por ejemplo, si la razà ³n es que fue condenado por un delito inmoral, se le dir que debe rellenar la planilla  I-192 para subsanar este problema. Consecuencias de problemas graves en el control migratorio La persona que es objeto de una expulsià ³n inmediata no podr regresar al paà ­s por un periodo de cinco aà ±os. Si desea regresar antes deber pedir un perdà ³n o waiver que se concede en casos muy especà ­ficos. Por el contrario, el extranjero al que se le permite retirar su peticià ³n de entrada al paà ­s no se le prohibe regresar por ningà ºn periodo de tiempo ni tiene que pedir permiso previo para volver a intentar entrar. Lo que sà ­ es muy aconsejable es que analice la forma I-275 donde se especifica la causa de inadmisibilidad y que solucione ese problema antes de ponerse de nuevo en marcha hacia Estados Unidos.Y pedir una visa nueva, porque precisamente ese formulario cancelà ³ la que se tenà ­a. A tener en cuenta para los residentes permanentes Los residentes permanentes legales que pasen en el extranjero ms de un aà ±o sin contar con el debido permiso y luego intentan regresar al paà ­s usando su green card se encontrarn con que la CBP considerar que han perdido su estatus de residentes. En estos se les permitir abandonar voluntariamente su condicià ³n de titulares de una tarjeta de residencia legal rellenando el formulario I-407. Si asà ­ lo hacen, pierden la residencia. Si se oponen a ello, les ser entregada una nota para comparecer ante un juez de inmigracià ³n, que ser quien decida si pueden conservar su estatus o si lo han perdido definitivamente. Informacià ³n que puede interesar En la frontera o aeropuerto se puede solicitar asilo pero en la realidad est habiendo muchos problemas en los puntos de control migratorio en la frontera con Mà ©xico. Recordar que hay dos controles: el de inmigracià ³n y el de aduanas. No se debe  traer productos prohibidos y conviene estar enterado de regulaciones como la que gobierna cunto alcohol se puede  llevar  y de cunto dinero se puede  ingresar a Estados Unidos sin declarar. Test de respuestas mà ºltiples para despejar dudas Es altamente recomendable tomar este  quiz, trivial o test sobre visas  para asegurarte  de que sabes lo fundamental para obtener y conservar los visados. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Monday, October 21, 2019

With Practice

With Practice I once took the AWAI course for copywriters. You know the one. Its where they talk about six-figure income from copywriting and how to earn some serious bucks once you take their course. They asked me to be an affiliate, and I did it for a long while, but one condition was that I receive a copy of the first course to study. Yes, it was a legit course. The advice was sound. I endorsed it for a long while. One of the simplest lessons in the course, however, amazed me. They advised to simply copy down existing letters used in commercial campaigns, written I felt like I was copying my mothers cursive writing as a child. Id read a line, then write it. Read another line, then write it. The logic was that there is power in muscle memory. When we repeat something, we retain it in our minds. After all, we practice sports over and over to get it right. Sewing, running, painting, singing, whatever it is, the more werepeat the drills, the closer we get to doing the task well. Using that theory, you can copy great pages of writing Before you holler plagiarism, I assure you that the exercise does not mean that you copy the work into your own story. And it does not mean that youll accidentally spit out three paragraphs of JK Rowlings words into your story and not know it. Butyou will absorb some of her techniques. Greg Digneo wrote a post on Boost Blog Traffic last week called The Brain-Dead Simple but Astonishingly Effective Way to Become a   Better Writer. Imagine how my brows rose when I saw this blog post telling other bloggers to copy great blog posts to learn how to   master blogging. ( http://boostblogtraffic.com/better-writer/ ) What I found fascinating in Gregs post, however, was that Picasso learned how to paint so well You learn to write without so much passive voice.You learn to write more colorfully.You learn to write in a certain verb tense better.You learn to write a particular point of view better.You learn to diversify your sentence structure better.And the list goes on and on Dont want to copy the pages verbatim? Then read them over and over. Your mind is a phenomenal sponge. It absorbs. It learns when you dont think its learning. Make yourself read great works, repeatedly, and the skills sink in. Or you could practice writing them, pretending youre in the mind of a great author, hoping some of that magic sloughs off on you.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay

How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay Useful Tips on Identifying Cause and Effects Each type of essay requires a particular writing style. It means that students can implement various types of writing when it comes to academic assignments. From compare and contrast papers to cause and effect essays – you need to have a clear understanding of how to write those papers whether you are a college student or professional essay writer. Cause and effect essays are among the most complicated ones when it comes to selecting a proper writing style. A few students and writers actually understand the structure of the paper. The assignment is often poorly understood. This is why we decided to put an ease on your writing process and deliver some helpful tips out of the box. What is the cause and effect essay? The first thing we need to do is to define the term itself. It will make it easier to understand the paper as well as the way it should look like. The paper is about different things that take place in our daily lives and their outcomes. The things are the cause while the outcomes appear to be effects. The main mission is to highlight the skills to provide a strong connection between things and their outcomes. Students are supposed to stress logical links and evidence to those connections. To make the things clearer, the cause explains why the event takes place. For example, the water boils at 100 degrees. The temperature is the cause while the boiling water is the event. Everything looks pretty simple, doesn’t it? The main problem all students face is to identify the effect and the cause. Once you clearly see the difference, the writing process is no longer a challenge. The high temperature is the cause resulting in the boiling water. It explains why the event takes place and under what conditions. No other factors will result in the same event. You may discuss possibilities but eventually prove the cause with the one and only statement that is true. A cause and effect essay may look similar too argumentative paper. The idea is to provide evidence to prove the statement. Make sure you provide enough evidence to establish a strong argumentation of the cause. Having doubts at some point of writing is natural. Never hesitate to ask yourself questions: Why does it happen? What will happen if? It will let you explain the event and the effect. What structure should a cause and effect essay have? The writing process should start with a clear outline and proper structure. Both features are the core points of the paper. They will define the general success of the assignment. You should choose a structure according to the subject. It may consist of each separate factor that results in the event. Or you can discuss them in general dividing into steps and stages. Structure 1 – Several Events, Single Effect The structure consists of multiple causes that result in a single effect. It should contain core points like introduction and conclusion in addition to 3-4 paragraphs deepening on the number of causes. Each paragraph should describe a particular event. Structure 2 – Single Event, Several Causes Vice versa. We have a single event that may result in several effects. The structure is actually the same as the previous one. The only difference is that paragraphs should describe causes, not events. Structure 3 – Casual Chain or Domino Effect This particular structure is the best bet whenever you have a single event that results in a single cause. At the same time, the cause is not a final destination of the process, as it may lead to another effect and so on. In other words, we have the domino effect that consists of various paragraphs describing the next stage. Cause and effect writing tips Once you have developed a clear outline, you only have to follow each step. The writing process is no longer a challenge. Make sure you strictly follow the plan and provide strong enough evidence and links. Now you have to highlight your acknowledgment of the topics. Make notes and use brainstorming to generate as many ideas as possible. Sort out the strongest ones and describe them in particular paragraph. Start with a powerful introduction that defines the core issues of the paper. End with a conclusion highlighting the key points in a short summary.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Management (McDonald's) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management (McDonald's) - Essay Example This was however not ethically rosy. The local business community was concerned that the aggression of the McDonald's franchise was anticompetitive and was also not auguring well with other workers in Brazil. There quick integration was considered unethical by preemption of competitors. This was formulated from their high rents that McDonald was levying from the local restaurants. Thus McDonald ended up in court for double rate rental fees factor on sales as compared to the US mother country scenario which is only 8.5%. Jordan (2000, p. A23); Korten, (2001, p. 419 -449). On the side of the unsatisfied employees, there was gripe about their reduced hours of work and shifts to evade paying overtime. The Ministry of Labor in Sao Paulo was mandated to investigate these claims that the employees claimed prevented them from working longer to earn more overtime. The global practice of McDonald is however shift based during peak hours and to achieve efficiency, this strategy was deployed to minimized work hours to up to 8 hours a week. Due to lack of strong laws, McDonald got away with these allegations and is continuing with the practice up 30 years to date. McDonald senior management claims that this is what has helped them to survive the high inflation in the Brazilian fast food market and justify by the peril of other fast food companies in the past. Jordan (2000, p. A23); Burt (1983, p. 419-420); Korten, (2001, p. 419 -449). McDonalds's Stakeholders' map by use of Sethi's Dimensions on Corporate Social Performance Sethi (1975, p. 58 -64) McDonald has a network of stakeholder as shown in the diagram above. They have owners and investors who earn share after every financial period. They have banks that have lent them money to carry out their aggressive financial expansions. They belong to various trade associations that are based in the respective regions of investment. The media companies help them in the advertisements everywhere as well as in their publicity campaigns. The transport companies that they partner with help them in the JIT deliveries. They have a range of supplies in the cereals, poultry, meat, vegetable, ice cream ingredients and other food and drink soft products. They have recycling companies that help them on the collected packaging and wraps to avoid pollution. They have customers from children, youth, men and women. There is pressure group such as the case in Brazil that felt the Macdonald was preempting the potential competitors. Naylor (2004, PPT. 5.3); Sethi, (1975, p. 58-64). McDonald also has got trade unions who sued them like in the case at Brazil for 'under employment.' They have millions of employees World wide. The European Union has also been stepping up regulations to the McDonald in relation to some trendy health concerns about some of their foods. The governments are related to them in the provision of business environment and tax collection. The local governments have been allowing them to set specific number of store while regulating competition. The business community is mainly composed of potential fast food restaurants who would like to see a level playing field of investment. The legal system is there to ensure that McDonald adheres to the standing law and order. Naylor (2004, PPT.

Friday, October 18, 2019

In What, After All, Does Happiness Consist for Aristotle Is He Right Essay

In What, After All, Does Happiness Consist for Aristotle Is He Right - Essay Example In other words, moral virtue, however it is attained, will bring happiness. He divides goods into three classes, A person who loves justice, or virtue will find pleasure in carrying out just or virtuous acts. Thus a virtuous person will find happiness in both himself and in acting upon his own goodness, and then be happy. Aristotle further explains that such happiness needs 'external goods' because a person must be equipped with certain other ingredients to perform noble acts. He cites friends, political power and wealth, which can be used to achieve this happiness, and includes certain aspects which might be described as living a 'charmed life' in modern terms. Having noble birth, beauty, good children and so on, all help to enable a person to live well, (think virtuous thoughts, do good acts) and so make a person happy. The inference then is that if someone is ugly, childless, poor or lonely, they have little chance of happiness. be in. However, he does believe that to study and become of good character is the preferred method, leading to noble acts, complete virtue and a complete life. Aristotle acknowledges that changes encountered throughout life might overturn the happiness but concludes that the virtuous activities of man are the most long lasting and permanent, for by thinking virtuously and acting so, he is truly good, and by inference, and in fact, happy. Such a person, described in Chapter 10, will be able to take what life throws at him, handle it because of his 'nobility and greatness of soul' (Bk. 1 Chp. 10, 350BC), always be happy, even in the afterlife. In Chapter 11 he says 'the blessed dead will not be affected by good or bad fortunes of those left behind, their happy state is preserved' (Bk. 1 Chp 11, 350BC). (He considered that what happens to the living impinges on the dead). The hypothesis here would seem to be that thinking good thoughts, doing noble and virtuous acts, staying happy, secure in the knowledge that one is thinking well and living well, makes for happiness, in this life and the next. The soul, being the rational aspect of a human being, will ensure obedience and the production of such virtue will result. His non-evolutionary concept of the universe, (nature is as it is) and how man exists within it, made his ethics fit well with the teachings of the Catholic Church and later, with Christianity as a whole. Serious challenges only arose with the Enlightenment of the 18th Century and the ideas preceding it during the 17th. From Galileo to Darwin, and many others, overturned his views, suffering at the hands of religious leaders in the process. Now, in the 21st Century, surrounded by the knowledge of man's physical, psychological and scientific

