The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Essay Example

The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations Paper At the beginning of the Second World War, Taylorism disappeared and was replaced with another form of work organization: Fordism. Fordism appeared when Ford started producing Model T cars but by basing his production upon Taylorist lines. Scientific management was still used; there was an explicit distinction between management and workforce, each employee had a specific task to do and their task was timed. Fordism seems more closely attached to the production system of modern organizations than Taylorism does, since it includes Taylors ideas but by also introducing new ones, and this is why this essay will be centred on the link between Fordism and todays production system: Toyotism. At the end of the 1980s, Fordism, which had been at the base of economic growth in the country for thirty years, fades away. Changes in demand, rise in the workers strikes the organizations must react and readapt themselves, also in order to face the rise in foreign competition. The Japanese model of organization used since the end of the Second World War, Toyotism, was then adapted in Europe and the USA during the 1980s. But what can we say about this post-fordism twenty years later? The worker, who now sees his work as more interesting, where he has more responsibility and importance, is he now liberated from his constraints? Havent things changed, especially in the tertiary, which had been kept out of scientific management for so many years? And finally, wouldnt it be more specific to talk about neo-fordism rather than Toyotism? We will write a custom essay sample on The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The extent to which the principles of Scientific management are still relevant to modern organizations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We shall see that scientific management is still relevant to modern organizations in a first part, and then shall see that this isnt completely true anymore. In modern organizations, hierarchy is still present. It will probably always be like this, somebody needs to be in charge or else there would be too many conflicts. Hierarchy is one of the three most important points of scientific management, along with the specialisation of the workers task and the timing of this task so as to impose a cadence. What Taylor wanted to show was that the old way of organizing work in the 19th century was too slow, there were too many gaps in the production process and that this led to a very low productivity. Taylor wanted a separation of planning from execution, and this is still the way that it works in the time of Toyotism. Every organization has a manager who will plan the work, see the objectives of the product or service, and then leave it to the workers to fulfil the concept. Nowadays, the hierarchy doesnt only stand out through the fact that there is a manager and that there are workers, but also with sub-divisions. In organizations we now find a managing director general, a manager, a sub-manager, foremen and so on. These all have different tasks, from planning to execution, so this shows that Taylors idea is still used nowadays. Leadership is therefore still present nowadays but it seems to be going through some changes. Alvin Gouldner, in Studies in Leadership, said that traditional authority does not command the respect and ready obedience that it once did. To achieve this obedience it seems like leadership is the step to take. Fred Fielder made a theory on how to be a successful leader. He based it on three interrelated factors: leader-member relationships, task structure and power of the position. The higher these three factors are the better leader you are (Horn: The development of modern management). It seems as if they are taking Taylors idea about hierarchy and developing it. Taylor had realised that to improve the productivity of an organization he had to time the tasks and make sure that they were done in the fastest time possible. This way every worker would produce more of a product per day and the profitability of the organization would also increase. This led to difficulties in the workers lives; they would feel stress and this wouldnt be good for them neither mentally nor physically. This was one of the reasons for the Fordism crisis in the 1980s, the workers contestations led to strikes and managers saw that it was time to change the production system. What the workers were timed by during Fordism was the work chain, parts and pieces would pass on a rolling carpet in front of them and they would have to assemble them so as to be passed on to the next worker. Today the work chain still exists for it has proven to work well although the workers dont benefit from it. In the fordist system organizations didnt wait for the demand for them to produce, because they knew that the demand existed. Organizations produced in vast quantities and stocked the products before they were sold. They therefore needed stocking space, people to look after them, and all of these made supplementary production costs. Nowadays, organizations wait for the demand before they produce. It is for this reason that, for example, if we are buying a car we have to wait a while before we actually receive it. There are no stocks, no papers, and these organizations also want there to be no delays. There is also a research of quality, and all of these factors impose a rhythm on the workers that they must respect, so it comes back to the same timed conditions that there were in Fordism and Taylorism. In both the taylorist and the fordist systems, the worker wasnt qualified, he had one task to do and was taught how to perform this task. This also led to conflicts; the worker felt that he was dispossessed of his knowledge and skills so with the new production system the workers became qualified. They learnt about different working posts, they could move around so as to feel more responsible. But through mechanization and the upgrading of computer systems the worker once again feels dispossessed of his knowledge and skills. Machines start replacing men, all that the worker has to do is to program the machine and it will do the rest. The workers feel that it isnt even worth having the qualifications anymore since they can be trained within a few hours. It isnt only industrial workers that feel this way, but it is also starting to affect the workers in the tertiary sector. In 1974, Harry Braverman wrote a book entitled Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century, which later became known as the Braverman thesis. This is now referred to as the McDonaldization thesis, showing the deskilling of work in fast-foods (Huczynski and Buchanan: Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text). The work in fast-foods is standardised, they produce the same hamburgers over and over again, so the work is also very repetitive. The employees are trained within a few hours, and the start at their work post. This reminds us a lot about Taylorism and Fordism; you have one work post and you stay at it. Either you fry the meat, warm the bread or serve the customers. There are other examples in the tertiary, such as the new information technology in banks, which simplifies the work of the workers. In the end they just have to write down some numbers in their computer and it will give them their answer. Cadences also exist in other areas of the tertiary, for example room cleaners in hotels who only have a certain amount of time per room. In Taylorism the motivation used for the workers was a system of economic rewards. These rewards were attributed to a worker when they saw that he was working hard, for example by beating the cadences imposed on him. Today salaries are a lot more individualised, but systems of economic rewards still exist. They are called raises, and they are achieved the same way that they were almost a century ago. It here seems as if we can rather talk about neo-fordism rather than Toyotism or Japanization, but there are other aspects that show that nowadays we use a completely different production system. Under other aspects, we can see that Toyotism is a new production system and that there are differences between it and both Fordism and scientific management. These differences are mainly to do with the workers tasks which expand, the new bottom-up style of working and the new remuneration system. Oliver Sheldon said that there may be a science of costing, of planning, of manufacturing, of dispatching, but there can be no science of cooperation (H. Pollard: Development in management thought), or in other words that in order to make things run smoother on the workers side there were changes to be made. He said this in the 1920s and it wasnt until sixty years later that these changes were made. These changes included task rotation, where the worker would occupy several different posts in order to break the monotony of his work, to make him feel more responsible and to allow him to get a more complete vision of the production process. So as to help the workers cope with their new work tasks the organizations set up education and training for them which once again also allows the workers to feel more important (Noon and Blyton in Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text). The work expands to more interesting aspects such as the upgrading of the machinery and the control of the quality. During Taylorism and Fordism the organization was what was called top-down, the orders came from the manager and the worker would have to do with it without having his say. Today this has changed, it is now considered as a bottom-up way of organizing the production. This means that the worker can give his ideas, and he is encouraged to do this through the installation of teams that work together. They have an objective to fulfil but they organise their own work. There is less hierarchical control and the group is responsible for its production. Quality circles are also put into place where groups of volunteers discuss problems and suggestions or solutions. Individual or collective rewards are given out if a suggestion is applied with success. The nature of the organization changed with post-fordism. There were changes in demand, the people now are after different products rather than standardised ones, with a research of quality, and organizations also must look out for foreign competition. During the time of Fordism, the companies tried to compete with each other through the price of their products; nowadays the price isnt the only competition between them, there is also the aspect of quality which is now very important. During Fordism, as soon as there was a fluctuation in the salaries it was generalised, there would be a collective rise in wages. With the passage into post-fordism, the salaries became much more individualised with the return of rewards as in Taylorism, but now not only for good work but also for good suggestions. Toyotism is seen as a new form of work organization, but in relation to Fordism, Taylorism and scientific management, some things havent changed, and this is not always for the best. We can say that post-fordism is fordism which has been humanised in social relations, it allows the worker to participate in the improvement of the production through the quality circles, and gives him more liberty in his work. On the other hand, hierarchy is still present, the working conditions are still poor in some cases, some workers still have very repetitive work and all of this leads to stress and to poorly physical conditions. Toyotism can therefore be described as a sort of neo-fordism as opposed to post-fordism since some of the aspects remain present.

