Assessment centre exercises

Assessment centre exercises Introduction Hiring the right person to tackle a particular job is very crucial to any organization. Hiring the wrong person can easily ruin the company’s credibility and can even cost the company a lot of money. For a long time, most organizations have relied on the traditional method of interviewing a candidate.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Assessment centre exercises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because conducting a personal interview is not only considered cheap for the company but that it does not also take much of the company’s time. However, research has proven that the traditional method of conducting personal interviews can no longer be relied upon to hire superlative candidates. The use of assessment centres have widely been advocated for with most researchers arguing that it is the only reliable selection method that a company can adopt to hire the best of the best. Franks et. al. (1998) state that almost 60% of British organizations have resulted to assessment centre exercises for their selection process. But how effective is the use of assessment centre exercises to hire a qualified candidate and is it the most suitable method to test a candidate? The argument has elicited mixed reactions as to the validity of assessment centres with some arguing that the centres are not really effective while others maintain that the use of assessment centres is the best invention that befell the business world. This paper is therefore aimed at reviewing some peer-reviewed journal articles that seem to have a different take on the issue. Literature Review Abraham, Morrison and Burnett (2006) argue that: ‘assessment centres and behavioural simulations are among the most effective predictors of job performance and career progress available to employers’ (p.383). This is attributed to the fact that the use of assessment centre exercises enhance the skills and the capabilities of the employees and it is one of the most appropriate strategy to measure their potential.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has been made possible as the candidate is required to present some form of evidence to support their suitability claims (Jennifer and Duncan 2005). In their extensively researched article, Abraham, Morrison and Burnett (2006) further argue that even though the efficiency of assessment centre exercises have widely researched upon, it is not yet clear how useful they are in the employment development. This is because most studies focus on the efficacy of assessment centres and its role in employee development has not been dwelled upon extensively. This leaves a wide gap on how effective the method is. Malde (2006) on his part questions the validity of assessment centres and its role. He presents a valid argument that eve n though assessment centres has widely been praised, it does not really live up to his claims. In his article, he claims that the assessment centre is negligent enough as to not care about the interests of the candidate. He seem to give a differing opinion on the effectiveness of assessment centre as a whole. He argues that even though the method of selection is one of the best to pick out the best candidate, the interests of the candidate should also be encompassed in the process in order to conclude on the issue of effectiveness. In his view, the interests of the candidate undertaking the exercises should be put into consideration as that of the organisation. He argues that the performance of the candidate is bound to decline in future. Why is this so? He supports his argument by arguing that just like in the traditional assessment devices that have earlier been adopted, the candidate is out to please the selection assessors so as to get that job. With the economy crunch hitting t he world, one is bound to dance to any tune played so as to get their way. The interests of the candidates are completely ignored hence leading to performance decline in future when the candidate become accustomed to what he is doing. However, Thornton and Gibbons (2009) seem to differ with the argument presented by Malde. In their well researched article, they state that: ‘the overall assessment rating in assessment centre exercise predicts performance in the future in some specified job or set of jobs’ (p. 171).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Assessment centre exercises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because the exercises entailed in the assessment centre dwell on factors such as content representativeness. The assessor is particularly keen on the appropriateness of the content. This is made possible as the candidate is made to undergo several exercises such as filling in questionnaires an d partaking intelligence tests while the assessors rely on several other techniques to test the suitability of the candidate. The career success of the candidate from the assessment centre exercises has also been debated upon. Jansen and Vinkenburg (2006) predicted the effectiveness of assessment centre exercises on the success of the candidate in future. In their study, they examined the trend of success for a period of 13 years in order to assess the validity and effectiveness of the assessment centre in future career progression of the candidate. The authors relied on the period of entry and tenure as control measures and previous studies that had been conducted in order to ascertain the validity of assessment centre exercises to select a candidate and the success of that particular candidate in future. Though they conclude that the method was indeed effective after years of investigation, they are quick to point out that the validity pattern was indeed dynamic. They argued that the assessment centre system was more effective for candidates in their early careers and their validity increased over the years as opposed to those candidates who were late in their career lives. They also argued that the different types of techniques used in assessment centres can be a contributing factor to the future success of the candidate.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is therefore evident that different types of techniques applied in the assessment centres play a very big role to determine its validity. The most common techniques applied include interviews, in-basket exercises, filling a questionnaire, business games, leadership group discussion, projective tests, drawing autobiographical sketches and paper and pencil tests. Luo and Meng (2005) holds the opinion that the validity of assessment centre depends on different grading dimensions adopted in the selection process. In their study, they examined the differing effects on the validity of assessment centre using the leaderless group discussions, role playing and in-basket exercises. The leaderless group discussion is a technique that requires the candidates to work in a group. The candidates are handed written or spoken instructions to be assessed upon. The role of the assessor at this stage is to assess the measurable behaviour of the candidates such as how they maintain the eye contact, their body language or their involvement in the group. The leaderless group discussion is tricky as it calls for candidates who have excellent leadership and communication skills. The role playing or simulation technique on the other hand is where the candidates are required to play a particular role in an orchestrated scene to test their response to particular situations. This is to enhance their role-playing skills in the organisation. The in-basket technique is one of a kind as it requires the candidate to undertake a role in odd times and within the shortest time possible. This measures the reliability of the candidate in the organisation if he is hired. The three methods were measured more than once in different dimensions (Luo and Meng 2005). The conclusion of the study was that the behaviour ability techniques were more effective than the psychological trait techniques. This study was backed in a similar finding that measured the impact of techniques on assessment centres. In their findings, Mark and David (2006) argued that though the use of various techniques played a big role in evaluating the ideal candidate for the job, the effectiveness of assessment centre varied in the type of technique applied. In practise, specific task-based techniques have highly been rated as to increase the ratings in assessment centres (Jackson, Stillman and Atkins 2005). The use of self-assessment in assessment centres has also been advocated for in numerous studies as an effective method of evaluation. Franks et.al. (1998) argue that: ‘Most of the research in this field has looked at the effectiveness of raw self-assessments on their own and not the relative importance of self assessment in comparison to other indices of assessment (p.124). In their article, they state that self-assessment accuracy can be determined either through over-estimation, under-estimation and perfect accuracy of the candidate. This not only aid the personal development of the candidate bu t also aids in the effectiveness of the assessment centre outcome. It also enhances self-awareness and learning of the candidate. Discussion The validity of assessment centre exercises is very essential to any organisation that wishes to encompass it in its selection process. However, it is evident that most findings fail to address the weaknesses of this method and only concentrate on the strengths. Though the findings by Malde (2006) seem to veer off from the findings of other researchers, his only concern is how the candidate’s interests are featured in the method. His argument though seem to support the method as the most appropriate strategy a company can adopt to hire a qualified candidate. Lievens, Dam and Anderson (2002) bashes the use of personnel selection due to technology advancements, globalisation and other social trends. They wholly rely on the use of assessment centre exercises as the successful strategy to hire the best candidates for the job. However, the sy stem has some drawbacks such as it is a costly process. It also emphasize on a one-way mirror technique where the candidate is to perform a task and the assessors acts like big brother. This tends to scare away candidates hence decreasing their full potentials. Conclusion In conclusion, assessment centre exercises can be said to be the most effective in selecting an ideal candidate despite some of the drawbacks it faces. Consequently, it provides the perfect platform for the organisation to select the best candidates based on various techniques, and not the usual question-answer type of selection. The literature already put in place seems to concur with the idea of wholly implementing the assessment centre exercises fully in all organisations to ensure its success by hiring the best candidates they can get. Reference List Abraham, J, Morrison, J and Burnett, D 2006, ‘Feedback Seeking Among  Developmental Assessment Center Participants’, Journal of Business and Psychol ogy, vol. 20 no. 3, pp. 383-394. Franks, D, Ferguson, E, Rolls, S and Henderson, F 1998, ‘Self-assessments in HRM:  an example from an assessment centre’, Personal Review, vol. 28 no. 1, pp. 124-133. Jackson, D, Stillman, J and Atkins, S 2005, ‘Rating Tasks Versus Dimensions in  Assessment Centers: A Psychometric Comparison’, Human Performance, vol. 18 no. 3, pp. 213-241. Jansen, P and Vinkenburg, C 2006, ‘Predicting management career success from  assessment center data: A longitudinal study’, Journal of Vocational Behaviour, vol. 68 no. 2, pp. 253-266. Jennifer, S and Duncan, J 2005, ‘A Detection theory approach to the evaluation of  assessors in assessment centres’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, vol. 78 no. 4, pp.581-594. Lievens, F, Dam, K and Anderson, N 2002, ‘Recent trends and challenges in personnel  selection’, Personal Review, vol. 31 no. 5, pp. 580-601. Luo, F and Meng, Q 2 005, ‘A Research on How Different Types of Graded Dimensions  Affect the Construct Validity of the Assessment Centre’, Psychological ScienceChina, vol. 28 no. 6, pp. 1437-1439. Malde, B 2006, ‘Do assessment centres really care about the candidate’, British  Journal of Guidance and Counseling, vol. 34 no. 4, pp. 539-549. Mark, B and David, W 2006, ‘A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of the Impact of Dimension  and Exercise Factors on Assessment Centre Ratings’, Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 91 no. 5, pp. 1114-1124. Thornton, G and Gibbons, A 2009, ‘Validity of assessment centres for personnel  selection’, Human Resource Management Review, vol. 19, pp. 169-187.

