Reading And Writing Are Two Pillars Of The Education And...

Reading and writing are two pillars of the education and learning process of human being. Mrs. Tuchman said â€Å"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books, the development of civilization would have been impossible.† Even though we are in the 21st century where technology has gain the upper hand in human settlement, reading and writing keep their main importance in human civilization. Some of the famous literature works goes back to the golden age era such as The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer and The Aeneid by Virgil. Those three (3) books previously cited, help understand the essence of being human. In reading those books, one can figure out what we, as human being, are and what we ought to be. First of all as living mortal, our decision making and deeds lie beneath our vices. We are mostly govern by these immoral aspect of life. Most of the time, when making decisions and taking actions, we leave ourselves to the mercy of our selfishness which is under the control of our vices, to find ourselves into the bitterness of our worst trouble. For instance, in â€Å"The odyssey† by Homer, anger, arrogance, impatience, recklessness and wrath were among the human’s vices that lead Odysseus and his men to face death, sorrow, pain and struggles on their journey home. After blinding Polyphemus and noticing he was far away from the land of the cyclops, Odysseus said â€Å"If anyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Education Prepares Children for the Future1538 Words   |  7 PagesI believe that education its very personal journey that varies depending on the . The purpose of education is to prepare the children of today to be productive citizens of our world tomorrow. School serv es as an important tool to prepare students to be independent thinkers, to develop skills that will help them in life and in the end to use these skills to be productive in their environment and hopefully change it for the best. Education begins from the moment we are born. From birth to about 6Read MoreUNESCOs Four Pillars of Learning Applied Essay2726 Words   |  11 PagesUNESCO’s four pillars of education (learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be) are guiding principles for educational change that emphasize a holistic and sustainable approach – a higher order set of skills to aspire for self-actualization to better meet our complex and ever-changing world. The pillars cut through cultural differences and unify all ages; they emphasize the basic individual right towards a new vision of life-long learning for the 21st CenturyRead MoreOral Language and Reading Comprehension3534 Words   |  15 PagesIntroduction: This paper is intentionally made to show the comparison between oral language and reading comprehension. Oral language and reading comprehension are both essential to every individual. All of us had undergone oral language when we are still young and as it develops and as we grow and mature, it enables us to be more knowledgeable and prepares us to a more needed comprehension in reading. This two are significant and are interrelated to each other. As a parent, talking to the child helpsRead MoreContribution and Importance of Literacy Training Program in Our Society Nowadays2411 Words   |  10 Pagesand numeracy skills to school children, out of school youth, and other segments of society in need of their need. Literacy is crucial to the success of individuals in both their career aspirations and their quality of life. It is more than a basic reading ability, but rather an indication of â€Å"how adults use written information to function in society.† Strong literacy skills are closely linked to the probability of having a good job, decent earnings, and access to training opportunities. IndividualsRead MoreSt. Augustine vs. Machiavelli: a Comparison of the Good Society2831 Words   |  12 PagesFinal Project 09/01/13 Both St. Augustine and Machiavelli believed that in order to understand the true nature of society you must see men for what they truly were. Augustine and Machiavelli are similar in their pessimistic views toward human nature, looking at human self-love and self-interest and believed it to be full of evil, cruelty, betrayal, violence and tied that relationship into the creation of war. For both philosophers a good society is actually something that for almost all men is an unreachableRead MoreCreative Dance7322 Words   |  30 PagesCreative dance is perceived differently by different sectors of the education system. In many provinces, creative dance is part of the physical education curriculum. More recently, two provinces— British Columbia and Saskatchewan— have considered placing dance under the rubric of arts education. The aspect of creative dance that is emphasized reï ¬â€šects the position creative dance is assigned in the curriculum. When in the physical educ ation curriculum, creative dance lessons typically focus on developmentRead MoreSMSC12647 Words   |  51 Pagesprimary school 27 8 Citizenship in secondary schools 34 9 The Christian ethos of the school and sex and relationships education 38 10 Resources and websites 39 1 Introduction Since the 1988 Education reform Act schools have had a statutory duty to ‘promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society’. The Education (Schools) Act 1992 underlined the importance of this duty by making the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, socialRead MoreLesson Plan10685 Words   |  43 PagesBSED Intern Supervisor Of Holy Child College of Davao Mrs. Miriam Capilitan In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement Professional Education 10 (Practice Teaching) Presented by: Ms. Rogelyn P. Goboy BSED- IV March 02, 2013 Second Semester SY: 2012- 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Dedication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Philosophy of Education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Student Teachers Prayer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Chapter One- Cooperating School’s Description †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Holy ChildRead MoreA Research Study On Linguistics7646 Words   |  31 Pagesdialect framework that empowers various individuals to decipher and translate syntactic and ungrammatical sentences in their dialect. It additionally says that discourse mistakes don t have a tendency to influence them. It is frequently said that being in a reference gathering builds up the attitude to respond to an arrangement of frameworks. In any case, to comprehend a procedure more profound, one needs to receive an individualistic methodology. The same has been clarified by Chomsky. Passing byRead MoreNoughts and Crosses14387 Words   |  58 PagesOverview for Scheme of Work 4 Navigator 5–6 Lesson Plans, WS 7–45 Assessment 46 INTRODUCTION English teachers don’t need to be told the enormous value and pleasure of reading whole texts as class readers. Little compares with that feeling when a class are truly engaged in the reading of a really good book. Those moments stay with you forever – indeed, they fuel the desire to find another such book to repeat the experience, again and again. Fortunately, contemporary writers

Racism Is Still With Us - 3110 Words

â€Å"Racism is still with us. However, it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome. - Rosa Parks Black people are more likely to face inequity. Discrimination and racism are manifested in the facets of everyday life for many Black people, i.e. healthcare, employment, and education; Black people have limited resources (National Research Council, 2004) a more recent reference will be better. Parents have developed protective mechanisms to shield their children from racism, prejudice, discrimination and other bigoted behaviors. They use racial socialization as buffers to ignorance and despair (Adams-Bass et al., 2014; Thomas and Blackmon, 2015; Littlefield, 2008; Sanders-Thompson, 1994; Stevenson, 1995; Thomas and Speight, 1999; Hughes et al., 2006 Martin and McAdoo, 2007). As documented in Stevenson (1994), many researchers view racial socialization as synonymous with, â€Å"cultural transmission, socialization environment, race-related messages, parental values transmission, cultural parenting, ethnic socialization, and others†. Despite the numerous descriptors, for the purpose of this study, racial socialization is used to describe what is known as rearing youth with the knowledge and tools to implement actions to better their racial group, for their self-respect, personal identity, social positions, racial pride, intergroup relations, and ultimately how one should feel regarding their cultural heritage; with alsoShow MoreRelatedRacism Is Still With Us Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesRosa Parks once said â€Å"Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and hopefully, we shall overcome.† Racism is a struggle that, to this day, has continued to be a major issue. The color of someoneâ₠¬â„¢s skin alters how a person is perceived by society as a whole. Race is a social construct created by humans to categorize the world. (Sullivan 2) The outlook on racism varies from community to community, family to family, and even person to person. SkinRead MoreRacism Is Still With Us1360 Words   |  6 PagesSalman Alotaibi Sangita Victor Ap Nov 18, 2015 Racism â€Å"Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they will meet, and hopefully, we shall overcome.† (Rosa Parks). The author is a white man, in middle age and living in Mansfield, Texas, in 1959. The story takes place in the Deep South of the 1950s. He wants to see the reality of life as a black person. He decided to change his skin color from white to black by using a medical treatment. He got the support from hisRead MoreTaking a Look at Racism887 Words   |  4 Pagespaper is on racism. In my paper I will be talking about who experience racism and why they experience such a thing. Also I will be talking about the fact why people are racists. I will also be talking about the percentage of American who are racists. Racism in today’s society is primarily based upon the struggles and conflicts of our past. Our ancestors past. We automatically assume that when we hear stories about events that happened in the history of our people a ffect us and hurt us. We are meantRead MoreEssay on Racism in America Today1316 Words   |  6 PagesThe legacy of past racism directed at blacks in the United States is more like a bacillus that we have failed to destroy, a live germ that not only continues to make some of us ill but retains the capacity to generate new strains of a disease for which we have no certain cure. - Stanford Historian George Frederickson. The population of the United States of America has been one of mixed race since its very beginning. Boatload upon boatload of enslaved Africans provided a labor force which wouldRead MoreRacism : The Roots Of Racism1144 Words   |  5 Pagesmajor issue of racism in America and the effect it had on the people at the receiving end.The book showed how the whole government system was racist and would not allow the non-whites to uplift.As a result they always remained in poverty.So as part of my research assignment I decided to conduct research on racism. My hypothesis was that even though racist policies have ended racism is still a major issue in the society .I broke my research down to 3 primary question. Origin of racism in America.WhatRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Robert Mulligan941 Words   |  4 Pageswhere racism was big, especially in the 1930’s. Atticus goes above and beyond to try and prove he was innocent. The end result was that Tom Robinson was guilty and was put in prison where he ended up dead. This film conveys and communicates a strong social issue of how racism often is more powerful than logic and reasoning due to fear. This film shows you how racism was a major issue especially in those times. This issue is still around today. Everyday you hear more and more news about racism. I believeRead MorePhilosophy And Justice: What Is A Just Society.. Introduction1122 Words   |  5 Pagesstated that racism is still with us but it is up to us to educate our children for what is to come and then shall we move forward. There are those who believe that these words no longer hold value. That is farthest from the truth. Unfortunately racism is indeed still real in this world. You see, racism is not something that appeared out of thin air. In fact, racism began dating back to the early years of slavery. Thank God slavery no longer exists. Yet racism still does. Racism still plays a majorRead MoreRace, Racism, Or Ethnicity1559 Words   |  7 Pagesconnotations. Associated with ethnicity or racism, it created a lifelong debate about whether or not races are socially constructed. The aim of this essay will be firstly to establish clear definitions of words such as race, racism, or ethnicity, and secondly to explain the evolution of racism, from scientific racism to colour blind racism through the work of ideologists such as Gobineau and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. In order to provide a clear understanding of racism and its evolution throughout theRead MoreRacism, It s A Learning Process Essay1454 Words   |  6 Pagesit s a Learning Process â€Å"Racism is still with us but it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet and hopefully we shall overcome.† Said Rosa parks QTD from brainy quotes. The world is filled with racism and hate and it will continue to be this way if we let the children see the world this way. Children are the most impressionable and if we teach them to not be racist as they grow up racism will eventually end once and for all. In my eyes, racism is one of the largest knownRead MoreRacism Is Still Very Much Alive1573 Words   |  7 PagesPuckerine World History 2 Today, racism still remains a prevalent issue that has constantly reared its ugly head. While bringing awareness towards racism has improved, we are still being faced with a gruesome reality that racism is still very much alive. Instead of Jim Crow laws and slavery, racism has transformed itself into microaggressions, police brutality, racial profiling, and mass incarceration of people of color (especially black men). When one talks about racism, most of our opinions are based

