Thursday, October 31, 2019

Neogiation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Neogiation - Assignment Example It is therefore correct to say that the refusal of the union to hear the proposals was not done in good faith. The section that I rely upon in this matter is article XXXIV section 2 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The section is clear about the 30 days notice to be given by the party intending to make the modifications. It further states that a conference is to be held 10 days before the expiration of the agreement. In this case, the agreement was expiring on June 15 2009 and the conference was held on 1 June 2009, 14 days before the expiration. The word shall, denotes that it was necessary for the communication to be done on the first day, but the action by the union was meant to bar the same from taking place. In fact, during the day, suggestions to the same effect had been made in the meeting. To avoid the conflict that arose, it would have been better is the employer had allowed for negotiations. This was a collective bargaining agreement and one party should not have seemed like the one imposing terms on the other. The employer should also have been clear on its intention and not waiting until 4:30 Pm to make a formal proposal. What is important is the intention of the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Roles of a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room Research Paper

Roles of a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room - Research Paper Example This research paper focuses on describing the profession and everyday duties of registered nurses, also known as (RN), that are the majority of the employees in the industry of health. They are often responsible for assigning tasks to other nurses, nursing assistants and licensed practitioners. The phrase registered is used for a reason, the researcher explaines, and this is because they are specialized and have more knowledge on a certain area in the hospital environment. Normally, there is a registered nurse for each section of the healthcare like oncology, neonatal and in the emergency room. This research paper discusses their duties and roles while in the emergency room. In conclusion, the researcher states that most registered nurses work as staff nurses, who are members of a medical team that provide critical health care. Nevertheless, some of the registered nurses opt to advance to practice nurses, who work together with other physicians or independently. They may also focus o n the stipulation of primary care services. They provide direct care for patients, and expert consultation services in the various specialties of nursing like psychiatric, mental health. Those who specialized in anesthetists, offer anesthesia and correlated care either before or after surgical or obstetrical and diagnostic procedures. They also offer emergency and pain management services like airway management. Nonetheless, there is an assortment of other areas that nurse could choose to specialize and get registered.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Growth of LGBT Images in Popular Culture

