Thursday, October 31, 2019

Critique E-Mail Documentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique E-Mail Documentation - Essay Example Grey. personal communication MT1 29, 199X). Consequently, the emails made the situation even worse. Furthermore, the composed mails in majority of the instances failed to adhere to the rules of Basic English grammar, and the choice of the words in case of a formal letter also made the scenario extremely critical. The use of uppercase in a few of the originally mailed messages violated basic norms of formal English writing. Additionally, the mails were unable to depict a clear picture of the concerned matter by focusing more on inappropriate use of words and showing emotional feelings which could have been reserved for a face-to-face interaction. The e-mails failed to convey the actual meaning to either of the participants involved in the conversations. The exchanges were communicated in an extremely informal way without being concise. Thus, it can be stated that the participants were not careful during the exchange. The mails composed rather overshadowed the actual subject. The parti cipants were not able to understand the actual matter; rather they got confused in their efforts towards resolving the issue. It would have been better for them to have a round table discussion and to chalk out the issue personally with relying more on the face-to-face communication. Moreover, the participants took extended period of time to resolve the issue which could have been resolved more quickly. It can be stated that participants failed to resolve the concerning issue effectively. The exchanges of the emails were far below the expected level of professionalism. The poor use of grammar and punctuation, spelling mistakes cannot be considered to be professional. The participants were required to follow at least basic formal English language rules that would have helped them to present their messages in an understandable manner. In addition to this, the e-mail exchange was not considerate. The messages composed were missing the core subject matter; instead of resolving the issue , the composed emails increased its complexity. They could have been more thoughtful towards their mail composition and could have sequenced their messages in a more understandable and precise manner. The composed mails were lengthy and deviated far from the actual subject. In several instances the mails used many unethical words, such as killing and disgrace among others, which should not have been included (Frodo Jackson, personal communication, MT1 26, 199X). These words create a negative impression about the communicator. Thus, the entire e-mail exchanges lacked professionalism and use of ethical as well as formal composition. Part 2 - Improve the Communications "Improving Frodo's Communication" From: "Frodo Jackson" To: theprofessor@someinstitutionsomewhere.edu Sent: DayofWk, MT1 13, 199X 7:53:11 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Assignment 1-5-1 Professor Grey: Attached is my final assignment of 1-5-1. I appreciate your help during the course. I wish you great term brea k time. Thank you, Frodo Jackson ----- Original Message ----- From: Frodo Jackson To: The Professor Sent: DayofWk, MT1 26, 199X 12:59:22 PM Subject: Re: Grades Professor Grey Frodo I have checked my report and find it to be incomplete. I was looking forward for the grade to be updated by MTI/26/0X. At the same time, I

Monday, October 28, 2019

Quorn Revision Essay Example for Free

Quorn Revision Essay Introduction Branding creates attachments between consumers and brand: the stronger the attachment, the better the branding. Nothing connected with branding should surprise anyone any more (Frank, 2001). Whenever the word is spoken, it seems, there instantly follows some scarcely believable anecdote of corporations expanding, metastasising, covering more and more of our world and our culture, putting their mark in some unthinkable new spot or on some inviolable hero, ransacking the temples of art, laying claim to the legacy of the historical avant-garde, to that of religion, of bohemia, of the civil rights movement, of the left itself. We ride in subway cars whose every surface promotes an allergy remedy or the offerings of a TV network. We hear of masterbrands and megabrands (Frank, 2001).   And the claims attached to brands grow constantly: no longer simple guarantees of quality, brands are now thought to have a more high-minded aspect (Frank, 2001). The brand was everything, the very foundation of economic life. The brand was all that would survive, zealously protected and polished by a core of managerial workers, while the physical operations of the corporation were outsourced to those lands where people work for next to nothing (Frank, 2001). The most important thing to understand about integrated branding is that it is a model for building the most important asset any company hasits relationship with its customers (Lepla, 1999). If you understand that your best customer is the one you already have, then creating a rational system for deepening customer relationships is the logical next step (Lepla, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zeneca PLC is a pharmaceuticals company that offers agrochemical and specialties chemicals. The company considers itself as a bioscience company that targets it RD, their abilities in technology and marketing enhance new products that will resolve the scientific problems of their customers and consumers. Zeneca is one of the biggest pharmaceuticals firm globally that holds 2.5% of market share of the said industry, Zeneca’s major competitors are GlaxoWellcome with 4.5% share in the pharmaceutical industry. Zeneca is also offering healthy new products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI and Rank Hovis McDougall or RHM, came up with a synthetically developed, healthy substitute for meat, called Quorn. During the 1980’s there was a great opportunity on this product because of the trend in healthy living, however, true vegetarians snob this product because of egg content. However, after the initial research RHM sold its stocks to ICI.   Quorn became a direct substitute to chicken. The market of Quorn was mixed, QTI was integrated to different recipe cards. Marlow Foods’ tie up with supermarkets localized the distribution of the product and made difficult for them to have control and surpassed the demand of the product. In 1990, Sainburys developed meat alternative pies and penetrated the London market. Quorn was introduced to the supermarkets of Tesco, the direct competitor of Sainsbury, profits increased dramatically. In 1994, Quorn was re-launched with a mainstream advertising campaign and logo. PROBLEMS WITH QOURN The consumers of Quorn are obviously still does not fully understand the product because it has no definite characteristics of its own. The knowledge that it is synthetically produced consumers worry about eating it especially those who want to eat healthy. Although, Quorn has its own loyal consumers, however people view it as a fad and targets vegetarians only. Quorn was relaunched in 1994, it was repackaged with a new logo, and a new advertisement that will put Quorn in the mainstream healthy food instead as a vegetarian food. Recommendation Initially, the understanding of buyer behavior is one of the more perplexing tasks confronting every manager (Schiffman Kanuk 2000). The difficulty arises from the heterogeneity of buyers, from being groups of individuals who differ from one another. But notwithstanding differences, consumers do share attitudes, opinions, reactions, and desires at various times (Schiffman Kanuk 2000). Business experience, marketing research, theoretical constructs and models, and trial-and-error methods help to find some of the common denominators. Practically, Quorn has to make some essential decisions that are taken in developing an effective marketing mix for their products particularly their â€Å"veggie meats,† that should be based in the systematic knowledge of the consumers that make up its permanent target market (Johnson and Mullen 1990). Johnson and Mullen believes that understanding the behavior of the consumer is the most basic step in helping marketing authorities to visualize and predict future trends, reactions, and changes in the marketing mix. It may also serve as a reference in determining the potentials of new products and its adoption. Customers recognize the importance of knowledge in relation to the product being purchased. That is why Quorn should make a consumer behavior study regarding their products and that way the company will be able to identify the needs and wants of their consumers. Wong (2000) argued that a customer evaluates a product or a service. Such action is based on the customer’s reaction from the using the product or service, which means that the product or service should leave a good perception to the customer’s contentment. Ferguson (1992) explained that it can be ensured that a customer is satisfied by taking into importance the value package, which includes: price, product quality, service quality, innovation, and corporate image. Others also stated the importance of maintaining or establishing a uniqueness of the product, while also understanding customers and what pleases them (DeMooji, 1997). Customers should also understand the product and be allowed to set their own standards in order to be satisfied (Frederick and Salter 1995). Because of the implications for profitability and growth,   Quorn should give emphasis to their customer retention is potentially one of the most powerful weapons that companies can employ in their fight to gain a strategic advantage and survive in todays ever increasing competitive environment (Lindenmann 1999). Aside from having a strategic purpose, gaining customer loyalty is also a key corporate challenge today especially in this increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace because of the eventual profitability it will provide (Chow Holden 1997). Every business wants to have a regular customer base because customers dictate profits and how the customer is treated will reflect on whether the customers will remain loyal with the company or not.    This concept is illustrated by Mittelhauser (1997) in a study about the textile and apparel industry. Competition forces certain brand names to become stronger than others because of product loyalty and name recognition. Consumers tend to buy what is already familiar to them. Thus, it becomes imperative for retailing outfits, especially small or exclusive ones to build a steady base of customers to exist in the competitive marketplace. This relationship becomes mutually beneficial with the company, gaining steady profit and the consumer having the product/s of the said company. Consumers tend to buy what is already familiar to them (Farquhar, 1996). It becomes imperative for retailing outfits, especially small or exclusive ones to build a steady base of customers to exist in the competitive marketplace. Foss and Ellefsen, (2002) stressed that the relationship of consumers to certain brands are established through the individual’s concept of oneself. However, the company can go a step further and make additional profits by cross-selling as well as save money from having to acquire new or replacement customers. The consumer, on the other hand, can also do the same, by demanding benefits from being a loyal customer that companies would certainly give to maintain them. Previous researches have concluded that satisfied consumers are more loyal to the product as compared to unsatisfied customers (Aaker and Erich, 1999). Meanwhile, customers may remain loyal for a number of reasons and may not even be happy with the product or service. Customer loyalty becomes evident when choices are made and actions taken by customers (Watkins, 1998). Customer satisfaction refers to the consumer’s positive subjective evaluation of the outcomes and experiences associated with using or consuming the product or service. It refers to either a discrete, time-limited event or the entire time the service or product is experienced (Duffy and Kechand 1998). Satisfaction occurs when the product has been able to meet or exceed the conceived expectations that the customer has (Padilla 1996). Furthermore, customer satisfaction may also be considered as the measure of the high degree of quality of the product (Jacobs et al. 1998).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crosby and colleagues (2003) deemed that once a product or service has been delivered or sold, its quality is believed to have been established.    Brand Management for Quorn Basing your product or service offerings on an integrated brand allows your organization to develop more saleable products over the long term by keeping it focused on your strengths as an organization. This focus opens it to new possibilities by broadening the corporate aperture from looking at what you are producing right now to looking at the bigger picture. Seeing the big picture is an essential prerequisite to company longevity. Strategy based solely on current product or service uniqueness ultimately results in decreasing market share, lower margins, missed opportunities, and price wars (Lepla, 1999).Integrated branding helps companies understand who they are and how to use that knowledge consistently to create better results. As with all worthwhile change, the process takes some investment in time and elbow grease up front, but results in a huge payoff (Lepla, 1999). Brand breadth is a function of not only the number and variability of products represented by the brand but also of the strength of association between the brand and the products it represents (Dawar, 1996). The strength of association is reflected in the retrievability from memory of product associations. This, in turn, influences the evaluation of fit of brand extensions. Two types of brands were studied: those with a strong association to a single product (and weaker associations with other products) and those with strong associations to multiple products. Results from an experiment showed that for brands with a single product association, brand knowledge and context interact to influence evaluations of fit for extensions to products weakly associated with the brand. For brands strongly associated with more than 1 product, context influences evaluations of the fit of brand extensions (Dawar, 1996). Given the importance of these associations, brand-extension researchers are now focusing on acquiring a deeper understanding of how cognitive representations of brands influence the evaluations of the fit of extensions with the original brand (Dawar, 1996). Ferguson (1991) reported that perceptions of brand-extension fit depend not only on similarity of product-based aspects, such as features or attributes, but also on the consistency of the extension product with an abstract mental representation, such as the brand-name concept. Primarily, Quorn can start the branding of their products with the effective use of media as an advertisement tool. Cultural diversity and the penchant for global fashion are increasingly reinforced in the media. Preferences for clothes, accessories and other fashion items rest on how a product is shown and perceived by the consumers around the world. Thus, advertisements are not only focused on a specific market but rather on the global market by universalizing their product and thus their brands. The potential influence of globally shared television images, the informational power of the Internet, or how displays of popular culture artifacts or consumer goods proffer modes of articulation for sharing surface identities based on styles (Ferguson, 1992). Being, first of all, a pragmatic market instrument, ads have an important side effect: they reproduce dominant ideologies, social structure, power relations and a global cultural. The products consume by individuals are wide spread markers of their social status, and they can be analysed as second-order signs, in Barthess terms, or to put it another way, as myths of consumer society: goods are imagined as magic latchkeys, letting one to come into the dream world (Ross, 2000). Fairytale narrative in a 30-second advertisement. Role of advertisements in socialization and construction of identity; representations of males and females and construction of their subject positions in advertisements (Ross, 2000). New brand extensions are generally supported by substantial communication efforts to build on existing product associations (Dawar, 1996). For brands like Quorn   with a single strong product association, and for extensions close to that product, communication could cue either the strongly or the weakly associated product. However, if the extension is close to the weakly associated product, context cues should primarily focus on it, especially if the target consumers are knowledgeable about the brand. Activating the strongly associated product would be a mistake in this communications should cue the product close to the extension product in order to maximize consumer perceptions of fit (Dawar, 1996). Dawar (1996) argued that the proximity construct refers to the distance of extensions from the brand concept. The strength of brand-product association was used to refer to the relation between the brand and its associations with existing products. However, empirically in psychological research, the two constructs are often treated similarly in that both distance and strength of association are measured using response latency. Quorn should recognize that these two constructs are independent and can be tapped using different measures. In this study we used response latency measures to determine strength of association and a card-sorting task to determine proximity-distance. Future research could provide additional insight into the orthogonality of these constructs by crossing levels of the two constructs. The memorability of a brand name and of copy items in print ads is enhanced by relations between the element to be remembered and other ad elements (Millard and Schmitt, 1993). Differences in brand-name memory were stronger on unaided recall measures than on brand-name recognition or brand-name matching measures. As argued before, this result suggests that interrelations among ad components are especially valuable for retrieval processes (Millard and Schmitt, 1993). It could be argued, however, that related ad elements provide redundant information which allows for guessing; that is, if an individual is exposed to the same information three times, then he or she has to remember less information than when three different items of information are presented. We believe, however, that it is not clear how an individual could find information to be redundant without noticing the relation between the two concepts that supposedly constitute redundancy. Bibliography    Aaker, David and Erich Joachimsthaler. 1999. The Lure of Global Branding.Harvard Business Review, 77 November/December,: 137-144. Chow, S Holden, R 1997, â€Å"Toward an understanding of loyalty: The moderating role of trust† Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 9, pp. 275. Crosby, LB, Devito, R, Pearson, MJ 2003, ‘Manage your customers’ perception of quality’, Review of Business, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 18+. Dawar, Niraj, 1996, Extensions of Broad Brands: The Role of Retrieval in Evaluations of Fit, Lawrence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Erlbaum Associates. DeMooij, Marieke. 1997. Global Marketing and Advertising, UnderstandingCultural Paradoxes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Duffy, J Ketchand, AA 1998, ‘Examining the Role of Service Quality in Overall Service Satisfaction’, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol.10, no. 2. Farquhar, Peter, 1996, Impact of Dominance and Relatedness on Brand Extensions, Lawrence Erlbaum  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Associates. Ferguson, M. 1992, in press,. Media globalization: Myths, markets and identities. London: Sage. Hofstede, G 1997, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Jacobs, FA, Latham, C, Lee, C 1998, ‘The relationship of customer satisfaction to strategic decisions’, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 165+. Lepla, Joseph, 1999, Integrated Branding: Becoming Brand-Driven through Companywide Action, Quorum  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Books. Lindenmann, W 1998, â€Å"Measuring relationships is key to successful public relations†, Public Relations Quarterly, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 18+. Millard, Robert and Schmitt, Nader, 1993, Memory for Print Ads: Understanding Relations Among Brand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name, Copy, and Picture, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mittelhauser, M 1997, â€Å"Employment trends in textiles and apparel, 1973-2005†, Monthly Labor Review, vol. 120, p. 24. Padilla, R 1996, Review of literature on consumer satisfaction in modern marketing, Concordia University. Retrieved August 25, 2006 from http://www.pages.infinit.net. Ross, Cassandra, 2000,   Seeing Ourselves: An Analysis of Ideology and Fantasy in Popular Advertising,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Queens  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Film Studies.  Ã‚   Submitted to Jean Bruce for FILM 231*: Media and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society I. Watkins, WM 1998, Technology and Business Strategy: Getting the Most out of Technological Assets, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Analysis of taobaos business strategies