The Secret Circle The Hunt Chapter 19 Free Essays

Once they were back at Cassie’s house, Adam and Cassie took a few minutes to sit down on the front porch swing and collect themselves. It was dark, and they both began to yawn now that their adrenaline had settled. Adam turned to Cassie and shyly smiled. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 19 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Thanks for saving my butt back there.† Cassie was comforted by Adam’s ability to make light of the situation – it meant he was beginning to get over the shock of seeing her overcome by dark magic. Maybe things could finally go back to normal for them. But first she had to address what he’d done. â€Å"I owed you one,† Cassie said. â€Å"But it was stupid of you to go after Scarlett by yourself. You could have been killed.† â€Å"It didn’t seem stupid in my head. I knew where you’d hidden the book, and I had hoped to trade it for the Master Tools.† â€Å"But do you know how dangerous that book could be in Scarlett’s possession?† â€Å"To be honest with you, Cassie, I did it because I wanted to get the book away from you. I thought getting it out of your hands might save you from its darkness. You have to believe me. I was trying to help.† Cassie recalled how the book seemed to be summoning her each time Scarlett turned one of its pages, how it beckoned her to attack Scarlett with black magic. â€Å"After how I acted back there,† Cassie said, â€Å"I’m worried it’s too late. I think the book has done its damage.† â€Å"No. Don’t talk like that,† Adam said. â€Å"It was a close call, but nothing irreparable was done.† Cassie’s heart instantly flooded with regret. She knew this was the moment to tell Adam what had happened the night before with Nick. If she didn’t tell him now, she may never have the courage again. â€Å"I did do something irreparable,† she said. â€Å"I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.† â€Å"What did you do?† Adam asked, but when Cassie remained silent, he tried a less accusatory tone. â€Å"Whatever it is, we can work through it,† he said. â€Å"As long as you’re honest with me.† Cassie still picked up on the hint of dread in his voice. â€Å"Last night,† Cassie said, feeling sick with shame, â€Å"I kissed Nick.† Adam’s whole body constricted. â€Å"I can’t believe him,† he mumbled to the air. â€Å"It was all me,† Cassie insisted. â€Å"Nick was a perfect gentleman. I practically forced myself on him.† Adam glared straight ahead for a few seconds. â€Å"I am so unbelievably sorry,† Cassie said. She was hoping Adam would say something in return, but he was dead silent. â€Å"I know it’s no excuse,† Cassie continued. â€Å"But when it happened it was like the book was making me want to hurt you. Like it had taken over my mind and my body. I couldn’t control myself.† â€Å"I get it,† Adam said. His voice cracked with emotion. â€Å"I don’t want to hear any more.† â€Å"But I want you to understand that I didn’t mean for it to happen. That’s not how I feel about Nick. I know that still doesn’t make it okay, and you have every right to hate me – â€Å" â€Å"I can never hate you,† Adam said. â€Å"But I can’t say I’m not a little hurt.† Cassie placed her hand on Adam’s knee, relieved he was at least speaking to her. â€Å"It will never happen again,† she said. â€Å"I promise.† â€Å"I know it won’t happen again. Especially after we figure out what to do with that book.† Adam glanced at the book, which was resting between them alongside the Master Tools. â€Å"It’s the book I hate, not you.† A pang of worry shot through Cassie’s chest. What if Adam’s resentment for the book caused him to do something drastic? He wouldn’t try to destroy it, would he? â€Å"We’ve both made mistakes recently,† Adam said. â€Å"And we have bigger concerns to deal with. One kiss is hardly the worst of them.† â€Å"Bigger concerns,† Cassie said. â€Å"Like me being altogether evil.† Adam shook his head. â€Å"You’re not evil, Cassie. One day, I promise, our lives will be normal enough that I will sufficiently freak out if you kiss another guy of your own volition, not because a cursed book made you do it.† Cassie had to laugh as Adam gave the porch swing a little nudge, sending them gently back and then forward again. Adam took a long breath in, held it, and exhaled heavily, as if he were blowing out every hurt feeling and negative thought within him. He looked longingly at Cassie and then leaned over and kissed her. Cassie had never felt so gratified by a kiss in all her life. For a few blissful minutes she forgot all her troubles. She was healed. She was with Adam and that was all that mattered. Adam must have felt it, too, because his passion for Cassie now was pressing and pleading. He kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in years, like he wanted to erase her kiss with Nick from her mind and claim her for himself. But Cassie finally, reluctantly pulled away. â€Å"We should go inside,† she said. â€Å"We can continue this later in private, after we tell everyone about getting the Master Tools back.† Adam agreed and the two of them got up from the swing. They straightened their clothes and gathered the book and Tools to carry them inside. â€Å"They’re going to freak out when they see these,† Adam said, holding the Tools up like a trophy. They glistened in the moonlight. â€Å"I know,† Cassie said. â€Å"But maybe we can leave out the worst parts of the story about how we got them back?† Adam didn’t argue. The two of them made their way through the house and jogged down the basement stairs. They excitedly revealed the hidden door – but on the opposite side, they found an empty room. â€Å"Hello!† Cassie called out. â€Å"Come out, come out, wherever you are.† Within a few seconds her joviality was quelled. This was no game of hide-and-seek. Not a single member of the Circle was to be found in the room. There were laptops left open and dishes with food on them still on the table. Laurel’s desk lamp hadn’t been turned off and neither had the light in the bathroom. Cassie set down her father’s book and the Master Tools, and a knot formed in her throat. â€Å"Where could they have gone?† she said. But she couldn’t state the worry nagging her: If their friends were discovered, they most likely had been killed. â€Å"There’s no way the hunters got in here.† Adam scrutinized the room in a desperate search for clues. â€Å"They must be with the rest of the Circle. Text Diana.† Cassie rummaged through her bag for her phone. She’d silenced it on her way to Stockbridge and forgot to turn the ringer back on. Now a list of urgent text messages, mostly from Nick, stared her in the face. She scanned through them nervously. â€Å"Faye went after the principal,† she said to Adam. â€Å"The rest of them are chasing after her, to keep her from doing anything stupid.† â€Å"Too late.† Adam slammed his hand down on the table. â€Å"That half-translated witch-hunter curse will never work.† â€Å"The last text says they were headed to the school.† Cassie stuffed her phone back into her pocket. â€Å"It was sent twenty minutes ago.† Without another word the two of them rushed upstairs. Cassie felt heat stealing into her face and a twisting panic in her stomach. She tried to catch her breath once they were inside Adam’s car, but it was no use. Adam floored the accelerator pedal, his eyes wild. Cassie watched the speedometer arc steadily from left to right. He had to be driving ninety miles per hour, but it still didn’t feel fast enough. If they didn’t make it to the school in time †¦ Cassie couldn’t fathom it. But she had to be mentally prepared. Even if their friends were lying dead on the ground when they arrived, Cassie still had to be ready to fight. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 19, Essay examples