Rise and Fall of Nazi Officer Franz Stangl

Rise and Fall of Nazi Officer Franz Stangl Franz Stangl, nicknamed The White Death, was an Austrian Nazi who served as director of the Treblinka and Sobibor death camps in Poland during World War II. Under his co-direction, it is estimated that more than 1 million people were gassed and buried in mass graves. After the war, Stangl fled Europe, first to Syria and then to Brazil. In 1967, he was tracked down by Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal and extradited to Germany, where he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died from a heart attack in prison in 1971. Stangl as a Youth Franz Stangl was born in Altmuenster, Austria, on March 26, 1908. As a young man, he worked in textile factories, which would help him find employment later while on the run. He joined two organizations: the Nazi party and the Austrian police. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the ambitious young policeman joined the Gestapo and soon impressed his superiors with his cold efficiency and willingness to follow orders. Stangl and Aktion T4 In 1940, Stangl was assigned to Aktion T4, a Nazi program designed to improve the Aryan master race gene pool by weeding out the infirm. Stangl was assigned to the Hartheim Euthanasia Center near Linz, Austria. Germans and Austrian citizens who were deemed unworthy were euthanized, including those born with birth defects, the mentally ill, alcoholics, those with Down’s syndrome and other illnesses. The prevailing theory was that those with defects were draining the resources from society and polluting the Aryan race. At Hartheim, Stangl proved that he had the proper combination of attention to detail, organizational skill and absolute indifference to the suffering of those he deemed inferior. Aktion T4 was eventually suspended after indignation from German and Austrian citizens. Stangl at Sobibor Death Camp After Germany had invaded Poland, the Nazis had to figure out what to do with the millions of Polish Jews, who were considered subhuman according to the racial policy of Nazi Germany. The Nazis built three death camps in eastern Poland: Sobibor, Treblinka, and Belzec. Stangl was assigned as chief administrator of the Sobibor death camp, which was inaugurated in May 1942. Stangl served as camp director until his transfer in August. Trains carrying Jews from all over Eastern Europe arrived at the camp. Train passengers arrived, were systematically stripped, shaved and sent to the gas chambers to die. It is estimated in the three months that Stangl was at Sobibor, 100,000 Jews died under Stangl’s watch. Stangl at Treblinka Death Camp Sobibor was running very smoothly and efficiently, but the Treblinka death camp was not. Stangl was reassigned to Treblinka to make it more efficient. As the Nazi hierarchy had hoped, Stangl turned the inefficient camp around. When he arrived, he found corpses strewn about, little discipline among the soldiers and inefficient killing methods. He ordered the place cleaned up and made the train station attractive so that incoming Jewish passengers would not realize what was going to happen to them until it was too late. He ordered the construction of new, larger gas chambers and raised the killing capacity of Treblinka to an estimated 22,000 per day. He was so good at his job that he was awarded the honor â€Å"Best Camp Commandant in Poland† and awarded the Iron Cross, one of the highest Nazi honors. Stangl Assigned to Italy and Return to Austria Stangl was so efficient at administrating the death camps that he put himself out of work. By the middle of 1943, most of the Jews in Poland were either dead or hiding. The death camps were no longer needed. Anticipating the international outrage to the death camps, the Nazis bulldozed the camps and tried to hide the evidence as best they could. Stangl and other camp leaders like him were sent to the Italian front in 1943; it was hypothesized that it may have been a way to try and kill them off. Stangl survived the battles in  Italy and returned to Austria in 1945, where he stayed until the war ended. Flight to Brazil As an SS officer, the genocidal terror squad of the Nazi Party, Stangl attracted the attention of the Allies after the war and spent two years in an American internment camp. The Americans did not seem to realize who he was. When Austria began to show interest in him in 1947, it was due to his involvement in Aktion T4, not for the horrors that took place in Sobibor and Treblinka. He escaped in 1948 and made his way to Rome, where pro-Nazi bishop Alois Hudal helped him and his friend Gustav Wagner escape. Stangl first went to Damascus, Syria, where he easily found work in a textile factory. He prospered and was able to send for his wife and daughters. In 1951, the family moved to Brazil and settled in So Paulo. Turning up the Heat on Stangl Throughout his travels, Stangl did little to hide his identity. He never used an alias and even registered with the Austrian embassy in Brazil. By the early 1960s, although he felt safe in Brazil, it had to have been clear to Stangl that he was a wanted man. Fellow Nazi Adolf Eichmann was snatched off a Buenos Aires street in 1960 before being taken to Israel, tried and executed. In 1963, Gerhard Bohne, another former officer associated with Aktion T4, was indicted in Germany; he would eventually be extradited from Argentina. In 1964, 11 men who had worked for Stangl at Treblinka were tried and convicted. One of them was Kurt Franz, who had succeeded Stangl as commander of the camp.   Nazi Hunter Wiesenthal on the Chase Simon Wiesenthal, the well-known concentration camp survivor, and Nazi hunter had a long list of Nazi war criminals he  wanted to be brought  to justice, and Stangl’s name was near the top of the list. In 1964, Wiesenthal got a tip  that Stangl was living in Brazil and working at a Volkswagen factory in So Paulo. According to Wiesenthal, one of the tips came from a former Gestapo officer, who demanded to be paid one penny for every Jew killed at Treblinka and Sobibor. Wiesenthal estimated that 700,000 Jews had died in those camps, so the total for the tip came to $7,000, payable if and when Stangl was captured. Wiesenthal eventually paid the informant. Another tip to Wiesenthal concerning Stangl’s whereabouts may have come from Stangl’s former son-in-law. Arrest and Extradition Wiesenthal pressured Germany to issue a request to Brazil for the arrest and extradition of Stangl. On February 28, 1967, the ex-Nazi was arrested in Brazil as he returned from a bar with his adult daughter. In June, Brazilian courts ruled that he should be extradited and shortly thereafter he was put on a plane for West Germany. It took German authorities three years to bring him to trial. He was charged with the deaths of 1.2 million people. Trial and Death Stangl’s trial began on May 13, 1970. The prosecution’s case was well-documented and Stangl did not contest most of the accusations. He instead relied on the same line prosecutors had been hearing since the Nuremberg Trials, that he was only â€Å"following orders.† He was convicted on December 22, 1970, of complicity in the deaths of 900,000 people and sentenced to life in prison. He died of a heart attack in prison on June 28, 1971, about six months after his conviction. Before he died, he gave a long interview to Austrian writer Gitta Sereny. The interview sheds some light on how Stangl was able to commit the atrocities he did. He repeatedly said that his conscience was clear because he had come to see the endless train cars of Jews as nothing more than cargo. He said he did not hate Jews personally but was proud of the organizational work he had done in the camps. In the same interview, he mentioned that his former colleague Gustav Wagner was hiding in Brazil. Later, Wiesenthal would track Wagner down and have him arrested, but the Brazilian government never extradited him.   Unlike some of the other Nazis, Stangl did not appear to relish the killing he oversaw. There are no accounts of him ever murdering anyone personally like fellow camp commander Josef Schwammberger or Auschwitz â€Å"Angel of Death† Josef Mengele. He wore a whip while at the camps, which he apparently seldom used it, although there were very few eyewitnesses who survived the Sobibor and Treblinka camps to verify it. There is no doubt, however, that Stangl’s institutionalized slaughter ended the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Wiesenthal claimed to have brought 1,100 former Nazis to justice. Stangl was by far the â€Å"biggest fish† that the famous Nazi hunter ever caught. Sources Simon Wiesenthal Archive. Franz Stangl. Walters, Guy. Hunting Evil: the Nazi War Criminals Who Escaped and the Quest to Bring them to Justice. 2010: Broadway Books.

Operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Operation management - Essay Example LM is an entire management philosophy which is often also called Toyotism because it was actually introduced by Toyota automotive manufacturer. This essay is based on scrutinising what the modern literature has to say on the subject of LM and how different principles related to this business strategy can improve the value stream of an organisation. After discussing major concepts identified in LM research, the following discussion will include application of those concepts on a chosen area of tourism, which in this case is the accommodation sector. The accommodation sector includes luxury resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfasts which are built to accommodate tourists. The essay will conclude by evaluating the extent to which OM contributes to organisational decision making. LM is not an enemy as thought by some. It does not lead to even more serious problems because it is only incorrect lean implementation that is to be feared. This explains why it is important to analyse multiple important ways which show how lean principles can be applied in a safe manner. Basically, LM is a management principle which considers the goal of delivering value to the customers to be the most important in terms of lending strength and reputation to an organisation (Sarkar, 2012, p. 2). It stresses that the limited resources available to an organisation are critically valuable and they should be only spent on creating value for the customers. Resources spent on other goals which do not add value are wasted (Duggan, 2012, p. 3). A value stream is one of the key concepts of LM which may be either based on internal processes alone or also include external suppliers. It basically includes all processes involved in the creation, production, and delivery of goods to the market. Deep investigation into value stream should be considered a top priority by all organisations because before eliminating waste, it is important for it to be identified, which is exactly what

Influence of Stakeholders on Encouraging Responsible Business Essay - 1

Influence of Stakeholders on Encouraging Responsible Business Practices - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the business world, stakeholders constitute of any group or an individual who has an effect or can be affected by the achievement of the business objectives. They include managers, business corporates, shareholders, corporation and the entire business management. These stakeholders play a critical role in promoting responsible business practices by instituting legitimate business ethics. Business practices range from social to economic perspectives. For most businesses, there are values, responsibilities and sustainability issues that are under consideration. As a result of these factors, business management comes up with a variety of ways to ensure responsible business practices as seen in the research study by Olson. The business world has come under criticism that it is to blame for global warming, carbon dioxide emissions, deforestation, and pollution. To prove the critics wrong, Cohen states that the stakeholders have begun a f ight to reduce global warming and carbon emissions. The green movement has come in to promote the growth of trees. It also helps in educating the public in regard to the emission of carbons. The stakeholders meet annually in Rio de Janeiro for the earth summit. Worldwide campaigns regarding proper business ethics are underway to ensure that businesses reduce pollution and global warming. Apart from the green movement, the stakeholders have stipulated strict rules within their businesses to ensure that there is proper waste disposal. The stakeholders came together in 1997 to sign the Kyoto protocol so as to control the rate of waste disposal as stated in the research study by Kotler & Lee. Stakeholders are now forming various groups to promote responsible business practices. Such corporate groups include the WWF, Friends of the Earth, the Greenpeace as well as the Green Party. These groups play a considerable role in ensuring that business entities protect the environment and consequ ently lead to responsible business practices.

Networking and communication sys (sockets) Assignment

Networking and communication sys (sockets) - Assignment Example In contrast, for example, when we send letter through post office, no connection is established between the sender and receiver of the letter .To reestablish connection in this connectionless communication system, next letter is the only option. Fig 2 Connection –oriented and Connectionless Socket Programming(Ginni T. 2010) 3. Analyzing the flow of code from top to bottom gives a better understanding. Set up few variables to store information on the IP address and port on which the socket server will be executed to generate socket. Next, bound it to the specified addresses and port. Wait for incoming requests to establish connections. Once a client connection is received, the socket accepts the request to handle information exchange. Client now sends some data as input, which is read by the server socket and executed. Both generated sockets are terminated after server sends output back to the client (as in Khanna S.1995). Summarizing, the four important steps in socket program ming between client and server involves; opening the socket; opening an input and output stream to the socket; reading from and writing to the socket according to server protocols; cleaning up . 4. Socket is implemented at the client side for sending requests to the machine port, and requires IP/hostname (address) of the server while Server Socket, executed on the server side, listens and answers client queries in reference to its port number. 5. Thread is the smallest unit of processes during execution that can be scheduled by an operating system. It is used for duplication of computer programs, when two or more tasks are executed concurrently. The thread has four high level states namely, ready, running, waiting and dead. Fig 3. A process with two threads of execution (Shaw Philip 2011) 6. Threads can be created by either implementing runnable interface when requirement is of single thread and extending the thread class for multiple threads. Depending on number of threads either o f the two process is preferred. Extending Thread Class Fig4.Thread Creation(Olira G.) is preferred while creating multiple threads. 7. When a thread instead of being scheduled by current operating system is lined up by virtual machine, its called green thread whereas working thread usually handles many concurrent tasks, allocating one thread to perform one task. 8. Thread is the smallest unit of processes during execution, which can be organized by an operating system whereas runnable is an interface used to create threads in the same process. Implementing a Runnable may have some advantages over extending thread while creating single thread. 9. Multithreading is the execution of different parts of a process  called  threads,  simultaneously at the same time without interfering with each other. In reference to multithreading, synchronization is the capability to control the access of multiple threads (or tasks) to the shared resources so that one thread do not alter a shared v ariable while another is in the process and hence, avoiding errors. In the diagram there are three threads of a single process, each with a different query and response. Fig5. Synchronization in Multithreading(LandrieuS.,2008) 10. Preemptive scheduling is the act of temporarily interrupting a  task  being carried out by the processor and resuming it later. Time slicing is the time period for which