The Necessity of Web Pages essays

The Necessity of Web Pages essays In todays modern world, in order to reach the most amount of people, using the least amount of time and money, one must have a web page. A web page is your universal, non-misplacable, chockfull of information, business card. It can display everything that the consumer needs to know, everything from prices to products, from times to locations. In order to succeed, you need a web page. Now, in order to display all this great content that one has brewing in their brain, one MUST get a domain. A domain is the physical local where the information for the web page is stored. Some domains offer vast amounts of space but slow download speeds; whereas others offer phenomenal download speed, but no for graphics, movies or other things to spruce up a page. When choosing a domain one must consider the name that the customer must type in to get to the web page. If one registers a web page with geocities, their url, or Universal Resource Locator, which indicates the page internet location would be something like, geocities.com/joeshmoe/index.html; not exactly easy to remember is it? But if one were to have, or register, their own url then the address could be, joeshmoe.com; which is much more personal and professional. To make the site surfer-friendly one should plan out the content of the web page and make sure that it is easy to navigate. When trying to make the web page look professional and user friendly frames versus flash is always a big controversy. Some people believe that because of the higher quality of images and interaction and motion that flash provides that it is the best when considering how to improve a page. I happen to believe, however, that because frames offers the same style of navigation, but also has a much smaller download time that it is the superior option. If one now knows what format they want, one should now plan out what the content should be. ...

Getting goods on to the market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Getting goods on to the market - Essay Example Under licensing, the licensor does not have to forego the ownership of the property (the brand name etc); hence its usefulness lies in a situation where the owner is not willing to lose his ownership. Also, the responsibilities of marketing, investing and manufacturing rests on the firm receiving the license. Franchising is another form of contractual arrangement between parties concerning the use of a firm’s brand name, logo, trademark etc. In case of franchise, the owner firm (franchiser) backs up the firm acquiring rights (franchisee) in all the standardised marketing and management activities against the payment of some royalty for permanent time period (Roof, 1994). Exporting is of three kinds, viz. direct, indirect and own. Direct exporting connotes a firm or a manufacturer reaches the market and sells its product with the help of an intermediaries or middlemen. On the contrary, indirect exporting implies a firm selling its products and maintaining direct relationship with the customers in the foreign markets. Own exporting refers to a firm that reaches its customer internationally without any involvement of middlemen in the trade. All the three exporting methods do not imply any sort of ownership and manufacturing in the international market (Czinkota et al, 1992). The success of exporting largely depends upon availability of proper distribution channels in the foreign market. Agency and distribution both are necessary elements in conducting export trade. An exporter can opt for any one of the agent or distributor to sell its products in a foreign market. Agent will not be financially involved in the purchase of the product; he will just get the product form the firm and sell it to the customers. Distributors on the other hand, first purchase the product from exporter and then sell it to the customers. The commercial factors that are likely to influence a firm’s choice concerning the marketing arrangement

Find your own topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Find your own topic - Essay Example Some of these responses include the company giving no response to the situation in the hope that it dies down by itself. The corporate can also deny about the knowledge of such a crisis happening. However, this can have severe consequences on the image of the company and the best way to tackle this is to attend to the situation. The firm can be civil and offer an excuse for the crisis occurring as a small mistake that will be rectified in due time. The acknowledgement of the crisis being there by the firm and consenting to be the root cause of the crisis but offering an argument that the severity of the crisis is small compared to how it has been portrayed is another response that the corporate can give. The firm may also agree to the severity of the crisis and accept responsibility. These are the various ways through which a company will respond, and are believed to be the most effective in such a situation. Only few circumstances test a company’s image in the eyes of the public or its competency than crisis. When a crisis happens in a company whether its implications are immediate or take several days or months and even years, it affects stakeholders within and outside the company. The implications of this crisis are severe and can lead to the fall of a corporate and business. Some of these may be that customers will cancel any orders that they may have made. Employees of a company will also raise hard questions on the management of the business and even the handling of a crisis by the management. The directors also have to answer some questions while competitors also sense a great deal of an opportunity to take over and even benefit from the crisis. A crisis will not offer itself as a conventional management practice. Some of the various ways to deal with any form of a crisis may not actually work in the conventional