The 7 Principles of Supply Chain Management-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Explain the Purpose of the Author or the Article The 7 Principles of Supply Chain Management. Answer: Article Critique The report aims at providing a critique to the article based on Supply Chain Management. The report therefore describes about the purpose of the article. There is an identification of the objective addressed by the author along description and supported arguments. The report also put forward an evaluation of inferences by the author that included line of reasoning and main assumptions underlying the thought of the author. The report also tries to explain the implications of the authors position logically with a mention of the usefulness of the topic in practice and theory. The Key Ideas of the Article The case study article aims to explain The 7 Principles of Supply Chain Management. The aim of the article provided in the case study explains the initiatives undertaken for improving the supply chain (Pagell and Shevchenko 2014). Brief Review of the Article According to the article, most of the managers find themselves in a tug of war between the increasing demands of the customers and the companys need for gaining profitability and growth. However, the managers have found it easier to maintain a profitable growth by treating the supply chain management as the strategic variable. The article also aims to put forward that managers recognize two things with the supply chain. Firstly, they consider the entire supply chain that involves every single link in managing the flow of product and service information from the suppliers to the customers. There are also certain tangible outcomes that are possible to achieve with the considerations of the supply chain. These include cost, asset utilization and revenue growth (Stadtler 2015). Aspects of the Article The article also puts forward analysis of the initiatives for improving the supply chain management carried across more than 100 distributors, retailers and manufacturers. In this regard, there was huge progress for some while others failed terribly. The initiatives that led to success however included broad efforts and a combination of both tactical and strategic change (Golicic and Davis 2012). These initiatives also, follow a holistic approach in critically identifying the supply chain so that it helps in the improvement process in terms of cost, revenue and asset utilization. The article also identifies that issue of determining and executing a transformation plan for supply chain that will be able to move complex operating multiples opportunities in a particular direction. Thus, according to the article in order to enable the managers proceed with the idea of transformation plan of the supply chain, the initiatives undertaken by successful manufactures represented in the form of seven principles of supply management (Ahi and Searcy 2013.). These seven principles are the fundamental principles for supply chain management. Thus, the article provides substantial information and is interesting written by comparing the traditional techniques with the modern ones and their acceptance and implementation for a supply chain to function effectively. Methodological Critique The authors of this article are reputed logistics practitioner belonging to the company Anderson Consulting. They have pointed out the fundamental principles of the supply chain management used by most successful manufacturers (Wisner, Tan and Leong 2014). This will help in dealing with the issue of determining, developing and executing a transformation plan for the supply chain that will enable operation of complex and multiple entities. Therefore, the authors quite logically and conceptually described the seven fundamental principles that supported his argument (Christopher 2016). According to the article, the first principle focuses on the segmentation of customers based on service requirements of specific groups and accordingly adapts the supply chain for serving the segments in a profitable manner (Hassini, Surti and Searcy 2012). The article also puts forward that the customer segmentation based on particular needs also equips a company in developing a service portfolio as per the needs of the various segments. The second principle focuses on customizing logistics network as per profitability and service requirements of the segments of the customer. Thus, according to this principle of supply chain management logistics network need to be more complex with alliance from third party logistics providers. This logistics is certainly more flexible than the traditional ones. The third principle however focuses on listening to the signals of the market and accordingly align the demand plan within the supply chain thereby ensuring consistent forecasting and alloca tion of resources that is optimal. According to this principle, when the sales and operation planning transcend the boundaries of the company for involving every like of the supply chain for the development of forecast and maintain required capacity across operations then it results in a supply chain management that is commendable. As per the article, the fourth principle focuses on the differentiating products in a manner that are closer to the customers that ensure speed conversion across the supply chain (Barney 2012). Initially, manufacturers based their goals on production by depending on the demand projections for goods and thus maintaining a stock of inventory to cope up with the existing forecasting errors. According to the authors of the article, these manufactures had a fixed lead-time in the system with a finite time for conversion of materials into products for meeting the requirements of the customers. According to the fourth principle of SCM, the authors mentioned that a newer strategy of mass customization also had a similar potential compared to the traditional means as they allowed the manufacturers to discover the value of postponement. According to this article, the manufacturers are gradually realizing that time is valuable and hence lead-time remains fixed in the supply management (Tieman, van der Vorst and Che Ghazali 2012). Thus, the manufacturers are trying to strengthen their ability of reacting to the signals of market through compression of the lead-time of the supply chain and speeding up the process of raw material conversion to the final products designed as per the requirements of the customers. The approach helps in enhancing flexibility for making configuration decisions to remain closer to the moment of demand occurrence. The timely product differentiation helps in locating the advantage point of the manufacturing process where configuration of the product designed for meeting the single requirements and in assessing options like modularized design, postponement and manufacturing process modification that helps in increasing flexibility. The fifth principle according to the article focuses on the str ategic management of supply sources and in reduction of the entire cost in owning the services and materials. According to this principle, excellence in supply chain management requires a mindset where the suppliers needs to be forced for providing ninety days of consigned material instead of three days. This will help in pushing the cost of the inventory into the price of the supplier. According to this principle, although manufacturers should be placing their demands upon the suppliers and they must also realize that the partners should share goals for ensuring cost reduction across the supply chain for lowering prices in the market and thereby enhancing it margin. The sixth principle put forward in the article focuses on the development of strategy based on wide technology of supply chain that helps supporting numerous levels of making decision thereby ensuring clear flow of not only products but also the service and information. According to the article, following this principle the managers will develop an idea for running the business. The authors of the article, however emphasized that adoption of this principle will have different impacts for short term, midterm and long term (Seuring 2013). The short-term adoption will help in handling transactions on an everyday basis, handling e-commerce across the supply chain and helps in aligning demand and supply through information sharing on daily scheduling and orders. In the midterm, the principle helped in making decision and planning, supporting shipment and demand planning and mastering production scheduling of for effective allocation of resources. In the long term, the system will enable the managers for evaluating plans, help distribution centre, suppliers and enable service alternatives by the third party (Ashby, Leat and Hudson-Smith 2012). Lastly, the seventh principle focuses on the adoption of channel spanning measures of performance for gauging the collective success and thereby reaching end user efficiently and effectively. According to this article, companies are adopting measurement of channel spanning performance through development of common report cards. This enables the partners of the common in working towards the common goal. Views of Other Writer According to Seuring and Gold (2012), managing risks have become quite challenging due to the uncertainties that prevail not in the demand and supply but also global outsourcing and existence of shorter product cycles. As per the author, todays business environment in global perspective influenced by not only financial stability, timely outsourcing, existence of new technologies, company mergers and e-commerce business have forced the organizations in adopting newer means for doing the business. Moreover, the authors have observed that under the prevalence of such situations the existing supply chain also become more vulnerable due to external and operational disruptions. Vulnerability defines the exposure to disturbance that arises within supply chain along with external risk associated with the supply chain. According to the author, there exists certain risk to the Supply chains due to any event that causes its disruption thereby affecting the overall management of the organization (Colicchia and Strozzi 2012). Thus, there is a need for efficiency in supply chain management that will enable effective functioning of the organizations. Therefore, academic literature prevalent in the supply chain domain have however, differentiated among the varied forms through focusing on information availability and their intensity. Therefore, a need to initiate measures for implementation of effective transformation plan of supply chain put forward by the authors. This initiated an explanation through the seven principles of supply chain management followed by the most successful managers. Future Research According to the principles put forward in the paper, the organizations are able to undertake customer segmentation and at the same time listen to market signals that allow optimal allocation and consistent forecasting of the resources (Winter and Knemeyer 2013). The adoption of the principles also enabled the manufacturers in discovering the value that determined by postponement. The principles also enable reducing cost of the supply chain that helps in enhancing its margins. The managers will also be able to develop an idea for running the business and adopt means for performance that is channel spanning. Student Opinion Things Learnt from the Article Thus, paper is worth considering as it allows one to understand the needs for adopting the supply chain by following the seven principles put forward by the authors. They not only prevent any kind of disruption to the supply chain but also makes sure that the plan for transformation is undertaken effectively keeping in terms with the modern changes in the organization. Already Know Fact along with the Surprising Fact I knew only about the supply chain management but what has surprised me is that the authors have put forward its seven principles. Further, the authors have left further scopes for research in this field (Heckmann, Comes and Nickel 2015). The holistic approach followed by the authors provided critical insights into the supply chain management. The transparent and scientific process adopted has helped the author enables the reader to understand the difference adopted from the traditional views. The Missing Information in the Article and Further Additions The article however mentions all probable things that are necessary for explaining the seven principles of supply chain management. There is enough information provided so there is no need for coverage of other things. Learning Outcome The concept of the article not only accepted theoretically but organizations have also started implementing it in practice with three percepts in mind. The first involves orchestration of improved efforts by the managers and the organization. This not only requires assessing the entire supply chain rigorously but at the same time ensuring setting of explicit target outcomes for asset utilization, revenue growth and cost reduction (Seuring 2013). The second involves implementation of the gradual process. Since the change will involve huge financial impact, therefore it is necessary for the management in balancing the long-term promise against any immediate business needs. The third percept deals with acceptance of change. For most companies there exist difficulties in implementation and acceptance of that change. However, the best way to ensure success and minimize the resistance is not only extensive involvement visible in participation but also effective communication amongst senior executives. This enables in successfully achieving the cause thereby resulting in removal of any managerial obstacles. Conclusion The critique to the article written by following a research methodology that is systematic. Through the methodological process, one can develop a strong evidence base about supply chain management. The authors tried to discuss about the principles of the supply chain management that for enabling the managers in adopting a transformation plan for better organizational effectiveness. References Ahi, P. and Searcy, C., 2013. A comparative literature analysis of definitions for green and sustainable supply chain management.Journal of Cleaner Production,52, pp.329-341. Ashby, A., Leat, M. and Hudson-Smith, M., 2012. Making connections: a review of supply chain management and sustainability literature.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,17(5), pp.497-516. Barney, J.B., 2012. Purchasing, supply chain management and sustained competitive advantage: The relevance of resource?based theory.Journal of supply chain management,48(2), pp.3-6. Christopher, M., 2016.Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Colicchia, C. and Strozzi, F., 2012. Supply chain risk management: a new methodology for a systematic literature review.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,17(4), pp.403-418. Golicic, S.L. and Davis, D.F., 2012. Implementing mixed methods research in supply chain management.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,42(8/9), pp.726-741. Hassini, E., Surti, C. and Searcy, C., 2012. A literature review and a case study of sustainable supply chains with a focus on metrics.International Journal of Production Economics,140(1), pp.69-82. Heckmann, I., Comes, T. and Nickel, S., 2015. A critical review on supply chain riskDefinition, measure and modeling.Omega,52, pp.119-132. Pagell, M. and Shevchenko, A., 2014. Why research in sustainable supply chain management should have no future.Journal of supply chain management,50(1), pp.44-55. Seuring, S. and Gold, S., 2012. Conducting content-analysis based literature reviews in supply chain management.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,17(5), pp.544-555. Seuring, S., 2013. A review of modeling approaches for sustainable supply chain management.Decision support systems,54(4), pp.1513-1520. Seuring, S., 2013. A review of modeling approaches for sustainable supply chain management.Decision support systems,54(4), pp.1513-1520. Stadtler, H., 2015. Supply chain management: An overview. InSupply chain management and advanced planning(pp. 3-28). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Tieman, M., van der Vorst, J.G. and Che Ghazali, M., 2012. Principles in supply chain management.Journal of Marketing,3(3), pp.217-243. Winter, M. and Knemeyer, A.M., 2013. Exploring the integration of sustainability and supply chain management: Current state and opportunities for future inquiry.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,43(1), pp.18-38. Wisner, J.D., Tan, K.C. and Leong, G.K., 2014.Principles of supply chain management: A balanced approach. Cengage Learning