Growth of LGBT Images in Popular Culture Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of images of LGBT people in popular culture. Discuss this growth in visibility with reference to queer theory. In recent years we have witnessed a proliferation of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people (LGBT) in popular culture. An indication of why this has occurred can be found in the historical context from which modern homo-viability arose. Furthermore I will look at how this increased homo-visibility has challenged heteronormativity thus producing social changes through collective social action and innovation, furthermore I will look at examples of LGBT images in television and film and gay representation. After mapping changes I consider the positive and negative implications associated with the increase in images of LGBT people in popular culture and the effects of modern homo-visual representations with reference to Queer Theory. After mapping changes I consider whether Queer Theory offers an adequate account of changes or whether [other theories] give a more comprehensive analysis of why these developments occurred and whether they explain the positive and negative implications of the increase of visibility. Societal attitudes towards same-sex relationships vary over time and place; according to constructionists the meanings of sexual acts are historically, culturally and contextually specific. This is demonstrated when observing historical social changes in sexual orientation. Constructionists hold that sexual orientation is fluid and dynamic, and that sexuality is constructed by social factors and influenced by social changes. In some ancient societies sexual orientation was not subjected to the binary constraints that are used to define categorize and segregate those of difference in more recent times, therefore sexuality was ambiguous. Historically we have witnessed the regulation of sexual orientation through formal societal controls enforced through law and judicial mechanisms, demonstrated historically by the sodomy laws prohibited homosexuality and made a capital offence in Britain in 1810. Even today homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in some countries. This essay will look primarily at western societies and the historical context in which recognition of LGBT has become apparent. In modern western cultures, gay and lesbian people have been subjected to frequent prejudice and discrimination. This oppression often caused LGBT people to repress their true identities and sexual preference. 1973 was an important year for the LGBT community as the American Psychiatric Association removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders their definition of homosexuality. As a result homosexuality was no longer classed as a clinical mental disorder as something abnormal that needed medical treatment. Homosexual acts were decriminalized in the Western world by the 1970s but it was not until the mid-1970s that the LGBT community became visible because of active protest to gain social recognition, which was vital for the minority to fight for their civil rights. The Stonewall Riots in 1969 contributed to the increase in LGBT visibility. The Stonewall Riots were a series of violent conflicts between the LGBT community and New York City police officers. These riots lasted several days and were centered at the Stonewall Inn New York. These riots were widely recognized at the catalyst for the modern-day movement towards LGBT rights never before have the LGBT community acted collectively to forcibly resist police harassment. The activist movements of the 1960s and 70s inspired events such as pride parades and dyke marches, it also caused large numbers of gay men and lesbians to protest against repression, police entrapment, and other forms of discrimination. Howvever this was transformed by the AIDS epidemic that struck the gay community so devastatingly in the 1980s. The AIDS epidemic affected both heterosexuals and homosexuals; however it was largely portrayed in media representations and pubic spheres as a homosexual disease and attempts were made by homophobes to restrict media representations of homosexuality, the only representations of the LGBT community were negative and reinforced this negative stigma. Due to the homophobic past LGBT individuals were particularly vulnerable to the AIDS virus. Due to inadequate education LGBT individuals were not as aware of the precautions needed for safe sex in same-sex relations, and due to homo-invisibility only heterosexual safe-sex advice and education was available in schools. However, this horrific epidemic did provide the LGBT community with a public voice, increasing public visibility. Through collective action they struggled against this discrimination and organized campaigns to promote efforts in AIDS education, prevention, research, patient support, and community outreach. One important influential figure in AIDS activism through art is American pioneer Gran Fury. He formed a gay activist group called ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) This group aimed to inform a broad public and provoke direct action to end the AIDS crisis. His works include, the street-spanning banner announcing that All people with AIDS are innocent, The collectives image of three interracial homosexual and heterosexual couples kissing above the caption Kissing Doesnt Kill: Greed and Indifference Do In addition to the work of Gran Fury, caused several other significant public projects to arise in response to the AIDS crisis including SILENCE=DEATH Project and the Red Ribbon Project. This collective effort transformed the AIDS epidemic from a syndrome that many were reluctant to speak about to a subject that could be raised sympathetically in popular news magazines and on television programs. Old stereotypes were seen to be inappropriate and, while much coverage of the epidemic was homophobic, some ignorance was dispelled and as a result, AIDS awareness has now spread into the mainstream, creating its own sphere of community-based organizations, charitable institutions, and even magazines for those who are HIV-positive. During the 1980s and 1990s the LGBT community gained some legal protection and public recognition thorough collective action and protest. Laws decriminalizing homosexual behavior and prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and services were introduced. These were all positive achievements essential for the LGBT battle for equality and social acceptance; however, due to the increase in public visibility the LGBT community were affected by increased homophobia; LGBT individuals were victims of servere discrimination and hate crimes. Coming out still involved courage, indicating that negative implications of increased visibility persisted. Historically LGBT have had to face many struggles in order to become visible but due to collective action of the LGBT community, however their struggles have had both positive and negative consequences, today the gay community are visible in public, political domains, this increased visibility has allowed the gay community to express their gay culture through gay prides, rainbow flags, LGBT events and gaining increased visibility in many areas of visual popular culture including, magazines film, music and television The prevalence of LGBT representations in cinematic art and media representations prevailing in western culture has had positive contributions in challenging the dominance of heteronormativity through the increasing awareness of LGBT community. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have been have been slowly gaining recognition by through collective action they have challenged and helped reconfigure notions of what had been compulsive normative homosexual representations. This challenge has changed peoples perception of categories of difference (masculinity and femininity) and (homosexuality and heterosexuality). However not all gay representations are a positive, some media representation of LGBT individuals are distorted stereotypes. Typical media representations portrayals of gay men are sometimes negative, gay men are portrayed as ill from aids as demonstrated by the media representations of Freddy Mercury Effeminate These forms of stereotypes can cause negative implications for young gay men because they could see these representations as an ideal type. Lesbians are often portrayed in the media as butch man haters, or over feminized â€Å"lip-stick lesbians† these representations similarly to gay men are stereotypes and does typically not apply to all lesbians. Controversially lesbian visual representations are usually a fictional account distorted through a heteronormative lens of heterosexual males and capitalists self interest this is demonstrated in the picture below The power and dominance of heteronormative ideals has caused many past gay and lesbian film actors to feel the need to conceal their true sexual identity. Some feel they need to conform to heteronormative ideals in order to fulfil the fantasies of the heterosexual mainstream audience. Many gay actors wish to remain closeted, for example Rock Hudson Hudson said he would rather die before fans discovered he was gay he even misled magazines by posing with glamorous female stars. In 1985 that Hudson had AIDS, and a brief lover publicly outed him to the media. For most film stars open homosexuality, or even rumours of homosexuality, could end their careers. Therefore, it is not surprising that some gay and lesbian actors disguise their sexuality. However contemporary modern western societies we are slowly seeing changes in societal altitude, due to the fragmented nature of modern societal structure people no longer share common norms and values, this is due to the break down of social solidarity, this has caused people to fight the restrictive nature of heteronormativity. The British actor Rupert Everett came out publicly in 1989. Rather than ruining his career his openness of his sexual identity seems only to have made him more interesting to audiences. After his success in My Best Friends Wedding (1997), in which, however, he played a gay character, he landed a very big role as the voice of the heterosexual character prince charming in the famous film series of Shrek. Challenging this normative heterosexuality by broadening the range of identities and desires represented through the visual media has been a central concern in works created by independent lesbian/gay/ bisexual/transgender