History of Electronic Media Essay Example for Free

History of Electronic Media Essay The history of providing information has been shaped by innovations and innovators. This paper attempts to chronicle the different factors and events that led to the media landscape of today. 1) Congress and the FCC began deregulating broadcast and cable television in the late 1970s. Describe the ideologies which motivated these deregulations. What changes in the television industry occurred as a result of these deregulations? Include two of the following in your discussion: Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, Telecommunications Act of 1996, media ownership debates in the 2000s and intellectual property regulations in the 2000s. The Financial and Syndication Rules, or more popularly known as Fib-Syn, were implemented by the Federal Communications Commission in 1970 with the objective of increasing programming diversity thus breaking the monopoly of the three major TV networks in the United States: CBS, ABC and NBC. Its rationale was to democratize UHF airwaves making it easier for independent television producers to penetrate the television market. The rules primarily targeted two areas to disempower the big networks: freeing television programs from the ownership of the networks after its first run and the introduction of in-house syndication arms in the major networks. The idea was to discourage the networks monopoly on tv programs and restricting the networks part in syndication. These steps would substantially reduce production incentive and lead to the separation of production and distribution practices in the big networks. The FCC justified the implementation of Fin-Syn as beneficial for independent television producers since it gave them the larger part of production profits and allowing them a foothold in the business of syndication. The democratization of syndication would lead to a wider distribution of shows and prevented the networks from its exclusive use in their affiliated stations. Supporters of the rule envisioned a television industry where innovative and   much more diverse programs would be available to the viewers ( McAllister , www.museum.tv). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was promulgated by the FCC to address issues regarding the rapid development of telecommunication technologies in the United States. It contained new rules and regulations regarding TV, Radio, Cable, Telephone and Internet services. President Clinton, when he signed it into legislation, proclaimed that the act would â€Å"stimulate investment, promote competition, provide open access for all citizens to the Information Superhighway† (Clinton, White House press release 1996). Upon closer inspection, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was the final step in disassembling the provisions of Fin-Syn Rule. The act loosened rules on media ownership in traditional media forms such as TV and radio, thus empowering them to compete with emerging media technologies such as cable and the Internet allowing for the development of new and innovative services. However, the implementation of both the Financial and Syndication Rules of the FCC and the telecommunications Act of 1996 met harsh criticisms once they were fully implemented. The introduction of Fin-Syn bred more problems than solutions. Most critics pointed out that instead of empowering independent TV producers, it just shifted the competition from one Goliath to another. Instead of   competing with the big networks, the independent TV producers where now pitted against large production organization such as Disney/ABC and   Warner. In the end, it was these larger TV production companies that benefited financially from producing television shows with independent companies opting to produce cheaper productions such as talk shows and game shows. Thus, it produced more conventional shows rather than innovating the television industry. Eventually, television groups especially television distributors called for a change in the implementation of Fin-Syn which eventually led to FCC totally removing the rule in 1995. Studies showed that although there were periods of diversity on TV programs from 1970s to the 1990s, the general conclusion was that there was no significant changes in the programs in the implementation of the FCC rule (Einstein, p. 5). With the disappearance of the rule, productions and distribution companies started to merge especially in the big three networks. This culminated in the emergence of FOX Network and its merger with Paramount and Warner Bros., a step followed by Disney when they bought and merged with ABC Network. The deregulation that resulted from the implementation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act fueled much debate on media ownership and responsibility. Questions arose on whether the the Act did deliver its promise of innovative media services from increased competition and serve the public interest with increased diversity in media programs and information. Critics cite that the only ones who benefited from the Act were media moguls who were able to merge with other media corporations and in essence creating media monopolies that could have the power to control information. William Melody reveals that media entrepreneurs will always look for profit and economic efficiency leading to media monopolies which threaten freedom of speech (Melody, p. 32). Concerned groups have also reasoned that public interest have always been the core value of media regulation and not profit, and to diminish government control on ownership would mean violating public inters. Deregulating media ownership can only lead to a monopoly of information resulting in less diversity, Neumann noted that the creation of media conglomerates have led to the mass media having similar â€Å"content and world-view† (Neumann, p.130). On the other hand, those who were in favor of the Act identified it as a much needed move in revolutionizing media. By allowing media corporations to merge, it has led to a more comprehensive and cohesive delivery of information. Supporters also point out that instead of eliminating diversity, viewers have had much more program options with th emergence of 24 hours news channels such as CNN and FOX News and specialized channels such as Discovery and History (Compaine, www.reason.com). In fact, Adam Thierer revealed that instead of the lack of diversity of programs, audiences are actually experiencing â€Å"information overload† due to explosion of media options. He pointed out that todays media environment is â€Å"diverse and characterized by information abundance† (Thierer, p.2). The issue, as FCC concluded in revising the Telecommunication Act, â€Å"was whether media companies will be able to dominate the distribution of news and information in any market, but whet her they will be able to be heard at all among the cacophony of voices vying for the attention of the Americans (FCC proceedings, p.149) 2) The three broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC did not face a broadcast network competitor until Fox emerged in the 1980s and the WB, UPN and Univision grew in the 1990s. Why did these networks emerge when they did? What regulatory changes aided their growth? How did they differ from the other networks in terms of their relationships with their affiliates? What audiences did they target and what types of programs did they use to do so? How did they change as they grew? You may choose one or more network(s) to illustrate your points. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the big three networks dominated the American airwaves. Independent and local television networks would occasionally penetrate the national airwaves but most of these did not survive due to financial constraints. It was in 1986 however that the first rival to the big three emerged with the establishment of   FOX Network.It started out dabbling in TV business by producing and distributing shows for the three big networks. In 1985, Rupert Murdoch bought 50% shares in the 20th Century Fox   movie and television studios. When Murdoch finally achieved full ownership of the studios, he proceeded to buy television stations owned by Metromedia which gave Murdoch a foothold in the major U.S. cities such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Chicago (www.teletronic.co.uk). This move would spur Murdoch to create a â€Å"fourth network†. In a brilliant move, the new Fox network labeled their new venture as a â€Å"satellite-delivered programming service†(www.teletronic.co.uk). This enabled Murdoch, who was not a citizen, to bypass FCC rules such as foreign-ownership and the definition of FCC of a â€Å"network† as â€Å"airing more than 20 hours of programming per week†. These enabled Fox to operate unhindered by the FCC rules on networks, thus being able to still distribute its TV productions to other networks but only airing 2 hours of primetime shows as opposed to the 3 hours of the big Networks. When it was launched in October 1986, almost 96 stations were connected to Fox enabling it to reach 80% of American audiences. Before making it big, Fox had to start from scratch in expanding its audience share. The network first major release was the â€Å"Late Show† with Joan Rivers. They hoped to capture the 11:30pm late-night slot and targeting young audiences. This strategy however failed as ratings fell with viewers switching back to their previous stations. Despite these failures, Fox continued to lure the younger to middle -aged viewers with shows such as â€Å"Tracy Ulman† which won the station its first Emmy, â€Å"Marriedwith   Children† which would be its first biggest hit and â€Å"21 Jump Street† which was its first drama. These shows were some of the first forays of the network into the Sunday prime-time slot. Although they were received lukewarmly at first, these shows would gain momentum in the coming years. The success of Fox would lead to FCC relaxing the Fin-Syn rule and redefining their concept of â€Å"network†, which would finally result in the elim ination of the Fin-Syn Rule in 1995. (www.museum.tv) The success of its first primetime shows would lead to Fox introducing documentary-style shows such as â€Å"Americas Most Wanted† and â€Å"Cops†. But their biggest success would come in when Fox reintroduced animation to the primetime slot with â€Å"The Simpsons†. The animated show would penetrate the top 30 primetime ratings and would then become the longest running comedy show on television (www.teletronic.co.uk). Soon, Fox found its niche by veering away from conventional shows, like game shows and   talk shows, by introducing reality-based shows and shows that targeted the young viewers. Fox owner Rupert Murdoch would change the media landscape when it snatched exclusive rights to air the National Football League in 1993 (Kimmel, p.162). This move would cement Foxs role in the ratings game. As of today, Foxs main draw is its reality-based shows such as American Idol that have dominated airwaves since its release in 2002, capturing much of the 18-49 viewer demographic (tvbythenumbers.com). With success comes controversy. Such was the case of the Fox news network as critics accused it of being biased towards the U.S. Republican Party (Greenwald, p.4). Despite these, Fox shows and its affiliated cable channels still rake in much of the ratings with Fox News attracting 2.4 million viewers in the first quarter of 2009 (Gold, www.latimesblogs.latimes.com)