Nestle Marketing Plan Analysis

Nestle Marketing Plan Analysis Nestlà © S.A. is the largest nutrition and foods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlà © originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, which was established in 1866 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and the Farine Lactà ©e Henri Nestlà © Company, which was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà ©. The company grew significantly during the First World War and following the Second World War, eventually expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. Today, the company operates in 86 countries around the world and employs nearly 283,000 individuals. Nestlà © S.A. is the largest food and beverage company in the world. With a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world, Nestlà © often is referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, ch ocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Nestlà © is often referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals with a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, chocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Nestle is a decentralized organization where responsibility for operating decisions is delegated to local units, which have a high degree of autonomy concerning pricing, distribution, marketing, etc. Nestle is organized into seven different worldwide strategic business units (SBUs). These have responsibility for high-level strategic decisions and engage in overall strategic business development, including acquisitions and market entry strategy. There is a regional organization that divides the world into five major geographical zones, such as Europe, North America, etc. The regional organizat ions are responsible for developing regional strategies and assist in the overall strategy development process. However, neither SBU nor regional manager gets involved in local operating decisions. Research and Development department is rather important for the company. Nestle spends around 1 percent of its annual sales revenue on RD and has 3,100 employees dedicated to this function. The RD function comprises eighteen different groups, which operate in eleven countries all over the world. For more than 30 years, consumers have been enjoying the healthy benefits of BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder. But now, Nestle has introduced a great innovation. Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO. Moms and kids are the target market for this new product. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. Company Perspectives: Quality is the essential ingredient in all brands and the reason why millions of people choose Nestlà © products every day. Nestles consumers have come to trust in Nestlà ©s commitment to excellence and turn to Nestlà © brands to maintain nutritional balance in a fast paced world. Marketing Plan of Nestle In todays very competitive marketplace a strategy that insures a consistent approach plays an important role. It offers products and services to be competitive. However, marketing strategy must have a well defined methodology for the day to day process of implementing it. It is of little value to have a strategy if there is lack either in resources or the expertise to implement it. Marketing strategy must address some unique considerations. However, many are common to all marketing strategies. Marketing plan of nestle consists of the following framework: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration This marketing plan is aimed at highlighting one of the product line extensions of Nestles. It mainly focuses on the internal and external environment of Nestle. Apart from that, this plan include the marketing strategies, brand promotion strategies, marketing mix involved and competitive strategies adopted by Nestle. SWOT analysis one of the major content which is included in this marketing plan. SWOT analysis helps in finding out the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Apart from that it helps the organization to have a deep knowledge about the opportunities and threats which the organization is likely to face. Purpose and Mission The main purpose of this marketing plan is to analyze various aspects of product-line extension by Nestle. Here the chosen product-line extension is BEAR BRAND CHOCO. The mission of this plan is to find out whether this product-line extension has met Nestle-Corporations expectations before launching this product in the market. Situation Analysis To bring this product, Nestle has applied a lot of innovation in their existing production pattern keeping in view the tastes and preferences of target group mainly kids and moms. Kids mainly prefer tasty food and moms want their kid to be healthy. So, BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a mix of both taste and health. Thus, this product is creating value to its target group. Internal environment of Nestle Nestle has well satisfied employees, who strives to attain the goals of the organization with enthusiasm and hard work. They constitute a major part of internal environment of an organization. Resources of Nestle have been efficiently employed to the maximum extent. Nestle has created satisfaction among customer. Thus, it has a good reputation among customers. Nestle has good expertise who are capable of delivering their ideas which can achieves the organizations goals and objectives. External environment of Nestle Competition: Nestle is facing competition largely. Nestle has played a good role in facing the competition. Market: Nestle has very efficiently managed the market demand by proper market research. Technology: Nestle has adopted the best technology to produce its products. Thus, all these above mentioned aspects clearly indicate the internal and external environment in which Nestle has been situated. While launching a new product Nestle has to keep in mind all these environments. Nestle has to fore see the environment by adopting the opportunities which is prevailing in the environment. Nestle has to put effort in converting its weaknesses into opportunities and using strength to face the threats present in the environment. Marketing Strategies International Strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestlà © has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestlà © produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestlà © involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestlà © entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Colas worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. Nestle employ local staff. Local employees better know and understand the local culture and business procedures. This can result in a more efficient way to respond adequately to local demand conditions, therefore increasing the companys market share and profitability. Nestlà ©s strategy for business development Nestle enters in an early stage the emerging markets, in order to establish a network there before competitors. Nestle simply purchases local brand names which the consumer is accustomed to. This helps the company to overcome cultural barriers and customer resentments to foreign brands. Nestles strategy is to establish a basis and then expand into more niches as demand rises. Other strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà © established its expatriate army which is a group of about 700 managers who have a lot of experience in doing management activities in foreign countries. These managers are highly educated and trained in order to enable them a worldwide field of operations. Another approach is to form SBUs. These units formulate the high level strategic decisions on a worldwide basis, while each of these SBUs focuses on a specific segment: chocolate, infant food, cereals, coffee etc. Overall strategy development such as acquisition and market entry strategy these SBUs form an important part of the companys decision making and operating process. Nestlà ©s marketing mix includes the following: Product Price Promotion Place Product Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO which is a health drink specially for kids and moms. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like your trusted BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is nutritious and delicious with affordable price. Price Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Nestle, being a company that emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price affordable to all. Market Penetration Strategy Nestle has adopted market penetration strategy since they have to penetrate the market as much as possible and for them income is not so critical and rapid market penetration for eventual market control is desired Thus, the price for such product is very low. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a budget friendly pack available in different pack size. BEAR BRAND CHOCO comes in two pack sizes, namely the 300g pack, which is good for 10 servings and the 60g pack, which contains 2 servings. A serving only costs P7.50*. Promotion Nestle is mainly focusing on advertisements which is considered to be a very good medium of promotion. It has a good reach among the customers. Moreover Nestle has adopted various other modes of promotion like magazines etc. The Push Strategy maximizes the use of all available channels of distribution to push the offering into the marketplace. The Pull Strategies involves direct interface with the consumers. It focuses in advertisement rather than various channels of distribution. Thus, Nestle is focusing on both Pull and Push Strategy. Place Nestle has targeted almost all the areas including rural areas and urban areas. In almost all the super-market and all other out-lets Nestle products are available. All the customers seem to be very happy with the availability of Nestle product in the market. Addition Consideration Based on the above mentioned information, a critical SWOT analysis can be made with the help of available information. SWOT analysis helps an organization to understand their strengths and weaknesses and also to have an idea about what the opportunities available to them outside and what are the likely threats they can face in future. Strengths Global food producer, located in over 100 countries. Consistently one of the worlds largest producers of food products, with sales in the USA in 2008 of $10 billion; sales and earnings in 2008 were better than expected, even in a downturned economy. Repeatedly ranked as the worlds largest bottled water company and have set up facilities to operate water resources in a responsible manner. Nestlà © was named one of Americas Most Admired Food Companies in Fortune magazine for the twelfth consecutive year. Nestlà © provides quality brands and products and line extensions that are well-known, top-selling brands including: Lean Cuisine, Yoplait, Maggi, Dryers/Edys, Haagen-Dazs, Stouffers, Boost, Dibs, Hot Pockets. Chocolate and Candy: Kit Kat, Toll House, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch Bar, the Willy Wonka Candy line. Pet Products: Purina, Alpo, Cat Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Tidy Cat. Drinks: Carnation, Perrier, Nesquik, S. Pellegrino, Nescafe, CoffeeMate, Tasters Choice, Juicy Juice. General Mills: subsidiary which makes Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Hamburger Helper, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, cereals, fruit snacks, frozen pizza, canned soups, frozen vegetables, ready-made frozen meals. Gerber: baby formula, prepared baby foods, baby cereals, water, juice, yogurt, foods for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Professional brands sold to restaurants, colleges, hotels, and food professionals including Jenny Craig meals, Impact liquid meals for trauma patients, liquid meals for diabetics, and OptiFast weight loss products. Successful due in part to their unquestionable ability to keep major brands consistently in the forefront of consumers minds (and in their shopping carts) by renovating existing product lines, keeping major brands from slipping into saturation/decline and having superior access to distribution channels. Weaknesses Their LC-1 division was not as successful as they thought it would be in France. In the late 1980s, Dannon entered the market with a health-based yogurt, and become the top selling brand of yogurt; Nestlà ©s 1994 launch was behind the product life cycle curve in an already mature market and could not compete against a strong, established brand. Growth in their organic food sales division was flat in 2008, even though the industry grew 8.9%. Since 2004 the breakfast cereal industry has been under fire from the FDA and the American Medical Association, both of which say that false claims of heart healthy and lower cholesterol need to be removed from packaging and advertising. They have also been forced to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, as parents advocates groups claimed they were contributing to the diabetes epidemic among American children. General Mills is an experienced, established brand and are the market leader in the USA, however, they have been lacking in innovation, have not cashed in on the booming health food craze and have been behind in creating new, niche products, especially in their yogurt division, where Yoplait is the only brand making a profit. In 2008, although their products did not carry the recalled pistachios, several of their ice cream brands, Dryers, Edys and Haagen-Dazs, were still plagued with bad PR and loss of sales. Opportunities In todays health conscious societies, they can introduce more health-based products, and because they are a market leader, they would likely be more successful. Provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. They launched a new premium line of higher cacao content