Analysis of taobaos business strategies Taobao is the most famous online shopping website in China. It was launched in 2003 and within two years it became the leader of Chinas online shopping market. In order to keep the leadership position in increasingly intense competition and sustain its development, Taobao needs to modify and better its strategies for future development. Furthermore, its marketing strategies can also provide a good example for other online shopping companies. This essay is going to make an overall analysis on Taobaos business strategies by SWOT. Key words: Taobao; marketing strategies; SWOT analysis Taobao operates a website, Taobao.com which is the largest Internet retail website in China. According to its website the transaction volume on Taobao (gross merchandise volume or GMV) exceeded RMB200 billion (US$29 billion) in 2009. Taobao launched in 2003, is owned by Alibaba Group, which is a family of Internet-based businesses. (Taobao, n.d.) Taobao provides not only online platforms but also third-party online payment services (Alipay) and instant messaging services (Aliwangwang) Platforms within Taobao include Alimama (alimama.com), an online advertising exchange and affiliate network for publishers in China. In addition, there is also a classified listing website Koubei.com. (ibid.) SWOT analysis, according to Philip Kolter, is an overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (Kolter, 2003) As the competition in the online shopping market is becoming increasingly fierce, Taobao faces some problems as well. The purpose of this SWOT analysis is to provide a critical review of key factors that may slow down Taobaos future development. 2. Strengths 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market Taobao is an acknowledged leader in both B2C (business to consumer) and C2C (consumer to consumer) online shopping market in China. Taobao has (should be: had) more than 190 million registered users by (could use: at) the end of April, 2010. (Taobao, n.d.) It has built a strong brand and is recognised by more Netizen (which is defined as the Chinese population who have accessed the Internet in the past 6 months by China Internet Network Information Centre) (CNNIC. 2008, January 15th). The company is well-thought-of by customers which gives Taobao more advantages in competition. 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings Taobao combines its three segment businesses effectively to enlarge its customer base. Take Alipay as an example, it is a third-party online payment platform, provides a simpler, efficient and safe payment service for both customers and sellers. This service not only ensure (should be: ensures) the transaction security but also reduces the transaction risk for online consumers, as it enables buyers to confirm the quality of goods before releasing funds to sellers. For example, if goods are found (to be) broken or fake, customers can request Alipay to postpone the release of funds to sellers. (Taobao, n.d.) This service help (should be: helps) Taobao (to) attract more customers. In addition, an instant message (could use: messaging) service called Aliwangwang make (should be: makes) the communication between (the) buyer and seller easier. Moreover, this service enables (the) buyer and seller (to) have a directly private bargain during the transactions, which is the preference of Chinese customers. 2.3 Precise market positioning Taobao analyzed Chinas online shopping market at the beginning of its business. Different from other online shopping websites which prefer older white-collar worker(s) with higher salaries or people who like collecting and sharing, Taobao chose fashionable younger females as the target customer. This market positioning proved more suitable for Chinas market compared to other websites (apostrophe not needed) . This is one of the reasons that the growth rate of Taobao is much higher than other competitors. 3. Weaknesses 3.1 Limiting itself to local market The design of Taobao website and other supporting services were based on Chinas local market. This localisation strategy made Taobao grew (should be: grow) fast at the beginning. However, with the development of the website, this strategy limits Taobao to the Chinese market and (, therefore resulting in a) lack of presence in (the) global market. 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products Although Taobao has taken some measures to control the sale of fake goods, such as rating the sellers by credit value, the result was not as expected. Because of the free strategy that Taobao used, individuals can establish an online shop easily without charge and requirement. This makes it even hard to monitor and select sellers that commit fraud. Lack of effective screening processes to control the sale of counterfeit products has had a negative influence on customers confidence in Taobao. It could also affect Taobaos brand image and sales. 4. Opportunities 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China According to CNNIC, the number of online buyers reached 87.9 million by June 2009, increasing from 74 million in 2008 and 46 million in 2007. The online shopping penetration rate achieved 24.8% by June 2009. (CNNIC. 2010, January 15th; 2010, July 15th) As the data above shows, more people in China prefer to buy products online. Convenience and various choices could be two main reasons. This increasingly growing demand for online shopping contributed to the growth of Taobao. 4.2 Government support After the global financial crisis, (the) Chinese government provided a RMB 4 trillion stimulus package in order to boost the domestic economic growth through 2010. (the) IT industry received around 0.5% to 1% of the cash injection. (Xinhua, 2008). This gave online shopping companies strong support for future developments. 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions The improved online payment systems play an important role in the growth of Chinese online shopping markets. There are more flexible payment systems for customers to choose. For example, a third-party online payment system ensures the security of transaction(s) and enables customers to get their refunds easily. A simpler and safer payment for online transaction(s) attracts (should be: attract) more customers. 5. Threats 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition Because of the low entry barrier and fast growing market, Taobao meets many challenges, particularly in the face of increased competition from new market entrants. In addition, without many technical difficulties, it is easy for other competitors to copy Taobaos business pattern. Therefore, Taobao will be forced to increase investments on advertising or technological innovation. 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license Recently, Peoples Bank of China issued an Administrative Measures for the Payment Services Provided by Non-financial Institutions which has raised the entry standard for third payment party. In order to get (could use: obtain) and keep the license, Taobao has to increase its expenditure on online payment. 5.3 Higher logistics costs Taobao will give customers suggestions about the logistic companies which are mostly local third party logistics providers and customers usually take the suggestions because of the lower delivery prices these companies offered, compared to other international express companies, such as DHL and UPS. However, local third party logistics recently announced that they would raise the price. As most online customers are highly prices sensitive, this will have a negative effect on Taobaos sale. 6 Conclusions According to the SWOT analysis, although there are some drawbacks which have negative effects on Taobaos future development, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages. In addition, there are many opportunities for Taobaos further growth. This conclusion will give some suggestions for Taobaos future business expansion. First of all, in order to keep the leadership position, technological innovation is crucial for Taobao. Taobao may focus on continuous improvement of its online payment system, which is also one of its strengths, particularly in the aspect of transactions (should be transactions, without apostrophe) reliability and security. Moreover, website functions, Internet stability and high-speed access to websites are also important in providing a better user experience, which may help to attract more customers. Secondly, as Taobao has the advantage of large scale consumers and sellers, Taobao may segment its market to provide more specialized services based on different demands so that it can meet customers requirements more effectively. To sum up, it is undeniable that the future of (the) online shopping market in China is promising. Based on the statistics by CNNIC, It is in a steadily (should be: steady) development stage. In this attractive online shopping market, more complete logistics providers and payment systems will appear. These will provide Taobao more opportunities to develop in the future.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Saving Grace of Madness Essays -- Character Analysis, Ophelia, Lae