Case studyfinish 3 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Case studyfinish 3 questions - Essay Example ons produce cola and take some piece of the overall industry," said Lu Dong, leader of the Peking office for Wahaha Group, the Hangzhou-based guardian organization. So is this the worlds first enthusiastic cola? "On the off chance that one has an energetic feeling, perhaps one beverage Future Cola. Anyway if one does not drink Future Cola, it doesnt mean one is not energetic," said Ms Lu. For the present it is a Chinese David against the multinational Goliaths. Anyway the endeavor by a household organization to test the presence of remote brands takes after a pattern as of recently seen with other purchaser items, for example, Lucky Polaroid film (pitched against Kodak) and Li Ning sportswear (the closest thing to a neighborhood Nike or Adidas). As per figures from the Chinese Beverage Industry Association, the deals volume of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in China has hopped five fold since 1992, with 1.36 million tons of the two beverages sold a year ago. This makes Future Cola yet a teaspoon in the sea of cola beverages, with most extreme processing around a twentieth of its joined together two major opponents deals. In any case Wahaha is not by any means the only Chinese sodas organization that is attempting to rival the multinationals. Fenhuang Cola and Lechen Cola are two other Chinese cola items being advertised this middle of the year. While Wahahas Future Cola is the one attempting to offer itself on patriotism, promotions helpfully overlook the way that the organization is 51 for every penny claimed by the French organization Danone and a Hong Kong venture organization. Anyway Ms Lu claims it likewise coddles Chinese palates: "We make the taste more suitable for Chinese. We made a business sector overview. Coca-Cola is a bit excessively solid in taste, so we make Future Cola some more tender." A "modest" measure of Chinese solution was incorporated for its taste however, much the same as Coca- Cola, the formula is "mystery," she included. Still, the most

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business Determinants of Bank Profitability Dissertation

Business Determinants of Bank Profitability - Dissertation Example From this report it is clear that that the determinants of banking profitability are into categories which are internal and external. Internal determinants include the management of expenses, liquidity and capital reserves while external ones are size of the firm, economic environment and ownership basis. Proper management of expenses was identified as the most important factor enhancing high profitability in banks. Conversely, high interest rates occasioned by ownership strategies were identified as the main factor to low profitability. The research is valid since misappropriation in handling expenses will definitely lead to more expenditure and less profits in any sector. Similarly, imposing customers to high interest rates on loans is also a factor that makes customers lose faith with the bank.This research highlights that  Molyneux and Thornton elucidated on these variables as well as revealing that liquidity affects profitability negatively. This research explains that industr y-specific variables are the factors that affect a bank within the banking industry such competition arising from homogeneity of goods and services. Whereas macro-economic variables simply entail the environment of the economy that banks operate. In terms of liquidity, a bank can be affected if it does not have proper appropriation of funds and hence using it in unproductive ventures such as imposing exorbitant loan interest rates, hence creating losses to the bank.

Case Study On A Patient With Necrotic Fasciitis Essay

Case Study On A Patient With Necrotic Fasciitis - Essay Example It spreads easily on the focal plane within the affected tissue. Depending on their origin, they can be categorized as poly or microbial. The monomicrobial infections occur due to group A streptococcus. It is common among the healthiest individuals, and those who historically experienced such cases such as trauma, intravenous drug, and surgery. Studies indicate that the post-operative necrotizing fasciitis accounts for twenty eight percent of all the other cases (Davis et al, 2008) . As noted by Chsn, Withey, and Butler (2006) 3 percent of wound infection occur as a result of a vein stripping, and saphenofemoral junction. Other studies showed that incidences of NF have increased and there occurance rate is thought to range between 0.4 to 0.53 each year in the U.S (Anaya & Dellinger, 2006). Worth noting, is the fact that both pre-existing co-morbidities, the young and healthy persons are affected. Various studies have explored this area, however, early diagnosis for a satisfactory tre atment is still a challenge (Balaji, 2008; Anaya & Dellinger, 2006; Cha & Falanga, 2007). With a view to close up this gap, this paper explores the case study of a twenty one year old woman with a history of Knee trivial injury (Diagram 1). The patient was first treated and admitted for septic arthritis. It was followed by diagnosing her with necrotizing fasciitis, which was treated successfully. Background information. NF or the Necrotizing fasciitis involves a soft tissue severe infection reported to rapidly progress into the human tissue (Balaji, 2008). The disease progresses into the subcutaneous and fascia tissues and in some cases can affect the skin and other muscles. From the 18th century, this rare infection has been identified by different names such as hospital gangrene, Foutnier’s gangrene, phagedena gangrenosum, and the Meleney’s gangrene (Ahn, Mulligan, & Salcido, 2008). Ahn, Mulligan, & Salcido, 2008), Anaya & Dellinger, 2006). This disease is common to individuals with immune systems that are compromised after some chronic illness. A good number of infections are as a result of organisms which can be found in the skin of an individual (Chan, Withey, & Butler, 2006). The disease occurs in those individuals having an apparent normal condition. It starts locally at the trauma site which could be minor, non-apparent, or even severe. The patients have been reported to have pain complaints, which may appear excessive even from the extern skin appearance. The patients, on the other hand, have been reported to display signs such as fever, inflammation, and tachycardia (Balaji, 2008. The Case study. A twenty one year old woman from an emergency department of a different hospital was referred to the orthopedic unit. The patient had no co-morbidities, and had a trivial injury history of her right knee. Accidentally, she hit his right knee to a wall some days back, thus sustaining an abrasion on the knee. She complained of pain on her knee th e following day hence being forced to stop working. The pain increased during the night, and was forced to attend the department of emergency the following day. She had been referred to the emergency unit with suspicions of cullulitis or sepatic arthritis. When she arrived, she had a systematically stable and a febrile though considerable pain. Her joint had reduced movements, but increased pain. The vascular and the neurological limb examinations of the patient were

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Business Determinants of Bank Profitability Dissertation

Business Determinants of Bank Profitability - Dissertation Example From this report it is clear that that the determinants of banking profitability are into categories which are internal and external. Internal determinants include the management of expenses, liquidity and capital reserves while external ones are size of the firm, economic environment and ownership basis. Proper management of expenses was identified as the most important factor enhancing high profitability in banks. Conversely, high interest rates occasioned by ownership strategies were identified as the main factor to low profitability. The research is valid since misappropriation in handling expenses will definitely lead to more expenditure and less profits in any sector. Similarly, imposing customers to high interest rates on loans is also a factor that makes customers lose faith with the bank.This research highlights that  Molyneux and Thornton elucidated on these variables as well as revealing that liquidity affects profitability negatively. This research explains that industr y-specific variables are the factors that affect a bank within the banking industry such competition arising from homogeneity of goods and services. Whereas macro-economic variables simply entail the environment of the economy that banks operate. In terms of liquidity, a bank can be affected if it does not have proper appropriation of funds and hence using it in unproductive ventures such as imposing exorbitant loan interest rates, hence creating losses to the bank.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