chocolates dubbed Nestlà © Treasures Gold, in order to cash in on the recession economy in which consumers cut back on luxury goods, but regularly indulge in candy and chocolate. Americans want luxury chocolates, and high-end chocolate is immune to the recession (so far), because it is an inexpensive indulgence. Opened Nestlà © Cafà ©s in major cities to feature Nestlà © products. Threats Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Their Toll House brand cookie dough was recalled in March of 2009 because of e-coli. Outbreaks were linked to 28 states and the product had to be recalled globally. Nestlà © has yet to find out how this happened, and is still investigating. They were affected by the pet food recall in 2007, in which 95 different brands of dog and cat food was recalled due to contamination with rat poison. Also in 2007, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food. Raw chocolate ingredient prices are soaring; dairy costs alone rose 50% in 2008, this cuts heavily into their profit margins and often gets passed on to consumers, by shrinking the packaging in a way that is almost unnoticeable-therefore the consumer is paying the same prices for less product. They have major competitors, like Hersheys, Cadbury-Schweppes (owned by Pepsi), Lindt and Ghirardelli, Kelloggs, Post, Starbucks, Beech-Nut, Quaker, Kraft Foods, Dannon, Del-Monte, Iams, Earths Best, Heinz, Frito-Lay (owned by Pepsi). Conclusion Nestle can earn greater return from its distinctive competencies, i.e. unique strengths that allow a company to achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness. By applying those competencies, and the products they produce, to foreign markets where indigenous competitors lack similar competencies and products, Nestle can realize enormous returns. Furthermore, Nestle can take advantage of location economies. Location economies arise from performing a value creation activity in the optimal location for that activity, anywhere in the world. The optimal location for a value creating activity lowers the costs of value creation therefore helping the company achieve a low-cost position. Nevertheless, Nestle must evaluate basic entry decisions before entering an emergent market. The company has to make a choice among different foreign markets on the basis of their long-run profit potential. Nestle has to balance the benefits, costs. INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL REFLECTION Nestlà © S.A. is the largest nutrition and foods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlà © originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, which was established in 1866 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and the Farine Lactà ©e Henri Nestlà © Company, which was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà ©. Nestlà © is often referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals with a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, chocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Quality is the essential ingredient in all brands and the reason why millions of people choose Nestlà © products every day. Nestles consumers have come to trust in Nestlà ©s commitment to excellence and turn to Nestlà © brands to maintain nutritional balance in a fast paced world. Nestle has always delivered high quality products with reasonable prices and in different quantities and sizes. This tells us the way it is marketing its products. Even consumers from low level can have access to the product. This is one of the best features of Nestle. Even though, Nestle has undergone various problems in the past with regard to the contamination of food product which has created bad impression in the minds of the consumers and has affected its reputation in the market. Still Nestle has put great effort in overcoming all its pitfalls by developing products of high quality and good nutritional value. Following are the sources which clearly determine the way in which Nestle has delivered value to the customers: Nestle has well satisfied employees, who strives to attain the goals of the organization with enthusiasm and hard work. They constitute a major part of internal environment of an organization. Nestle has good expertise who are capable of delivering their ideas which can achieves the organizations goals and objectives. Nestle has very efficiently managed the market demand by proper market research. Nestle has adopted the best technology to produce its products. Nestle has made available their products in all most all the geographic areas of the world. Suggestions for Nestle to have improvement in delivering the value to customer: Nestle can have improvement in its RD department, so that the products produced by them are efficient to satisfy the needs of the consumers and deliver maximum value to the consumers. Nestle should have a through market research and identify the changing pattern in the market so that it can ensure greater value to its customers. Nestle should strive to produce environmental friendly products which are totally harmless and are capable of giving value to customers. Applying the above mentioned suggestion help Nestle to create a good reputation in the market and deliver greater value to the customers. Value created by advertisement Advertisement plays an important role in promotion of products. It creates a direct link between the product and end users and there by deliver a long lasting impact on consumers. Consumers can feel the products with the help of advertisements. They can understand the feature of the products before buying. Nestle has used both channels of distributions and advertisement for the promotion and distribution of the products. Nestlà ©s marketing mix includes the following: Product Price Promotion Place Product Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO which is a health drink specially for kids and moms. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like your trusted BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is nutritious and delicious with affordable price. Price Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Nestle, being a company that emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price affordable to all. Market Penetration Strategy Nestle has adopted market penetration strategy since they have to penetrate the market as much as possible and for them income is not so critical and rapid market penetration for eventual market control is desired Thus, the price for such product is very low. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a budget friendly pack available in different pack size. BEAR BRAND CHOCO comes in two pack sizes, namely the 300g pack, which is good for 10 servings and the 60g pack, which contains 2 servings. A serving only costs P7.50*. Promotion Nestle is mainly focusing on advertisements which is considered to be a very good medium of promotion. It has a good reach among the customers. Moreover Nestle has adopted various other modes of promotion like magazines etc. The Push Strategy maximizes the use of all available channels of distribution to push the offering into the marketplace. The Pull Strategies involves direct interface with the consumers. It focuses in advertisement rather than various channels of distribution. Thus, Nestle is focusing on both Pull and Push Strategy. Place Nestle has targeted almost all the areas including rural areas and urban areas. In almost all the super-market and all other out-lets Nestle products are available. All the customers seem to be very happy with the availability of Nestle product in the market. Thus, Nestle has a good marketing mix, in which each component is capable of delivering value to the customers to the maximum extent. Marketing Strategies International Strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestlà © has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestlà © produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestlà © involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestlà © entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Colas worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. Nestle employ local staff. Local employees better know and understand the local culture and business procedures. This can result in a more efficient way to respond adequately to local demand conditions, therefore increasing the companys market share and profitability. Nestlà ©s strategy for business development Nestle enters in an early stage the emerging markets, in order to establish a network there before competitors. Nestle simply purchases local brand names which the consumer is accustomed to. This helps the company to overcome cultural barriers and customer resentments to foreign brands. Nestles strategy is to establish a basis and then expand into more niches as demand rises. Other strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà © established its expatriate army which is a group of about 700 managers who have a lot of experience in doing management activities in foreign countries. These managers are highly educated and trained in order to enable them a worldwide field of operations. Another approach is to form SBUs. These units formulate the high level strategic decisions on a worldwide basis, while each of these SBUs focuses on a specific segment: chocolate, infant food, cereals, coffee etc. Overall strategy development such as acquisition and market entry strategy these SBUs form an important part of the companys decision making and operating process. Components of a professional marketing plan The Marketing Plan is a highly detailed, heavily researched and, hopefully, well written report that many inside and possibly outside the organization will evaluate. It is an essential document for both large corporate marketing departments and for startup companies. Essentially the Marketing Plan: Forces the marketing personnel to look internally in order to fully understand the results of past marketing decisions. Forces the marketing personnel to look externally in order to fully understand the market in which they operate. Sets future goals and provides direction for future marketing efforts that everyone within the organization should understand and support. Is a key component in obtaining funding to pursue new initiatives? The Marketing Plan is generally undertaken for one of the following reasons: Needed as part of the yearly planning process within the marketing functional area. Needed for a specialized strategy to introduce something new, such as new product planning, entering new markets, or trying a new strategy to fix an existing problem. Is a component within an overall business plan, such as a new business proposal to the financial community? In this project Following components are used: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration Prior knowledge with regard to the learning outcomes If the market is very attractive and enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry you then the organization should invest best resources in support of their offering. If the market is very attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then it must concentrate on strengthening the enterprise, using their offering as a stepping stone toward this objective. If the market is not especially attractive, but the enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry then an effective marketing and sales effort for their offering will be good for generating near term profits. If the market is not especially attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then the organization should promote their offering only if it supports a more profitable part of your business or if it absorbs some of the overhead costs of a more profitable segment. Otherwise, the organization should determine the most cost effective way to divest the enterprise of this offering Comments on the learning process undergone While undergoing learning process, I was able to apply various concepts which were taught in the classrooms to the practical situations which Nestle has under went in their way of doing business. I could analyze the importance of various factors which were directly related to the success of the business like the appropriate mix of marketing components called product, price, promotion and place. I could relate various marketing concept which were studied in the text books like pull and push strategy and pricing strategies like price skimming and price penetration. I could understand the market mix in dept and it was a great experience to find out what happens when there is a slight change in the marketing mix of an organization. I could understand the strategies which Nestle has followed from time to time in order to sustain and gain competitive advantage. I could understand how organizations take strategic decisions in the long run and what the effects were if the strategic decision does not work well. Questions and answers with regard to the learning outcomes How will an organization develop a clear idea about the changes in the consumers change in tastes and preferences? Answer: An organization can have a clear idea of changes in the consumers tastes and preferences by having a detailed marketing research in all most all the aspects of market. How can an organization make changes in their marketing mix? Answer: An organization can make changes in their marketing mix by gaining a detailed idea about what consumers tastes and preferences are. How does an organization fix its pricing strategies? Answer: Organizations usually fix there prices as per the cost incurred to them plus the profit margin. Sometimes pricing strategy greatly depends on the target group for whom the product is produced. Thus, we can identify how different marketing functions and marketing concepts are inter-related and how a slight change in one affects the other.