television and film makers, these films aim to centre and normalize homosexual identity. Many people see the success of Queer as Folk as evidence that TV shows can still be enormously popular and profitable due to the growing demand in the market for an un-distorted true representation of LGBT individuals lives. I have mapped out the historical context which has explained some of the social changes that have occurred that could have contributed to the proliferation of images of (LGBT) people in popular culture. I will now look at the views of Queer Theorists and their position and influence on the increase of LGBT images in popular culture. Queer theory was developed a response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which promoted a renewal of radical activism. This theory contested against the increased homophobia brought about by public responses to AIDS. Queer theory became occupied in part with what effects put into circulation around the AIDS epidemic necessitated and nurtured new forms of political organization, education and theorizing in queer. Queer theory developed out of unexamined constraints in the traditional identity politics of recognition and self-identity. Queer identity, unlike the other categories labeled lesbian or gay, has no interest in consolidating or stabilizing itself. It maintains its critique of identity-focus by understanding the formation of its own coalition; this may result in exclusionary effects in excess of those intended. Queer theory challenges heteronormativity by providing recognition to a wide array of non-normative sexualities and sexual practices therefore not only applying to lesbian and gay men, but transsexual, bisexual, intersexual individuals. Queer theorists aim to challenge the cultural notions of straight ideology by the deconstruction the constraints of gender and sexual categorization, through challenging heteronormative ideals they wish to de-stigmatize those affected by segregation and repression. Queer theorists hold that sexuality is fluid and therefore should not be restrained by categorization. The fragmentation characteristic of modern societies that has occurred has caused a decline in social solidarity therefore people do not share the same cultural norms, beliefs, or sexual orientation many people in modern societies have multiple identities therefore cannot be homogenized for the purpose of categorization. They focus on the individual subjective nature of gender and sexual identity and respect the meanings of these identities are only valid in that particular space and time. This perspective contrasts the essentialists theory, essentialists hold that gender and sexuality is an essential part of an individuals biology which is determined at birth this notion is rejected by queer theorists. Hollywood film productions pursues the straight theme as being the dominant theme to outline what masculine is. This is particularly noticeable in gangster films, action films and westerns, which never have weak (read: homosexual) men playing the heroes, with the recent exception of the film Brokeback Mountain. Queer theory looks at destabilizing and shifting the boundaries of these cultural constructions. Queer theory was originally associated with radical gay politics of ACT UP, Outrage! and other groups which embraced queer as an identity label that pointed to a separatist, non-assimilationist politics.[5] Queer theory developed out of unexamined constraints in the traditional identity politics of recognition and self-identity. Queer identity, unlike the other categories labeled lesbian or gay, has no interest in consolidating or stabilizing itself. It maintains its critique of identity-focus by understanding the formation of its own coalition; this may result in exclusionary effects in excess of those intended. Foucault theories contributed to the formulation of queer theory in his publication The History of Sexuality, he follows the social fluidity of gender and sexual orientation and the categorization of those of difference. He demonstrates how labels are created through different discourses and power relations therefore meanings reflect the social attitudes of that particular context E.g. Sodomy and homosexuality. According to Foucault he term homosexual was created through the discourses of medicine and especially psychiatry. But the consequences of this discourse transformed a previously socially accepted form of sexual expression to a sinful, mental condition. Foucault holds that prior to the invention of these labels of difference people were just people. Queer culture in general is intertwining with the common normative culture, with people being exposed to the ideas of gay pride and becoming more educated about queer studies in schools and society. Queer theorists focus on problems in classifying every individual as either male or female, even on a strictly biological basis. For example, the sex chromosomes (X and Y) may exist in atypical combinations (as in Klinefelters syndrome [XXY]). This complicates the use of genotype as a means to define exactly two distinct genders. Intersexed individuals may for many different biological reasons have ambiguous sexual characteristics Conclusion By the middle of the second decade of the twentieth century, the conception of homosexuality as a distinct identity category, with implications of mental and physical illness, homosexuality was no longer defined as a mental disorder Although homosexuality would not be categorized as a distinct type of deviant personality until the beginning of the twentieth century, heterosexual values were effectively imposed throughout western society during the nineteenth century In the new millennium, gay activism has increasingly become less galvanized by the specter of AIDS and has seemingly splintered into dozens of micro-movementsfocusing on issues ranging from gays in the military to parenting, same-sex marriage, workplace fairness. Yet others raise questions about the stigmatization of the gay body in those media that treat AIDS as a sign of the perversion of gay sexual practices and reinforce prejudices and stereotypes that contribute to homophobia. Some represent the gay body in terms of its erotic and sensual power, while others, in the hope of raising awareness, inscribe it within the structure of their art as a positive model of affirmation and sexual liberation. In contemporary visual representations, the gay body manifests itself through the presentation of iconographic codes and semantic referents constituted in the objectification of sociosexual and cultural actions of the gay community. Whether active or passive participants in this community, gay artists express themselves by proposing their sexuality as a locus for learning and communicating real experience, all the while critiquing media-promulgated stereotypes which they dispute, reject or adopt. For more than two decades, precipitated by the feminist movement, the gay/lesbian liberation movement, and the AIDS crisis, discourses of gender, sexuality, and sexual identity have been central to visual representation. As closet doors protecting compulsory heterosexuality(6) are opened and the sight lines of those constrained within are expanded our system of difference/s is seen at every level to bear traces of coerced subordination. Bibliography Halperin, David (1990) in Jagose, Annamarie (1996) Queer Theory. An Introduction. New York University  Press. Original emphasis . Foucault, Michel (1981) The History of Sexuality, vol. 1, An Introduction. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin, Queer Cinema: The Film Reader. New York and Oxford: Routledge.  (2004): 6. Thomas Waugh, The Fruit Machine: Twenty Years of Writings on Queer Cinema. Durham and London: Duke University Press. (2000): 239. Paul Lee, â€Å"Directors Notes,† CFMDC archives. Jim Hubbard, â€Å"Introduction: A Short, Personal History of Lesbian and Gay Experimental Film.† Millennium Film Journal On-line, 41 (2003). [Online]. Available: http://mfj-online.org/journalPages/MFJ41/hubbardpage.html Benshoff, H. and Griffin, S. Queer Cinema: The Film Reader. New York and Oxford: Routledge, 2004. Bruce, J. â€Å"Queer Cinema at the NFB: The ‘Strange Case of Forbidden Love.† In J. Leach and J. Sloniowski (Eds.). Candid Eyes: Essays on Canadian Documentaries. Toronto, Buffalo and London: University of Toronto Press. (2003): 164-180. Goldie, Terry. (Ed.). In a Queer Country. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2001. Waugh, Thomas. The Fruit Machine: Twenty Years of Writings on Queer Cinema. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2000. Andersson, Yvonne (2001) Dokusà ¥por en verklighet fà ¶r sig? Granskningsnà ¤mndens  rapportserie, Rapport nr 8. Butler, Judith (1993) Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex. New York:  Routledge. Carlshamre, Staffan (1987) Language and Time: An Attempt to Arrest the Thought of Jacques  Derrida. Gà ¶teborg: Acta Universitatis. Castells, Manuel (1996, 1998, 2000) Informationsà ¥ldern. Ekonomi, samhà ¤lle och Kultur.  Band I III. Gà ¶teborg: Daidalos. Dyer, Richard (ed) (1977) Gays and Film, London: British Film Institute.   Foucault, Michel (1981) The History of Sexuality, vol. 1, An Introduction. Harmondsworth:  Penguin. Giddens Anthony (1997) Modernitet och sjà ¤lvidentitet. Sjà ¤lvet och samhà ¤llet i den senmoderna  epoken. Gà ¶teborg: Daidalos. Hall, Stuart (1990) Cultural Identity and Diaspora. In Woodward, Kathryn (ed) (1997)  Identity and Difference,. London: Sage. Hall, Stuart (ed) (1997) Representation. Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices.  London: Sage. Jagose, Annamarie (1996) Queer Theory. An Introduction. New York University Press. Mc Chesney, R W (2001) All makt à ¥t medierna. Eller ge folk vad folk vill ha?  Stockholm: Bokfà ¶rlaget DN. Moore, Henrietta (1994) Divided we stand. Sex, Gender and Sexual Difference. In Woodward,  Kathryn (ed) (1997) Identity and Difference. London: Sage. Ortner, Sherry B (1974) Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture? In Ortner, Sherry B (1996)  Making Gender. The Politics and Erotics of Culture. Boston: Beacon Press. Robins, Kevin (1997) Global Times: what in the world is going on? In du Gay, P (ed)  Production of Culture/Cultures of Production, London: Sage. Rosaldo, M (1974) Women, Culture and Society; a theorethical overview. In Rosaldo, M and Lamphere, L (eds) (1974) Women, Culture and Society.  Stanford: Stanford University Press. Woodward, Kathryn (ed) (1997) Identity and Difference. London: Sage