My country is russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My country is russia - Essay Example As Paltsev and Reilly (2009) point out, the US and Europe remain wary of energy rich nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia. Weak Institutions Russia ranks 133rd out of 144 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2012-2013. According to Aidis and Estrin (2005), the formal institutional environment is the main barrier in developing entrepreneurship in Russia. Corruption is the important factor due to the low income of the governing classes. Business cannot develop when property rights are not fully enforced, and there is no rule of law which provides a conducive environment for entrepreneurship. Adequate finance for private enterprise to flourish, is also lacking. Social Unity 100 billionaires own 30% personal wealth in Russia compared to a global figure of less than 2%. Russia has a dearth in social capital, which is based on trust, values and networks. Putnam and Pollock opine that social capital is â€Å"the capacity for self-organizat ion and collective action in pursuit of some common good† (Menyashev & Polishchuk, p 2). Social capital can lead to economic development in two ways. One is by cutting transaction costs in the private sector and the other by finding a solution to the agency problem between the government and society. Policies Energy Scenario Russia has diversified to find new customers in China, Japan and North America for natural gas. The state-owned Gazprom owns most of the gas reserves and pipelines after the Soviet disintegration. It has also created new pipelines that would bypass the other ex-Soviet republics. It has the eighth largest oil reserves in the world. Production of oil increased from 2000 to 2004 after which there has been a slowdown. On the other hand, the electricity sector has been reorganized, which has attracted foreign players. Russia formed the Gas OPEC or Troika inspite of which, spare capacity has moved beyond the OPEC. When it moved beyond usual production by exploit ing the Arctic and East Siberia, US became oil independent. Moreover, many countries also increased their oil production. When it reduced subsidies, maximized energy efficiency, and upgraded energy infrastructure, it did not offer reform to the sector and the politicized firms could not take advantage of this development. The demand for oil reduced because of factors like energy efficiency measures, Europe bypassing Russia and the breakthrough in energy resources. This has been despite a growth in population of Russia. Weak Institutions Due to excessive bureaucracy, there is a growth in informal networks, which help to mobilize resources. There is intimacy and reciprocity in such networks. The entrepreneurs use only short-term finance which could point to an underdeveloped banking sector with poor collateral laws. The liability ratio is less than one which restricts the scale of enterprise whether as a startup or for the purpose of expansion. Trade credit in the form of loans from o ne firm to another in the supply chain is used and the profit earned is ploughed back into the business. Unclear bureaucratic policies increase the cost to business. According to Transparency International, public officials and civil servants, including the police, are the most corrupt institutions in Russia. In 2012, Russia ranked 101 in the overall quality of infrastructure. Though Russia is one of the most educated countries, the quality of education is declining. Life expectancy is low when compared to countries with similar GDP. The number of

Oxfam Essay Example for Free

Oxfam Essay Oxfam does many things to help people. Some of the things they do are: 1) When People need help in an emergency – fast. They save lives, swiftly delivering aid, support and protection; and they help communities develop the capacity to cope with future crises. 2) They help Poor people take control, solve their own problems, and rely on themselves – with the right support. They fund long-term work to fight poverty in thousands of communities worldwide. 3) They campaign to get more money to help people. When people are in an emergency Oxfam come and drop supplies for quick use. They help poor people to take control by providing tools and skills. This enables communities to dig wells and plant seed to grow crops. When they campaign, they make adverts so that people can see the disasters that happen in other countries. Their mission statement is â€Å"Oxfam is a global movement of people working with others to overcome poverty and suffering. † They follow their statement by working with other countries all around the world that can lend a helping hand to their cause. They also go on the news when they do there emergency drops for people. Also, on the website, they publish what they have done in recent years, and what they are doing to help now. You also here about people getting wells and farm land in the paper, along with the company that is responsible for making it happen I think that Oxfam should help people in England as well as people abroad because everyone says that other countries are in a mess, and that 60% of their kids are in poverty, but when you look at our country 1 in every 3 kids are in poverty. So I think that some of the money should be spent on getting our kids out of poverty as well as kids abroad. I asked people if they think that Oxfam should help people in our country and why. One person said: â€Å"I think that Oxfam should help people in our country because we spend millions of pounds to help other countries when we say we have no money, so if we can find that much money to help other countries, then why not use the money first to help our countries.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