Analysis of Invisible Man Essay -- Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison wrote the book Invisible Man in the summer of 1945, while on sick leave from the Merchant Marines. Invisible Man is narrated in the first person by an unnamed African American who sees himself as invisible to society. This character is perceived and may be inspired by Ellison himself. Ellison manages to develop a strong philosophy through this character and portrays his struggle to search for his identity. He uses metaphors throughout the book of his invisibility and the blindness of others in which is a part of the examination of the effects of racism. The development of this unnamed â€Å"Afro-American† character helps set the foundation on the philosophy of understanding who he is. The narrator undergoes experiences such as the battle royal, the Tuskegee Institute, the Trueblood visit, and the blueprint seller in which is full of corruption and deceit. In the prologue, the narrator introduces himself as an â€Å"Invisible Man†. He lives in a basement of an apartment building that only allows white tenants. He describes how he steals electricity from the Monopolated Light a...

Charmed

Running head: CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Charmed: My Favorite TV Show Tolby Markham Kaplan University LS 526-01: Academic and Professional Writing for Graduate Students CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Charmed: My Favorite TV Show Charmed, I’m sure! Are you? Charmed is the story of The Charmed Ones – the most powerful good witches the world has ever known, whose job is to protect the innocent and not blow their cover. When their grandmother, Grams, suffers a heart attack, Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell move back into the family manor in San Francisco where Phoebe discovers the legendary Book of Shadows hidden in the attic.Reading aloud a mystical incantation, the three sisters receive their Wiccan powers, which are needed to fight off evil. Despite wanting normal lives,  The Charmed Ones fight evil beings every day and have always been the most powerful source of good witches and good magic the world has ever seen. The perception of witches in American culture has und ergone a radical transformation in the last century as Americans have become familiar with scientific explanations for supernatural events.Because of this, there has been much less genuine fear or hysteria regarding the supposed use of occult magic. Yet the popularity of witches in America persists even today. In fact, the frequent appearances of witches in television and film have gradually changed the way most Americans think about witches. The most notable change has been in the presentation of women in these roles—from the evil, traditional â€Å"hag† witches in early works like Disney’s  Snow White  to the much more attractive and benevolent Halliwell sisters of the television series  Charmed.Magic in itself is fascinating. Having such a tremendous power id amazing and the responsibilities that come with it are enormous. Fighting demons, evil witches and warlords and CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW the ultimate bad guy â€Å"The Source† is what th e Halliwell sisters are born and even one dies for. The three sisters, Prue, Piper, Phoebe and later Paige have such powers combined that they try to save the world everyday while trying to sustain a normal mortal life like everyone else in the world.The first in the line, Melinda Warren was burned at the stake but before this, she foresaw that each coming generation of witches in her family would grow stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters – the strongest good witches the world had ever seen; the three sisters would form the Power of Three making them the most powerful magical force ever to exist. The effect of a Power of Three bond being formed is that all the members' powers are pooled together into a  Collective. One of the benefits of this bond is  High Resistance.Of course, the downsides of this are that the amount of power one gains from this is relative to the level of the other beings involved, with the above example assuming that the beings involved are (at least more or less) the same strength. Another downside of this is that if one member dies it weakens the Collective, making the other members easier to kill off with the death of each member. However, on the flip side, more powerful (and hence higher level) beings are harder to kill/affect with ones powers than lower level ones i. e.Piper and the other various Charmed Ones have been shown to have taken direct hits from all kinds of attacks such as Fire and Energy Balls and live many times over whereas such attacks would vanquish any other magical creature instantly. The Triad  are also highly resilient to Piper's combustion power whereas other lower CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW level demons usually disintegrate within seconds. Therefore this particular con is easily balanced out. Then there is the fact that this collective interconnects all of the members to each other in various metaphysical ways.Certain spells cast on one member may affect the others thr ough this interconnection such as when Prue was magically turned evil, causing Piper and Phoebe to turn evil also. A Power of Three bond can be broken in several ways. If the members use their powers on each other in a negative manner or atmosphere then the bond will be broken. Fortunately, this may be reformed by all of the members reconnecting with each other emotionally or something to that effect. For example, when the Charmed Ones used their powers on each other during an argument it shattered their Power of Three.However, later on they all got over the argument and showed their solidarity as a sister (which is where their Power of Three comes from) and hence reformed it. Another way, mentioned above, would be if one of the members died. Although this event is less likely the implications are more severe as the collective would be weakened beyond repair. Each sister has a distinctive power to help aid them in vanquishing the evil beings. The sisters’ powers are as follow s: * Prue Halliwell, played by Shannen Doherty, had the power of telekinesis and astral projection. CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Piper Halliwell, played by Holly Marie Combs, had the power to freeze time and also held the power of molecular combustion. With the death of Prue, Piper becomes the most powerful of all three sisters; * Phoebe Halliwell, played by Alyssa Milano, had the power of premonition, levitation and empathy, and * Paige Matthews, played by Rose McGowan, had the power to orb and telekinetic orbing. Rose took on the role of the third sister when Shannen left the show at the end of season three. During the show’s eight year run, Charmed was nominated for 30 awards and won 18.Just to name a few: * In 2006, Charmed became the longest running hour-long series featuring all female leads (Mitovich, 2006), and * Holly Marie Combs (Piper) was named the third greatest with in television history, only behind Samantha (Bewitched) and Willow (Buffy). In this same list was Alyssa Milano (Phoebe) at number seven, Shannen Doherty (Prue) at number tem and Rose McGowan (Paige) at number thirteen (Greenberger, 2012). To sum it up, if you enjoy the supernatural or if you like special effects, Charmed is the show for you.Charmed was a television series on the WB Television Network which ran from 1998 thru 2006 (IMDb, 2012). The show is now shown Monday thru Friday on the drama network TNT, from 7am to 8am and 8am to 9am (Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. , 2012). CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW References IMDb. (2012, August 24). Retrieved from An Amazon Company: www. imdb. com Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. (2012, August 25). Retrieved from A Time Warner Company: www. tntdrama. com Greenberger, R. (2012, August 23). ComicMix. Retrieved from ComicMix, LLC: www. comicmix. com Mitovich, M. (2006). Charmed Hits a Final? Milestone. New York City: TV Guide.