Friday, October 25, 2019

Ole Mac :: essays research papers

I live close to a town called, Hot Coffee, down by the Mississippi River with my family on a small farm. I have two brothers and one sister. When we come home from school we have chores waiting for us. My errand is to feed chickens and collect the eggs for Mama. My older brother Bobby, chops wood for our heat and cooking. Mike, the youngest brother is ten and the smartest of us kids. Well at least we thought he was. His job is feeding the mule Ole Mac.Ole Mac is nine years old and the best mule Daddy ever had. Daddy talked well of Mac, about how strong he is, and how easy he is to plow. Daddy is always saying best dang mule in the county. Mac stands 14 hands tall and 4 feet across the back. He is the biggest mule I've ever seen, and according to Daddy he is also the smartest.One day Mike came by the chicken coop coming from the barn with a big smile."Why you smiling Mike?" I asked opening the coop gate heading for the house too."Oh nothin, nothin at all." He said with that big grin."Oh come on what is it?""Nothin I said and leave me alone." He said running ahead of me toward the house. "Here you are Mama." I said handing her the ten eggs I'd collected."Not bad Jimbo." I loved my Mama more than anything, but I wished she would stop calling me Jimbo. If she kept it up everybody would start doing it. She stirred my hair seeing my frown, she beamed and said, "Sorry I mean James." I smiled at her, "Thanks Mama." "You go wash up for supper now. Your daddy will be in from the fields soon.""Ok." I said going down the hallway to the bathroom.I could hear her talking to Mike."Boy, what in the world are you so happy about." "Nothin Ma, I'm just smilen. Can't I smile?" "Boy, when you smile, I get worried.""Oh Ma, I ain't done nothin for you to worry about." I could hear the smile in his voice. I don't know what Mike did, but I knew it wasn't good. Mike was a smart kid, but sometimes he was too smart for his own good.Bobby was the oldest, at 14 an a half as he called himself. He wasn't the brightest boy you'd want to meet, but at 14 and standing 5'10" all muscle, and let me say this nobody at school said a cross word to him.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

My Teacher, My Hero Essay

Teaching is an option. Sainthood is a preference. Heroism is a choice. Have you ever wondered what a true hero is like? When people say hero, they usually think of cartoon characters like Superman, Spiderman, or SpongeBob. If you mean a hero in cartoon or movies, then someone who is the strongest person around who wants to bring peace and justice. Heroes are not like real superheroes, people who could fly, who could hold a car using their forefinger, not even fighting villains for saving the world. Then, what is a hero? When talking about heroes, they’re the one who strengthen you, the one who are at your side whenever you’re down because they are there to lift you up. Your hero can be your mom, dad, brother, sister, a friend or it can be your teacher. Well, a teacher for me is most likely a hero because they do lots of things just to do their works. A teacher is similar to a hero for some reasons. Noisy students, lesson plans, tons of paper works, mountains of test papers – these are all a part of a teacher’s work. Despite the demanding situations and long hours of work, teachers of today persevere and endure, recognizing the crucial role they play in molding the minds of the future generations. As the unsung nation builders, they plant seeds of information and ensure the holistic growth of their students. They find time to manage and take care of the class; they serve as the student’s second parent. They mold the young minds to become the nation’s hope and great asset. Teachers generate interest in subjects that students often find tedious. Rousing students from their apathy and watching their curiosity grow is a giant reward for them.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Abnormal assessment Essay

Describe 3 abnormal assessment findings for a child, adolescent, pregnant woman, adult or older adult which indicate a nutritional problem. What additional questions should the nurse ask based on these findings? What are the Healthy People Goals for this population? How can the nurse promote health and adequate nutrition based on this problem? Does the nutritional problem have any legal or ethical implications? Adolescents Three abnormal assessment findings for an adolescent are as follows: malnutrition, obesity, eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. First and foremost, being sensitive to the patient’s self-image can be crucial. Talking with them in a non-judgmental way can be key in maintain a great relationship with them. Once we establish a trusting relationship, we as nurses may begin to promote health and adequate nutrition through teaching methods. Even if the nutritional issue is outside our comfort zone we may reach out to another professional for guidance, such as a Registered Dietitian. If we didn’t have to take that big of a step we can always use not only our knowledge, knowledge of coworkers and other medical professionals, but also the books and other various tools that we have used on our educational journey. Discussing BMI according to the adolescent’s gender and age is an important factor in health promotion. One helpful guide to healthy eating is the My Pyramid. Physical activity with healthy food choices is a great way to manage your weight and maintaining your overall healthy body. Many adolescents like to skip meals or have irregular meal patterns. I know first-hand that we have busy lives but being able to be consistent and eat healthy or the healthier of choice of meals will allow us to continue to maintain a healthier body. A healthy diet should be balanced with adequate physical activity. I know some people work late nights so food choices are much more limited in this scenario. Choosing foods that aren’t high in fat will definitely help with nutrition. Sometimes people see themselves as being a certain way which alters their eating habits. You could have someone that is of healthy size and weight that may see themselves as being overweight. In their mind they need to lose this weight which affects them in the future. As they start to diet and possibly exercise more, their body may not be receiving the necessary nutrients it needs in order to maintain a healthy status. This can lead to malnutrition. Some physical signs and symptoms suggestive of malnutrition are as follows (Jensen, 2011): * Hair that is dull, brittle, dry, or falls out easily * Swollen glands of the neck and cheeks * Dry, rough, or spotty skin that may have a sandpaper feel * Poor or delayed wound healing or sores * Thin appearance with lack of subcutaneous fat * Muscle wasting (decreased size and strength) * Edema of the lower extremities * Weakened hand grasp * Depressed mood * Abnormal heart rate, heart rhythm, or blood pressure * Enlarged liver or spleen * Loss of balance or coordination Abnormal findings of malnutrition are as follows (Jensen, 2011): Mild malnutrition: 80%-90% of ideal weight Moderate malnutrition: 70%-80% of ideal weight Severe malnutrition: < 70% of ideal weight Questions: What have you eaten in the last 24 hours? Is this intake typical? What did you drink in the last 24 hours? What is your typical meal pattern? Have you noticed a change in your weight? Are you concerned about your weight? Do you think that you are too fat? Do you think that you are too skinny? Do you ever use diet supplements or laxatives or limit the amount of calories you ingest? What type of physical activity do you get each week? According to healthy people 2020 the goal for nutrition and weight status is to promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights (Healthy People, 2012). In regards to the question, â€Å"does the nutritional problem have any legal or ethical implications,† it would depend on the situation. If the adolescent was in the care of a facility and they were not providing the necessary nutrients for them to survive then there would definitely be a legal issue at hand. If the adolescent was experiencing this issue on their own as say a self-identity issue then it is more of an ethical scenario. There are various situations and there may be a different answer to similar questions or maybe even different answers to the same question but given to different patients. This is why we do the assessments. We need to gather all the information and implement the best approach for that particular pati ent.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Cloze Tests to Determine Reading Comprehension