RFID and Bar Coding Technologies

RFID and Bar Coding Technologies Introduction Barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows certain data on certain products. Originally, barcodes represented data in the widths (lines) and the spacing of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes or symbologies. They also come in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns within images termed 2D (2 dimensional) matrix codes or symbologies. Although 2D systems use symbols other than bars, they are generally referred to as barcodes as well. Barcodes can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers, or scanned from an image by special software. The first use of barcodes was to label railroad cars, but they were not commercially successful until they were used to automate supermarket checkout systems, a task in which they have become almost universal. Their use has spread to many other roles as well, tasks that are generically referred to as Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC). Other systems are attempting to make inroads in the AIDC market, but the simplicity, universality and low cost of barcodes has limited the role of these other systems. It costs 0.5 ¢ (U.S.) to implement a barcode, while passive RFID still costs about 7 ¢ to 30 ¢ per tag. In hospitals bar codes are now used in a number of ways. In blood banks, as has been the case for a number of years now, they have the ability to track blood back to the initial donor. Because of whats happened in the past three or four years in discovering the risk of AIDS, thats very important. And for keeping track of patient numbers, the checking in or out of patients through the bar code on the little wristband that all hospital patients wear is much the same as the check-in/check-out process of buying products. This coding process has just started within the last year or so because its a more efficient way to make sure that when the patient gets two aspirins, he gets billed for those aspirins. In many hospitals about 30 to 40 percent of their total supplies never get charged out to patients because the paperwork involved in billing for two aspirins costs far more than the aspirins, so nobody worries about it. The problem with that is quite obvious. The federal government is getting a great deal tougher on hospitals to increase room rates to cover items like that. The bar code is very efficient at keeping track of supplies. Again, its an easy way to get information into a computer and then do something with it. Additionally, youve been in the department stores, such as Dillards, which now use security tags. And, if youve done what Ive done namely, pay for a sport coat but the clerk forgets to take off the tag, then walk out the door and the whole building comes down on you because that tag is still on there then you know what electronic bar codes are about. These security tags have little transformers in them, which are really another form of bar coding. The same is true if you are, for example, a bank tied in with a grocery store. We now have developed credit cards with bar codes on them such that when you go into the grocery store to cash a check, they dont have to look at your identification or make a telephone call or key your number into a little checker unit. They simply scan it, and instantly the checkout process becomes an information-gathering process, keeping track of what youre buying so that, at the end of that process, out comes not only a tape of your purchases but also some coupons toward purchases for the next time you come in. And the coupons that come out are a function of what you bought. Some ingenious things are now starting to happen along those lines, but its all a function of the same thing. We have the ability to do something with that gigantic bunch of information that heretofore was impossible to process. The bar code is simply a way to do that very efficiently. the last two years of being able to put information into a computer directly by simply talking into a microphone. That ability is probably number of years off, but it is coming. Something along those lines will happen as it becomes more important that you get the data quicker and faster. Information is the new currency of the world. I really believe that. I believe its the key to outsmarting the competition. If you think about it and think about your own concerns and your own businesses, I think youll agree with me. Bar codes provide the information vehicle that you need to make some decisions that involve merchandising and ultimately servicing your customer better. The nichemanship that bar codes help create permits a flexibility that will win out. And well beat the competition hands down. Bar codes are commonsense solutions for many problems involving the collection of information. Defeating the foreign competition will be a relatively simple proposition because of the flexibility we will have and the superior information we have about what our customers really want. 3. Literature Review A review of the literature reveals that very few empirical investigations have been undertaken to quantify the benefits of RFID and Bar coding technologies. The number of articles that discuss RFID technology and its adoption has risen from almost zero in the early 1990s to nearly nine thousand by 2005. Of those studies that have been conducted so far only one dimensional barcodes were studied (Vijayaraman Osyk, 2006). This does not appear to be an accurate representation of the technologies currently used in supply chains and firms. Have companies and researchers become so consumed with the hype that surrounds RFID that they have forgotten about the most widely used technology on this planet bar coding, with five billion barcodes scanned each day across the world and already implemented across diverse businesses and product ranges (Wyld, 2006). Barcodes are part of every product that we buy and has become theâ€Å"ubiquitous standard for identifying and tracking products† (Wyld, 2006, p. 157) Traditional bar coding is coupled with the Universal Product Code (UPC) and every day accounts for billions of scans all over the world. According to a survey conducted by Zebra Technologies in 2006, over 96% of European companies cited improved efficiency as the main benefit of using bar coding. Other reasons that European companies gave for using barcodes were: increasing the accuracy of ordering and invoicing (32%), cost reduction (26%), and the fact that newer technology isnt ready yet (16%) (â€Å"Accuracy tops UK†, 2006). Within the Auto-ID family, a new two-dimensional system of bar coding has evolved which allows barcodes to hold more data than the traditional method. Product data is encoded in both horizontal and vertical dimensions and, as more data is encoded, the size of the barcode can be increased in both the horizontal and vertical directions thus maintaining a manageable shape for easy scanning and product packaging specifications (â€Å"2D Barcodes Explained†, 2007; Shaked, Levy, Baharavl, Yen, 2001). Two-dimensional barcodes are already being used for concert tickets by sending a barcode to a mobile phone and then scanning the message at the door by a laser gun. In Japan, mobile phones are being adapted to scan two-dimensional barcodes placed in magazines adverts. The barcode is scanned and connects the mobile to the internet and shows the user the film clip or plays the ring tones. Further developments in the lasers used to scan barcodes help improve the efficiency and speed in which barcodes can be scanned (Dearne, 2006; Ishii, 2004; Suzuki, 2006). Example, they are adversely affected if they are brought into contact with metal and liquids. The signal frequency that RFID uses is also subject to interference as they are commonly used by other technologies, and RFID standards as yet have not assigned a lone frequency for RFID transmissions (Clarke et al, 2005; Forcino, 2004; Ranky, 2006) Barcodes, though, can be printed on durable materials and are not affected by substrate materials or electromagnetic emissions, all of which lend them a competitive edge in some industries and environments. Improvements in how barcodes are printed are evolving all the time as manufacturers strengthen the barcode system. Two-dimensional barcodes can be read even when damaged, so this further shortens the gap between the two technologies (â€Å"Barcode scanners†, 2007; Dover, 1995). Developments in the range at which barcodes can be scanned similarly reduce the apparent performance gap between RFID and bar coding (â€Å"Wide ranging barcode scanner,† 2007). It is questionable why there has been no significant research around these developments that can purportedly improve the quality and performance of existing systems. 4.Methodology This report is depending on the secondary data include both raw data and published summaries. Most organizations collect and store a variety of data to support their operations consumer research organizations collect data are subsequently by different clients. A growing variety haves been deposited in and are available from data archives. In addition, the vast majority of companies and professional organizations have their own Internet sites from which data may be obtained. 4.1Questionnaires: Questionnaire can be conducted in different form: telephone, Internet or postal. The data from each of these techniques needs to be reliable and valid. Bell (1997), suggests there are seven questions types, verbal or open, list, ranking, scale, category, quantity and grid. Questionnaires can be use to gather information from respondents on for example there: Beliefs Demographic characteristic Knowledge Attitudes. The questions fall into two main categories, demographic and content questions, the demographic seek information about the respondents such as age, occupancy, and so on. The content questions are dealing with the subject being surveyed, and ask about the respondents opinions, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. 4.2 Interviews Interviews are time consuming it is a highly subjective technique and therefore there is always the damage of bias. Analyzing responses can present problems, and wording the questions is almost as demarking for interviews as it is for questionnaires. Interviews can be divided into many sub areas, and how they are conducted will classify then either as quantitative or qualitative. Structured interviews, use questionnaire but the interview meet respondents and ask the questions face to face. The interviewer must not deviate from the schedule of questions., semi-structured interviews, the researcher will have a list of themes and questions to be covered. Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. The needed data and each form has its nature shall highly influence which form shall be used and there will be always a reference to the form used to gather given data. 4.3 Field Survey The research methodologies comply of both quantitative and qualitative modes of dates collection and include: background, literature review, questionnaire. In addition research on the literature review of books, Journals and web pages around subject areas. The research shall not follow either positivism nor phenomenological shall it be a hybrid of both- pluralism. Also the writer research methods are deductive where the writer shall be formulating certain hypothesis and then shall test those hypotheses through data collected. 5.Barcode applications in practical life Uses barcode technology has no limits; it is medicine for trade and education for tourism. For example, bar code scanning can be used on some merchandise to give the buyer more information about the product. This is what started applying a global fast food, and had ensured that with each fund and a small meal that contains health information on the meal. In the field of medicine can provide some medical drugs contain a link to the property and its medical. Barcode can also be used in tourism by providing tourist guidebooks containing the bar code symbol for the particular tourism can benefit from it to access the required information or to find out more about the region. It also began the spread of bar code scanning as an alternative to postage stamps and seals. Even in foreign restaurants do put the code bar code menu to be translated from one language to another. Finally barcode applications in education, many of them to provide the student with the code bar code after the end of the lecture scans the code, and routing mobile phone site article on the network to work after the exam to download calendar of what has been explained, or ask a question is confused by his understanding. The technological developments in mobile barcode technology have made it available to all. Enough to have a supported mobile phone camera and supports the third generation to be able to take advantage and experience of the barcode technology. Known as a barcode label product globally and locally in the form of the device can designed to be read being picked up and sent to a file of information within the computer and to obtain information for a particular product with the utmost precision, speed, and a code number of data products, which facilitates the operations as follows: It contacts the abolition of manual data and easy access to data with speed and accuracy in identifying the products and Electronic control of production lines and handling of raw materials. Moreover, control the movement of electronically stores with ease and speed of trading through the distribution channels and thus reduce costs and satisfy customers. Also it is easy handling and circulation of goods at point of sale and easy follow-up product at any point during the stages of manufacturing, storage, supply, distribution and sale and the final follow-up services. It is communication through the exchange of information electronically criteria. Furth more, it is collecting and presenting information in a fast, accurate and reliable in strategic planning for the production of marketing. Also it reduces the size of inventory and reduce losses resulting from the expiration of products and increase the value added of the product and raise its competitiveness in both domestic or world ma rkets through find a way to exchange data globally agreed. In additional it is coding of products in accordance with the Code is the image of a civilized world and keep abreast of globalization and trade developments international and WTO requirements. Also the numbering of the product in the form of bar code and a simple, inexpensive process to facilitate data retrieval automatically and raising the efficiency of customer service to expedite the sale and payment. In point-of-sale management, the use of barcodes can provide very detailed up-to-date information on key aspects of the business, enabling decisions to be made much more quickly and with more confidence. For example: Fast-selling items can be identified quickly and automatically reordered to meet consumer demand, and Slow-selling items can be identified, preventing a build-up of unwanted stock, The effects of repositioning a given product within a store can be monitored, allowing fast-moving more profitable items to occupy the best space and historical data can be used to predict seasonal fluctuations very accurately. Items may be re-priced on the shelf to reflect both sale prices and price increases. This technology also enables the profiling of individual consumers, typically through a voluntary registration of discount cards. While pitched as a benefit to the consumer, this practice is considered to be potentially dangerous by privacy advocates. Besides sales and inventory tracking, barcodes are very useful in shipping/receiving/tracking. When a manufacturer packs a box with any given item, a Unique Identifying Number (UID) can be assigned to the box. A relational database can be created to relate the UID to relevant information about the box; such as order number, items packed, qty packed, final destination, etc. The information can be transmitted through a communication system such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) so the retailer has the information about a shipment before it arrives. Shipments that are sent to a Distribution Center (DC) are tracked before being forwarded to the final destination. When the shipment gets to the final destination, the UID gets scanned, so the store knows where the order came from, whats inside the box, and how much to pay the manufacturer. The reason barcodes are business-friendly is that the scanners are relatively low cost and extremely accurate compared to key-entry, with only about 1 substitution error in 15,000 to 36 trillion characters entered. The exact error rate depends on the type of barcode. 6. References: Tony Seideman, Barcodes Sweep the World, barcoding.com Wonders of Modern Technology George Laurer, Development of the U.P.C. Symbol, bellsouthpwp.net Nelson, Benjamin (1997). From Punched Cards To Bar Codes. Varchaver, Nicholas (2004-05-31). Scanning the Globe. Fortune. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/05/31/370719/index.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-27. Selmeier, Bill (2008). Spreading the Barcode. pp. 26, 214, 236, 238, 244, 245, 236, 238, 244, 245. ISBN 978-0-578-02417-2. Bishop, Tricia (July 5 2004). UPC bar code has been in use 30 years. SFgate.com. http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/07/05/BUG6Q7G4AJ1.DTLtype=business. Retrieved 22 December 2009.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Money and the Corruption of American Society :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Money and the Corruption of American Society The American dream Sweet as a new millionaire The American dream Pre-packed, ready-to-wear The American dream Fat, like a chocolate eclair As you suck out the cream Luck by the tail How can you fail? And best of all, it's for sale The American dream - The Engineer (Miss Saigon) Money is very important in American society today.   Your status in America is greatly influenced by how much money you make.   We see the effects of money while reading the paper, wathshing the evening news, and in Micheal Moore’s movies.     As we see in all three of Micheal Moore’s films Roger & Me, Pets or Meat, and The Big One, money can affect a society in horrible ways.   The major corporations such as GM closed the doors in their plants and left 30,000 American’s without a job.   Only to move their plant to a far off country and pay people a fraction of the hourly wages to produce more profit than the billions they were originally making (Moore 1989). Even as Micheal goes to the CEO of Nike, Phil Knight, and talks about the conditions of his factories in Indonesia, nothing is done.   Phil is well aware of what happens in these factories and chooses to do nothing about it.   He is also well aware that Americans are without jobs but continues to build factories in other countries because his overall profit will increase (Moore 1997).   We also see a how money affects people in Katherine Newman’s â€Å"American Nightmares†.   In this reading we hear about a group of people called he downwardly mobile.   They are people who were once secure in their jobs and then for some reason they lose them. They begin to fall down the social ladder.   Because money is such an important factor in their lives,   once they begin to lose their money they begin to lose much more.   They start to lose friends and more importantly their self-dignity.   They are like the people we see in Moore's movies.   They lose everything and don’t have anywhere to turn.   In Peter Marin’s piece â€Å"Helping and Hating the Homeless†, he tells us that the homeless   â€Å"were people more or less like ourselves: members of the working or middle class†.   This is very ironic because we think of ourselves as much better than the homeless.   But money is truly the only difference between us.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Draft