Hamlet’s Ophelia tragically falls victim to the prevailing and unquestioned female stereotypes of her day. Trapping her within the type of the chaste and dutiful woman, Polonius strips Ophelia of her individual identity and silences her voice. He reduces her to a mere pawn, whoring her out to serve his own selfish agendas. It is only in madness that Ophelia is offered an unexpected respite from this puppetry, one that even the finality of death is unable to offer. When the reader first encounters Ophelia within Hamlet, she is speaking with Laertes, her brother, and Polonius, her father. From these interactions, Ophelia appears to be the true embodiment of what a woman was expected to be. She listens respectfully to her brother and father, speaking only twenty-one lines as opposed to their combined one hundred and twenty. She dutifully responds to their advice: â€Å"I shall the effect of this good lesson keep† (1.3 l.49) and â€Å"I shall obey, my lord† (1.4 l. 145). Yet aside from this expected and somewhat boring picture, the reader learns little of Ophelia. In response to the play’s call to â€Å"Stand and unfold yourself† (1.1 l.2), Ophelia appears to have nothing to say. However, while Polonius is satisfied with this one-dimensional and limited picture of his daughter, the reader should not be. According to the early 17th century context of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, â€Å"chastity was the quality most frequently praised in women† as it directly influenced and determined male honor. Thus, Polonius’ command to Ophelia that she â€Å"not slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet† (1.4 142-143) cannot be read simply as the words of a loving father concerned with the fragility of his daughter’s heart. Rather, it must be r... ...ng more than the goaded words of boy eager to prove his manhood. King Claudius’ response is no better, using Laerte’s grief over Ophelia’s death to motivate his revenge: â€Å"Strengthen your patience in our last night’s speech†¦We’ll put the matter to the present push. This grave shall have a living monument†¦Til then in patience our proceeding be† (5.1 ll. 313-314;317; 319). Thus, once again Ophelia emerges as the scapegoat – her death guilty of motivating the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Gertrude, and Claudius. While Hamlet indeed comes to a tragic close, it is an ending dominated by men. Fortinbras arrives on the scene in all his manliness, commanding that Hamlet be born â€Å"like a soldier to the stage,† restored to his prior, sane identity. Ophelia however, goes unmentioned, faded from the memory of Denmark, her â€Å"monument† never constructed as King Claudius promised.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Social Media’s Negative Effect on Academic Performance

Social Media's Negative Effect on Academic Performance Researchers with the Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine say social media has a negative impact on academic performance of freshmen students, the Science Daily reported. Researchers show a link between social media and academic performance among the freshmen in a study, which is the first of its kind. The study looked at students engaged in any form of media use including texting, music, the Internet and social networking.The study shows an average freshmen woman spends 12 hours every day engaged in any form of media use. The impact of such indulgence results in poor academic performance. Researchers, however, excluded listening to music and reading newspapers as it boosts academic performance unlike other forms of media. â€Å"Most research on media use and academics has focused on adolescents, rather than new college students, or has only examined a few forms of media.So we were curious about the i mpact of a wider range of media, including activities like social networking and texting that have only become popular in recent years,† said lead author Jennifer L. Walsh, PhD, of The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. â€Å"We also wanted to know how media use related to later school performance, since there aren't many longitudinal studies looking at media use and academics. † For the study, Walsh and her colleagues interviewed 483 freshmen women during from a northeast university.Researchers noted 11 different forms of media use that had an impact on academics, which included television, movies, music, surfing the Internet, social networking, talking on a cell phone, texting, magazines, newspapers, non-school-related books and video games. Students were asked to report an average time spent on any forms of media throughout the previous week. Students were also asked to report their grades in the academics for the fall and spring semest ers and their intellectual confidence, behavior and troubles, the report said.As a result, researchers listed that cell phones, social networking, television and magazines had severe impact on students' academic results for their fall semesters. Walsh further noted that students who spent more time engaging in these forms of media, had â€Å"fewer academic behaviors, such as completing homework and attending class, lower academic confidence and more problems affecting their school work, like lack of sleep and substance use. † Researchers noted that the major use of social media among the students was found to be more on campus than off.Walsh suggested that professors could use social media as a means of communicating with their students in reminding of their assignments and referring them to helpful resources that could fetch them higher grades in academics. Also limiting media use within the college campus, especially in classrooms could go a long way, researchers said. The findings were reported online by the journal  Emerging Adulthood. Copyright @ Headlines & Global News. http://www. hngn. com/articles/1929/20130415/social-medias-negative-effect-academic-performance. htm

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Business Lobby essays

Business Lobby essays How Much Influence does the Business Lobby Have? Interests groups are both admired and feared. On the one hand, groups have a legitimate right to express their views on public policy issues. But at the same time, groups can wield too much power. If a group gets its way at an unreasonable cost to the rest of society, the public interest is harmed. There is no doubt that the special interest in some cases wrongly prevails over the general interest. Many observers agree that groups have achieved to much influence over public policy. Many believe that the business lobby has too much influence over Washington. I do not agree with the above statement, yes the business lobby does have influence over Washington, but not too much influence. Its influence is justified by its influence to the nation's economy. Frenchman Alexis de Toqueville wrote in the 1830's that the "principle of association" was no more evident than in America. "The country's tradition of free association has always made it easy for Americans to join together for political purposes, and their diverse interests have given them reason to seek influence through specialized groups." No interests are more fully or effectively organized than those that have economic activity as their primary purpose. One of their advantages is that Washington lobbyists who represent economic groups outnumber those of all other groups by more that two to one. Economic groups include corporations, labor unions, farm groups, and professional association. They exist primarily for economic purposes: to make profits, provide jobs, improve pay, or protect an occupation. The large number of economic groups is due to their access to financial resources. Economic groups can obtain money and expertise from their economic activity to have a headquarters, an expert staff, and communication ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Standard Conditions Versus Standard State

Standard Conditions Versus Standard State Standard conditions, or STP, and standard state both are used in scientific calculations, but they dont always mean the same thing. Key Takeaways: Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP) vs Standard State Both STP and standard state conditions are commonly used for scientific calculations.STP stands for Standard Temperature and Pressure. It is defined to be  273 K (0 degrees Celsius) and 1 atm pressure (or 105  Pa).The definition of standard state conditions specifies 1 atm of pressure, that liquids and gases be pure, and that solutions be at 1 M concentration. Temperature is not specified, although most tables compile data at  25 degrees C (298 K).STP is used for calculations involving gases that approximate ideal gases.Standard conditions are used for any thermodynamic calculation.Values cited for STP and standard conditions are based on ideal conditions, so they may deviate slightly from experimental values. STP is short for Standard Temperature and Pressure, which is defined to be 273 K (0 degrees Celsius) and 1 atm pressure (or 105 Pa). STP describes standard conditions and is often used for measuring gas density and volume using the Ideal Gas Law. Here, 1 mole of an ideal gas occupies 22.4 L. An older definition used atmospheres for pressure, while modern calculations are for pascals. Standard state conditions are used for thermodynamic calculations. Several conditions are specified for the standard state: The standard state temperature is 25 degrees C (298 K). Note that temperature is not specified for standard state conditions, but most tables are compiled for this temperature.All gases are at 1 atm pressure.All liquids and gases are pure.All solutions are at 1M concentration.The energy of formation of an element in its normal state is defined as zero. Standard state calculations may be performed at another temperature, most commonly 273 K (0 degrees Celsius), so standard state calculations may be performed at STP. However, unless specified, assume standard state refers to the higher temperature. Standard Conditions Versus STP Both STP and standard state specify a gas pressure of 1 atmosphere. However, the standard state isnt usually at the same temperature as STP. The standard state also includes several additional restrictions. STP, SATP, and NTP While STP is useful for calculations, its not practical for most lab experiments because they arent usually conducted at  0 degrees C. SATP may be used, which means Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure. SATP is at 25 degrees C (298.15 K) and 101 kPa (essentially 1 atmosphere, 0.997 atm). Another standard is NTP, which stands for Normal Temperature and Pressure. This is defined for air at  20 degrees C (293.15 K, 68 degrees F) and 1 atm. There is also ISA, or International Standard Atmosphere, which is  101.325 kPa, 15 degrees C and 0 percent humidity, and ICAO Standard Atmosphere, which is atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg and a temperature of  5 degrees C (288.15 K or 59 degrees F). Which One to Use? Usually, the standard you use is either the one for which you can find data, the one closest to your actual conditions or the one required for a specific discipline. Remember, the standards are close to actual values, but wont exactly match real conditions.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Theory of Evolution