Alice Doesnt Essays - Gender, Freudian Psychology, Free Essays

Alice Doesnt Essays - Gender, Freudian Psychology, Free Essays Alice Doesnt 7 Lacanian psychoanalysis/Claude Levi-Strauss- both theories deny women that status of subjects and producers of culture. Like cinema, they posit woman as at once the object and the foundation of representation, at once telos and origin of mans desire and of his drive to represent it, at once object and sign of (his) culture and creativity, man as the sole term of reference Hence the position of woman in language and in cinema is one of non-coherence; she finds herself only in a void of meaning, the empty space between the signs- the place of women spectators in the cinema between the look of the camera and the image on the screen, a place not represented, not symbolized, and thus pre-empted to subject (or self) representation. 10 The overriding question is: in what ways does narrative work to engender the subject in the movement of its discourse, as it defines positions of meaning, identification and desire? Freuds story of femininity, Heaths account of narrative cinema as Oedipal drama, and Metzs notion of identification are points of departure for a more adequate and specific understanding of the subjective processes involved in female spectatorship: that is to say, the operations by which narrative and cinema solicit womens consent and by a surplus of pleasure hope to seduce women into femininity. [Summary of Chapter 5]

American Wasteland

American Wasteland American Wasteland Food wastage is a common phenomenon in the United States. In the book American Wasteland, Jonathan Bloom explores the economic, as well as environmental, impacts of food wastage. In an extensive way, Bloom shows how much unused food is thrown away and what reasons are behind the large production of never eaten food, discovering the supply chain from field to the fridge in details. Indeed, the book is intriguing and shocking, especially to people, who never allow food wastage. The concepts in the book come as a warning to the psychological point of view, as most people take it for granted that food is always available. It acts as a wakeup call to reality from the general insensitiveness to food as a resource. Therefore, Bloom uses this riveting book to boost individual and collective responsibility in becoming more food conscious. As a big nation with high population, America tries to produce enough food in order to ensure food security of its citizens. The United States produces nearly 590 billion pounds of food annually. This amount is enough to feed the country sufficiently in that same year. However, it is shocking that approximately 160 billion pounds of food go to waste annually, because of peoples insensitivity. The figures come from the striking fact that nearly all disposed food is edible at the disposal time. The figures show the significance of individual contribution to the overall wastage. Indeed, on average, an individual discards edible food of approximately 197 pounds annually. What is worrying is the notable increase in the food disposal over the years. The Industrial Revolution and change in the lifestyle of the Americans over the past years have influenced food conservation and consciousness negatively. People migration away from the rural to urban areas is a substantial change in their lifestyle. Life in a rural area involves farming and production of ones own food. The urban movement, therefore, drew people from the agricultural life into a life of buying and eating final products. Today, many people are not conscious of the food value and the efforts that are made during the process of its production. Secondly, the hustle and bustle of life barely gives time for cooking and having meals at home. Eating out means that any food left in the house for some time spoils every day. Though the technology enables food storage, most people are quick to consider stored food bad, just according to the smell of the nose, which can often deceive. The increase in literacy and health awareness have also made many people too sensitive to food s poilage, because of the fact that it can be more pathogenic and cause diseases. The oversensitivity, therefore, means that an individual finds it more justifiable to throw food away. In contrast to increased food spoilage and food wastage, people should have become more conscious of a possibility when the supplier of food can become unreliable; hence, this will increase food preservation. The unavoidable food loss in the chain from food production to food consumption is understandable. Number of circumstances help to distinguish and define the responsibility of individuals in reducing food wastage; for example, natural food catastrophes, like harsh weather, disease outbreaks, or insect invasion. In other instances, some foodstuffs, such as banana, spoil easily after ripening, hence, become inedible. Other foods contain unusable parts, like peels, covers, bones, shells that are usually discarded because of inedibility. All the mentioned scenarios are a natural loss of food but not wastage. Effort to reduce unforeseen calamities in the production of food is welcome. This underscores the relevance of modern scientific researches and support to providing alternative plants that are more resistant and more stable to changing weathers. Introducing innovation in converting most parts of products that would have otherwise gone to waste will also increase the overall rate of p roducts utilization. Peoples lifestyle and mindset, as indicated earlier, are the contributory factors for the food wastage. Many foodstuffs, fit for consumption, go to waste in most homes, hotels, and groceries across the country today. This wastage stems from personal decisions of people, from the farmer to the final consumer, basing on their ethics (32). Notably, food will spoil if left for a long time, as spoilage is possible even in refrigerated food. Therefore, appliances, such as fridges, never should become dumping places. It is necessary to eat up all of the stored food instead of buying excessive amount of food and throwing it away latter. If eating out is unavoidable, it is reasonable to order clear and GMO free food. On the other hand, food stores or groceries should not be obsessed with ensuring fresh items in their shelves. Instead of discarding foodstuff from shelves to create space for fresh items, groceries can instead reduce the prices of edible though not very fresh items. This concept goes hand in hand with the psychological change that stayed food may be perfectly healthy and nutritious for consumption. The consequences of food wastage may not be easily noticeable, yet they play a crucial role in the environmental and economic influence. Most food types also go bad easily. For example, if a person eats half a banana and leaves it behind until evening, the banana spoils, and the person has to dispose it. The act of disposing of wasted food is particularly common, as the litter is common in most streets. This means that individuals have less time and pay less attention to perceive the effects of disposing food, such as foul smell. Rooting foodstuffs contribute considerable greenhouse gases, which pollutes the environment. Since, individuals buy foodstuffs, food wastage amounts to wasteful expenditure. Bloom explains (25) that the money spent on food, which end up in litterbin, would better be in a bank account. The trend of food insensitivity will cause imbalance in the future. As the population increases, the ratio of resources and food per person diminishes, leading to harmful level s, as Bloom warns. In conclusion, people should learn to avoid food wastage, since wastage has different negative effects. Food wastage is an expensive habit that has environmental effects. Therefore, it is essential that people learn to avoid throwing food. Foods in the fridges should be taken before they go rancid instead of going for eat out. It is also crucial to buy enough food, but not excess food left behind later. Stores that sell foodstuffs should not be too customer oriented to concentrate solely on fresh products. They should find means of reducing wastage of foodstuffs. These measures coupled with personal sensitiveness on the matter will eventually transform the nation into a non-food-wasting one.

Personal issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal issue - Essay Example issue of such a sleep problem as insomnia, for it relates to me extremely directly for a long time, and I believe I know the true reason of its occurrence, but let’s see am I right or not. Insomnia is the most frequent manifestation of a temporary malfunction of the nervous system in response to various stressors. There is no specific nature of insomnia appearance, as in different cases it can peer out in different ways. â€Å"While theres no standard definition for insomnia, suggested criteria include taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, waking up too early, or sleeping less than 6 1/2 hours a night...† (Beals). This is three types of the disease. Many factors may cause the problem including chronic disease of different kinds, overwork, overexcitement, and all this is worsened by unhealthy lifestyle, negative attitudes towards the world and people on the whole, and oneself in particular. If to cast a bit detailed glance at seeds of insomnia, the most frequent among them are psychological problems, violation of the usual regime, as well as other diseases (heart, liver, etc.), or the use of psychotropic drugs, alcohol, or a cup of strong coffee before goi ng to sleep, overeating in the evening hours, especially junk greasy food. Insomnia can be affected by intense mental work, noisy games, compulsive reading at bedtime or even smoking. It also occurs in the cases of constant expectation of poor sleep and related experiences, as well as can be a result of insufficient physical activity. The specific side of the disease is connected with the fact that â€Å"Although many patients can link the start of their insomnia to a particular cause, others have a form of insomnia with no underlying connection to another disorder† (The New York Times). In such a case there is a need of seeking medical advice if a sleep is not normalized in short terms. Depending on duration of disturbance, there are three forms or phases of insomnia, namely: a transient or episodic one

Philosopher of Islam Al-Kindi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Philosopher of Islam Al-Kindi - Essay Example He authenticated the Quranic principles and the phenomenon of God's existence through theoretical reasoning. This serves to be answering the question whether or not he was a theologian, because if he is to be called a theologian then the term philosophy cannot be associated with him. Both the terms are distinct and belong to different schools of thought. The essay also enquires into the fact that al-Kindi's philosophy was greatly influenced by Greek philosopher and that most of his works comprise the translated work from Greek philosophy. This argument also needs to be resolved, because if al-Kindi had no originality, then he cannot be called the first Muslim philosopher. Therefore, the main question encompassing the essay is whether or not al-Kindi was the first true philosopher of Islam and this paper goes about the question by first introducing the essence of al-Kindi's philosophy and other prominent philosophers accompanies with a discussion on theology so as to confirm that he was not a theologian but a philosopher. Truth and Integrity are said to be the essences of Islamic philosophy. Hitti (1970) says that Islamic history is an evidence of the enriching contribution of Muslim scholars on science, philosophy and theology of modern times. There have been numerous great Muslim philosophers who contributed their knowledge magnificently to various fields and aspects of philosophy. Some of them are al-Kindi, al-Ghazali, al-Suhrawardi, al-Arabi, al-Dawani, Ibn Hazm, al-Juwayni, al-Farabi and al-Razi. Of all these great philosophers, al-Kindi is known to be the first philosopher of Islam. He was the first philosopher in Arab and thus owing to his great contribution to the Arabic writings, he is often called the "philosopher of Arabs"1. Through his efforts only, the Muslims began to realise the philosophy to be an integral part of Islamic society. The analogy of most of his works suggests that he was exhaustively inspired from the Greek Neoplatoniasm and thus his writings reflect a great influence of Aristotelianism in his thoughts. Although, this inspiration from Greek philosophy is evident but his works also highly manifest that he had used Greek concepts in newer context that had not been presented before at that time. He in fact reconciled the Greek concepts of philosophy to the Islamic principles and thus introduced an entirely new philosophy. His writings infused a new life into Islamic philosophy by making it encompass all the sciences.2 His work was claimed to be mostly influenced by the Greek thought, which was due to the fact that he considered the acquisition of knowledge to be universal. He viewed knowledge was something that could be taken on from any society, culture or school of thought. Most of his work consists of translation of Greek books into the Arabic language. He himself was of the opinion that if one is to acquire the true knowledge, he should be willing to reach anywhere in his quest of its acquisition. Therefore, the claim that al-Kindi cannot be called first true philosopher of Islam because his thought was mainly influenced by Greek philosophers does not hold true, as what he did comprises not only translations but also his own reflection on the acquired knowledge. He presented the ancient Greek thought in his own context of understanding philosophy. Al-Kindi said, "We should not be ashamed to acknowledge