Own Labels In The Uk Smoothies Market Marketing Essay

Own Labels In The Uk Smoothies Market Marketing Essay For the purposes of this report a smoothie will be defined as a drink that is made with pure crushed fruit, but which may also include a small amount of fruit juice or purà ©e, yogurt, milk or soymilk, and is smooth in texture (Mintel, 2010). 1.2 The UK Smoothie Market Although the smoothies market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth of more than 150% between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks. As well as suffering from unfavourable economic conditions, smoothie manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth., despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation. The result of all of this is that the smooothies market declined by some 36% between 2007 and 2009 (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). The brand leader in the smoothie market, Innocent, has largely been responsible for fuelling the growth in the market and despite the general market downturn, it still commands an 80% market share. However, Innocents market share has been boosted, not just by its own performance, but also by the decision taken by PepsiCo to remove its PJs brand in early 2009. PepsiCos rationale for removing the brand was that it enabled it to focus on its best selling Tropicana brand, which added a smoothie to its range in February 2008 (Lewis, 2008). The smoothie market is now showing signs of a fragile recovery and Mintel forecasts that improved economic conditions, together with the increased penetration of the childrens market, will see the smoothies sector returning to growth soon see Figure 1 below (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). FIGURE 1 Trends and Forecast for Volume Sales of Smoothies, 2005-2015 Total Index % annual change m litres 2005 27 66 +69 2006 52 127 +93 2007 70 171 +35 2008 60 146 -14 2009 45 110 -25 2010 (est) 41 100 -9 2011 (fore) 44 107 +7 2012 (proj) 48 116 +9 2013 (proj) 53 130 +12 2014 (proj) 58 141 +8 2015 (proj) 64 155 +10 2.0 The Importance of Branding in the Smoothies Market With consumers becoming increasingly sophisticated and confident in being able to differentiate between the offerings of various suppliers in a marketplace, the value of a strong brand has never been more critical (Mitchell et al., p.201. 2003). According to Aaker (p.95, 1996), to be successful, brands should offer consumers a value proposition, which constitutes functional, emotional and self- expressive benefits. Branding is critical in the soft drinks market as a whole. For example, Coca-Cola (a stakeholder in Innocent) believes that 96% of its total worth as a business can be attributed to its brand (Knox, 2004). In the smoothies market the brand leader, Innocent, has demonstrated the value of a strong brand. The name Innocent positions the brand as simple, pure and safe thus delivering both functional and emotional benefits within its brand value proposition. There are a number of reasons why branding is critical to success in the smoothies market, namely: Consumers are cynical about manufacturers claims of the health benefits of smoothies. Consumers believe smoothies are too expensive compared to other fruit drinks. Because smoothies are a relatively new product in the market they do not resonate with the 45+ age group which is a potentially significant market segment for smoothies. The distribution of smoothies relies too heavily on the big supermarket chains leaving them open to competition from supermarket own brands. Smoothies brands have largely recognised the value of branding in the marketplace and this is evidenced by a three fold increase in total advertising spend in the sector in 2009/10. The leading brands have built up a lot of brand equity as a result (see Figure 2). However, despite this the leading brands have not been able to rely on their brand reputation and equity to boost sales, rather they have had to discount the price of their products extensively in 2008/9, which may impact negatively on the equity of the brands in the longer term. Figure 2: Personalities of Various Smoothie Brands, May 2010 Benecol Innocent Ellas Kitchen Tropicana Average Base: internet users aged 16+ who have heard of the brand 1,517 1,795 674 1,718 % % % % % Authentic 10 19 10 16 14 Boring 9 2 4 3 4 Cool 6 21 10 16 14 Delicious 9 35 10 28 21 Engaging 5 12 6 8 8 Exciting 4 19 9 11 11 Fun 5 26 12 15 14 Genuine 14 23 12 20 17 Healthy 42 49 19 36 36 Natural 23 43 18 31 29 Refreshing 9 30 11 34 21 Special 9 22 8 11 12 Tired 4 1 3 3 3 Traditional 8 7 8 19 10 Unappealing 11 4 5 4 6 Unhealthy 1 1 2 2 2 Vibrant 4 18 8 13 11 Source: GMI/Mintel 3.0 The Threat from Own Labels in the Smoothies Market The growth of supermarket own label brands is having a big impact on the sale of manufacturer branded, fast-moving, consumer goods (Veloutsou, 2004). Supermarket own label brands are no longer just the lower quality and lower priced alternatives to manufacturer brands that they once were as since the late 1990s they have been offering a genuine quality option for consumers (Burt, 2000). Porters (p.49, 1989), includes the threat from substitute products as one of the five forces in his model of industry competitors see Figure 3 below. FIGURE 3 : Porters Five Forces Model of Industry Competitors : Substitute products, in the form of own labels, pose a significant threat to established brands in the smoothie marketplace. The leading brands, such as Innocent, are suffering from consumers switching to own label smoothie and fruit juice products, in the shorter term, due mainly to price considerations. The extent of this switch is evidenced by the fact that the large supermarkets now dominate the fruit juice drinks market with their own brands (Keynote, 2010). 4.0 The Brand Position of Tropicana in the UK Smoothes Market Best known for its fruit juice products Tropicana launched its smoothie in 2008 supported by a  £4.5 million promotional campaign. Owners PepsiCo intended that the Tropicana smoothie would fill the gap left by its withdrawal of the PJs brand. However, despite the huge investment in promotional support and PepsiCos knowledge of the soft drinks market, Tropicana has failed to deliver. Although it is now the second largest of the manufacturer brands, in terms of market share, it is a long way behind the brand leader, Innocent. Its sales and market share have also taken a nosedive from its peak of 2008 see Figure 4 below. Figure 4 : Trends for Take-home Market Share of Smoothie Brands, 2007-2009 2007 2008 2009 2007-09  £m % share  £m % share  £m % share % point difference Innocent 150 71 120 71 100 80 -33 PJs* 25 12 10 6 na na na Tropicana Smoothies 8 4 15 9 3 2 -63 Ellas Kitchen 1.5 1 2.2 1 2.5 2 67 Sub-total 185 88 147 87 106 84 -43 Others 4 2 5 3 4 3 Own-label 22 10 18 10 16 12 -28 Total 210 100 170 100 125 100 -40 * brand discontinued in late 2008 Despite its poor sales performance in 2009, Tropicana is not a bad performer, in terms of its appeal to consumers, with just over two-thirds of those surveyed by Mintel saying that they liked it and would buy it again. However, most consumers still regard Tropicana as a juice and not a smoothies brand. 5.0 Summary and Conclusions Following a significant period of growth, the smoothies market has declined in the last two years and is only just showing signs of recovery. The market is dominated by Innocent and other brands, such as Tropicana, have failed to establish a meaningful foothold despite massive marketing spends. Brand reputation and equity is key to the success of smooothies and Innocent has successfully established its brand in the consumer psyche. In terms of leveraging its brand then Tropicana has an inherent problem inasmuch as it is still best known as a fruit juice, not a smoothie, brand. It needs, therefore, to build its reputation as a smoothies brand by delivering a value proposition targeted specifically at smoothie drinkers and supported by its brand strength in the juices market. The fact that consumers generally like its smoothie product and would buy it again are a good foundation for future growth. Also, considering the brand personality scores shown in Figure 2, where Tropicana is generally in second place, there are opportunities to build on the brand attributes of authentic, cool delicious fun and genuine, in future promotional activity. The short shelf life of all smoothies makes it difficult for them to penetrate the on-trade. However, smoothies have not really targeted themselves at the impulse purchase consumer and, consequently, this is a potential area of growth as is the largely undeveloped childrens market. -