Theory of Evolution Today’s human being is the product of millions of years of trial and error through the process of evolution. Charles Darwin was the first to bring fourth the idea of evolution. His theory involved the instance of natural selection. However he could not explain exactly how natural selection worked, he just knew that it existed. The scientific world was much more receptive than the religious world to this idea. Many scientists questioned the precision of his theory but they did believe something similar was involved. The devout Christians believed man was merely placed here by God, that there was no ladder to climb for man to be what he is today. In addition to the numerous amounts of fossils found to back up the theory of evolution, science draws similarities between man and his closest relatives the primates, which consist of monkeys, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas. Primatology is the study of these primates and their relationship to the human race. Evolution i s the most logical explanation for mans place on earth. Though all religions have their own theory of creation this one proves to be most reasonable. Through careful examination of fossil remains found in the ground, a striking similarity can be drawn between humans and primates. Studying the skull itself produces enough characteristics to directly link the two. By looking at the size of the cranium and the shape of the brain cavity, a person educated in this field would be able to tell the age of the subject, the size of the brain, and what species the fossil belonged to. The separation point between man and ape lies not in the teeth or the postural adaptations but the size of the brain, with the largest gorilla brain being 650cc and the smallest aborigine being 855cc, a mean brain volume of 750cc is where the line shall be drawn between man and ape (Keith 205-6). There is a continuing argument on whether the closest living primat... Free Essays on Theory of Evolution Free Essays on Theory of Evolution Theory of Evolution Today’s human being is the product of millions of years of trial and error through the process of evolution. Charles Darwin was the first to bring fourth the idea of evolution. His theory involved the instance of natural selection. However he could not explain exactly how natural selection worked, he just knew that it existed. The scientific world was much more receptive than the religious world to this idea. Many scientists questioned the precision of his theory but they did believe something similar was involved. The devout Christians believed man was merely placed here by God, that there was no ladder to climb for man to be what he is today. In addition to the numerous amounts of fossils found to back up the theory of evolution, science draws similarities between man and his closest relatives the primates, which consist of monkeys, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas. Primatology is the study of these primates and their relationship to the human race. Evolution i s the most logical explanation for mans place on earth. Though all religions have their own theory of creation this one proves to be most reasonable. Through careful examination of fossil remains found in the ground, a striking similarity can be drawn between humans and primates. Studying the skull itself produces enough characteristics to directly link the two. By looking at the size of the cranium and the shape of the brain cavity, a person educated in this field would be able to tell the age of the subject, the size of the brain, and what species the fossil belonged to. The separation point between man and ape lies not in the teeth or the postural adaptations but the size of the brain, with the largest gorilla brain being 650cc and the smallest aborigine being 855cc, a mean brain volume of 750cc is where the line shall be drawn between man and ape (Keith 205-6). There is a continuing argument on whether the closest living primat...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Business ethics and deontology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business ethics and deontology - Research Paper Example It is a case of â€Å"fraudulent financial reporting†. Adelphia is a publicly traded corporation based in the United States. In 2002, Adelphia was ranked sixth among the largest cable service providers in the country. In the same year, the company was publicly accused of discrepancies in the financial reports prepared and produced by the company. It was found that the company did not represent the real economic condition and Adelphia was charged of a major accounting disgrace. Investigations proved that the managers modified financial statements of the company by excluding many billion dollars that it held as debt, from the company’s balance sheets. Hence, auditors could not discover the presence of fraudulent activities that the company indulged in. This is a major example of infringement of deontological issues. It was revealed through investigation that some of the most influential and important rank holding members of the organization lacked ethical behavioral trait s and they were the major participants in this scandal. Key ethical problems The Adelphia scandal is a case of financial fraud that broke the trust of the shareholders and lowered level of faith of the public on the company. It is the most far-reaching financial fraud that has occurred in the country in the past few decades (Markon & Frank, 2002). The company filed for bankruptcy in June 2002 and was finally purchased in July 2006 by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc. Two ethical problems were distinctly identified in this fraudulent case; financial statement modification and superficial statement about stock earnings. The first ethical issue is concerning the fact that the officials in the company had strategically and systematically excluded several billion dollars that the company held as liabilities over the period of four years between 1998 and 2002. The liabilities were hidden fraudulently from the books of off-balance sheet affiliates (Barlaup, Dronen & Stuart, 2009). Additio nally, the company also inflated its earnings in order to meet the expectations of shareholders in the Wall Street. Various operations statistics were falsified and concealed (The SEC, 2002). These activities raised questions about ethical duties of the employees working in different private as well as public corporations. Deontological ethics The term ‘ethics’ is generally understood as â€Å"systematic attempt to understand moral concepts and to propose and defend principles and theories regarding right and wrong behavior† (Barlaup, Dronen & Stuart, 2009, p. 186). Normative ethics is found to be highly relevant to the issues faced business firms and the problems faced by auditors. Under the framework of normative ethics, three principal theories of ethics can be identified. These are egoism, utilitarianism and deontology. In this section, the focus would be on the deontological theory of ethics. General theory Deontological ethics relate to the â€Å"ethics of duty of principle† (Cooper, 2000, 179). The term ‘deontology’ was coined by Bentham (1748-1832) and by this term he emphasized on the following meaning. It is the act of motivating people in such as way that it would maximize overall community happiness. This would be done by mobilizing the causes that inspire specific private

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Beatles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Beatles - Essay Example The musical band’s increasingly stylish experimentation included a variety of genre covering folk-rock, baroque pop, Hindustani music and avant-garde music. Coming out as a skiffle group, the group first embraced the 1950s rock and roll and helped them pioneer the Merseybeat genre and their music style eventually started to expand to include a broad variety of pop music. Although the song â€Å"Yesterday† was not the first pop record to use orchestral strings, it arguably marked the group’s first recorded use of classical elements. The group continued to experiment on a series of arrangements to various effects. For instance, â€Å"She is Leaving Home† its word and music are filled with recorded musical melodrama. The innovativeness never seemed to stop for the Beatles. For instance, the songs â€Å"I Am the Walrus† and â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: which has much influence of Indian classical music (Everett & Walter, pp. 45). The introducti on of the recorded music from the various instrument and the change of the fast beats to rather something sensational brought the change to the dancing style of the pop music. It became rather a piece of music to be listened to rather than be danced to. These are some of the variations of the music that was as a result of the Beatles constant innovation with experimentation using various ways of doing pop music. The Fab Four, while doing some of the concerts with their new genre of music such as â€Å"Revolver†.

Revised Progress Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revised Progress Report - Assignment Example In the case of Chopsticks Express, they are targeting only the small amount of Chinese consumers, who are the students of the State College. My efforts would be to make consumers aware of the Chinese foods in the market along with highlighting how the local customers could be attracted towards Chinese foods. The role of supervisor has been important for this project, and I have been guided by my supervisor throughout the project and this has helped in improving the quality. I have been incorporating the feedback of the supervisor and will continue doing so. After receiving further feedback, the research will continue in steps for the submission of its final draft of the proposal. Work Completed I have received the approval and feedback from my instructor concerning my research based on my course, which includes supply and demand analysis in order to understand the competition in the restaurant market. The feedback from my instructor included instructions of carrying out my research a nd his instructions have been helpful in improving the work. Based on the feedback, I came to know by surveying the downtown area that Chinese restaurants are facing some direct competition from other Asian and American restaurants because some of the Chinese restaurants offer American or Asian based cuisine at lunch time. The draft proposal was due from 10th June and after purifying my research according to the feedback received, I submitted my final proposal on 19th June with my final topic of Research Information of Chinese Restaurants in State College. My research included the analysis of Chinese restaurants. 13 Asian and 8 Chinese restaurants are located in State College Downtown. Among the Chinese restaurants Chopsticks Express offers the authentic cuisine of Chinese. Chopsticks Express, which is situated at the central in the state downtown, has an advantage because it could attract more customers apart from the local Chinese customers. But the reason for not influencing othe r customers of the region, which I figured out from my survey, was that Chopsticks Express has a very crude environment. I found that majority of the people do not visit Chopsticks Express because of its unpopularity. The main weakness of the restaurant is that it does not have a welcoming environment and why would anyone want to visit a restaurant which does not have a welcoming environment? I read case studies about the restaurants, analyzed the competitive market of restaurants by supply and demand analysis. In the ending days of June, I was supposed to work on the demography part. Demography includes the study of population size. The study included sample size of 800 customers who received a questionnaire; these 800 people were those who belonged not only to the area of downtown but also those who visit downtown. The questionnaire was also conducted from the managers of the Chinese restaurants operating in the State College downtown area. The responses from the questionnaire I c onducted helped me to learn the importance of information; information plays an important role in terms of restaurant market. The responses suggested that awareness of Chinese food in the US is relatively low and only local customers like Chinese students prefer Chinese cuisine in the US. For determining the possible solutions for the Chinese resta

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Lifestyle Changes of American Slaves between 1700s and 1800s Research Paper

Lifestyle Changes of American Slaves between 1700s and 1800s - Research Paper Example Slavery in America is divided into two periods; 1650-1790 and 1790-1865. Slaves were from Africa where they were captured after being enticed with sweets especially in the case of children or through collaboration with local chiefs who gave out their subjects to slave traders. Historical lives and changes in 1700s Since slaves were drawn from different parts of the African continent into a strange environmental setting, several if not all, faced hardships in adapting to the new world of different social, cultural and political phenomena. Though some fought to maintain their earlier ancestral lifestyle from their native land, this wasn’t possible in the circumstances of their status of slavery as they had to accept the lifestyle of their masters (learnnc.org). Economic It is important to note that the slaves were shipped to work for their masters and therefore lacked enough time to develop or to engage in their own economic activities. Their lives were incredibly difficult and those who worked in plantations had to labor from sunrise to sunset without exception of the old or young, all worked for this long period of time. It was considered an act of kindness if a master gave his slaves a day off from work. Popular holidays like Christmas were equally infrequent in the lives of salves. In their rare free times, slaves engaged in activities of fishing or cultivating small piece of land in order to supplement what was given by the masters that was usually poor in quality. As earlier stated, it was the duty of the master to clothe these servants however, some gave inadequate clothing and this compelled the slaves to go an extra mile and sew their own clothes in the dark covers of the night. Political In their native land of Africa, slaves were organized into powerful kingdoms and other political units of governance, however, upon shipment to America their masters could not allow them to be in such organizations for the fear of being overpowered. They were not also allowed to engage in the political activities of their masters such as voting. Laws were made against them without their participation; slave trials were done in a separate court from those of their masters and were sentenced by such courts without trial. Social On their social aspect of life, they sheltered in small houses with cracks on the walls and dirty floors. Some who got injured in the plantation fields were not immediately taken to hospitals or given medication leading to many deaths. Their masters never allowed them to engage in social activities such as traditional dances, games and social groupings. The primary concern of the masters was productivity in the plantation but never cared about health or comfort of these servants. In some American states, slaves were not allowed to marry without their master’s consent and family members were dispersed to various parts of the country to avoid ever tracing trace one another. Historical lives and changes in 1800s As opposed to the events and relations witnessed between the salves and their masters at beginning of slave trade, during the later period of 1800s, remarkable changes occurred in the lives