Impact of Financial and Non-financial Rewards on Employee Motivation Literature review

Impact of Financial and Non-financial Rewards on Employee Motivation and Satisfaction of Saudi Nationals in Saudi Aramco - Literature review Example A predominant means for accomplishing human-resource-based competitive advantages is the use of incentives. Performance-related pay and benefits are some common incentives in the financial sector, as well as other industries. Lewis offers a process-cycle theory, where the stages of PRP must be properly managed in order to deliver optimal performance results. These stages are: 1) establishing objectives; 2) measuring performance; 3) providing performance feedback; and 4) translating performance into rewards. His study shows that incentives can greatly affect performance, when these stages are aptly managed in relation to employees’ performance levels and issues. Ferreira, Marques and Azevedo show from their study of Portuguese banks that incentive systems shape organisational competitiveness, although other factors are also important, such as management and leadership approaches. PRP per se is not the magic bullet of performance, especially when it has design and implementation flaws. (Boachie-Mensah and Dogbe, 2011). Financial incentives and performance Financial incentives alone are not enough to drive motivation and performance because employees consider other factors too (Siders, George and Dharwadkar, 2011). In the study of 139 Slovenian bank managers, Hartmann and Slapnicar (2012) explored the effect of distributive justice properties and procedural justice properties of managerial pay on manager’s intrinsic motivation. They discovered that procedural justice is a greater predictor of intrinsic motivation when low pay transparency exists, while distributive justice is a greater predictor of motivation when high pay transparency is present. Hartmann and Slapnicar (2012) concluded that pay transparency is important in analysing and designing just managerial pay

Importance of Product Innovation at Sony

Importance of Product Innovation at Sony Searching for Sonys Salvation: The Turnaround Strategy of an Industrial Giant There is no doubt that Sony, one of the greatest companies of the twentieth century, accredited with being the creators of products such as the portable radio, Walkman, and PlayStation, to name but a few, is no longer the force of old. No longer does it rule the roost in the consumer electronics industry to the extent that it did in decades gone by. No longer does it feature among the worlds most valuable brands as it did at the peak of its powers. Founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akito Morita in post-war Tokyo, Sony, or Tokyo Tsuchin Kogyo KK (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation), the predecessor of Sony, started as a small company with capital of just 190,000 yen and less than a couple of dozen employees (Sony, n.d.). Yet, therein laid the foundations of what was to become one of, if not, the most iconic consumer electronics company in the world, worth an estimated $7.6 billion as at 2016 (Forbes, 2016) with more than 125,000 employees on its payroll (Sony, n.d.). However, it is fair to say that in recent years, Sonys performance has fallen short of expectations. According to the case study, the company has failed to tap into new opportunities, and been criticised for being complacent and over-reliant on past successes. The aim of this assignment, therefore, is to: firstly, discuss the importance of product innovation to the future success of Sony, in regard to the changing marketing environment; secondly, conduct a SWOT analysis of Sony; and thirdly, recommend a course of action for Sony based on an exploration of the strategic options available, in an attempt to turnaround the industrial giants ailing fortunes. In so doing, this assignment explores the key concepts at the heart of each discussion and applies them within the context of the case study, around which the questions are based. Discuss the importance of product innovation to the future success of Sony, in regard to the changing marketing environment. In order to fully appreciate the importance of product innovation to the future success of Sony, there are several issues which must be examined. For example, the concept of the marketing environment should first be defined and broken down, likewise the process of environmental scanning that will lead on from this, and only then can such a discussion begin to take place. The marketing environment can be defined as the actors and forces that affect a companys capability to operate effectively in providing products and services to its customers (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick, 2016). In other words, the marketing environment includes all the factors that have an impact upon the decisions, policies, and strategies of an organisation. On the face of it, therefore, the marketing environment is a one-dimensional concept that is easy-to-understand. However, that is by no means correct. Indeed, there are multiple facets of the marketing environment; hence it is vital to break it down into its component parts. The marketing environment is composed of the macro environment and micro environment. Whereas the former consists of a number of broad forces that affect not only the company but also the other actors in the microenvironment, (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick, 2016: 38) the latter consists of the actors in the firms immediate environment that affect its capabilities to operate effectively in its chosen markets. (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick, 2016: 55) To put it more simply, the macro environment revolves around external factors, in contrast to the micro environment, the focus of which is on internal factors. For example, the macro environment includes political, economic, social, technological, legal, and ecological factors that affect an organisation, all of which will be expanded upon later in the discussion. The micro environment, meanwhile, includes competitors, customers, distributors, and suppliers. These shape the character of the opportunities and threats facing a company and yet are l argely uncontrollable. In order to combat the uncontrollability of the marketing environment, it is essential that organisations adopt a strategy for dealing with such a problem. This leads us to the concept of environmental scanning. According to Huczynski and Buchanan (2016), environment scanning refers to processes through which the impact of external trends and developments on the internal functioning of an organisation can be determined and forecasted. Diffenbach (1983) finds that organisations can reap the rewards from carrying out the process of environmental scanning. Chief amongst the multitudinous advantages it can deliver are enhanced general cognisance of, and responsiveness to, changes in the marketing environment; improved strategic planning and decision-making; better industry and market analysis; and more efficient energy planning. As far as the macro environment is concerned, one of the widely used approaches to environmental scanning is a PESTLE analysis. This is an environmental scanning tool identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal, and ecological factors that have an effect on an organisation. Political factors influencing organisations emerge from decisions made and actions taken by the government. For example, taxation rates may change which will affect the profitability of an organisation. Economic factors arise from the state of the countrys wealth. If there is a recession, for example, it slows down the economy as people are less likely to spend unnecessarily which, in turn, impacts upon sales and profits. Social factors refer to the ways in which society changes and the requirement for organisations to acclimatise in the same way. For example, changing demographic forces such as an ageing population may mean appetite for particular products either peters out or grows. Technologic al factors relate to the rapidly evolving technological advancements that marketers have to keep abreast with and invest in to remain competitive. Legal factors include the implementation of specific laws, which, for example, may necessitate the payment of a statutory minimum wage by organisations to their workforces. Ecological factors, meanwhile, revolves around environmental concerns and reducing toxic emissions, pollution, and spills. These factors cannot be controlled but can prepare the organisation for changes that may take place in the marketing environment (Morrison and Daniels, 2010). Now that we have explored the concepts at the heart of the question, namely innovation, and the marketing environment, tying in with environmental scanning and PESTLE analysis, it is possible to apply these within the context of Sony. Beginning with the micro environment, Sony has faced increasing numbers of competitors in recent years. Indeed, the case study alludes to the fact that aggressive competitors are stealing market share in key markets where once it dominated. For example, within the mobile phone sector, multination corporations such as Apple and, to a greater extent, Samsung are now seen as the dominant forces. Together, Samsung and Apple, the top two global smartphone brands, accounted for more than 42% of the worldwide market share in the first quarter of 2016. (TrendForce, 2016) By stark contrast, Sony did not even feature among the top five, lagging behind in the others category. Hopes had initially been high that Sonys range of phones, complete with top-of-the-range camera capabilities and Walkman-branded capabilities enabling them to be transformed into portable digital music gadgets, would see them retake the lead in the market. However, Sonys strategy to market Walkman-branded products against the likes of Apples highly innovative and successful iPhone range has yet to yield success and is unlikely to do so in light of how outdated the Walkman is in comparison to their opposite numbers latest device. Just as technology is evolving, so too is it the responsibility of marketers to keep up-to-date with such changes in an attempt to remain competitive in the marketplace.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Thus, the importance of product innovation should be underplayed from a micro marketing environment perspective. That said, it can be argued that it is of equal importance in a macro environment sense too. Conduct a SWOT analysis on Sony. What are the strategic options available to Sony? Furthermore, recommend a course of action for Sony, giving reasons for your answer. Bibliography Diffenbach, John (1983) Corporate Environmental Analysis in Large US Corporations, Long-Range Planning Vol. 16 No. 3 pp107-16 Forbes Website (2016) The Worlds Most Valuable Brands https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/#tab:rank [accessed 3rd March 2017] Huczynski, Andrzej; and Buchanan, David (2013) Organizational Behaviour 8th Edition, Pearson Jobber, David; and Ellis-Chadwick, Fiona (2016) Principles and Practice of Marketing 8th Edition, London: McGraw-Hill Education Morrison, Mike; and Daniels, Kathy (2010) Pestle Analysis Factsheet, London: Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development Sony Website (no date) TrendForce Website