Cloze Tests to Determine Reading Comprehension When teachers wish to measure how well a student comprehends a reading passage, they often turn to Cloze tests. In a Cloze test, the teacher removes a certain number of words that the student then needs to fill in as they read through the passage. For example, a language arts teacher might have their students fill in the blanks for the following reading passage: _____ mother is upset with _____ because I got caught  _____ a rainstorm. Sadly, I ______ my umbrella at home. _____ clothes got soaked. I ______ I wont get sick. Students are then instructed to fill in the blanks for the passage. Teachers are able to use the student’s answers to determine the reading level of the passage. Why Readability Formulas Are Not Enough While readability formulas can tell teachers how complex a reading passage is based on vocabulary and grammar, it does not reveal how difficult a passage might be in terms of reading comprehension. For example: He waved his hands.He waived his rights. If you were to run these sentences through readability formulas, they would have similar scores. However, it is obvious that while students might easily understand the first sentence, they might not comprehend the legal implications of the second. Therefore, we need a method to help teachers measure how difficult a particular passage is for students to comprehend. History of the Cloze Test In 1953, Wilson L. Taylor researched closure tasks as a method to determine reading comprehension. What he found was that having students use context clues from the surrounding words to fill in the blanks as in the example above has a high correlation with how readable the passage is for the student. He called this procedure a Cloze Test. Over time, researchers  have tested the Cloze method and found that it does indeed indicate reading comprehension levels.   How to Create a Typical Cloze Test There are a number of methods that teachers use to create Cloze tests. Following is one of the most common methods used: Replace every fifth word with a blank. This is where the students are to fill in the missing word.Have students write only one word in each blank. They are to work through the test making sure to write a word for each missing word in the passage.Encourage students to guess as they go through the test.Tell students that they do not need to worry about spelling errors as these will not be counted against them. Once you have administered a Cloze test, you will need to ‘grade’ it. As you explained to your students, misspellings are to be ignored. You are only looking for how well students understood what words to use based on contextual clues. However, in most instances, you will only count an answer as correct if the student answers with the exact missing word. In the example above, the correct answers should be:   My mother is upset with me because I got caught  in a rainstorm. Sadly, I left my umbrella at home. My clothes got soaked. I hope I wont get sick. Teachers can count up the number of errors and assign a percentage score based on the number of words that the student guessed correctly. According to Nielsen, a score of 60% or more indicates reasonable comprehension on the part of the student. Using Cloze Tests There are a number of ways that teachers can use Cloze Tests. One of the most effective uses of these tests is to help them make decisions about reading passages that they will be assigning to their students. The Cloze procedure can help them determine what passages to assign students, how long to give them to read specific passages, and how much they can expect students to comprehend on their own without additional input from the teacher. Note, however, that Cloze tests are diagnostic. Since they are not standard assignments testing a student’s understanding of  the  material that has been taught, the student’s percentage score should not be used when figuring out their final grade for the course. Source Jakob Nielsen, Cloze Test for Reading Comprehension. Nielsen  Norman  Group, February 2011

Monday, October 21, 2019

the platypus essays

the platypus essays The platypus, apparently, is a surprisingly deep sleeper. What's more, it spends more of its time in so-called 'REM' sleep than any other mammal. These are the conclusions of a study on sleep in the platypus by Jerry M. Siegel of the Sepulveda Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, North Hills, California and colleagues. Their report appears in a special number of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society devoted to the biology of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), celebrating the bicentenary of the discovery, in Australia, of this remarkable animal. 'REM' stands for 'rapid eye-movement' and is the kind of sleep in which the brain can be more active than in it is while awake, the animal twitches, and the eyelids flicker hence the name. In humans, REM sleep is associated with But does the platypus have an extraordinarily rich dream life? Possibly not, say the researchers: "cats, opossums, armadillos and other mammals not known for their intellectual achievements have far more REM sleep, whether calculated in hours per day or as a percentage of total sleep time, than And why study sleep in the platypus anyway? After all, the platypus is an obscure and extremely primitive creature, distantly related to humans. The answer lies in that primitive state: studying the physiology of the platypus could yield clues about the life and behaviour of the very earliest mammals. The platypus belongs to a group of mammals with very ancient roots. Apart from the platypus itself, the group the mono...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Navajo Soldiers World War II Code Talkers

Navajo Soldiers World War II Code Talkers World War II had no shortage of heroes, but the conflict likely would’ve ended on a completely different note for the United States without the efforts of the Navajo soldiers known as Code Talkers. At the onset of the war, the U.S. found itself vulnerable to Japanese intelligence specialists who used their English-speaking soldiers to intercept the messages issued by the U.S. military. Each time the military devised a code, Japanese intelligence experts deciphered it. As a result, they not only learned which actions U.S. forces would take before they carried them out but gave the troops bogus missions to confuse them. To prevent the Japanese from intercepting subsequent messages, the U.S. military developed highly intricate codes that could take more than two hours to decrypt or encrypt. This was far from an efficient way to communicate. But ​World War I veteran Philip Johnston would change that by suggesting that the U.S. military develop a code based on the Navajo language. A Complex Language World War II did not mark the first time the U.S. military developed a code based on an indigenous language. In World War I, Choctaw speakers served as code talkers. But Philip Johnston, a missionary’s son who grew up on the Navajo reservation, knew that a code based on the Navajo language would be especially difficult to break. For one, the Navajo language was largely unwritten at the time and many words in the language have different meanings depending on context. Once Johnston demonstrated to the Marine Corps how effective a Navajo-based code would be in thwarting intelligence breaches, the Marines set out to sign up Navajos as radio operators. The Navajo Code in Use In 1942, 29 Navajo soldiers ranging in age from 15 to 35 years old collaborated to create the first U.S. military code based on their indigenous language. It started off with a vocabulary of about 200 but tripled in quantity by the time World War II ended. The Navajo Code Talkers could pass messages in as few as 20 seconds. According to the official Navajo Code Talkers website, indigenous words that sounded like military terms in English made up the code. â€Å"The Navajo word for turtle meant ‘tank,’ and a dive-bomber was a ‘chicken hawk.’ To supplement those terms, words could be spelled out using Navajo terms assigned to individual letters of the alphabet- the selection of the Navajo term being based on the first letter of the Navajo word’s English meaning. For instance, ‘Wo-La-Chee’ means ‘ant,’ and would represent the letter ‘A.’† U.S. Triumphs With Code The code was so complex that not even native Navajo speakers comprehended it. â€Å"When a Navajo listens to us, he wonders what in the world we’re talking about,† Keith Little, the late code talker, explained to news station My Fox Phoenix in 2011. The code also proved unique because the Navajo soldiers weren’t allowed to write it down once on frontlines of the war. The soldiers functioned essentially as â€Å"living codes.† During the first two days of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the code talkers transmitted 800 messages with no mistakes. Their efforts played a key role in the U.S. emerging from the Battle of Iwo Jima as well as the battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, and Okinawa victoriously. â€Å"We saved a lot of lives†¦, I know that we did,† Little said. Honoring the Code Talkers The Navajo Code Talkers may have been World War II heroes, but the public didn’t realize it because the code created by the Navajos remained a top military secret for decades following the war. Finally in 1968, the military declassified the code, but many believed that the Navajos didn’t receive the honors befitting of war heroes. In April 2000, Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico sought to change that when he introduced a bill authorizing the U.S. president to award gold and silver congressional medals to the Navajo Code Talkers. In December 2000, the bill went into effect. â€Å"It has taken too long to properly recognize these soldiers, whose achievements have been obscured by twin veils of secrecy and time,† Bingaman said. â€Å"†¦I introduced this legislation – to salute these brave and innovative Native Americans, to acknowledge the great contribution they made to the Nation at a time of war, and to finally give them their rightful place in history.† Code Talkers Legacy The Navajo Code Talkers’ contributions to the U.S. military during World War II entered popular culture when the film â€Å"Windtalkers,† starring Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach, debuted in 2002. Although the movie received mixed reviews, it exposed a large swath of the public to World War II’s Native American heroes. The Navajo Code Talkers Foundation, an Arizona nonprofit, also functions to raise awareness about these skillful soldiers and celebrate Native American culture, history and heritage.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Conversation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conversation - Essay Example At the very beginning of the conversation he felt free expressing his emotions, but as more we were talking as more his gestures were becoming abrupt, so he was gesturing more when he was trying to prove something and he was standing crossing his hands on the chest while listening to my retorts. It was very obvious when Mike disagreed with me, because he put his right forefinger on his mouth like he was trying to close his lips with something in order not to say anything when he disagreed with me. Furthermore, in the moments when our conversation turned into a hot discussion, he uncrossed his legs and stood up in a straight posture, bending his chest towards me like if he wanted to fight with me. As for Mike’s facial expressions they were multiple and depended on the course of our conversation. When we got into discussion, Mike’s facial expressions demonstrated aggression, for instance, he frown his knit brows and screwed up his lips. However when we agreed with each ot her’s points he usually smiled and his pupils became bigger. As far as our conversation mostly consisted of discussions and arguments the general tone and cadence of the verbal part of it were intensive and mostly were conducted on raised voice. When we just started the conversation our tones were soft and our voices were of the same volume. Notwithstanding that our discussion started unexpectedly, we had been raising our tones since the very moment our disagreement appeared. Thus our voices had been rising for some period of time, until we started almost yelling at each other, but then we had to lower our voices into whispering, because it was prohibited to turn on caps lock voice in the museum. Still even when we had to whisper, we used voice inflections in order to emphasize on the specific points, which each of us tried to make the other