The Contributions of Web 2.0 in E-Learning in Saudi Arabia Research Paper

The Contributions of Web 2.0 in E-Learning in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example Very many studies and researches have been carried out with the aim of promoting E-Learning as a means of fostering better education in the world (Webster & Hackley, 1997). Most of these researches have failed to contribute to the development of E-Learning due to various reasons especially in Saudi Arabia. One of the main reasons maybe their failure in assessing the relationship between Web 2.0 and E-Learning. Students in Saudi Arabia have shown less or no interest in using E-Learning as compared to their counterparts in Ukraine and Russia (Al-Jarf, 2004). Students are although still reluctant to accept E-Learning (Alenezi, Veloo, Karim, 2010, Al-Jarf, 2007). Several factors have been found to have significance contribution to the acceptance and use of E-Learning (Yi et al., 2001; Galletta et al., 1995). One of the factors that have had significance influence on E-Learning is the Web 2.0 technology. The use of Web 2.0 is on the increase; moreover, Web 2.0 features such as social netw orks have made enormous changes to various aspects of our lives. People involved with social networks can share their opinions, photos and videos, and they can learn many things that relate to their studies and their lives (Weaver & Morrison, 2008; Bemis-Dougherty, 2010). This research aims at establishing what contributions Web 2.0 technology has had on online E-Learning in Saudi Arabia. Aims of the research This research aims at: To spread the culture of technology that helps to create an e-learning community. To provide higher education for people who do not have the opportunity to join a university. Objectives There are several reasons as to why this research is significant and they are: To examine the number of users on Web 2.0 on education purposes To investigate challenges of using Web 2.0 on E-learning To provide an opportunity for many users to learn through Web 2.0 To determine how to reduce the cost of education using e-learning To determine how to boost the confidence of people who want to share To compare the gender differences as far as the use of Web 2.0 is concerned To determine the value of Web 2.0 for students To identify the barriers of using Web 2.0 in Saudi Arabia To determine the popular uses of Web 2.0 by students Literature review In this research, literature review will come from various studies and work from different information designs concerning with World Wide Web. Reports and other representations from individual researchers, as pertains this subject matter, will be used. Different reports that attribute to the effects of using the web, especially Web 2.0., on E-learning will be used to support the research. The researcher will determine the contribution of Web 2.0 in supporting e-learning in Saudi Arabia as discussed below. Examples of Web 2.0 support of E-learning Web 2.0 includes social network sites. One way of distributing information is to have the society accept it. E-learning is hugely enhanced by social networks. All age s are encompassed in this network. Every age is represented in this network. Information is easily shared if people consider it to fun. In order to embed a new culture into a society, the society must accept and welcome the new culture. Blogging is also provided by Web 2.0 where information is shared amongst a focus group, and each is allowed to give feedback. This is the best way of dialogue. A topic is provided, and people can give

Screen Writing for Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Screen Writing for Television - Essay Example The positive aspect is that things would change for the better as soon as the boom period arrives for the screenwriters. The hiring companies will have to pay the price of cost-cutting later. The change in current trends in the TV industry for screenwriters can be seen in primarily three fields. First, the reward for writer’s job has got curtailed. Reputed writers can still command the desired price. They can still get their quote, but there’s a resistance to paying it, as companies are not as willing and eager to pay as they used to be before the slump. Negotiation has become tougher these days irrespective of the rank and esteem of the writer. Some of the writers’ quotes have become doubtful; it has become harder to negotiate (Mazin, 2009). A view of the bargaining with the writers’ team shows that the team members need to show bravery and selflessness to clinch a favorable deal to write the IPA. The meeting between the guild members and the writers’ team supported by WCG in Canada speaks of writers’ passion for their craft, enforced with the facts and numbers made available by WCG people that work in the interests of the screenwriters. The environment at the bargaining table is no less harsh, similar to as it can happen with some face-to-face meeting with the workers’ union. Things do not move for the better with each day passing in the bargaining process with some members of the writers’ team disappointing the team. Failure to reach a contract by all interest groups should not be random practice considering that the business volume touched the mark of $2.39 billion in production in 2010/2011 in the Canadian TV and films market (CDN Screenwriter, 2012). Secondly, the trend of one step deal with the writers is on the high. Some production studios do not provide any other choice for writers. Thirdly, the load of work has increased greatly to get a job as a screenwriter.  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

E-Business Foundation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E-Business Foundation - Essay Example The main redeeming aspect about Google’s approach has been its innovative approach.Thus, it is seen that all their website projects integrate the latest thinking on design, usage, accessibility, technology and marketing strategy. Google has been serving their customers for over a decade now. They have attributed their success and long life to their quest for making rewarding and long-term relationships with both potential and existing clients it is believed that Google take special interest in the success of their clients and work hand- in- hand to ensure that the product is of high quality that could meet the clients’ goals and objectives. Google has decided to take over YouTube for $1.65 million in stocks. This would spell great opportunities for internet users and content owners throughout the business world. The takeover merges one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment businesses with Google's proven proficiency in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The merged companies would focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach vast new viewers. Next, Google has also received approval from the US Federal regulators to acquire Double Click for $3.1 billion. Google generates revenue from selling text-based ads that appear next to search results.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Screen Writing for Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Screen Writing for Television - Essay Example The positive aspect is that things would change for the better as soon as the boom period arrives for the screenwriters. The hiring companies will have to pay the price of cost-cutting later. The change in current trends in the TV industry for screenwriters can be seen in primarily three fields. First, the reward for writer’s job has got curtailed. Reputed writers can still command the desired price. They can still get their quote, but there’s a resistance to paying it, as companies are not as willing and eager to pay as they used to be before the slump. Negotiation has become tougher these days irrespective of the rank and esteem of the writer. Some of the writers’ quotes have become doubtful; it has become harder to negotiate (Mazin, 2009). A view of the bargaining with the writers’ team shows that the team members need to show bravery and selflessness to clinch a favorable deal to write the IPA. The meeting between the guild members and the writers’ team supported by WCG in Canada speaks of writers’ passion for their craft, enforced with the facts and numbers made available by WCG people that work in the interests of the screenwriters. The environment at the bargaining table is no less harsh, similar to as it can happen with some face-to-face meeting with the workers’ union. Things do not move for the better with each day passing in the bargaining process with some members of the writers’ team disappointing the team. Failure to reach a contract by all interest groups should not be random practice considering that the business volume touched the mark of $2.39 billion in production in 2010/2011 in the Canadian TV and films market (CDN Screenwriter, 2012). Secondly, the trend of one step deal with the writers is on the high. Some production studios do not provide any other choice for writers. Thirdly, the load of work has increased greatly to get a job as a screenwriter.  

College INC Essay Example for Free

College INC Essay This film focuses on the ethics of for profit educational institutions. With most of the coverage revolving around what critics characterize as the unethical and disloyal failure to inform students of the huge debt burden they will incur. Also the low graduation and retention rates to which they may fall victim, and the struggle they will likely face to obtain employment after graduation. The Huffington Post reported, that students from for-profit schools are more likely to borrow and drop out than at nonprofit schools. The report also finds that the majority of enrolled students  leave without a degree, half of them within four months. Most of the schools’ money was spent on recruiting, marketing, profiting, and CEO salaries whereas less than 18 percent was spent on instruction. The schools’ chief executive officers made an average of $7. 3 million. Nonprofits, state governments, and the federal government have made various attempts to regulate these institutions more carefully. The Obama administration and the U. S. Department of Education are involved in an ongoing legal battle fighting to force more disclosure by for-profit colleges. Many state legislatures have proposed and passed  laws tightening the governments grip on these institutions. 1 Jordan Schulte 1btaining a higher education does not mean merely that one will be equipped with the skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Instead a student should also have the opportunity to learn for learning’s sake. College is a time when students have an opportunity to engross themselves in great texts, immerse themselves in topics that they may never encounter again in their professions, and to think critically about the world’s problems and what it means to be a good, ethical citizen in today’s global society. In fact, since the beginning of higher education in the United States, dating back to Harvard College in 1636, one of the stated purposes has been to prepare citizens for active involvement in community life. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both pointed out the importance of creating informed and responsible citizens. In the early part of the twentieth century, John Dewey revolutionized the way we think about teaching and learning, arguing that educating is not just about filling receptors with tons of information. Rather, education is a combination of learning information and melding it with life experience. In my view, for-profit institutions are designed to ensure that the objectives of Franklin, Jefferson, and Dewey are not attained; and sometimes actively reversed. In for-profit colleges are taught and trained to follow strict rules, ingest textbooks tailor-made for the specific for-profit institution, complete uniform quizzes and essay 2 Jordan Schulte 2assignments, and remain quiet about the course material and presentation. What is the effect of this approach on the students? For the majority of students, there is tacit consent that they endure the regime simply to reach the end point: receiving a diploma. Some  demonstrate tacit consent by briefly showing up for class, perhaps for five minutes if the instructor is lucky, to ensure being marked present, and then dashing for the door. The strong complete the assignments with minimal effort to receive a grade and pass, whereas others may just give up at when faced with the challenge. THESE FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES MISLEAD THE GULLIBLE, WHO OFTEN CANNOT GET IN TO MORE ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS, INTO THINKING THAT A GLAMOROUS CAREER IN FASHION DESIGN, CULINARY ARTS OR RECORDING ENGINEERING IS JUST A FEW CLASSES AWAY. THERE IS NO COST TO THE STUDENT, AS HE BORROWS FROM THE GOVERNMENT. AND, BEFORE HE EVER GETS THE FIRST STATEMENT ON HIS LOAN, HE WILL RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL (SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR) REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT FOR HIS EXPENDITURES ON HIGHER EDUCATION. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO GO TO COLLEGE. PERHAPS THE EXISTENCE OF THESE SCHOOLS IS A REFLECTION OF THE LACK OF PUBLICLY FUNDED VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS OR THE CONSTANT MEDIA MANTRA THAT ONLY THOSE WITH COLLEGE DEGREES CAN ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. I WOULD PROPOSE THAT THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD EITHER BE CUT 3 Jordan Schulte 3OFF FROM FEDERAL LOAN FUNDING, OR, BETTER YET, BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS. 4 Jordan Schulte 4.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Growth And Development Reflection English Language Essay