1 Thessalonians. What can we discover from the letter about the circumstances in which it was written, the Thessalonians concerns and how Paul addressed them.

1 Thessalonians. What can we discover from the letter about the circumstances in which it was written, the Thessalonians concerns and how Paul addressed them. The background.St. Paul was a Jew, brought up in the Greek city of Tarsus, a member of the pharisaic party, educated in Jerusalem to be a rabbi, so zealous for the law that he persecuted Christians relentlessly until; on the road to Damascus he had an encounter with the lord Jesus, was transformed completely and became the apostle to the gentiles.It was only twenty years or so after the ascension of Our Lord and about 51 C.E. ' that he wrote the first letter to the Thessalonians from the city of Corinth. It is the oldest Christian writing in existence today and gives us a glimpse into the very beginnings of Christianity.A few months before he had crossed from Troas to Macedonia, bringing the gospel from Asia to Europe. From Philippi Paul went on to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens and then Corinth.- At the council of Jerusalem: it was agreed that Paul should continue his ministry among the Gentiles (Acts15)- Paul begins a second tour among the Gentiles, first revisiting the churches that he had already founded (Acts15.36)Paul Stang- Paul wanted to head north in Asia Minor. (Acts 16.8)- The vision of the Macedonian man (Acts 16.9-10)- Mission of Paul and Silas in Philippi (Acts 16.11-40)Where he is beaten, whipped, put in chains and sent to prison. Realising that he was a roman citizen they freed him. But he had to move again.The circumstances;- Paul and Silas go to Thessalonica (7.1)- Paul goes to the synagogue and discusses scripture with the Jews (Acts 17.2-3) He preached for three Sabbaths (acts 17;2) (people went to the synagogue three times a week at that time, although he may have preached in the temple daily, but he probably stayed longer with the gentiles,

Fertility Drugs Functions and Side Effects

Fertility Drugs Functions and Side Effects For patients and medical practitioners alike, the sheer quest to surmount infertility is an obsessive one entailing not only a struggle on the physical dimension but also a struggle on the emotional and spiritual front.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Fertility Drugs: Functions and Side Effects specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Each month without signs of pregnancy engineer another round of frustrating and emotive questions among couples, which soon develops into feelings of resentment, finger-pointing and blame-apportioning. Documented research demonstrates that these negative outcomes have, in more than one occasion, led to marriage breakups in the absence of proper intervention measures such as counseling or medical intervention (Cooper Glazer 38). Indeed, the panorama associated with conceiving, giving birth, and starting a family may be so momentous that it obliges couples, especially women, to consider every avenue of reinstating fertility, from the simplest to the most bizarre. Pushed to the limits, most individuals opt for fertility drugs. It is the purpose of this paper to critically evaluate the functions and side-effects of fertility-enhancing drugs with a view to demonstrate that their benefits outweigh social and health costs. Fertility drugs, also called ovulation-inducing drugs (OIDs), are medications that are mainly used to influence the biological process of ovulation. According to Ayhan et al., â€Å"ovulation-inducing drugs have been widely used for various types of infertility since the beginning of 1960s and their use increases day by day parallel to the success achieved in fertility treatment†[1] (1104). Al-Shawaf et al. asserts that the development and dissemination of OIDs generated the opportunity for a vast proportion of the unproductive population to create children (513). These drugs work by enhancing ovulation by arousing or stimulating the victimâ⠂¬â„¢s brain to get an egg ready and discharge it from her ovaries every month (Pendzich para. 9). Some of the most commonly used fertility drugs include Clomiphene Citrate, Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin, Recombinant Gonadotrophin, Repronex, and Bromocriptine (Chavis para 3; Singer 45). One of the most basic uses of fertility drugs is to restore the reproductive capacities of infertile individuals. Clomiphene functions to achieve this purpose by stimulating the pituitary gland to generate adequate follicle-stimulating hormones, which are the hormones that are primarily responsible for triggering ovulation (Mix 89). The medication, taken in pill form daily, triggers the ovaries to prepare some eggs for ovulation.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Immediately therapy is discontinued, the hypothalamus gland discharges a luteinizing hormone which responsively trig gers the ovaries to discharge a ready egg to the section where fertilization takes pace – the fallopian tubes. According to Pendzich, â€Å"†¦about 70 to 90 percent of women who take Clomiphene will ovulate, and of those who ovulate, 20 to 60 percent will get pregnant†[2] (para. 10). Another commonly used fertility drug is Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (hMG). This drug, according to Pendzich, â€Å"†¦consists of purified follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which occasions a woman to develop egg follicles after being injected with the drug (para. 11). Immediately after completion of the injections, the woman is then injected with another hormone named human chorionic gonadotropin, which functions to arouse the ovaries to discharge the mature eggs that ostensibly develops after weeks of receiving hMG. This drug is normally given to estrogen-deficient women or those who fail to respond to first-line treatment drugs such as Clomiphene. According to Pendzich, â€Å"†¦the rate of multiple births [for women using the drug] is close to 20 percent†¦About 70 to 90 percent of women who take hGM will ovulate, and of those who ovulate, 20 to 60 percent will get pregnant†[3] (para. 11). Lastly, this paper will discuss Bromocriptine – a fertility-enhancing drug that can either be taken orally or applied as a vaginal gel (Pendzich para. 12; Mix 92). The drug has the potent efficacy of inhibiting the pituitary’s production and release of prolactin, a hormone that is closely associated with reduced estrogen levels, hence inhibiting ovulation. This way, the ovaries are given the opportunity to produce the desired eggs. Available statistics suggests that â€Å"†¦90 percent of the women who take Bromocriptine will ovulate as long as they continue taking the drug†¦Of the women who ovulate, 65 to 85 percent will get pregnant†[4] (Pendzich para. 12).Advertising We will write a custom researc h paper sample on Fertility Drugs: Functions and Side Effects specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Having discussed how various fertility drugs functions, it is imperative to note at this stage that many of these drugs compliment each other in the quest to restore fertility, and no single drug has ever proven to be the wonder drug (Jensen et al 132). As such, personalized leads may have to be pursued from all likely angles, and personalized problem-solving approaches may have to be attempted again and again before an appropriate diagnosis is achieved, reproductive health restored, and a tangible pregnancy attained (Cooper Glazer 23). The side-effects of fertility drugs range from mild to serious, and sometimes, life-threatening. It is the object of this paper to divide the side-effects into two – mild and serious – for purposes of evaluating possible social and health costs. According to Al-Shawaj et al., some of the mild side-eff ects occasioned by fertility drugs include: mood swings, headaches, abdominal tenderness, dizziness, dry cervical mucus, simple cyst development, weight gain, mild ovarian enlargement, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, menopausal problems, allergic reactions, ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, immune reaction, and low blood pressure (515-523). Parazzini et al argues that these side-effects are drug-specific, and some side-effects caused by specific drugs are more serious than others (1373). This argument reinforces the fact that the operational mode of fertility-enhancing drugs is interestingly divergent, thus the need for individualized attention (â€Å"The Need For† para. 1). The above notwithstanding, fertility drugs have the capacity to occasion life-threatening side-effects. Although it has never been authentically proved, scientists and medical practitioners believe there is a close correlation between fertility-enhancing drugs and ovarian cancer (Parazzini et al 1372). According to Al-Shawaj et al., â€Å"†¦ovarian cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed gynecological malignancy, the deadliest gynecological malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the U.S.†[5] (518).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fertility inducing agents have also been closely associated with breast cancer – the most common cancer affecting women globally. Indeed, concerns have been raised that women with an ovulatory infertility are at increased risk of suffering from breast cancer, but scientists are yet to offer concrete evidence linking breast cancer to fertility drugs (Al-Shawaj et al 519). Other seminal studies have also demonstrated that infertile women, in general, bears no excess risk of suffering from breast cancer compared with their fertile counterparts in the general population (Venn et al 1574). In equal measure, the risk of cancerous tumors in children conceived following the use of fertility medications has been reassuringly low as found out in a recent cohort study involving Danish women (Jensen et al 134). Taking the above into consideration, it can safely be argued that many of the perceived serious consequences ostensibly caused by fertility drugs so far remains a specter of imagi nation for lack of adequate substantiation. It is indeed true that ovulation-stimulating drugs increases the rate of pregnancy loss (Singer 102), not mentioning the fact that they also increase the chances of conceiving multiple pregnancies and autism spectrum disorder (Keller para. 1). These risks, however, cannot be equated with the joy of having children, the method of conceiving notwithstanding. Fertility drugs, just like other prescriptions, are used to treat a medical condition that affects and distresses one in six couples[6] – infertility. The therapy of these drugs carries complications and impediments as does any other medical therapy and it needs to be scrutinized and evaluated in this broad perspective. As such, it is prudent to postulate that fertility drugs are useful since their benefits far outweigh the perceived risks. End Notes Ayhan, A., Salman, M.C., Celik, H., Dursun, P., Ozyungu, O., Gulteknm, M. Association between Fertility Drugs and Gynecological C ancers, Breast Cancer, and Childhood Cancers. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Sc and Inavica 83.12 (2004): 1104-1111 Pendzich, M. Fertility Drugs: Are they worth it? 2008 Pendzich 2008 Pendzich 2008 Al-Shawaj, T., Zosmer, A., Dirnfeld, M., Grudzinskas, G. Safety of Drugs Used in Assisted Reproduction Techniques. Drug Safety 28.6 (2005): 513-528 Al-Shawaj et al 2005 Al-Shawaj, T., Zosmer, A., Dirnfeld, M., Grudzinskas, G. Safety of Drugs Used in Assisted Reproduction Techniques. Drug Safety 28.6 (2005): 513-528. Ayhan, A., Salman, M.C., Celik, H., Dursun, P., Ozyungu, O., Gulteknm, M. Association between Fertility Drugs and Gynecological Cancers, Breast Cancer, and Childhood Cancers. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Sc and Inavica 83.12 (2004): 1104-1111. Chavis, J. Types of Fertility Drugs. 2010. Web. Cooper, S.L., Glazer, E.S. (1994). Beyond Infertility: The New Paths to Parenthood. London: Lexington Books. Jensen, A., Sharif, H., Svare, E.I., Frederiksen, K., Kjaer, S.K. Risk of Breast Cancer after Exposure to Fertility Drugs: Results from a Large Danish Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers Prevention 16.3 (2007): 132-145. Keller, D.M. Study suggests Infertility and Use of Fertility Drugs Increases Risk for Autism. Web. Mix, T. The Price of Ovulation. The Truth about Fertility Drugs and Birth Defects and a Solution to the Problem. Boston, MA: Tendrill Press. 2005. Parazzini, F., Pelucchi, C., Negri, E., Francesclus, S., Talamini, R., Mentella, M., Vechia, C.L. Use of Fertility Drugs and Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Human Reproduction 16.7 (2001): 1372-1375. Pendzich, M. Fertility Drugs: Are they worth it? 2008. Web. Singer, K. The Garden of Fertility: A Guide to Charting your Fertility Signals to Prevent or Achieve Pregnancy – Naturally – and to Gauge your Reproductive Health. New York: Penguin Books. The need for an Individualized Approach to COH. (n.d.). Web. Venn, A., Watson, L., Bruinsmi, F., Giles, G., Healy, D. Risk of Can cer after use of Fertility Drugs with In-Vitro Fertilization. Lancet 6.354 (1999): 1573-1584.