European Literature during the Renaissance

Elizabeth Commits Mrs.. Mullen AP European History 19 September 2013 Literature in the Renaissance time period introduced new themes and ideas to the European population. Such writings revolutionized Europeans opinions and the roles in society of man, the Catholic Church, and ancient Greece and Rome. Four Renaissance works, Oration on the Dignity of Man, The Prince, â€Å"Frederic's Falcon†, and The Abbot and the Learned Woman, reflect the humanistic, secular, and classicist themes through the glorification of man and subsequent indifference or criticism of the Church.Monorail's Oration on the Dignity of Man demonstrates humanism more than the other themes. The entire purpose of the address is to leonine and celebrate humans. Essentially, the general opinion holds man as â€Å"the mediator of all creatures, the servant of superior beings, the lord of inferior ones the interpreter of nature by the keenness of his senses, by rational inquiry, by the light of his intellect† (Miranda 335). Humanism is channeled particularly through the statement â€Å"we are what we wish to be† (Miranda 337), which praises the perseverance and confidence of man hat he may do and be anything he wishes.According to Miranda, humans deserve to strive for the highest honors and to be of equal power of angels and God, for he calls man to â€Å"let us emulate their dignity and glory and, if we desire it, shall be in no way inferior to them† (Miranda 338). Machiavellian The Prince involves humanism in the sense of praising the reality of humans. Through the example of Pope Alexander X', Machiavelli recognizes the struggles man faces and his incredible ability to prevail over such hardships. Alexander â€Å"great spirit and high ambition† allowed him to overcome obstacles and employ successful designs during his rule.There is also a great value in the â€Å"truth of things† and not the imaginary; princes aren't perfect, yet it is a balance between g ood and bad qualities which makes them successful. Even when discussing princes who came to power through corruption and crime, Machiavelli still admires their bravery and spirit. Of Prince Stagecoaches: in respect of â€Å"the velour with which he encountered and extricated himself from dangers, and the constancy of his spirit in supporting ND conquering adverse fortune, there seems no reason to Judge him inferior to the greatest captains that have ever lived† (Machiavelli 347-348).In addition, Vocation's â€Å"Feedings Falcon† also references humanism in characterizing human emotions of love, generosity, and compassion. Foddering, the protagonist, is wildly in love with Mona Giovanni. The story praises reciprocal human kindness and generosity, for his actions reward Foddering in the end with his marriage to Giovanni. Similarly, Erasmus The Abbot and the Learned Woman emends human love and respect of one another: the woman and her husband share a love for learning, wh ich brings them closer together.The piece simultaneously scorns disrespect and cruelty toward other humans; the Abbot, who is very sexist and rude to the woman, is made the fool in the story for being so ignorant and standing on weak, immature arguments. Secularism, the indifference or criticism toward the Catholic Church, can be identified in the Oration on the Dignity of Man mainly through the undermining of God's (and the Church's) power. The oration does not capitalize â€Å"he† when speaking of God, suggesting that God is of equal power as any ordinary man.Moreover, when God creates Adam, He gives him and all humans the power and freedom to do what they want: muff, unhampered, may determine your own limits according to your own will, into whose power I have placed you† (Miranda 336). This declaration gives God less control and dominance over man, thus heightening the belief that the Church and God aren't superior to man. In The Prince, continuous reference to †Å"Fortune† as determining humans' lives omits God from interfering in the lives of man; â€Å"it was through no fault of his but from the extraordinary and extreme malignity of Fortune† (Machiavelli 343).The pope's weak power over territory is highlighted through Pope Alexander Vic's conflicts with monarchical rulers and his inability to take lands belonging and not belonging to the church. Criticism is apparent in Alexander creation of Pope Julius II, for Machiavelli notes that â€Å"after using his reputation for liberality to arrive at the Papacy, [Pope Julius II] made no effort to preserve that petition when making war on the King of France but carried on all his many campaigns without levying from his subjects a single extraordinary tax, providing for the increased expenditure out of his long-continued savings† (Machiavelli 351).When remarking that â€Å"No Prince was ever at a loss for plausible reasons to cover a breach of faith†, Machiavelli accept s that royalty disobeys the church often, but it's commonplace and easy to cover up. Secularism is present in â€Å"Frederic's Falcon† because there is a complete lack of the Church and its role in society; Fortune is offered to as the ruling factor of life instead of God. In comparison, The Abbot and the Learned Woman is secular through outright criticism of the Church, portrayed by the abbot's character.He is rude, ignorant, condescending, and close-minded; for his poor reasoning and indignant attitude, he is the fool and loser in the argument. The story serves as a lesson for the Church to reform its ways and become more accepting, open-minded, and educated in the modernizing world around them. References to the study and revival of ancient Greek and Roman history are included n Renaissance works as a meaner to intensify the glorification of man during the humanistic movement.Classicism reinforces the beliefs of humanism by comparing man to revered Greek and Roman figures. In Oration on the Dignity of Man, â€Å"What a miracle, Oh Ecclesiae, is man! † indicates Ecclesiae, a son of Apollo and the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing. Associating man with such an important Greek figure heightens man's value and superiority. Later on in this speech, man is said to symbolize Protests, a sea god known for his ability to assume different forms. This imprison of humans to Protests emphasizes their extraordinary ability to be versatile and dynamic.In The Prince, a reference to Chirps the Centaur demonstrates the value of princes to understand how to act both like the man and the beast; many successful princes including Achilles were trained by the centaur. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"it is necessary for a Prince to know how to use both natures and that the one without the other has no stability' (Machiavelli 353). The development of humanism, secularism, and classicism in the Renaissance affected how writers depicted society at the time.New ideas of the superiority of man arose, revitalization ancient Greek and Roman figures in order to further glorify the human. Along with praise of humans also came criticisms of the Church, questioning the Church's outdated beliefs and common frauds, encouraging major reforms. Often the Church wasn't mentioned whatsoever, showing the dwindling importance and influence of the Church in society. Renaissance writers captured the changes in European life through their works by crafting clever stories while giving their two cents on the issues at hand and revolutions to come.

James Weldon Johnson

Janice Warriner November 29, 2012 Composition 1030 Nowak James Weldon Johnson From the preface to The Book of American Negro Poetry (1921) During the 1920’s, the country was still segregated, and black people were denied the right to vote, attend schools where they would be intermixing with white people, and often lived without the same standard of living embraced by white people. They often did not have electricity, their clothes were in poor condition and books were often discarded books from the white schools.Black males were automatically suspects in crimes, and often did not have a fair trial. White people wanted order and perfection. During the film, Birth of a Nation :The Civil War Films of DW Griffith The black, slave woman in the show reminded me of Mammy. Mammy is a well-recognized racial caricature. She was created with the idea to claim that slaves were happy, and thus, slavery was humane. Mammy is pictured with very dark skin and a bandana, signaling that she is a hard worker and is sweaty.She is an extremely heavy set, older woman and the message was that the white men found the black slave woman unattractive and there was no sexual contact between them. This was a complete lie, because rape and sexual exploitation was happening as a result of the master-slave relationship. She was also considered to be the property of the white family. During this time, the Harlem Renaissance was also taking place. During the 1920-1930’s this was referred to as the â€Å"New Negro Movement†.Because of the â€Å"radio†, black authors, poets, painters, playwrights, actors and musicians gained exposure and were brought to a national audience. An indication that things would change. Has it? Stereotyping always will be a part of society because of the different life experiences and ideas that we develop about ourselves and other people. It becomes a problem with it turns to violence or dangerous ideas or behavior. It is up to each individua l person to break stereotypes by trying to represent himself or herself in a positive light.