Growth And Development Reflection English Language Essay Through the video lectures in this course and the previous course, I have gained a great deal of new knowledge that will assist me in being a better teacher to my English language learners. The top five ideas that will stick with me throughout the rest of my teaching career include: Krashens Affective Filter, Cummins Common Underlying Language Proficiency theory (CULP), the importance of being a Culturally Responsive teacher, the Four Domains of Language, and how to Differentiate Instruction. I am not a fluent Spanish speaker, but after teaching at a school with a high ELL student population and taking many conversational Spanish classes Ive picked up enough of the language to help me get by. However, I still do not feel comfortable speaking Spanish in front of my peers, students, or their parents. The Affective Filter theory (Krashen, 1981) helped to explain the reasons why I was so uncomfortable in speaking the Spanish language around others. I finally understand why some of my students arent picking up the English language as fast as others. They may have the skills necessary to communicate in English, but they lack the self confidence and motivation needed to try something new such as learning a new language. It can be very intimidating to learn a new language. Not only are you trying to transfer your native language skills into a new langauge, but you also have to worry about your accent, grammar and correct pronunciation. The fear of making a mistake can hinder the process of acquiring a second language; therefore, I will try to lower my students affective filter by making my ELL students feel as comfortable as possible when speaking English. I will try to speak more Spanish around them so they can see that they arent the only ones trying to learn something new. We will go through the learning process together and they will know that it is okay to make a mistake. I truly belive in the Common Underlying Language Proficiency (CULP) theory developed by Cummins (1991). Ive seen first hand that when my students are proficient in their native language, it makes it easier for them to transfer those skills into the English language. Ive had some students come to me with little or no native (L-1) language skills. Its a very long and difficult process to help those students acquire the English language since they have virtually no knowledge base to work with. Its almost like teaching an infant a new language only more challanging since you cant spend all of your time working one-on-one with just that student. You cant give them all the attention they need in order to catch them up to the rest of their peers. Also, you have no control over what happens when they leave the classroom. Most of those students get no exposure to the English language once they go home. The course lectures have taught me how important it is to be a culturally responsive teacher (Gay, 2000). In the past, I have tried to incorporate a lot of my students culture into my lessons. However, I have not done a very good job of teaching them about cultures other than their own. I have a few non-Hispanic students in my classroom whose cultures Ive neglected this year. I put too much emphasis on my Hispanic students and did not do a very good job of making my students aware of all the other cultures throughout the world. Now that I am more aware of what it means to be culturally responsive I will do a better job with the students I have next school year. I plan on teaching them about the Italian culture since that is my heritige. I also would like my students to do a research project on themselves. They would get to interview their family members, bring in pictures about their life, and present their findings to the class. Not only would this activity give the students a chanc e to find out more about themselves, but it would also teach my students to appreciate the fact that we are all unique. The Four Domains of Language are listening, speaking, reading and writing. I learned that listening and reading are receptive while speaking and writing are expressive forms of language. I find that many of my ELL students have great receptive language, but are lacking when it comes to expressive language. I can attribute that to the fact that we spend so much time trying to teach our ELL students the rules of the English language such as phonological awareness, phonics and vocabulary. As a result, we dont put enough emphasis on fluency or writing. My ELL students are able to decode and can read in English if I were to put a grade level passage in front of them, but they are not fluent and would have a very difficult time writing a summary of the text they just read. In order to address the lack of expressive language, I conduct timed fluency checks will all of my students on a regular basis. My students chart the amount of words they read in a minute and are constantly trying to increase their fluency. I also have a fluency center in which my students can work on their rate and accuracy through the use of repeated readings. They enjoy working with a partner and list ening to each other read. We also do a lot of readers theatre, poetry and plays to work on making them more comfortable with speaking the English language. In the area of writing, we use graphic organizers in every core curriculum area. My students also have a journal in which they have five minutes of free writing each day. I want them to have as much practice as possible in the areas of reading, listening, speaking and writing so they will be proficient in all four domains of language. Finally, in the area of differentiated instruction I think Ive come the farthest. With the influx of Response to Intevention/Instruction (RTI), Ive made more of an effort to differentiate my instruction not just for my ELL students but for all my students. I not only take into account my students language codes when planning a lesson, but now I also look at their proficiency levels and background cultural factors. When I plan center activities I now try to have lessons that will fit the needs of all my students. I want to challenge my advanced learners as well as provide activities that will make my below grade level students feel successful. For whole group lessons, I make sure to tap into my students prior knowledge of a subject, set the stage for learning, place a large emphasis on vocabulary, incorporate graphic organizers, provide realia, and ask higher level thinking questions. These are great strategies not just for ELL students, but for all students.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training

Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training. Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Beowulf vs. The 13th Warrior Essay example -- Compare Contrast Beowulf

I have closely compared aspects of Beowulf with the film, â€Å"The 13th Warrior†. Beowulf, written down by an unnamed Christian Monk in the 18th century, served as framework for the plot of â€Å"The 13th Warrior†. Beowulf and The 13th Warrior have extensive differences and even more similarities throughout the two stories. The film was made to actually show the different aspects, techniques, and ways of thinking that the people of medieval times thought. It also helps to put you into a better perspective on what the story â€Å"Beowulf† was like. Even thought the two stories are not exactly the same, they still stand together making a great mark in history. Instead of having a completely perfect fabricated movie of the epic story Beowulf, the story was transformed into a collage of similarities. There are a few scenes in â€Å"The 13th Warrior† that are comparable to scenes in Beowulf. Such as, Ahmed and his men were attacked by the cannibalistic warriors in the in the large hut; and they had fought for their lives trying to defeat the leader of the pack, forcing the cannibals back to their caves where they arose. This scene is synonymous to the story of â€Å"Beowulf† when Beowulf himself, had defeated the almighty Grendal in the mead-hall. Grendal had fallen and fled back towards the lake of hell where he should stay till the end of time. Furthermore, are the next consequential scenes where Beowulf is asked to got to the home of Grendals mother, and slay her just as he did to Grendle. In â€Å"T...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Beer and Company Essay