Friday, October 18, 2019

Smoking & its Harms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking & its Harms - Research Paper Example ed smoking in the public areas as escalating pollution problems, mounting diseases and increase in death rate of citizens activated healthcare organizations to raise voice. Fine of $50 was imposed on the law violators (Adams and Malarcher, 2012). The movement brought considerable results as huge majority of the individuals immediately stopped smoking in public areas but after few months; people were back on track again. Violation of law started again and smoking scenario can be seen in the city. The amount is not that paramount though but pollution in the city is rising due to this problem. People do not smoke in public parks, public transport, and bars but on pedestrian trails; smokers are found (Patel, Thomson and Wilson, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problem of smoking in NYC. What is the importance and significance of this problem and what measures are essential to eradicate this problem. The movement started in the recent years along with public response is illustrated in this paper. Moreover critical analysis is exemplified for precise understanding about the issue. The creation of law of non smoking in 2003 had strong basis of the death of 50,000 individuals per annum. The 14 miles beaches of the city beside 1700 parks were declared non smoking areas. The City Council of New York passed the law by keeping in view casualties of several individuals. Smoking was banned on pedestrian walk through, bars, shopping malls too. Respiratory infections, lungs cancer, asthma and cardio vascular diseases emerged due to cigarette smokers. Smokers lay negative impact on the society too. People are not able to enjoy on public spots due to smoking and even pessimistic message is taken by the children (Ossad, 2011). The law against smoking free NYC was formulated in 1988 but amendments in it continued for three consecutive times. Lately in 2003, the law was enforced vibrantly into the city. The rise of this critical issue was important because of

Political system of saudi arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political system of saudi arabia - Essay Example This is all about making judgments in areas of disagreements between religious and supreme interests. In addition to that, the King keeps the tribes together, since there is a tribal structure in the state of Saudi Arabia. The Royal Family has the power to overthrow the king, supposedly. In 2005, the succession of the throne by King Abdullah progressed without any disturbances; just it has been same in the past (Maik et al 3). Recently, King Abdul-Aziz has put in place the rules for the succession by selecting an heir for the post of crown prince and deputy Prime minister. Saudi kings have also fixed a second deputy prime minister, who is next in turn on the unofficial succession line- up, since 1975, in order to maintain their control on the succession progression. Typically, the successors are the sons of the founder of Saudi-Arabia. Usually, the eldest brother is the new king while the second eldest brother, becomes crown prince. The Saudi Arabian Government The crowned king is th e main foundation of power in Saudi Arabian government while other senior princes enjoy immense authority and extensive liberty of action. Though, in practice the King’s powers are restricted and are achieved by consensus. The King has a responsibility to observe Islamic law and other country traditions at all the times. Saudi Arabia has also a heritage of decision making through consultation.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Linked -- The New Science of Networks by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi Essay

Linked -- The New Science of Networks by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi - Essay Example The nodes are identified using links that allow us to move from one web page to another with every click. Web pages act as switches that keep the society up to date with current information. Barabasi and his research team realized that in the World Wide Web exist connector nodes, which somehow assemble many more links than other nodes. These connector nodes are often referred as hubs and have a wider range of connection links. Barabasi and his coworkers realized that the structure of World Wide Web is composed of highly interlinked hubs. The topology of the Internet restricts its users’ ability to see everything out there. The World Wide Web contains a number of small scale structures that limit the level to which it can be explored. The internet comprises both hardware and software, and other sub-systems. All these work together with the World Wide Web, establishing a connection that makes it possible to share information. People in this diverse system are by no means insigni ficant. It is because of the genius minds of many scientists that the web exists today. Millions of people work to maintain and monitor components of the system round the clock. DNS server, giant routers and switches, protocols, web browsers are just some of the vital components and elements of the World Wide Web. Terrorist Network The tragic terrorism events of September 11, 2001, caught people’s attention worldwide. Barabasi describes terrorist groups as webs without spiders. A network of terrorists is often small and has few resources; it tends to rely on other means such as the hit-and-run acts of violence. Al-Qaeda, the terrorist network held accountable for many terrorist attacks, was created over a long period. Driven by religious thinking and intolerance to the social and political system, many were attracted to the radical organization over the years. The network extended bit by bit to become a large web without a spider. Al-Qaeda is so well spread and self-sustainin g that even removing Osama bin Laden might not eliminate the danger they create. The terrorist network has become a diverse network that constantly changes its system as per its current plans. It has many secretive nodes that are hard to trace; it is quite challenging to identify the people who comprise its various nodes. Terrorist networks have objectives and links to social networks, which qualifies them to be called systems. Hollywood and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon network Barabasi describes hubs as connectors in scale free networks. The Bacon factor is a popular bit of entertainment trivia, which demonstrates how any Hollywood star can link to actor Kevin Bacon and other actors within six â€Å"moves† between people. This network consists of nodes, actors, producers, animators, writers and other related groups. A link is created every time a new video is produced. The Hollywood network thus offers a clear demonstration of a web, with different hubs and nodes, mostly repre sented by human beings, and links represented by the human relationships. Can we say that human beings are components in some way and that they satisfy a stated idea? The principle of the Hollywood network is to produce films. The public continuously demands new films from Hollywood. However, this seldom happens because the characters rarely act together in all movies. Many work independently minding their own business without affecting other movie productions. The Hollywood ne

Profiling 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiling 4 - Essay Example Technology which causes victimization includes cyber net, cell phones, ATM machines, electronic data transfer etc. However, in the contemporary world the most intense victimization is seen over the internet. Within the last few years internet identity crime has gained enough recognition throughout the world (Gray, 2010). This is based upon an individual’s personal identity numbers, bank accounts, school information or any other security code which is unique to every person around the globe. Online criminals hack or steal this information and then they use it for causing financial, physical or moral damage to the victim. Victimization is now increasing with a stimulating rate as compared to the past. Moreover, the lack of awareness regarding internet identity crime has also facilitated it to a greater extent (Gray, 2010). People suffering from victimization are usually reluctant to contact law enforcement agencies because of embarrassment or due to the chances of further victimization by the offender. It is significantly easier for any cybercriminal to harass an individual by staying at a distance. This increases the complexity of the situation for law enforcing agencies since they fail to trace the offenders. Online criminals do not only harm individuals rather they possess the ability of destroying large corporations, for instance, by simply causing them financial loss or interrupting the bank transactions (Gray, 2010). Victims of online crime belong to a relatively narrowed group of people who are largely neglected by the judiciary system. Victimology was only recognized in the middle 20th century, before that, criminals were the major focus of the law enforcement agencies. There are primarily three factors which initiates victimization in this era of technological advancement. These include the environmental affects, characteristics of the offender and most importantly the precipitation of the victim. Environment

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Application of ERP within a particular sector or type of organisation Essay