5 Health Dangers to Be Afraid of If You Dont Buy a Paper Online

5 Health Dangers to Be Afraid of If You Dont Buy a Paper Online 5 Health Dangers to Be Afraid of If You Dont Buy a Paper Online Let’s face it, school is challenging and sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to complete everything. While one professor may believe that the assignment they give is reasonable, they do not know your schedule or the fact that your other professors have also given you a few â€Å"reasonable† assignments to complete. This can lead to a huge amount of stress and anxiety as you believe you must get good grades. Your parents are counting on you and your future career is on the line. Stress and anxiety however present their own dangers and accessing a little assistance when you buy a paper online can help with the grades and the stress in what looks like an impossible situation. If you choose not to purchase a paper online, here are the health risks you may encounter. 1. Anxiety and Panic Attacks A small amount of anxiety from time to time is normal; however chronic anxiety has a detrimental effect on your health.   It can cause sleeplessness, nervousness, lack of desire to socialize and if not treated can lead to hopelessness and depression. 2. Depression Depression can occur in college because of prolonged or constant stress and anxiety. If you never find relief from stress you begin to feel hopeless about ever feeling better or succeeding in the task of learning, which is why you went to school in the first place. 3. Digestive Problems Prolonged anxiety is thought to be a leading cause of IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This syndrome causes diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and discomfort. Who needs that? Are school assignments and papers really worth your health? Obviously it is unwise to get help with every single assignment as you never learn to do things on your own. But using help on an assignment through buying a custom-written paper every once in a while may help improve your health. 4. Cardiovascular Harm Stress causes a â€Å"fight or flight† response where your body releases adrenaline giving you focus and depressing your appetite. This is helpful short term, but chronic stress eats away at your bodies resources and leaves you with a weakened immune system. The adrenaline also acts as a vasoconstrictor, constricting blood vessels and making you ready for action. This taxes your cardiovascular system and leaves you feeling fried and edgy.   Prolonged exposure to adrenaline can harm the cardiovascular system. 5. Weight Gain and Stress Eating Stress eating is a common cause of the â€Å"freshman 15† phenomenon, where a new college student gains 15 lbs or more in their first year because they eat in order to manage stress. This is bad for your health, self image and appearance.   Stress eating is understandable because eating releases feel good hormones that momentarily relieve stress. However, when those wear off, you are still left with the stress of that paper hanging over you, and what can you do then? Eating will only lead to weight gain so for your health’s sake, look for a better method. This may be a good time to order a model paper online, and not another pizza, to manage the workload and save your waistline. You should address any anxiety and stress with your doctor, especially if it is prolonged. You should also seek ways to relieve stress and you should not view asking for help as wrong. You should manage your health as carefully as you manage other important aspects of your life.

Learn What a Verb Is and See Examples in English

Learn What a Verb Is and See Examples in English A verb is the part of speech (or word class) that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of being. Verbs and verb phrases usually function as predicates. Verbs can display differences in tense, mood, aspect, number, person, and voice. There are two main classes of verbs:  lexical verbs  (also known as  main verbs), which arent dependent on other verbs, and  auxiliary verbs  (also called  helping verbs). As with lexical versus auxiliary verbs, many types of verbs come in opposites, as explained below. Lexical vs. Auxiliary Lexical verbs- also called  full verbs- convey the  semantic (or lexical) meaning  in a  sentence, such as: It rained last night.I  ran  fast.I  ate  the entire hamburger. The great majority of verbs in English are lexical verbs. An auxiliary verb, by contrast, determines the mood or tense of another verb in a phrase, for example: It will rain tonight. In this sentence, the verb will  helps the verb rain by pointing to the future. In English, the auxiliary verbs are: Is, am, are, was, wereBe, being, beenHas,  have,  hadDo, does, didWill, shall, should, wouldCan, couldMay, might, must Dynamic  vs.  Stative A  dynamic verb  is used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation as opposed to a state, such as: I bought a new guitar.   It is also called an  action or event verb. There are three major types of dynamic verbs: Accomplishment verbs: expressing action that has a logical endpointAchievement verbs: expressing action that occurs instantaneouslyActivity verbs: expressing action that can go on for an indefinite period of time A stative verb- such as  be, have, know, like, own, seem, prefer,  understand,  belong, doubt,  and hate- describes a state, situation, or condition, as in: Now I own a Gibson Explorer.We  are  what we  believe  we  are. A  stative verb  primarily describes a state or situation as opposed to an action or process. It can be a mental or emotional state as well as a physical state of being. The situations are unchanging while they last and can continue for a long or indefinite time period.  These words are also known as a  state verbs  or a  static verbs. Finite  vs.  Nonfinite A finite verb expresses tense and can occur on its own in a main  clause, as in: She walked to school. A finite verb shows  agreement  with a  subject  and is marked for  tense. If there is just one verb in a  sentence, that  verb is finite. Put another way, a finite verb  can stand by itself in a sentence.   