The South African Breweries Limited is a holding company invested in and taking management responsibility for a portfolio of businesses, principally engaged in meeting mass market consumer needs. Beer is the major profit contributor, but an important balance is provided by interests in complementary beverages, retailing, hotels, and the manufacture and supply of selected consumer goods and services, together with strategic investments in businesses which support the mainstream interests. Company History: The South African Breweries Limited (SAB) is a holding company whose principal line of business is brewing. The company holds an impressive 98 percent share of the beer market in its home country of South Africa, where it sells 14 brands of beer, including local lagers Castle and Lion as well as foreign brands brewed under license–Heineken, Guinness, Amstel, and Carling Black Label. Aggressive overseas expansion following the end of apartheid, however, has also given SAB ownership of, or stakes in, more than 25 breweries in the emerging markets of central Europe, China, and sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, in terms of volume, South African Breweries is the world’s fourth largest brewer. SAB also has a variety of nonbrewing operations, such as carbonated and natural fruit drinks and other beverages, retailing, hotels and gaming, and manufacturing of safety matches and glass. The company has been divesting many of these noncore assets in the late 1990s. SAB’s history is in many ways the history of the South African brewing industry, most notably through the government-ordered merger of the largest breweries in 1956. The company’s history was also greatly influenced by the apartheid system and its effect on the domestic economy, on domestic firms, and on foreign investment in South Africa. Early History The discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand (a region encompassing Johannesburg) in 1875 brought large numbers of prospectors to South Africa. Small outposts for white settlers were transformed into busy cities with new industries. Several brewmasters, most with little experience, began to produce a variety of beers which immediately gained popularity with the settlers. In 1889 a British sailor named Frederick Mead left his ship in Durban and took a job working in the canteen of a local army garrison at Fort Napier. While there, Mead, who was only 20, became acquainted with a businessman in Pietermaritzburg named George Raw. Neither of them knew anything about brewing, but they persuaded the local residents to help establish the Natal Brewery Syndicate. After purchasing a factory site, Frederick Mead returned to England to procure machinery and raise capital. In need of brewing expertise, Mead approached W. H. Hackblock, head of Morgan’s Brewery in Norwich. The two men became friends and Hackblock agreed to serve as chairman of Mead’s company, which was registered in 1890 as the Natal Brewery Syndicate (South East Africa) Limited. The company brewed its first beer in July 1891. Mead remained interested in establishing a brewery in the rapidly growing Witwatersrand. In 1892 he purchased the Castle Brewery in Johannesburg from its proprietor Charles Glass. The expansion of this facility, however, was beyond the means of the Natal Brewery Syndicate, and Mead returned to England to attract new investors. In the final arrangement, Mead formed another larger company based in London called The South African United Breweries. This company took over the operations of both the Natal Brewery Syndicate and the Castle Brewery. After construction of the new Castle Brewery, South African United Breweries made additional share offerings which were purchased by South Africa’s largest investment houses. Subsequent growth precipitated a restructuring of the company and reincorporation in London on May 15, 1895, as The South African Breweries Limited. In 1896 South African Breweries purchased its first boarding houses. That same year, Frederick Mead moved to England for health reasons but continued to occupy a seat on the board of directors and frequently returned to South Africa. From London, Mead directed the purchase of machinery for brewing lager beer from the Pfaudler Vacuum Company in the United States. Patent restrictions and mechanical difficulties delayed production of Castle lager until 1898. The beer gained such widespread popularity that competing breweries rushed to introduce their own lagers. South African Breweries, or SAB, was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1895 and two years later became the first industrial company to be listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Through these listings SAB had greater access to additional investor capital. On October 11, 1899, a war broke out between British colonial forces and Dutch and Huguenot settlers known as Boers. The war drove residents of Johannesburg out of the city and forced the Castle Brewery to close for almost a year. When British troops recovered the area, the brewery had sustained little or no damage. British authorities regarded the plant as an essential industry, and encouraged the company to resume production in August 1900. Disrupted supply lines caused shortages of yeast and other raw materials, but within a year production had returned to full capacity. The Boer War ended in 1902 but was followed by a severe economic depression. The brewing industry was not as adversely affected as others, however, and SAB was able to continue its expansion across southern Africa. The company acquired the Durban Breweries and Distillers company, and established a new plant at Bloemfontein. SAB purchased Morgan’s Brewery in Port Elizabeth in 1906 and, five years later, acquired another brewery in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe). At its northernmost point, SAB established a brewery at Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). W. H. Hackblock died in 1907 and was succeeded as chairman by Sydney Chambers. In 1912 Chambers led the company into an innovative arrangement with its competitor, Ohlsson’s Brewery, to cultivate hops jointly at a site near the city of George, midway between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. A joint subsidiary called Union Hop Growers spent many years developing new hybrids, which delayed the first commercial use of South African-grown hops until 1920. Diversified into Bottles, Lodging, and Mineral Water in Early 20th Century After Frederick Mead died in August 1915, John Stroyan, who succeeded Sydney Chambers a few months earlier, became the most important figure in SAB management. Stroyan faced a serious challenge the following year when hostilities during World War I interrupted the supply of bottles to South Africa. SAB decided to establish its own bottle-making plants in 1917. Actual production, however, did not begin until 1919, the year the war ended. Another economic depression beset South Africa after World War I, but steady growth in the demand for beer reduced many of the detrimental effects of the depression. SAB was financially strong enough in 1921 to purchase the Grand Hotel in Cape Town, an important addition to the company’s lodging business. SAB gained an interest in the mineral water business in 1925, when it purchased a substantial interest in the Schweppes Company. The Great Depression of the early 1930s had little effect on the South African brewing industry; SAB continued to expand its operations and improve its facilities. The company’s biggest problems were shortages of labor and capital. The Spanish Civil War and rising political tensions in Europe during the mid- and late 1930s caused a disruption in the supply of cork to South Africa. Faced with a severe shortage of cork seals for its beer, SAB developed a method of recycling old cork until a new supplier of cork could be found. Castle Beer accompanied South African soldiers to the East African and Mediterranean theaters of World War II, but apart from its involvement in Europe, South Africa was relatively unaffected by World War II. When hostilities ended in 1945, SAB turned its attention to further modernization and expansion. Arthur Griffith-Boscawen, who had succeeded John Stroyan as chairman in 1940, died in 1946, and was replaced by John Stroyan’s son, Captain John R. A. Stroyan. Under the leadership of the younger Stroyan, SAB concentrated on the establishment of a South African barley industry as an extension of the joint agricultural project it operated with Ohlsson’s. Takeover of Ohlsson’s and United Breweries in 1956 South African Breweries entered a new stage of its development in 1950. That year, in the midst of a large corporate modernization program, SAB decided to move its head office from London to Johannesburg. In 1951 the company acquired the Hotel Victoria in Johannesburg, and a second brewery in Salisbury. Captain Stroyan retired the following year and returned to England. His successor, a talented barrister named J. K. Cockburn Millar, died after only four months in office, and was replaced by a solicitor, S. J. Constance. After producing nothing but beer for more than 60 years, SAB began to introduce a range of liquor products. The incentive to diversify was provided by increased taxes on beer. Consumption of beer in South Africa fell for the first time on record and showed every indication of further decline. Officials of the three largest brewing companies in South Africa, SAB, Ohlsson’s Cape Breweries, and United Breweries, met on several occasions in London and Johannesburg to discuss the viability of competition under deteriorating market conditions. In 1956 these officials decided that the three companies should merge their operations into one large brewing concern. SAB acquired all the shares of Ohlsson’s and United Breweries, thus retaining the South African Breweries name. B. C. Smither of Ohlsson’s and M. W. J. Bull of United Breweries joined the SAB board of directors. Although the new company controlled 90 percent of the market for beer in South Africa, antiquated production facilities narrowed profit margins. In response, company activities were centralized in the Transvaal and the Western Province, areas where the three companies had previously competed. In addition, the old Castle Brewery in Johannesburg was closed in 1958. After succeeding Constance as chairman in 1959, M. W. J. Bull initiated a further diversification into wines and spirits. In 1960 SAB acquired the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery and later added Monis Wineries. Bull retired at the end of 1964 and was replaced by Dr. Frans J. C. Cronje, an economist and lawyer with substantial experience in government. The company encountered a severe financial crisis in 1966 when Whitbread and Heineken entered the South African beer market. The most damaging market developments, however, came from government quarters as successive increases in excise duties made beer the most heavily taxed beverage per serving. Consumers began to abandon beer for wine and sorghum beer. SAB was able to reduce the effect of this crisis by increased sales of products from the Stellenbosch winery. South African Breweries CEO Ted Sceales was instrumental in the creation of a new subsidiary called Barsab Investment Trust, jointly held by SAB and Thomas Barlow & Sons Ltd. (later Barlow Rand), the rapidly expanding mining services group. Barsab permitted SAB and Barlow to invest in each other and pool their managerial and administrative resources. It also provided SAB with the resources needed to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. Sceales died following an auto accident in 1967, but the success of Barsab continued under the new chief executive, Dick Goss. South African Breweries first attempted to move its legal domicile from Britain to South Africa in 1950, but was prevented from doing so by complex tax obligations to the British government. Consequently, SAB, which still derived about one-third of its income from investments in Rhodesia and Zambia, was bound to observe the British trade embargo against Rhodesia in 1967. Reincorporated in South Africa in 1970 Parliamentary motions to permit the reincorporation of SAB in South Africa were initiated in 1968. These motions, however, did not gain approval until March 17, 1970. On May 26, 1970, after 75 years as an English company, SAB became a de jure South African company. During the late 1960s SAB began brewing a number of new beers–some under license from foreign brewers–including Guinness, Amstel, Carling Black Label, and Rogue. The company also acquired the Old Dutch and Stag brands, as well as Whitbread in South Africa. While sales of wine and spirits continued to rise, SAB sold a number of its liquor-oriented hotels, and reorganized those that remained under a new subsidiary called the Southern Sun Hotel Corporation. Southern Sun, which operated 50 hotels in South Africa, was formed by the merger in 1969 of the existing SAB hotel interests with those of the Sol Kerzner family. The South African government barred SAB from further investment in the liquor industry and limited its ability to invest overseas. The company then made several attempts to diversify its operations. In 1972 SAB and Barlow Rand decided to alter their collaboration and dissolve Barsab. As a result, two former Barsab holdings, the Shoe Corporation, and Afcol, South Africa’s largest furniture manufacturer, came under SAB control. The following year, SAB acquired OK Bazaars, a large discount department store chain. Certain other investments were disposed of, however, including ventures in banking and food products. Several brewing interests attempted to challenge SAB’s dominant position in the South African market. Various German interests set up breweries in Botswana and Swaziland in a failed attempt to gain a foothold in South Africa. Louis Luyt, a South African entrepreneur, also failed, and sold his breweries to the Rembrandt Group in 1973. The Luyt breweries, which formed the core of Rembrandt’s alcoholic beverage group, were later incorporated as the Intercontinental Breweries. Determined to succeed, Rembrandt’s chairman, Dr. Anton Rupert, committed his company to a scheme of competition based on control of liquor retail outlets. In 1978 Rembrandt acquired a 49 percent share of Gilbey’s, the third largest liquor group in South Africa. The addition of Gilbey’s 100 retail outlets gave Rembrandt access to a total of 450 stores. South African Breweries responded by acquiring Union Wine, an independent liquor retailer with 24 hotels and over 50 retail outlets. Once again, market conditions were not conducive to competition. The government, therefore, proposed a rationalization program in which SAB would take over Rembrandt’s brewing interests and turn over its wine and spirits operations to an independent subsidiary called Cape Wine and Distillers. The program, executed in November 1979, also called for Rembrandt to turn over its Oude Meester wine and spirits operations to Cape Wines, in which SAB, Rembrandt, and the KWV wine growers cooperative each owned a 30 percent interest. The remaining 10 percent interest was sold to private investors. Government Restrictions Led to More Diversification in the 1980s and Early 1990s By the early 1980s the South African government’s system of racial separation (apartheid) and deteriorating social conditions for blacks had become international issues. Many business leaders openly called for change, but the government still prevented companies such as SAB from transferring capital out of South Africa through foreign investments. Often these companies had little choice but to reinvest their surplus capital in South African ventures, which in turn gave them a more crucial interest in the resolution of social and human rights problems within South Africa. Many foreign-owned companies, which faced fewer restrictions on divestment, sold their South African subsidiaries and closed their offices in South Africa. This trend made acquisitions by South African companies easier. SAB took over control of the ABI soft drink concern from Coca-Cola, and later added several clothing retailers, including Scotts Stores (acquired in 1981) and the Edgars chain (added in 1982). A government order in 1979 for SAB to sell its Solly Kramer retail liquor stores was completed in 1986, five years before its deadline. Also in 1986 SAB