Application of ERP within a particular sector or type of organisation - Essay Example It goes a long into maintaining the businesses production and competitive edge while most businesses are struggling to produce. In this paper, various case studies on the applications of ERP will be discussed. It is proposed that more should be considered in the implementation process; careful transition management, bureaucracy, network organization and most importantly culture readiness. Management should prepare the employees so that the transition is smooth and successful. Data collected was secondary. Lessons on how ERP helped curb organizational problems is discussed and explained in depth. Recommendations and possible solutions are provided too (Al-Mudimigh 2001). ERP systems usually organize a company’s resource accordingly in order to render them profitable, efficient and productive. This study focuses on the stages that should be applied in instilling the appropriate strategies in most organizations for the purpose of implementing Enterprise Resource Planning. In organizations where this strategy is embraced, enormous and distinguished performance is perceived. If this is the case, it denotes that inevitable and dramatic failures have being too vivid due to the strongholds resistances for the change. It is a common issue when making any implementation of the operation of a company or any organization, resistance happens to be a barrier from the working mate amongst other barriers. These impediments may at-most end up sabotaging the change that was intended and counteract innovation and creativity. Employee’s environment plays a critical role in gauging the level of productivity for any firm it being profit oriented or non-pro fit oriented. This study cultivates on the challenges encountered with implementation of ERP and the prospective approaches for dealing with them (Strauss 2000). Service companies as well are in demand of the use of ERP services in their day to day operations (Davenport

Profiling 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiling 4 - Essay Example Technology which causes victimization includes cyber net, cell phones, ATM machines, electronic data transfer etc. However, in the contemporary world the most intense victimization is seen over the internet. Within the last few years internet identity crime has gained enough recognition throughout the world (Gray, 2010). This is based upon an individual’s personal identity numbers, bank accounts, school information or any other security code which is unique to every person around the globe. Online criminals hack or steal this information and then they use it for causing financial, physical or moral damage to the victim. Victimization is now increasing with a stimulating rate as compared to the past. Moreover, the lack of awareness regarding internet identity crime has also facilitated it to a greater extent (Gray, 2010). People suffering from victimization are usually reluctant to contact law enforcement agencies because of embarrassment or due to the chances of further victimization by the offender. It is significantly easier for any cybercriminal to harass an individual by staying at a distance. This increases the complexity of the situation for law enforcing agencies since they fail to trace the offenders. Online criminals do not only harm individuals rather they possess the ability of destroying large corporations, for instance, by simply causing them financial loss or interrupting the bank transactions (Gray, 2010). Victims of online crime belong to a relatively narrowed group of people who are largely neglected by the judiciary system. Victimology was only recognized in the middle 20th century, before that, criminals were the major focus of the law enforcement agencies. There are primarily three factors which initiates victimization in this era of technological advancement. These include the environmental affects, characteristics of the offender and most importantly the precipitation of the victim. Environment

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Growing afraid Essay Example for Free

Growing afraid Essay Pip describes the afternoon as being raw, which describes the bitterness of the weather, the weather is almost attacking Pip. The graveyard can be described as very old because overgrown with nettles lays a churchyard, which is uncared for and in an instant it could just crumble away. Pip again adds significant words, as he repeats all of the names on the gravestones, Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias and Roger that have died in this harsh place, Pip reads it as if it were a list with so many people there, who have been there for a long period of time. Dark, flat, wilderness beyond the churchyard again explains the lack of community and the Isolation around the area. Dickens personifies wind as the wind was rushing, as if it were rushing to get Pip who was at the time a small bundle of shivers growing afraid. The marshlands had an effect not only on Pip, but the convict also, the convict had been smothered in mud and lamed by stones and cut by flints, and stung by nettles and torn by briars, showing he had escaped for a long time and had spent most of his time hiding in the marshlands. As the convict roughly treats Pip, he tilts him over, gradually down to the floor, he gives Pip a greater sense of helplessness and danger which adds to the atmosphere significantly. Toward the end of the chapter, a sad atmosphere is created, as the convict hugged his shuddering body in both arms clasping himself as if to hold himself together. The convict limps toward the low church wall producing an image of one who is close to death. Pip creates another childish imagination but this one describes the dead rising up stretching up cautiously out of their graves, showing how much fear he had in him at the time. The marshes are depicted as just a long black horizontal line with the sky being just like a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed, describing the darkness, and anger in Pips world. Charles Dickens leaves you with eerie images of death, of a limping man, as if he were a pirate come to life and come down and going back to hook himself up again. We are introduced to Miss Havisham first as an immensely rich and grim lady, a notorious woman who lived in a large house that was heavily barricaded against robbers. She is described as living a life of seclusion which leads us to believe that she is isolated, miserable and depressed. Pip describes her as being the strangest lady he had ever seen. She was dressed in rich materials, satins, lace and silks, all that are symbols of wealth. She had a long white veil dependent from her hair which makes us believe that she is a bit odd wearing bridal wear for no apparent reason. Her hair was white which symbolizes that she is quite old. Another symbol of wealth is created because she had some bright jewels sparkling around her neck. Pip states that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress which is another clue to her being quite old. We are given another unhealthy image of Miss Havisham, of her dying, the book reflects this by stating that there was no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes and her figure had hung loose and had shrunk to skin and bone. She states that she had never seen the sun since she was born, this makes the reader feel that she is again isolated and hiding away from life outside. She is also a cold-hearted person, because she says that her heart was broken with an eager look on her face. We learn that she despises adults, and that she acts like a child, the novel portrays this by stating that she has sick fancies and she orders Pip with an impatient movement of the hand to play. When Estella came to play with Pip, Miss Havisham says to Estella that she can break Pips heart, this indicates that Miss Havisham has set out to seek revenge on men, and that is one of the reasons why she brought Pip to her house. There is a sense that life has ceased for Miss Havisham, the book shows this by stating that her silk stocking once white, now yellow had been trodden ragged. Pip says that the frillings and trimmings on her bridal dress looked like earthy paper which describes it as being fragile, like Miss Havisham herself. After Pip had finished playing cards with Estella, Miss Havisham states You shall go home soon, Play the game out this illustrates to the reader that she is depressed and emotionally hurt, and is not to used to the company of others, so she sends him away. She had an appearance of dropped body and soul, within and without, under the weight of a crushing blow which leads us to believe that the marriage which didnt take place, has caused her to drop her body and drop her soul. Miss Havisham once again thinks highly of herself, acting as if she owns Pip, she expresses this by stating When shall I have you here again? . We also learn that she is a misguided woman because she says she doesnt know anything about the days of the week, or the weeks of the year. We first learn that Estella is selfish and speaks in an scornful manner to anyone she isnt familiar with, the evidence of this is that after Pip politely said that she could go in first, she replied by saying Dont be ridiculous boy; I am not going in and she also left Pip in the dark by taking the candle with her. When Pip called her name out to play with him, she didnt come straight away, she took her time, deliberately trying to be awkward. When Miss Havisham tried the jewel on Estella, she obviously had intentions for her to get married. Estella thinks she is better than Pip, the evidence of this is that when she was ordered by Miss Havisham to play with Pip, she replied With this boy! Why he is a common labouring boy! . When Estella asked Pip what games he played, she asked it in the greatest disdain which makes us believe she is strict and again scornful and looks down on lower classes. Estella is used as a weapon, a heartbreaker by Miss Havisham, who as we know wants to treat men as she was treated, Miss havisham illustrates this by stating beggar him to Estella. Estella has no respect for Pip and thinks highly of herself and no one else, the evidence of this is that she says, he calls the knaves, jacks this boy! and what coarse hands he has. This leaves an effect on Pip as he becomes ashamed of his hands. She was watching Pip creating tension, trying to make him do wrong, so that she could insult him more on his faults. Pip tells us this by stating she was lying in wait for me to do wrong; and she denounced me for a stupid, clumsy labouring boy As Pip was whispering to Miss Havisham, even though she wasnt saying anything, Estella was making Pip say nice things about her with her eyes, the evidence of this is that she was looking at Pip with look of supreme aversion. As the game between Pip and Estella finished, Estella threw all of the cards down as if she despised them for having been won of Pip, this shows that Estella is spiteful, treats Pip disdainfully and she is very proud. Estella was to told feed Pip, so she put the food down on the ground without looking at Pip as if Pip was a dog in disgrace, this shows that Estella again thinks Pip as being lower class and she has contempt for Pip. Estella had made Pip cry, she looked at him with quick delight as being the cause of the tears, this proves she has no feelings and is satisfied for making him cry, this makes her not a likeable character at all. The first Impressions of Miss Havisham`s house is that it is a huge house filled with mystery, dismal house, barricaded against robbers which reflects the owners feelings. The house can furthermore be described as bleak and nervous for anyone who approaches it, with its great front entrance having two chains across it. It is a dark, gloomy place, with a sense of bad experiences. The text tells us this by stating, the passages were all dark and still it was dark, and only the candle lighted us. Miss Havisham`s room was also dark, she obviously prefers darkness, and all of the candles represent the light in the room, the evidence of this is that a pretty large room, well lighted with candles and no glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it. There is a sense of chaos in the room as everything is untidy, dresses and half-packed trunks were scattered about also Miss Havisham only had one shoe on. Everything was left as it was years ago, all confusedly heaped about the looking glass. Pip relates Miss Havisham to a waxwork he had once seen, with her skin sallow. He also makes a reference to death by describing a skeleton in the ashes of a rich dress. Miss Havisham is almost a ghost in her own house, the evidence of this is that waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved. All of the watches and clocks in her room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, which is deliberate and could be linked with her marriage that didnt take place. Pip is made to feel vulnerable, he has no choice but to do what Miss Havisham says, this is because he had the desperate idea of starting round the room meaning that he had to embarrass himself in front of Miss Havisham. She asked Pip if he was sullen and obstinate, he is obviously very misunderstood. Miss Havisham becomes frustrated with him and pitiful for him, the book expresses this by stating So new to him So old to me So melancholy to both of us! Miss Havisham again makes Pip feel discomfort as he is made to shout out Estella in a dark and mysterious passage of an un-known house again he is made to embarrass himself. Another sense that life has seized for Miss Havisham is that there are pale, decayed objects which also creates a deathly and unsettling atmosphere. Pip also describes her clothes as grave-clothes and her long veil looking like a shroud both of which are linked with a corpse. As Pip leaves Miss Havisham`s house, he states that the rush of daylight quite confounded him, this is another clue that the house is a very dark place. Toward the end of the chapter, we feel pity for Pip, because Estella treats him so badly, but he is strong because he refuses to cry in the presence of her, even though his feelings are bitter. This also shows that he wishes he had come from a family who were more of an upper class, than the family he was brought up with, because then maybe Estella would have treated him better.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Environment Industry Marketing