So it only means that segregation is very important! The students, teachers and school response health are at risk if wastes are not segregated. Everyone has to imply with the rules of segregation for us to be healthy. But now let's differentiate the non-biodegradable and biodegradable wastes. There are many kinds of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes and some of the examples of biodegradable wastes are: left-over, paper, wood ad etc. And the example of non-biodegradable wastes are: Styrofoam, plastics, hardstands and etc.Then non-biodegradable wastes are the ones who caused the calamities that happen in our society now a day. It takes more than 50 years for them to decompose. It is also the waste that will never break down into part of the earth. Non- biodegradable wastes are the main problem of the society. We humans are the major cause of the non-biodegradable waste everywhere; we create all sorts of plastic bags, glass, Styrofoam and etc. Even if we know that this waste w ill not decompose easily. How are we going to lessen the use of this non-biodegradable material?What can we do to help prevent calamities cause by this waste? Segregation is very important especially when we are talking about waste. We as an ordinary citizen of our country or as an ordinary student can help even in little hints that we do. We can prevent the calamities that get many persons life when we imply ourselves in the rules of waste segregation. We the research students choose to experiment the effect of mixing two kinds of waste. Why do we need to separate biodegradable wastes to non-biodegradable wastes?Why do we need to know the importance of segregation? In this way, we research students can help people who don't know the importance of this in solving environmental problems. Statement of the Problem: Since waste is one of the problems in this country, we conducted a research to help people know the importance of segregating waste. . In what way can students of SAPS help in lessening waste? 2. Is it possible to recycle mixed biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes? 3. How can we help people know the importance of segregation? Hypotheses: 1 .We as student of SAPS can help lessen wastes by knowing the proper segregation and helping minimize the waste in our society. 2. We think that we can recycle mixed biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste because mixed bio and non- biodegradable wastes is a new substance. 3. We as student think that we can help people know the importance of segregation if we do a creative project that explains hat segregation is truly that important. Significance of the Study: The study aims to give information about the importance of segregation inside and outside the campus.This study also has a goal to improve the use of non- biodegradable and biodegradable waste in our daily life. This study also aims to help in recycling the waste around us. This study has a goal to minimize calamities caused by the waste that don't deco mpose. The study aims to inform that if we know how to segregate we know how to take care of our environment. This has a goal to tell people to lessen the use of non-biodegradable waste or materials because this is the effect why our environment is polluted.This study aims to give the importance, cause and effect and the meaning of segregation of wastes. Scope and Limitations: This research is limited only to papers and plastic bottles. The researchers will get papers and plastic bottles in the trashcans they will find in Sat. Clara Parish School. Definition of Terms: Non-Biodegradable Waste It is the waste or object that cannot decompose or cannot easily decompose. Biodegradable Waste It is the waste or object that easily decompose. Mixing It is the process of combining two or more substances to form another substance.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Business Ethics Within Today