Nonfinite verbs, meanwhile, are not marked for tense and do no show agreement with a subject. A  nonfinite verb  (an  infinitive  or  participle) doesnt show a distinction in tense and can occur on its own only in a  dependent  phrase or clause, as in: While  walking  to school, she spotted a bluejay. The main difference between finite and nonfinite verbs is that the former can act as the root of an independent clause, or full sentence, while the latter cannot.  For example: The man  runs  to the store to  get  a gallon of milk. The word runs  is a finite verb because it agrees with the subject (man) and because it marks the tense (present tense). The word  get is a nonfinite verb because it does not agree with the subject or mark the tense. Rather, it is an infinitive and depends on the main (finite) verb runs.   Regular  vs.  Irregular A regular verb forms its verb tenses, especially the  past tense  and  past participle, by adding one in the set of generally accepted standardized suffixes. Regular verbs are conjugated by adding -d, -ed, -ing, or -s to its base form, unlike irregular verbs which have special rules for conjugation. The majority of English verbs are regular. These are the principal parts of regular verbs: The  base form: the  dictionary  term for a word like walkThe -s form: used in the singular third person, present tense  like walksThe -ed form: used in the past tense and past participle  like walkedThe -ing form: used in the present participle  like walking Regular verbs are predictable and always function the same regardless of speaker. An irregular verb  does not follow the usual rules for verb forms. Verbs in English are irregular if they dont have the  conventional -ed ending (such as asked or ended) in the past tense and/or past participle forms.   Transitive  vs.  Intransitive A  transitive verb  takes an  object  (a  direct object  and sometimes also an  indirect object):   She sells seashells. An intransitive verb doesnt take a direct object: She sat there quietly. This distinction is especially tricky because many verbs have both transitive and intransitive functions, depending on how they are used. The verb  break, for instance, sometimes takes a direct object (Rihanna breaks my heart) and sometimes does not (When I hear your name, my heart breaks). Phrasal  vs.  Prepositional A  phrasal verb  is a  type of  compound  verb  made up of a  verb  (usually one of action or movement) and a  prepositional adverb- also known as an adverbial  particle. Phrasal verbs are sometimes called  two-part verbs  (take off  and  leave out) or  three-part verbs  (look up to  and  look down on). There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in English, many of them (such as  tear off, run out [of],  and  pull through) with multiple meanings. Linguist  Angela Downing points out in English Grammar: A University Course that phrasal verbs are one of the most distinctive features of  present-day informal English, both in their abundance and in their productivity. Phrasal verbs often appear in  idioms. A  prepositional verb, by contrast,  is an  idiomatic  expression that combines a  verb  and a  preposition  to make a new verb with a distinct meaning. Some examples of prepositional verbs in English  are  care  for, long for, apply for, approve of, add to, resort to, result in, count on,  and  deal with. The preposition in a prepositional verb is generally followed by a  noun  or  pronoun, and thus prepositional verbs are  transitive. Other Types of Verbs Since verbs describe all action or indicate all states of being in English, its not surprising that there are other types of verbs, which are important to know. Catenative:  A  catenative verb  can link with other verbs to form a chain or series. Examples include  ask,  keep, promise, help,  want,  and  seem. Causative:  A causative verb  is used to indicate that some person or thing makess of causative verbs  include make, cause, allow, help, have, enable, keep, hold, let, force, and require, which can also be referred to as causal verbs or simply causatives. Compound:  A  compound verb  is made up of two or more  words  that function as a single  verb. Conventionally, verb compounds are written as either one word (housesit) or two words joined with a hyphen (water-proof). Copular:  A  copular  verb is a specific type of linking verb that joins the  subject  of a  sentence  or  clause  to a subject  complement. For example, the word  is  functions as a copular verb in the sentences, Jane  is  my friend and Jane  is  friendly. Iterative:  An  iterative verb  indicates that an action is (or was) repeated, such as, Philip  was kicking  his sister. Linking:  A linking verb is a traditional term for a type of  verb  (such as a form of  be  or  seem) that joins the  subject  of a sentence to a word or phrase that  tells something about the subject. For example,  is  functions as a linking verb in the sentence: The boss  is  unhappy. Mental-state:  A  mental-state verb  is a  verb  with a  meaning  related to understanding, discovering, planning, or deciding. Mental-state verbs refer to cognitive states that are generally unavailable for outside evaluation. For example: Toms teaching ability is  known by  all his colleagues. Performative:  A  performative verb  conveys the kind of  speech act  being performed- such as  promise, invite, apologize,  predict, vow, request, warn, insist,  and  forbid. It is also known as  speech-act verb  or  performative utterance.   Prepositional:  A  prepositional verb  is an  idiomatic  expression that combines a  verb  and a  preposition  to make a new verb with a distinct meaning. Some examples  are  care for, long for, apply for, approve of, add to, resort to, result in, count on,  and  deal with. Reporting:  A  reporting verb  (such as  say, tell, believe, reply, respond,  or  ask) is used to indicate that  discourse  is being  quoted  or  paraphrased, such as:  I highly  recommend  that you get a better lawyer. It is also called a  communication verb.