Platos Communism :: Communism Essays

Elites: Elites not masses, govern all societies, but in whose interests do they serve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elites are inevitable in all societies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to both Madison and Plato, factions will inevitably occur within society, the way to address this is viewed in two different ways by Plato and Madison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato sees within society an inherent flaw of two cities, a city of the rich and a city of the poor. He rejects oligarchy, the rule of few over many, because he believes that â€Å"absolute power corrupts absolutely† and rejects democracy for the incompetence within the system because it lacks people properly schooled in the Plutonian tradition and sees the violence inherent in the system, for: existent in all forms of government exist the extreme violence and selfishness of party struggles for factions within society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato would remove the causes of factions, choosing to give up further liberties to protect the good of the people. His theory is similar to the state of nature, believing that societies are formed to meet the needs of the people. Because of the inherent yearning for power within a few elites, Plato would remove these feelings of selfishness, with his own form of Communism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato’s communism would take two main forms which meet in the abolition of the family. The first of the two forms would be to set up a new form of hierarchy: Philosopher king, who would rule by merit of vision and capacity to realize that vision in reality. Guardians, who would serve as the military/ruling class of society, merchant class which serves as a middle class, a buffer between the poor and the rulers. This sunders in two the idea of a city of rich/ city of poor. However the main thing to note is that the rulers must give up certain freedoms in order to attain their position of power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rulers must give up the right to own property, effectively removing self-interest. Anyone can be a ruler as long as they MERIT the position. Also, the must live in common barracks style living and eat at a common table, facilitating discussion and equality amongst them. Also they all must be schooled in the Plutonian Tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second form of communism would be the abolition of a permanent monogamous sexual relationship. This removes loyalty to family/lover. Lovemaking would be more like livestock breeding and would occur at the behest of the ruler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plato believed that if the unity of the state is to be preserved and marriage and property stand in the way than they must be abolished.

Current Issues Between the Native Americans

The four groups that I have chosen for identifying their linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions and statues of Hispanics groups living in the United States are Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and South Americans. To start with they all speak Spanish yet they do have different dialects depending on where they are located. I have had experience with the Cubans personally and the Mexican American personally everything else I have learned from our research. The Mexican American population is the largest minority group in America. There are many Mexican Americans that do not speak Spanish at all and only speak English, but these are the ones that were usually born in the United States. There are also some that are bilingual and then there are some that do not know English until they start school. The Mexican Americans are also active in the civil rights movements, from workers rights to voting rights. Their social status is poor due to lack of education and they are strongly tied to their families. Families are very large and extended family is just as important as immediate family members. Most are Catholics and their religion is very important to them, but there are some that are protestant. Mexican Americans tend to take low paying jobs and this means that they work in mining, agriculture, transportation and ranching. Puerto Rico’s Linguistic background is strongly defined by Spanish and English. Most Puerto Ricans speak both languages fluently and use it in everyday life for work and play. Puerto Rico’s political division is the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), which supports the commonwealth rank for the island; has been the leading political party since 1940. Their has been a large decline in the popularity of the PPD over the years but it is still remains the island’s main political party. Their families are very close just like all of the other Hispanic groups. Family life and the amount of time they spend with their family is very important to the Puerto Rican society as well as other Hispanic groups. They usually live close to family members and attend church together, which is a very important part of their culture. They are generally Roman Catholics and their culture has a heavy influence on African and Spanish beliefs and traditions. When it comes to Cubans who are generally located in Florida or that region and they migrated here to be freed from Fidel Castro. Like the other Hispanic groups the Cubans have very large families and are very close to all members including extended family members. Cuban Americans are generally affiliated with politically with Jewish Americans and are known for their powerful conservative ethics.

The eNotes Blog Get Free Homework Help with eNotes onTwitter

Get Free Homework Help with onTwitter Dont just ask for Homework Help, tweet it! Twitter has changed the landscape of so many thingsfrom literature, to politics, to education. Thats why we at couldnt resist jumping into the Twitter pool to bring you the homework help you need in a new and exciting way. Introducing operation #swag! Selfie courtesy of our loyal intern and resident mathematics genius, Dan. Whether you write to us @ or simply vent to the Twittersphere (see above) were here to give you the help you need. Simply post your question in a tweet and well post it for you on to be answered by our expert educatorsa team of real teachers and professors. What could be better than instant help with your assignments? How about free help with your assignments? Yup, youll be able to view that answer (tailor-made just for you) completely for free. PLUS well even throw in free study guide pages ordinarily available only to premium subscribers. Its just our way of showing you how helps you to study smarter. Hey, want a free trial, too? Consider it done. This exclusive deal is only available through our Twitter page! Follow us here so you dont miss out on any cool deals, competitions, and special offers. Now start tweeting! Itll make you feel like this. And this. Just sayin. Tweet to you soon! Not on Twitter? Weve got lots going on at our Facebook page, too. Come chat with us and well hook you up! For more info, study guides, and free homework help from real teaching professionals, check us out at .

Child prodigy Essays

Child prodigy Essays Child prodigy Essay Child prodigy Essay If you have ever regretted volunteering for a task, but had to continue, despite this, you will know how I felt, as I boarded the coach that would take me to the venue of the chess tournament. It was an all-consuming, unforgettable, always nagging sort of worry: that I would bring about my own humiliation as I lost game by game at the prestigious tournament. No. Not a worry but a certainty. For I had not practised once in the past months, while in my prime, it was normal for me to spend a couple of evenings per week at a board, revising combinations. Yes, it was this lack of practice that troubled me to the very core, that I would disappoint my team and be humiliated for it. So the odour of the garbage on the coach had little effect on me, as I contemplated the nature of the disgrace that I would bring upon myself. In an attempt to banish these thoughts from my head, I brought out my reading book, which I soon immersed myself in, but the cheers and chit chat from my team mates as the coach started could not be ignored. As I snapped out of my ponderous trance, I became aware of the true stench of this appalling place where rotten eggs and ham from long forgotten packed lunches lay neatly stacked under the seats and the random splodges of yogurt were spread over the once-fine seat covers. But as the hours passed, none of these were noticed as my nose grew accustomed to the constant whiff, and my eyes remained firmly fixed on the pages of my book. It was finally four hours later that we pulled into the drive of the B B where we would stay. Just one more night till I would be a humiliated man My first match of the next day started and ended badly. I was to play against a boy of no more than 8, who sat precariously on the very edge of his seat, with legs dangling aimlessly under the table. His age and the innocent gaze gave me hope that I could at least secure 1 point for my team. But I was wrong, very wrong. As he made his first moves, I saw he was no novice and despite my best efforts, my fiendish foe struck mercilessly, felling my pieces one by one. It was an uphill struggle, a battle I could not win and yet I tried, while to my annoyance, he squealed with delight after each capture in a childlike manner, though he had the skill of double his apparent age. I can tell you this was terribly shocking. So there was no surprise when he finally delivered checkmate, though while we did this, I dreaded the teases I would be sure to receive as the result of this lost battle, especially due to my opponents age. As I stepped from the room, my fears were confirmed. My humiliation had begun. My next match went just as badly. Still in a daze from the jests endured, my head spinning, as I tried desperately to win against my unsympathetic opponent. But my efforts were to no avail, as I lost, even more swiftly than before. But my thoughts cleared as I left the tournament room: one round to make a win. One round to avoid disgrace! After my disastrous rounds, I expected nothing more than another loss from equally capable opponents, knowing my fate for humiliation had been sealed the moment I agreed to come. But my next opponent was not something I could have anticipated given even the wildest imagination. Like a giant, he towered over the board, but it was not his height which troubled me but his bulk. His fat bulged in great flabs so that I felt he might burst and his slow, lumbering walk scarcely surprised me. One could tell clothes were not made to his size; the Nike logo on his shirt was stretched into a thin line while his fat writhed under his tight top as he reached out to move his piece. I made no mistake in underestimating my opponent this time, however, it was soon clear he was less gifted than the child prodigy I had played the first round. But there was still something strange about the game play, there was something about the way we played in his shadow that unnerved me, and before long, I once more felt myself sailing against the wind in this battle of mine. But as does a wounded animal strike back, so did I, knowing the fate that would come to me if I lost this match. But then, my silent prayers were answered: in the form of the biggest blunder I had ever seen at this level of play, and I pounced upon it, like a hungry wild cat as he throws himself on a mouse. The tide had changed, and I finished him off easily. The victory was mine, no disgrace for me.

Violations at the workplace Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 37

Violations at the workplace - Case Study Example In this case, the informal complaint did not cause OSHA to send a letter, but the inspector showed up nonetheless. The important thing is for the inspector to show a warrant that allows him to carry out any inspection in the workplace. In fact, the Supreme Court declared that no OSHA inspections should take place without the availability of a warrant or consent to enter a workplace for inspection (Bailey et al., 2008). Further, the individual is grumpy and well known for his disgruntlement, which is something that should be taken into consideration. If more than 80% of complaints are false, the inspector cannot continue acting without consulting the management. OSHA requires a warrant at this time because the issues the disgruntled employee reported could be dealt with at the corporate level (Lasowski, 2010). Having to ask for an inspection because of a disgruntled employee will inconvenience the management, and it is important that the OSHA inspector sits with the management and dis cusses the issues taking place. This will also lead to consented inspection to prove that the company has taken into consideration everything discussed and complained about by the employee. After the inspector leaves, I will take the initiative to sit down with the employee and discuss issues at the workplace. The employee must respect the rules and regulations at the workplace, and offer undivided support towards the accomplishment of goals within the organization. If more than 80% of complaints are false.