Coke Star Musical Group Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coke Star Musical Group - Coursework Example Stressing upon the importance of user specific design Lazar (2001) states â€Å"A website is a type of information system and as such needs to be designed to meet the needs of the user. It must offer contents that users want and be designed so that users can easily access it in order for the website to be a success.† Keeping in view this heavy reliance of success on web design and user acceptability three users from major users groups were selected for an interview. These include the online viewer, online customer and future concert or musical show booking. The online viewer wants to have an explicit and systematic listing of all the performances by the group along with thumbnails and details like date of performance, venue, and length etc. The website is required to offer plug-ins required to play the selected performance, all related audio video controls, the fastest streaming and switching between performances. Online customer would like to have preview of what they have ordered and multiple easy payment options. The online customer may be required to select a delivery method or service. The third user has emphasized the need of a calendar of Coke Star future engagements in order to plan and reserve a date with the group. The user would like to receive an email confirmation of the booking along with other details. The exact requirement for the booking should be collect in a carefully designed web form. 3. Wire Frames 4. Target Users The Coke Star Musical Group website will be used by a number of user groups, each of these groups have their specific requirements, interests and goals. Ensuring the fulfillment of users’ expectations is a key to the successful web design and to clearly outline the user requirements following three personas are developed based on direct interview with the users; a) Online Viewer i. May be in any age bracket but mostly between 12-32 ii. The goal of the user is to find and listen his favorite music online iii. The interest of the user in to listen pop music and hit songs iv. The user will visit the site just to listen online free music v. The user may also visit to review the upcoming music albums and to learn about Coke Star upcoming performances. b) Online Customer i. May be in any age bracket but mostly between 12-32 ii. The goal of the user is to purchase CDs and DVDs of his choice iii. The interest of the user in to listen pop music and hit songs iv. The user will visit the site to buy music albums online v. The user may also visit to review the upcoming music albums and to learn about Coke Star upcoming performances. c) Event Manager i. May be in any age bracket but mostly between 22-45 ii. The goal of the user is to contact and confirm availability of Coke Star for a concert or musical show. iii. The user has business motivations and the nature of interaction is serious and straight forward. iv. The user will visit the site to confirm the availability of Coke Star v. To show his interest in a performance and to make a business contract. 5. Evaluation of Wire Frames I have selected the walk through technique to conduct a user centred evaluation of the Coke Star Website. Walkthrough evaluation is a simple and effective technique which can b e carried out with the help of a single user. The user is presented with an interface and is asked to perform a set of instructions on the interface. The same evaluation can be conducted on the wireframe sketches where user gives his feedback on what he can gather from the sketch. This user understanding can be collected

Public relation strategy of AUstralia Federal Election Essay

Public relation strategy of AUstralia Federal Election - Essay Example has made use of considerable public relations tools, including new media forums such as Twitter and Facebook, offering both candidates more exposure in a large variety of different voter markets. This paper describes the key messages from both candidates, from Gillard’s focus on improving progressivism and touting feminist values as well as Abbott’s more conservative policies on health care, environmentalism, and immigration. Both Gillard and Abbott have their own, unique perspectives on how best to move Australia forward should they be elected the new Prime Minister. Julia Gillard is often portrayed by Australian society and multiple media outlets as being far too dedicated to the interests of the Labor party, proposing upcoming policies centred around monetary needs over that of the tangible needs of the Australian people. This is interesting criticism considering the socialistic values traditionally found in those characterized as centre-left. Gillard’s top priorities as Prime Minister include first economic growth, the improvement of education, and building national pride and confidence in the 21st century (Kearney, 2010). In fact, said Gillard in a recent interview, â€Å"Keeping the economy strong so that people can get the benefits of work† was her main goal (Kearney, 2010, p.1). Gillard has also been criticized significantly for her lack of religious conviction, this being a self-proclaimed atheist, which has created concern with the country’s Church leaders and faithful citizens with strong religious principles. Despite this criticism for her values related to religion, Gillard attempts to reinforce her stern respect for these institutions when stating, â€Å"My history has been to be a big supporter. In terms of the work that the Catholic church does, that other churches†¦do in our society, I am a big respecter† (theage.com.au, 2010, p.2). This is a public relations effort to reinforce her values about the value of diversity and religious faith