Analyse Health Information Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyse Health Information - Assignment Example As damage increases, more of the lipoproteins accumulate in the intima causing atheroma. The condition worsens with time as more lipids accumulate even outside the macrophages, because of this; the macrophages stimulate production of collagen that covers the lipids making the streaks become fibrous. This weakens the endothelial wall causing ulcerations, platelets aggregations and formation of thrombus (Marieb, 2014). a.) Components of neurovascular observation. To conduct a neurovascular observation and make correct documentation, the components to assess are color and warmth, for which inspection of color and feeling for the warmth is dome. The temperatures are compared with the normal wrist; capillary refill is assessed by pressing the nail bed and assessing the time taken for blood to fill the capillaries, normal time is less than 3 seconds; pain score and joint movement are done to assess the extent of injury; peripheral sensation is also assessed to verify the presence or absence of nerve injury (Tollefson et al., 2012). To prepare the patient for x-ray, the nurse requires first to inform the client concerning the procedure so that they can make an informed decision. A signing of a written consent follows this. This must be documented in the patient file and signed. The patient is scheduled for x-ray at 9.15 am; the vital signs at this time indicate mild hyperthermia of 38.1Â °C and slight hyperventilation with a respiration rate of 25 breaths per minute. All other observations are within normal range. With an ADDS score of 2, the patient is not in an acute condition, and any nurse can escort him for the radiology test (Preece et al., 2010). With atheroma, blood clotting forms in the large vessels. This is due to platelets aggregation along the weakened portions of the endothelium. As the heart pumps blood around the body, the clots dislodge and are carried to other parts of the body. If the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 13

Assignment Example doing working-class activities – and a performance that spark up controversy in the 60s because of its escape from the traditional morality and religion plays. Amidst the competition from renowned theatre houses in Toronto, Studio 275 will primarily rely on traditional publicity such as the use of media release, posters and flyers as well as giving out first hand information through direct marketing to theatre schools and organizations within its reach. Its audience will be composed of women from all income brackets, regardless of their age and background. It will emphasize the plot as something that is contentious in the past and will be refreshed through Studio 275’s production that will bring your memory and interest as to what have these women of the 60s have gone through. Studio 275 was established in 1985 with topmost priority in play development as a means of supporting Canadian playwrights and building the repertoire of Canadian plays. Moreover, the first 15 years of its existence gave emphasis on producing local works but eventually turned in producing shows that reflects the Canadian experience from many generation as well as history and sensibilities that people have brought to the country. This season, the company will focus on series of productions featuring the different sides of women caught up in differing situations. This year’s presentation will start off with Michel Tremblay’s first professionally produced work Les Belles Soeurs (The Sisters-in-Law) directed by Judith Chapman. The story created such controversy in the 60s because of the â€Å"joual† language used by women while discussing about men, religion and Bingo. It represents the working class women in Montreal, doing working-class activities while uttering vulgar language which shocked the Quebec stage in the 60s. 1. Women (Vistors and Canadians). This market includes women from all walks of life, regardless of its social status and age. The title may spark up their interest