Single Parent Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Single Parent - Assignment Example As yet there are no estimates of the numbers of deaths from CHD which are due to poor psychosocial well-being or of the numbers of deaths which could be avoided if psychosocial well-being was increased. Although, some single parent are doing their best to support the needs of their family, they still encounter some potentials problems like, visitation and custody arrangements, effects upon the children of continued conflict between parents, decrease in the amount of time parents and children can spend together, effects of a divorce on children's performance in school and peer relations, and disruptions in extended family relationships. To cope with this problem, single parent should often talk to his children regarding on their feelings with each other. They should also learn how to communicate with each other, spend time together to go shopping, playing different kinds of sports, watching some interesting movies or simply going to church together. These ways will help develop a better single parent and children relationship. Amy is a 38 yr. Old single parent who has three children aged 9, 7 and a newborn baby boy. She has a hard time taking care of her children especially her new baby due to being busy looking after the rest of the family. Her brother Rys is 30, who has a moderate learning disability, shows signs of distress due to his worries to his family. Her father Ronald, who is 76 yr. Old widower, had a fall and since then his mobility has seriously deteriorated. Due to the circumstances that Amy's family is facing, she is feeling tense and anxious about how is she going to cope with supporting her dad, while continuing to meet the needs for her children. With Amy's situation, it's really hard to give everything to her family especially that she is the only one supporting them. She may experience depression and stress due to her responsibilities to her family. To cope with this, she should know the thing that a single parent must do in order to meet the needs of her family. Amy is having a hard time coping up with her kids, her father and brother and on how to make both ends meet. Having these problems at hand just right after giving birth to a baby boy made her not only physically drained but also mentally disturbed. Due to this, she may suffer from Post Natal Depression. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, around 1 in every 10 women has PND after having a baby. If untreated, it can last for months, or sometimes longer. There are number of symptoms suffers

Risk Assessment for Non-profit Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk Assessment for Non-profit Hospital - Essay Example book as a whole provides the readers with a comprehensive view of multiple risk assessment techniques along with a detailed analysis of current methodologies and concepts in risk assessment practices. It clearly defines the concept of risk assessment giving specific focus to the current day ‘messy business’ environment. Hospital Data Project (HDP) is a project initiated by the European Union Health Monitoring Programme (HMP), and it intends ‘to develop comparable hospital utilization data and indicators between Member States (MS)’. This data, loaded into the Commission’s pilot system has turned to be the hub of health information. The document describes the objectives of HDP with regard to data collection methodology and the creation of a pilot data set. This book is an excellent source of information on emerging trends, legal requirements, and challenges associated with internal information transfers and SSH integration. It gives a good account of SSH2 as a reliable tool that complies with the latest standards of communication security norms. This book is a ‘must read’ for learners of advanced risk assessment practices. This excerpt from online encyclopedia gives a brief account of Nessus-one of the most comprehensive vulnerability scanning program available today. It describes how the program helps clients to assess the level of their system’s vulnerability to data theft or virus attack. The website gives very detailed information about the vulnerability scanning tool-Nessus. The site has included several frequently asked questions and their answers along with the basic instructions for its users. One who goes through the site will get a clear idea of the total functions of Nessus. The relevance of this book is clear as it has been stated in the introduction, â€Å"each technical advance brings new security holes†. It reminds us of the incessant threat persisting over the internet which has the potential to assault thousands of computers in no

The Confederate Flag Essay Example for Free

The Confederate Flag Essay Within the United States of America, arguments, involving the Confederate Flag, are solved every sngle day. However, some controversies have managed to carry on from the 1800’s until present day without any solution. The text and symbolic meaning behind the â€Å"Confederate Flag† is a perfect example. The Confederate Flag is one of America’s most embattled symbolic controversies. Created in 1861in a battle between the South, Confederates, and the North, Union, two men by the name P. G.  T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles designed and created a flag that would represent the true southern pride and demands that would not only bring about conflict with one half of the nation but also with our American society today. The South wanted to fulfill their demands of a new government with a victory, but the North opposed that thought. Today, people in our society misunderstand and misinterpret the true meaning behind the Confederate Flag and what it represents. People have came to believe that the Confederate Flag represents slavery in the 19th century, but in actuality it represents people wanting to govern themselves. The Confederacy had two flags. One being a national flag or â€Å"the stars and bars† and the other to be a battle flag. The southern people believed their national flag was to be respected and not to be used in battle so they wanted a battle flag. Two men by the names, P. G. T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles came up with the design. These men were chosen because of their active duty within the Confederacy. Both showed much pride and served with active duty. P. G. T. Beauregard was chosen as one of the eight full leading generals and led the Confederacy to their first win in battle in the â€Å"battle of Manassas† and commanded at the Battle of Shiloh after Albert Sidney Johnston’s death. Given such great honor, he was chosen to be one of the designers of the flag. William P. Miles was appointed by the Provisional Congress as chairman of the Flag and Seal Committee. William Miles took much pride in the Confederacy and what they represented so was chosen to help design flags for the nation and approval of them as well. Their design was similar in comparison to the national flag. The battle flag would have a blue X on a red field. The flag had thirteen stars to represent the thirteen states in the Confederacy, often referred to as the Rebel Flag,† Southern Cross, or â€Å"Dixie Flag. † It represented a battle for a lesser government, just as P. G. T, Beauregard and Miles followed. These men and their fellow Southerners wanted less taxes and for people to govern themselves. The flag was flown in honor of those fighting for these demands and the pride of the confederacy and their struggle to win. In conclusion, both men shared great dignity in the Confederacy and wanted to represent their people and demands with reason to overturn the government. This flag was first flown in July 21st, 1861 and is still displayed in the United States. Both men, today, continue to receive much honor for their active duty served and creating a flag that symbolizes the Southern nation as one. The typical audiences portraying the â€Å"Rebel Flag,† in a majority, are whites. Back in the 1800’s during the battle of the Civil War, blacks were mainly looked down upon and used as slaves. Blacks had no power amongst the white people in the southern states and were to work for them and follow their orders. Due to this, only white people had taken pride in their flag. Whites were fighting for their demands of a better government. Thus, only white people played a main role during this time period. Yet, blacks, being viewed down upon at this time, are viewed in the audience as well. Today, blacks look at the situation as a major issue with their race at the time and hopes for survival. But why is this? When the flag is presented in our society today, some look at the flag, with disgust, as representation of racism because the flag was flown during a time period in which racism dominantly occurred. Also, based upon the text I had chosen, it consists of white people in battle. The audience of the text promptly follows the text with pride. These audience members were not just white or black people, but also southerners and northerners. In the battle it was the southerners of the thirteen confederate states of America who portrayed the flag as a new government ran by the people when the North portrayed the flag as a banishment of a perfectly ran government. No northerners opposed the idea that the Confederacy should be erased as the no southerners opposed the idea of a new government. Thus, made the issue more complicated due to disagreements. The reaction of the southern white audience would portray anger due to their loss in battle as well as pride in their sacrifice. The audience would have hoped for a different conclusion to the battle giving the Confederates the victory and joyfulness of their people at the time. The northerners reacted the exact opposite. They celebrated their victory and the government was given more dominance. The author intended the reaction of the audience to be very informed because a great amount of information and history was given. The author knew what the flag truly represented and wanted the readers to know the same. Given so much information, the audience would become very informed and learn to understand the flag in a respectful manner. However, people in this present day continue to fly the flag with no knowledge of the meaning or respect. Some, with no knowledge, look at the flag as a gang or group symbol while others respectfully present it as a historical time period. So why get rid of this flag? Being a nation that prohibits slavery in written law, some Americans who continue to believe the false rumor that the flag represents slavery and racism or are less educated with the history behind the flag and want to get rid of it. Our society has represented the Confederate flag in a disrespectful manner and needs to change that. Hear the Northern thunders mutter! Northern flags in South’s winds flutter! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Send them back your fierce defiance! Stamp upon the cursed alliance! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Advance the flag of Dixie! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Dixie’s land we take our stand, And we live or die for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! –Confederacy chant. Many people praise it, display it, and chant it, yet others view it with pure disgust. Once again, the Confederate or â€Å"Rebel Flag has been shoved onto the table of debate due to the raising of the flag in front of the South Carolina State House. So much debate has arose that President Obama was questioned where this flag should be placed? President Obama replied with a very considerate answer. His answer was, â€Å"In a museum. † But why would he want to take down the flag and retire it? Many have applauded him upon the issue, yet others are left confused as to why? Many people fly the Confederate Flag with pride and none of which are racist. In fact, the flag does not even represent anything considering racism. Only current connotation has led people to believe that. People today do not understand the true meaning and history behind the flag so they are unknowingly spreading false information. It is compared to the Nazi flag as a white supremacy symbol today. Another fact is that the Confederate Flag was never once flown on a slave ship; it was the present American flag that had been flown. The true meaning behind the flag was a lesser or new government. Southern people were getting tired of being overtaxed and wanted to govern themselves. Following these demands, arguments between the North and South grew more intense. Slaves were more acceptable in the south rather than the north. Southerners’ main use of slaves was to work in plantations to help incorporate a better and more profitable farm. This was not ok with the northerners. The northerners’ believed slavery was uncivilized and should be abolished. Prior to his election, Abraham Lincoln said he wanted to â€Å"free the slaves. † This quote developed more controversy especially since Lincoln, at the time, had slaves of his own. Southerners became furious such an ironic statement and began stating their opinions about the presidency towards Lincoln while demanding a lesser government, lower taxes, and to keep slavery. Northerners began to stand behind Lincoln and would speak on behalf of him. More issues and controversies developed which lead to a feud between the North and South. This feud is now known as, the American Civil War (1861-1865). In mix of battle, the Confederacy respected their national flag and did not want it to be displayed in mix of battle. This is when the â€Å"Rebel† or â€Å"Battle† Flag was created. As Confederates would rush into battle, they would carry the thirteen-stared blue X on a red field flag with pride and dignity. The Confederates then formed secession from the United States becoming, the Confederate States of America as the northerners became referred to as the Union. After carrying their flag for four bloodshed/devastating years, the Confederacy fell to the Union. Slavery would then become abolished as would the Confederate States of America. The Rebel Flag then slowly began to disappear. Due to the, all of a sudden, emergence of the flag in our society today, people argue that it should be rid of or as Obama said, â€Å"In a museum. † The flag, to a majority people, is a historical symbol that brings back the thought of their ancestors who fought in battle and our nation falling apart when the North and South fought killing 620,000 of our nation’s people. The flag stood out in Civil War as a symbol of the South wanting a change in government. Our society needs to become more educated when it comes to the understanding of Confederate Flag and learn how to display it in a correct manner. With great debate over the embattled symbolic meaning behind the Confederate Flag, our society has yet to reach a solution. Many people are continuing to spread false information while others are arguing the true meaning behind the flag. Who knows how long this controversy will last. P. G. T. Beauregard and William P. Miles created the flag to represent the southern demands of a lesser government with no disregard towards racism. Confederates used the flag’s symbolic meaning to connect their nation as one and to fight together to overcome this battle with the North. As I previously mentioned, our society needs to learn to become more educated when it comes to understanding the Confederate Flag and learn to display it in a proper manner. As a nation we must learn to solve and consider our issues rather than speaking with fault and resorting to violence.