Business Ethics within Today’s Business See Yang University of Phoenix Business Ethics within Today’s Business Ethics are very important to all business people. Yet, many neglect ethics as an important part that plays a major impact upon a person’s success as a leader or advisor. Ethical dilemmas are faced everyday in the society. Which in today’s business world ethical issues like harassment, conflict of interest, and customer confidence issues does affects the community and organization. Business ethics is not something that naturally occurs within an organization. It’s a culture that upper management and employees need to build from the ground up, which helps the company to tackle moral issues confronting the business. Therefore, business ethics examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problem that arise in a business environment, which applies to all aspect of business conduct and are relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations all together (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). However, business ethics creates professional attitudes and behaviors throughout the organization and the surrounding environment. In today’s business world, harassment is not taken lightly. Harassment or sexual harassment is sexual behavior toward another person with unwanted contact with the other person. Harassment is not when two people come together and kiss but when someone is making rude comments or trying to have sexual contact with another person without permission. Because harassment is a form of discrimination harassment is an ethical issue that stops workers from performing their duties due to miss treatment and unfairness (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Another ethical issue is conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest includes issues as bribes, influence and privileged information. For example, if an individual was working for a retail company and was also employed by another retail company at the same time would be consider a conflict of interest. Due to valuable information the individual holds about the company, therefore the company would expect the individual to quit or look for another job. Conflict of interest can also occur by holding a personal relationship with another co-worker and distributing irregular discounts to other vendors when the discount is meant just for the worker. As a company, avoiding conflict of interest is the best way to go. Conflicts could cause loss of employment and corporation or law and federal charges. Customer confidence issues are another ethical issue. It includes topics such as confidentiality and truth in advertising. Confidentiality is basically the privacy of the customer. The privacy protects the customer’s personal information on sales and finance. As an employee, truth in advertising plays a huge role in customer service. If an employee is promoting something and is not promoting the proper information, the company could lose a substantial amount of money depending on the situation. As well as losing customers and business. Customer confidence has a saying, â€Å"the customer is always right† (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Most businesses use the saying to prevent tension between the corporation and the customer and provide customer satisfaction. Harassment, conflict of interest, and customer confidence issues are some of the business ethical issues, which are common in everyday business. An individual can make a single decision that can have a negative or positive effect around his or her surroundings. Businesses make the choices through being honest or lying. However, it will determine what fate the business would fall in. A business who values work ethics would be a business valued by the customers. Reference Trevino, L. K. , & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing businessethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved January 3, 2010,from ecampus. phoenix. edu