established a joint venture with Ceres Fruit Juices to sell leading noncarbonated juice brands Ceres, Liquifruit, and Fruitee. In 1987 Murray B. Hofmeyer succeeded Cronje as chairman. Hofmeyer and his successor, Meyer Kahn, continued to diversify through acquisition, adding Lion Match Company, the leading manufacturer of safety matches in Africa, in 1987; Da Gama Textiles Company, a leading South African textile manufacturer, in 1989; and the Plate Glass Group, a manufacturer of glass and board products, in 1992. End of Apartheid Fueled Major Changes in the 1990s The dismantling of apartheid finally began in 1990, with the unbanning of opposition political parties, including the African National Congress, and the release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Major political changes rapidly followed. In 1991 the remaining apartheid laws were repealed. In 1992, an all-white referendum approved a new constitution that would lead to eventual free elections. Finally, in 1994, the first nationwide free elections were held and were won by the ANC, with Mandela elected president. SAB&mdashting largely out of self-interest since 85 percent of the beer in South Africa was purchased by blacks–was well out in front of the political changes as it had begun to hire blacks in the early 1980s. By 1985 28 percent of salaried employees were black, a figure that rose to 48 percent by 1994. Nevertheless, the threat of a government-forced breakup of SAB’s beer monopoly hung over the company following the end of apartheid. Partly in response to this threat, and partly in response to the loosening of laws regarding foreign investment, the Kahn-led South African Breweries aggressively expanded outside its home country starting in 1993. That year, SAB spent US$50 million for an 80 percent stake in Hungary’s largest brewer, Dreher Breweries, the first of a series of moves into the emerging markets of central Europe. In 1996 the company gained joint control of two of the largest breweries in Poland, Lech Brewery and Tyskie Brewery, as well as three breweries in Romania and one in Slovakia. In 1994 SAB created a joint venture with Hong Kong-based China Resources Enterprise Limited; by early 1998 this joint venture had gained majority control of five breweries in China. A third area of foreign growth for SAB was in sub-Saharan Africa, where management control was gained of breweries in Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda during this period. In August 1997 Kahn was appointed chief executive of the South African police service, becoming the first civilian to hold the post. The outspoken Kahn, who had been vocal in calling for the rapid liberalization of the economy and for a restoration of law and order, was made responsible for cracking down on a national crime epidemic. Taking over as acting chairman of SAB was Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s most prominent black capitalist and a former militant trade unionist. By this time, South African Breweries was the world’s fourth largest brewer and had a rapidly expanding international brewing empire. The company was now free to unload its noncore businesses in order to concentrate more closely on brewing and its other beverage operations. Under Ramaphosa, it did just that. In late 1997 and early 1998 SAB divested its holdings in OK Bazaars, Afcol, and Da Gama Textiles, and announced that Lion Match and Conshu Holdings, a footwear maker, were also likely to be jettisoned. These divestments were not proceeding quickly enough for some observers, but SAB had already managed to strengthen its overall position in the face of the continued threat of the breakup of its domestic beer monopoly. Selling off noncore assets was freeing up capital for additional investment in foreign breweries, which would further mitigate the impact of any government intervention. Principal Subsidiaries: Southern Associated Maltsters (Pty. ) Ltd. ; SAB Hop Farms (Pty. ) Ltd. ; SAB International Holdings Inc. ; SAB International (Africa) B. V. (Netherlands); Botswana Breweries (Pty. ) Ltd. (40%); Kgalagadi Breweries (Pty. ) Ltd. (Botswana; 40%); Swaziland Brewers (Pty. ) Ltd. (60%); Lesotho Brewing Company (Pty. ) Ltd. (39%); Tanzania Breweries Ltd. (46%); Cervejas de Mozambique Limitada (65%); Zambian Breweries Plc (45%); Nile Breweries Limited (Uganda; 40%); SAB International (Europe) B. V. (Netherlands); Dreher Breweries (Hungary; 85%); Lech Browary Wielkopolski S. A. (Poland; 32%); SC Vulturul S. A. (Romania; 70%); Compania Cervecera de Canarias S. A. (Spain; 51%); SC Pitber S. A. (Romania; 81%); SC Ursus S. A. (Romania; 73%); Browary Tyskie Gorny Slask S. A. (Poland; 45%); SAB International (Asia) B. V. (Netherlands); China Resources Enterprise Beverages Ltd. (49%); China Resources Shenyang; Snowflake Beer Co. Ltd. (China; 44%); China Resources Dalian Brewery Co. Ltd. (49%); Shenzhen C’est Bon Food and Drink Co. Ltd. (China; 33%); China Resources (Jilin) Brewery Co. Ltd. (90%); Delta Corporation Ltd. (Zimbabwe; 23%); Seychelles Breweries Ltd. (20%); Accra Breweries Limited (Ghana; 50. 5%); Amalgamated Beverage Industries Ltd. (68%); Coca-Cola Canners (Pty. ) Ltd. (24%); Can Vendors (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Appletiser South Africa (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Appletiser Pure Fruit Juices (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Ceres Fruit Juices (Pty. ) Ltd. (35%); Valaqua (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Associated Fruit Processors (Pty. ) Ltd. (50%); Traditional Beer Investments (Pty.) Ltd. ; Distillers Corporation (SA) Ltd. (30%); Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery Group Ltd. (30%); Edgars Stores Ltd. (65%); Amalgamated Retail Ltd. (â€Å"Amrel†) (68%); Southern Sun Holdings Ltd. ; Plate Glass and Shatterprufe Industries Ltd. (68%); Da Gama Textile Company Ltd. (61%); The Lion Match Company Ltd. (71%); Conshu Holdings Ltd. (67%) International Expansion in the Post-Apartheid Era The dismantling of apartheid finally began in 1990, with the unbanning of opposition political parties, including the African National Congress (ANC), and the release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Major political changes rapidly followed. In 1991 the remaining apartheid laws were repealed. In 1992, an all-white referendum approved a new constitution that would lead to eventual free elections. Finally, in 1994, the first nationwide free elections were held and were won by the ANC, with Mandela elected president. SAB–acting largely out of self-interest given that 85 percent of the beer in South Africa was purchased by blacks–was well out in front of the political changes as it had begun to hire blacks in the early 1980s. By 1985, 28 percent of salaried employees were black, a figure that rose to 48 percent by 1994. Nevertheless, the threat of a government-forced breakup of SAB’s beer monopoly hung over the company following the end of apartheid. Partly in response to this threat, and partly in response to the loosening of laws regarding foreign investment, the Kahn-led South African Breweries aggressively expanded outside its home country starting in 1993. That year, SAB spent $50 million for an 80 percent stake in Hungary’s largest brewer, Dreher Breweries, the first of a series of moves into the emerging markets of central Europe. From 1995 to 1997 the company gained joint control of two of the largest breweries in Poland, Lech Brewery and Tyskie Brewery, as well as three breweries in Romania and one in Slovakia. In 1994 SAB created a joint venture with Hong Kong-based China Resources Enterprise Limited; by early 1998 this joint venture had gained majority control of five breweries in China. A third area of foreign growth for SAB was in sub-Saharan Africa, where management control was gained of breweries in Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda during this period. In August 1997 Kahn was appointed chief executive of the South African police service, becoming the first civilian to hold the post. The outspoken Kahn, who had been vocal in calling for the rapid liberalization of the economy and for a restoration of law and order, was made responsible for cracking down on a national crime epidemic. Taking over as acting chairman of SAB was Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s most prominent black capitalist and a former militant trade unionist. By this time, South African Breweries was the world’s fourth largest brewer and had a rapidly expanding international brewing empire. The company was now free to unload its noncore businesses in order to concentrate more closely on brewing and its other beverage operations. Under Ramaphosa, it did just that. From late 1997 through early 1999 SAB divested its holdings in OK Bazaars, Afcol, Da Gama Textiles, Edgars, Lion Match, and Conshu Holdings, a footwear maker. With the mid-1999 sale of Plate Glass, SAB had trimmed its holdings down to beer, soft drinks, wine and liquor, and hotels and gaming. The year 1999 was a pivotal year in SAB’s history for a host of other reasons as well. Seeking access to capital markets better endowed that those at home, the company in early 1999 shifted its headquarters back to London–reincorporating itself as South African Breweries plc–and moved its primary stock exchange listing from Johannesburg to London, retaining the former as a secondary listing. As part of its London listing, it raised ? 300 million to fund further international expansion. There were also changes on the management front. Kahn returned to the chairmanship, his two-and-a-half-year stint at the police service complete; Ramaphosa remained on the board as a director. In addition, Graham Mackey, who had served as group managing director since 1997, was named chief executive in early 1999. On the international front, SAB acquired a stake in a sixth Chinese brewery in 1999 and began producing beer in Russia at Kaluga Brewing Company, which had been acquired the previous year. SAB’s two Polish breweries, Lech and Tyskie, were merged to form Kompania Piwowarska S. A. The most important brewery transaction that year, however, occurred in October, when SAB acquired from Nomura International plc for $321 million a controlling interest in Pilsner Urquell and Radegast, two brewers in the Czech Republic that combined comprised the leader (with a 44 percent market share) in a nation whose citizens consumed more beer per capita than anyone else in the world. The crown jewel of this deal was the Pilsner Urquell brand, the most famous Czech beer and the original pilsner, first produced at a brewery in Pilsen in 1842. SAB began laying plans to make Pilsner Urquell the company’s flagship brand outside of Africa and to seek entree into developed markets through the export of this brand. Via this acquisition, South African Breweries became the leader of the central European beer market and jumped into third place among global brewing titans. Moving into the Developed World As SABMiller, Early 2000s SAB’s drive into emerging markets continued in the early 2000s. South African Breweries entered the Indian beer market for the first time in 2000, taking a majority stake in Narang Breweries. Control of two more Indian brewers, Mysore Breweries and Rochees Breweries, was purchased the following year. In April 2001 SAB and the Castel group, the two largest beverage companies on the African continent, entered into a strategic alliance whereby SAB exchanged a 38 percent interest in its African division (excluding South Africa) for a 20 percent stake in Castel’s beer business. SAB thus gained a share of a wider array of African breweries, and the two partners also agreed to seek investments in new African markets via 50-50 joint ventures. Also in 2001 SAB entered into a new joint venture in China with the Sichuan Blue Sword Breweries Group, which owned ten breweries in Sichuan province. SAB now had interests in more than two dozen Chinese breweries and had positioned itself as that nation’s number two brewer, trailing only Tsingtao. Yet another development in 2001 was that South African Breweries became the first international brewer to enter the Central American market. In November the company acquired a 97 percent stake in Cerveceria Hondurena, S.A. , the sole brewer and the largest bottler of soft drinks (Coca-Cola) in Honduras, from the Dole Food Company Inc. for $537 million. Simultaneously, SAB and the prominent Meza family of El Salvador created a joint venture called BevCo Ltd. to which SAB contributed its new Honduran holding and the Meza family contributed the bulk of its brewing, soft drink, and bottled water businesses in El Salvador. By fiscal 2002, just eight years after its first brewing acquisition outside of Africa, 55 percent of SAB’s $4. 36 billion in revenues were derived from its non-South African operations. This figure would shoot up to an even more remarkable 75 percent just one year later following the company’s boldest move yet–its takeover of Miller Brewing Company, the number two beer maker in the world’s largest beer market, the United States, whose main brands included Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life, Miller Lite, and Milwaukee’s Best. Consummated in July 2002, the deal consisted of a stock swap with Miller’s owner, Philip Morris Companies Inc., that was valued at $3. 48 billion. SAB additionally absorbed $2 billion in Miller debt. Upon completion of the acquisition, SAB changed its name to SABMiller plc and was now the world’s number two brewer, behind only Anheuser-Busch. Philip Morris (which changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. in 2003) became the biggest SABMiller shareholder with a 36 percent economic interest and 25 percent of the voting rights (the total at which it was capped) and also gained three seats on the SABMiller board. Miller had recorded 2001 revenues of $4. 24 billion but had for some time been losing market share to the number one and number three U. S. players, Anheuser-Busch and Adolph Coors Company, respectively. SABMiller took immediate action to try to reverse Miller’s fortunes, announcing that one of Miller’s nine U. S. breweries would be closed, and bringing in a new CEO for Miller, Norman Adami, who had headed up the South African brewery operations of SABMiller. In March 2003, in a further pullback from noncore operations, SABMiller moved its entire hotel and gaming interests into a new company called Tsogo Sun Holdings (Pty.) Ltd. , which was to be majority controlled by black empowerment company Tsogo Investments. SABMiller held an initial 49 percent interest in the new company but said that it intended to continue to reduce its hospitality holdings. Despite having just completed the Miller acquisition, the company did not shy away from making additional purchases and deals. Early in 2003 Browar Dojlidy, a brewer in northeastern Poland, was acquired for $38 million. In June SABMiller made its first major investment in Western Europe, buying a 60 percent stake in Birra Peroni S.p. A. , the number two brewing company in Italy, for EUR 246 million ($279 million). Later in 2003 Peroni ended its licensed brewing and selling of the Budweiser brand in Italy and instead started import sales of Miller Genuine Draft. Similar synergies between SABMiller’s increasingly global operations were being implemented, such as the launch of Pilsner Urquell and Miller Genuine Draft in South Africa in early 2003 and the introduction of Miller Genuine Draft into several more European countries, including Russia, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Over in Asia, SABMiller consolidated its operations in India under Mysore Breweries; the operations of Mysore were then consolidated with the brewing operations of Shaw Wallace and Company Limited, the second largest brewing group in India, to form a joint venture called Shaw Wallace Breweries Limited, 50 percent owned by Mysore. This deal cost SABMiller $132. 8 million. The firm spent an additional HK$675 million ($87 million) for a 29. 6 percent stake in Harbin Group Limited, China’s fourth largest brewer and the leader in that country’s northeastern region. The SABMiller of the early 21st century, a globally active company with a sharp focus on beverages–mainly beer–was a far different company from the apartheid-era SAB, which was centered largely in South Africa where it had diversified interests. SABM.