Maharashtra APMCs: Current Status and Substitute Marketing

Maharashtra APMCs: Current Status and Substitute Marketing Shivaang Sharma In India, the marketing of agricultural produce is regulated by Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1966, which provides for the constitution of market committees by state government, notification of agricultural commodities as also place of marketing of agricultural produce. Hence, the marketing of notified agricultural produce in areas other than notified areas is illegal. The areas so designed by the state government are known as Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets or Mandies. The age old monopoly of wholesale markets under the government’s regulation have essentially curbed the advancement of a competitive marketing system in the country, providing provision of help to farmers in direct marketing, organizing retailing, smooth supply of raw materials to industries specialising in agro processing and the adoption of an innovative marketing technologies and systems. The objectives of this report are to: Examine the current status of state agricultural markets and efforts to strengthen their marketing infrastructure. Examine the progress made by alternative marketing channels such as Shetkari Bazaars and Contract farming. Agricultural markets in the country are established (Table 1) and regulated under each state’s APMC acts. The entire physical area within each state is separated and affirmed to be a market area where Market Committees manage the market yards which themselves are established by the individual state governments. When a specific location within the state is confirmed as a market area, it automatically comes within the jurisdiction of the state’s appointed market committee. Within this area only persons who have been granted licence for operating within the region may be free to engage in wholesale marketing activities. These legally established monopolies of wholesale markets which are government regulated have essentially curbed the growth of a more advanced competitive system of agrarian marketing within the realm of each state. Therefore an efficient system of agricultural marketing is much needed for the expansion of the agrarian part of the economy since it further l eads to incentives and mediums for increased agricultural and allied sectors production thereby helping subsistence farmers to commercialise themselves and their businesses more effectively. Table 1: Division wise distribution of APMC main market and sub market yards in Maharashtra: Source: Director of Marketing (DOM), Pune. As per the policy of Government of Maharashtra, produce of agriculture, whether processed or not, including horticulture, animal husbandry, pisciculture and produce from forests are defined as agricultural produce. From time to time, the agricultural produce of the area are notified as agricultural produce for marketing in designated market place by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection. In this backdrop, GOI constituted an expert committee on strengthening and developing of Agriculture marketing in December 2000, which was followed by constitution of an inter ministerial task force to review the parent system of Agricultural marketing in the country and to recommend measures to make the system more efficient. The committee in its report of June 2001 and Task force in its report of May 2002 made a number of recommendations not only to improve the existing regulated marketing network but also to promote a parallel marketing network in the private and cooperative sector. These recommendations included: analysing the requirements to provide and strengthen existing marketing infrastructure, promote competitive alternative agricultural marketing infrastructure through involvement of private and cooperative sector, provide infrastructure facilities for grading, standardization and quality certification of agricultural produce and to provide training for farmers, entrepreneurs and market functionaries on agricultural marketing. Consequent upon this development, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, GOI launched a credit linked back ended capital investment subsidy scheme for development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization (AMIGS) with effect from 20th October 2004 with the view to creating: Additional Agricultural Marketing infrastructure Strengthening existing agricultural marketing infrastructure Promoting competitive alternative agricultural marketing infrastructure through the involvement of private and cooperative sectors. Since the scheme was linked to market reforms, the states which have amended the APMC Act to include private participation and contract farming are now eligible for availing the benefit of subsidy under the scheme. The state of Maharashtra being one of the leading states to adopt the new policy of Union government has amended its APMC act and the scheme is in operation since 5th September 2006. Some aspects of this scheme include: Grain units – godown, drying yard, site development and machinery; Milk unit- bulk coolers, combine harvesters and auction sheds. Table 2: Geographical coverage of APMCs in Maharashtra: Source: Director of Marketing (DOM), Pune. Considering the geographical coverage of APMCs within the state (Table 2); as of 31st March 2011, 188 proposals having a financial outlay of Rs. 22,671.32 Lakh, bank loan of Rs. 14,191.68 Lakh and eligible subsidy of Rs. 4,692.61 Lakh were received from different banks by NABARD, Maharashtra Regional Office, Pune. In order to review the processes implemented by the APMCS of Maharashtra, a detailed study was conducted by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Development). Progressing to the second objective of this report, we begin by analysing the alternative popular marketing channel which is growing in conjunction with the conventional APMC set up i.e. Shetkari Bazars. The Farmer’s Market (Shetkari Bazar) is an idea of marketing the agrarian produce directly to consumers by producers (farmers). By excluding the intermediaries who in the model appear to be an inflationary force, the agrarian produce reaches its destination in good condition due to minimal in between handlers. As a result, this method leads to better price realization for the farmers and also quality produce reaches the consumers at far lower lower price levels. This format of conducting agricultural marketing has previously been enforced in Andhra Pradesh (which was called Raithu Bazar). This format is meant to assist small scale farmer producers (with fewer quantities of fragile vegetables and fruits) to secure better price levels thereby escaping commercial exploitation in the market yard by Dalals. Since 2nd July 2002, as per the government resolution No. APMC-1099/PC.305/11-c, Govt. of Maharashtra has decided to set up Shetkari Bazars in the state and MSAMB has been appointed as nodal agency for implementing this scheme. The produce brought by farmers will not be levied cess at the Shetkari bazaars in all districts and key taluka places by APMCs from the area. As per this resolution, a state level committee is setup under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister of Marketing, Govt. of Maharashtra, for implementing and monitoring of this scheme. The district level committees are also set up under the chairpersonship of respective district collectors with the following objectives4: To help farmers to get reasonable rates for their produce; To benefit consumers by giving them fresh produce at reasonable prices; Immediate value realization of the produce to farmers without any deductions; To provide produce in appropriate weights and measures to consumers; To being producers and consumers together to avoid chain of middlemen. The MSAMB has planned setting up of 100 Shetkari Bazars in the state by the next 5 years. The cost of setting up a single bazaar is estimated to be around 20 25 Lakh. Hence, MSAMB is providing loan to the maximum extent of 10 Lakh per beneficiary. Interest is subsidized up to 50% of the total loan. The rate of interest for the loan is 5% p.p. with 10 years payback period. To avail this loan, the APMC has to submit the proposal to the MSAMB along with the detailed plan and estimates and get prior approval for the same before beginning construction. There have been some compelling success stories in the realm of Contract farming which have transformed the fortunes of farmers belonging to specific regions of Maharashtra. Manchar village in Pune district of Maharashtra is famous for its high quality potato crops. Pepsico company recently began buying the produce of over 6000 acres of land in the area. The key elements of Pepsico’s success are its unique partnership with local agencies, execution of technology transfer through well trained extension personnel, supply of agricultural implements free of cost, regular and timely payment to farmers and the maintenance of a perfect logistic system. This is especially beneficial considering the amount of PHL minimised and the time saved by farmers who otherwise would need to transport their precious crops to the APMC market yard at the daily risk of losing some of their crops to handling, weather and potential road accidents. Recently, Sanghar Exports, Pune, also entered into contract farming of banana with the farmers in Pune (Phoolgaon) and Solapur. In this case however, the contract is only for the purchase of the agricultural produce. In conclusion, owing to the nature of the APMC marketing pipeline, inflationary practices have become inescapably endemic within the APMC marketing apparatus which can only be removed by a two-fold method. Firstly promotion and financing of alternative marketing channels such as Shetkari Bazaars, Contract farming and direct marketing must be followed. Secondly, by reducing the number of middlemen currently included within the APMC marketing process (such as dalals, auctioneers etc) along with increasing the number of licenses granted to more farmers and dalal shops from operating within the market yard shall lead to considerably reduced auction price rates since it inevitably leads to greater supply and more competitive bidding at the market auction yards at the market yards. Furthermore, there exists a dire need to strengthen existing marketing infrastructure, promote competitive alternative agricultural marketing infrastructure through involvement of private and cooperative sector, promote direct marketing and direct integration of processing units with produces, supply infrastructure resources meant to be utilised for standardization, grading and quality certification of agrarian goods, to introduce negotiable warehousing receipt system, also to promote pledge financing, forward and future markets and to create awareness and provide training to farmers, entrepreneurs and market functionaries on agricultural marketing. Hence, although these APMCs have facilitated the provision of a variety of services and forward linkages to farmers for long time after the opening up of Indian economy in late nineties, but, the age old practices and procedures incorporated within their functioning have invited criticism from all quarters in recent past. Since their incorporation, farmers have lost confidence in APMCs due to number of malpractices like lack of transparency, high charges levied by commission agents, wrong weightments and restriction of marketing licences for farmers and auctioneers alike (which curtails supply thereby exacerbating food price inflation). References and Bibliography: www.msamb.com www.nabard.org www.agmarknet.in http://www.msamb.com/schemes/default.htm All table sources: Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board Director Marketing, GOM, Pune.