Consider how Shakespeare presents madness Essay

Consider how Shakespeare presents madness in the play and explain whether you think it does illustrate how, â€Å"something is rotten in the state of Denmark. † One of the main themes in Hamlet is that of madness. Shakespeare conveys madness through not only Hamlet but through other characters as well, such as Ophelia, to covey that that the state of Denmark is rotten. At the beginning of the play, the first thing introduced are the night watchmen seeing the ghost. This is at the beginning because it is the first event in the chain that eventually leads to Hamlet seeking revenge for his father’s death. Although he was upset by his father’s death and his mother’s ‘o’erhasty marriage’, it was the revelation that his father was murdered that he thinks that he must take revenge. When Horatio first speaks to the ghost he recognises that it is unnatural for it to be there; â€Å"What art thou that unsurp’st this time of night†, illustrating that he feels that the ghost has ‘wrongfully seized’ the night. The atmosphere is unsettling and the ghost’s unnatural appearance is a sign of the bad things going on in Denmark, especially the court; â€Å"This bodes some strange eruption to our state. † During the times that the play was written, unusual things that happened were seen as a sign that something was not right in the courts; â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark†. This could be referring either to the whole of Denmark, or just the courts. It is after Hamlet sees the ghost that he decides that he will pretend to be mad; â€Å"put an antic disposition on†, but he does not want his friends to tell anyone what they have seen or that he is feigning madness; â€Å"Never make known what you have seen tonight†, as he believes that this way he can find means to exact his revenge on Claudius for killing his father; â€Å"And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain†, meaning that all he shall have in his thoughts is how the ghost of his father told him to exact revenge on Claudius. This is the first step in the theme of madness for the play. Although Hamlet clearly says that he will be putting on his madness, it is uncertain whether actually he does go mad during the play, as illustrated in his outbursts towards his mother and Ophelia, and the murder of Polonius. There is much deception during the play, such as Claudius trying to gloss over the fact that he knows that his marriage to Gertrude could be seen as incest by the Church and that Hamlet should have been the rightful heir to the throne; â€Å"Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves. † He says that he is mourning and feels that mourning is appropriate for the old king, but he must think of himself, perhaps hinting at the fact that the death was convenient for him and he has had enough of mourning. This is characteristic of him throughout the play as all he has done and will do is for his own self interest, as when Hamlet asks if he can leave the castle, Claudius refuses, saying; â€Å"And we beseech you, bend you to remain here in the cheer and comfort of our eye†. He appears to be asking him to stay for his comfort, but he actually wants to keep an eye on him because he knows that he is still a threat to him and the throne. He at first seemed to want Hamlet to become like a son to him, but that changes as soon as he realises he could be a threat to him. He also continually uses the words ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ to establish himself as the husband of Gertrude and the King of Denmark. Polonius comments; â€Å"with pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself†. To which Claudius replies as an aside; â€Å"The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word. † Claudius admits that he is covering up the truth, continuing the theme of deception, adding to the audience’s awareness of the rottenness of Denmark. As there becomes more deception and secrecy throughout the play, it seems that the imagery in the language reflects the deception, and images of disease are used; â€Å"For the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion†. This could be language to refer to how that state of Denmark is rotting, but also Hamlet’s language seems to reflect his turmoil as he tried to decide what to do about Claudius, and as he gets more frustrated with himself he becomes more abusive towards his mother and Ophelia; â€Å"You are keen my lord, you are keen. † â€Å"It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge. † He is taunting Ophelia using double meaning. Hamlet is very good at creating double meanings, like when he says to Claudius; â€Å"I am to much i’th’sun†, which he says as if he is in too much sunshine but also he is saying that he feels too much like Claudius’s son. Later in the play the text says; â€Å"It will but skin and film the ulcerous place, whiles rank corruption, mining all within, infects unseen. † He is saying that corruption, like infection starts within, and the corruption of Denmark will begin with the court. This also links in with madness because madness also starts from within – within the mind, and perhaps it is saying that just one unstable mind could bring down all the state. Another way that Shakespeare presents madness in the play is through Ophelia. She goes mad after Hamlet kills her father, but also because of the way Hamlet treated her – cruelly. He said to her that he loved her, and there were some hints that he had been intimate with her, but he treats her badly and even tells her that he does not love her. She has been a victim of a corrupt society – from Hamlet leaving her and from her father, such as using her as a pawn to spy on Hamlet. After she has become mad, she sings many songs. The first one that she sings is, ‘How should I you true love know’. This song could be her recalling the death of her father; â€Å"He is dead and gone lady, he is dead and gone. † This is the first thing that comes into her mind to sing about, so it must be the thing that is foremost in her mind. It could also be that she is recalling how Hamlet is now lost to her, and she is still looking for her true love, because it seems obvious that she has not found him yet. However, the rest of the songs seem to be about Hamlet, as they are about lost love and some of them imply that Ophelia had been sexually intimate with Hamlet; â€Å"Quoth she, before you tumbled me you promised me to wed†. It seems that both her father and Hamlet are responsible for Ophelia’s madness, and this is reiterated by what Ophelia sings about. Ophelia was controlled all the men in her life, and this was customary for the time, but it seems that they took too much of a hold on her, with none of them considering her feelings, for her father told her to no longer speak to Hamlet as it could affect his career, Laertes also told her to stay away from Hamlet and Hamlet was cruel to her. She also says, after her first song; â€Å"They say the owl was a baker’s daughter. † This could just be nonsense, but it could also be referring to her father, saying that once she was the daughter of a man in the court, but now she is just the daughter of a dead old man. Polonius did help the corruption in Denmark, such as spying and trying to make sure his own career was safe, and because of him Ophelia is mad. Hamlet also said that he loved Ophelia, and whereas before he was tender, due to the corruption around him and his succumbing to it, he was a factor in Ophelia’s madness, which eventually led to her suicide. By the actions of people around her, Ophelia is tainted by the corruptness around, as Hamlet says in the beginning of the play says that she is pure, but later on says she is wanton like all women, and tells her; â€Å"to a nunnery go. † This could be to send her to be protected, or it could be a sarcastic remark telling her to go to a brothel.