Environment Industry Marketing The report is about the analysis of the environment of automobile industry and the marketing strategy for Ford Motor Company. It initiates with examining of external environment of automobile industry by using PEST analysis and Porters five forces analysis. After the internal analyses that focus on the resource audit on brand, products, markets, technology, people and son on, the value chain analysis of the company will be conduct. Then the generic competitive strategies would be discussed through SWOT analysis, Ansoff Matrix and BCG Matrix in order to identify the general business strategy taken by the Ford Company. After specifying the company strategy by those analysis tools, the strategic evaluations would be drawn together with the strategy control methods. Finally, a suggested recommendation for the company future development will be mentioned at the end of the report. I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Aim of The Report This report aim to identify the external environmental of the global automobile industry, measure and evaluate viable and sustainable marketing strategies using by the Ford Motor Company. Through appropriate theoretical concepts and models, together with appropriate methodologies, the organization within its contextual setting will be carefully examined, and justify recommendation will be mentioned. Though the report, how a successful corporation is operated and how its business strategy is implemented and controlled will be understood. 1.2 Company Background Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. It has manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents and has about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide[1]. Ford now encompasses many global brands, including Lincoln and Mercury of the US, Jaguar and Land Rover of the UK, and Volvo of Sweden and one-third controlling interest in Mazda as well[1]. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars under different brands and large-scale management of an industrial workforce and its combination of highly efficient factories and low prices revolutionized manufacturing had made the company successfully become a world leading auto manufacture. 1.3 Rational of Company Selection Automobile industry is a consistant developing industry in the global in the 21st century. Ford Company is a world leading automobile manufacture, which has its business all over the world. To analysis the global automobile industry environment and the development strategy for such a world famous company would be a greate help to understand how business strategies are generated, implementated and controlled and meanwhile to see how would the company do to keep its business perform well when facing a complicated environment and a decline market. 1.4 Company Vision, Mission and Value The companys vision is to become the worlds leading company for automotive products and services. And the companys mission is to become a global, diverse family with a proud heritage, passionately committed to providing outstanding products and services. And together with a company value that do the right thing for our people, our environment and our society, but above all for our customers[2]. Based on its vision, mission and company value, the Ford Company is endeavor to keep its leading position in the global, and make effort to provide excellent products and services that satisfied its customers. Approaches that be taken to fulfill it goals and objectives with considering the harmony of business environment and modern society. II.EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 2.1Environmental Analysis 2.1.1 Industry Background The world automobile industry has well developed for many decades and stable progress was made during recent years. Now the automotive manufacturing sector produce over 60 million vehicles every year[3] and contribute about 2.45 trillion Euro annual revenues[4]. There are numerous world famous carmakers all round the global, and although the competition in automobile industry becomes more and more fierce, it is still one of the biggest markets in global industry. 2.1.2 PEST Analysis Finlay[5] point out that remote environment affect businesses by an indirect way and would cause changes in a companys operation. The automobile industry touches on a wide range of aspects, such as manufacture, supply chain, retailing and so on. As a result, many factors such as government policies, local regulations, and social culture differences would influence this industry. By modeling the remote environment with PEST analysis (see appendix I), factors that would affect the global automobile industry would be examined. 2.1.2.1 Political and Legal .Competition Policy Anti-monopoly policies such as the EU competition policy tack several barriers to competition to make sure firms operate under a certain legal framework[6]. This policy has force a perfect competition in automobile industry and will absolutely affect auto manufactures marketing strategy to some extend through preventing firms from colluding by price-fixing and as well controlling the size of firms. . Environment Legislations Nowadays, much attention has been devoted to the environmental issues. Organization such as European Environmental Liability Directive has formulated many laws and regulations for environment protection[7]. Those legislations force manufactures to think over the environmental damage their operations may bring along, so that manufactures have to take action to protect the environment. . Automobile Industry Legislations and Policies First, regulations in many regions have introduced different emission limits for diesel and gasoline vehicles. Since 2005, all automobiles have to reach the Euro 4 emission standard in European countries[8]. And in America, stricter emission standard is set since 2005[9]. Besides, some governments are encouraging automakers to produce environmental friendly vehicles. For example, UK government had asked automobile manufactures to design new ultra low carbon family car in 2003[10], which says can be the step stone of the new generation fuel efficiency cars. .Taxation With the imposition of a fuel tax, consumers will have to think more carefully about their purchasing decisions. In the global, many countries has very high fuel tax, such as in the UK, it has took tax higher up to 81.5% of the total price of fuel[11]. And in Europe, EU has imposed a minimum taxation of 0.287 Euro per liter on gasoline[12]. As a result of such a high fuel tax, the usage of cars would be reduced to a great extent for many people. 2.1.2.2 Economic .Economic Growth and Inflation For these years, the global economy is growing steady. Predictors say that the average world growth rate of 4.9 percent in the period 2003-2006 will continue at least for the next two years[13]. In terms of inflation, there is a survey shows that an increasing global inflation with the annual rate of consumer price inflation in the U.S. went up to 4.2 percent in May,2007; 2.2 percent in Great Britain and 2.5 percent in the Euro zone[14]. As a result of the increasing inflation, people may prefer to spend their money right now instead of saving money in the bank and it would encourage people to consume products such as automobiles. .Trade Globalisation has removed many barriers to cross-border activities and international trade can create great opportunities for local businesses to expanding their business into new areas overseas to meet a whole new set of potential customers[15]. The ever-closer international business relationship would provide the manufacture more cost-effective resources and meanwhile provide customers the opportunities of wider choices. .Labour Force The unemployment number in the global is increasing every year. It is said that no matter in the developed countries like United States and the United Kingdom or in the developing countries in China, and India, they are generating less employment than it has in the past even though economic growth is strong[16]. So, in many places all around the world, the speed of job creation cannot catch up with the pace of population growth. This large number of unemployment indicates that many people may have not have steady income to afford a car. .Personal Income and Distribution of Wealth Despite a high and growing global average income[17], global distribution of wealth, consumption, and opportunity still remain severely unbalanced. The wealthiest 20 percent of the population consumes 80 percent of the resources[18]. As a result, people who could afford an upper class product only account for a small proportion of the total population and most people only has the average income. 2.1.2.3 Social-cultural .Demographics population Although recent long-term demographic projections suggest a fast deceleration of global population growth, evidence shows that the number of elderly people is growing fast[19]. As a result, manufactures should consider product that oriented to the elderly. household Some experts claim that there was a decline in the average size of household in the 21st century[20]. Due to the increasing number of elder people and the smaller size of household, I think the small car may become the main stream for its practicality. .Private and Public Transportation Though the public transportation may not be the first choice of some people, it is still the best substitute of private transportation such as private cars. This is especially true when increasing automobile usage generates some negative impacts such as congestion, traffic accidents and additional vehicle emissions. So some government is tending to shift people away from private transportation to public transportation with the effort that improving the performance[21]. .Environment Issues Environmental problems that touch us all has now has drawn the attention of public. People become more awareness about environment issues such as air pollution and greenhouse gas emission. For example, Public are informed by many channels about the impacts of transport can bring, such as the climate change, human health affections and loss of biodiversity [22]. As a result, consumers may become more cautious when purchasing cars. Meanwhile it is obviously the usage of environmental friendly products would turn up an increasing trend. .Other Social Concerns car parking Parking can be a big problem for many drivers. It is always hard to find a place for parking and the price charged for parking is sometimes goes very high [23]. As a result, some people would rather to use public transportation instead of using their private cars. road safety Road accident is always a big issue for drivers. Take UK for example, according to the 2005 annual report of UK department of transportation[24], there is a total number of casualties in 2005 were 271,017 with a number of 3,201 people killed and 28,954 injured. The high risk of driving would influence consumers decision on purchasing. public health Recent years some diseases such as SARS had challenged social stability[25]. This had effect peoples customs and their behavior to some extend. For example, there is a sharp decrease of public transportation usage rate during the period of SARS in 2003. These public health issues more or less have influenced the global automobile market. 2.1.2.4 Technology .New Energy Since increasing attention has paid to environmental issues, researchers are searching actively for new exploitable resources that can instead of petrol and diesel. Bio-fuels are one of the most favorite substitutes at current, which says made from renewable resources such as agricultural crops or waste. They are more environmental friendly and can be refined as conventional petrol that used in todays engines[26]. Another substitute is natural gas that is relatively cleaner compare with other alternatives. Besides, it is claimed that natural gas is not only a cheap energy, but also can well suited to motoring uses[27]. In addition, Lewin[28] believe hydrogen fuel cell cars that will hit the market in near future and many automakers are planning to launch this kind of product. Besides, solar power is also a feasible substitute for carmakers. It is claimed that the very first solar power deal for reviving car batteries had made by a Canadian manufacturer of solar panels with the VW[29]. .Computer Aided Design Program Wernle and Bolduc[30] point out that vehicles design in the new century must be distinctive and alluring so that it would win a ideal market share. It is always a hard and time consuming process for car designer to design a car that not only combine with great comfort and safety performance, but also has unique style. Now, with the help of some computer programs such as Alias it would save much time for automakers to get cars to market quicker by reducing the number of clay models and prototypes[30]. . GPS and Car Navigation System It is report that Garmin Ltd., the largest GPS device maker in the world had sold around 5 million units in 2006 for personal navigation equipment[31]. Nowadays, GPS becomes more and more important to car drivers in every day life. With the help of GPS system information associated by odometers, gyroscopes[32], a car navigation systems can get drivers wherever they want to go. Information is transmitted by autonomous navigation systems without the participation of an external server by the use of a two-way communication between navigation center and the onboard vehicle sensors. The system can calculate the optimal route automatically and then give necessary guides and some programmes even can provide users with additional information such as hotels and shopping malls showing on its digital maps. As GPS and car navigation system has widely accepted by many people, it will become an important factor when people making their consideration. 2.2 The Structural Analysis of Industries Competition between firms is crucial to modern economies[33]. In competitive environment, there is a set of external influences which is able to affect organisations action[34]. Organisations have to fully understand that environment in order to make effort to create competitive advantage so that to achieve success. In the following part, Porters five-forces (see appendix II) approach will be used to examining the competitive environment. 2.2.1 The Threat of Entry Johnson[34] suggest that the barriers to entry determine the threat of entry. If the barriers are high then the threat of entry would be relatively low[35]. The entrance barriers in global car industry can be proposed as following: . Economies of Scale Since the ever falling car price[36], in order to reduce cost, many carmakers keep increasing their output volume. For example, Toyota Motor Manufacturing had increased from 220,000 to 285,000 on Toyota Corolla and Avensis models in UK 2004 annual production capacity and Mazdas domestic production capacity has increased by 14 percent in the same year[37]. Thus, new entrants who want to come in this industry have to come in with either at a large scale and risk strong reaction from existing companies or they have to come in at a small scale and accept a cost disadvantage[35]. . Production Differentiation For carmakers, it is always hard to create distinctive products, as the basic techniques of car manufacturing are no longer a secret for few manufactures. Now the focus is gradually turning to safety[38], style, comfort and new technology for example a computer control panel such as providing the driver with telematics, GPS[39] because of the quality gap among the different manufacture become narrower. As a result, it would obviously more time consuming and would spend more money for those carmakers to design a new model that is different from the competitors. .Capital requirement of Entry To entry the automotive industry requires not only advanced technological but also enormous capital[40]. It costs a lot on designing a new model, production, distribution and so on. And the larger the scale the company has the more capital would be spent. So entrants who want to come into this industry should first make sure if they have enough money. . Cost Disadvantages Independent of Scale Porter[35] state that established companies may have cost advantages such as proprietary product technology, favorable locations, favorable access to raw materials. Many famous carmakers have already established their cost advantages. Take the example of Ford, it spend around 450 million on automotive research and development in Britain to keep advanced technology every year. As a result, it is difficult for a competitor who does not have cost advantages to break into the industry. To sum up, the entry barriers in world automobile industry is relative high, so it is not an easy work for new entrants to come in to this field. 2.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers may have strong power over the industry if the industry is dominated by few suppliers or the switching costs is high to change one from another [34]. When considering the components segment of automobile industry, it is now facing a globalization trend. Rivals not only exist in the domestic market, but also rise from abroad, which means that the components segment is full of competition and the bargaining power of suppliers would be reduced. Beside, car companies are now seeking component makers and original equipment manufacturers in some developing countries such as India, China and Far East in order to save money[41]. Honda, which used to source major part of its components from UK suppliers, for example, is now reducing its UK vendor base. As a result, this worldwide sourcing trend has become a threat that limited the power of suppliers. In addition, in auto industry there is a trend of allying with other manufacturers to share design and development costs recently. It is said that vehicle manufactures are working together much closer with their partners and try to develop vehicle platforms jointly. Most of large car manufacturers like Ford, GM, and Volkswagen have cut down their number of platforms[42] and some models will use the same platform in order to reduce cost. Manufacturers can not only reduce their manufacturing cost to some extend by this way, but also would become more powerful when bargaining with components suppliers because increasing volumes of components may need. And meanwhile it may help manufacturers reduce raw material costs. In a word, the bargaining power of suppliers in global automobile industry is low. It is an opportunity for many car manufacturers that provide a chance of planning their purchasing strategy better and more profitable. 2.2.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers According to Porters[35] theory, buyers have the power of forcing down prices, bargaining for higher quality and more service, and playing competitors against each other. In the following part, the bargaining power of buyer in global industry will be discussed from several different aspects. .Products Differentiation As in global car market the product differentiation is not very obvious due to the auto manufacture acknowledge is no longer a secret. There are lots of carmakers in this market, and the basic functions of their products are almost the same and the only differences would be the design and some other additional functions. So customers can always find alternative supplier who offers a cheaper price, gives the most satisfied product, and provides the best customer service. . Importance of Purchasing If the product is very important for the buyers, the bargaining power of buyers may relative high[35]. In automobile market, the importance of purchasing seems rather low. Statistic shows that in developed countries, the average ownership of cars is quite high, take Britain as an example, statistic shows that 3 in 4 households have access to a car and over half (52%) of all rural households had two or more cars in 2005[43]. So in those countries to purchasing a new car may not be so necessary for most of the families. . Information Searching If buyers have full information about product, demand, market price, their bargaining power would be greater than those with less information[35]. We are now entering a great new era of information. People can seek product information through various methods, such as friends, sales assistant and different medias. And it is said that individuals especially those who are highly involved with the purchase of a product are thought to be more active on information searching[44]. Todays mass media, no matter the newspapers, magazines, radio, or television, all contain a large amount of information. Besides, the entering of Internet era has simplified the process of information searching process to a great extend. All these factors mentioned above have provided consumers with more information. What it comes down to me is that in automobile industry, the car manufacturers marketing strategy would be effected by the relative high customer bargaining power. 2.2.4 Pressure From Substitute Products Substitutes play a limitation role in industry[35], it provide the same function as the product of the industry to restrains industry making profit. There are several means would be the substitute products of automobile. . Public Transportation Public transportation would come first to most of people when thinking about the substitute of private cars. More and more people are willing to give up cars and use public transportation especially when the service of public transportation is better. Besides, since there are increasing number of SOHO workers, many people choose to work at home by Internet. So they do not need a car to drive to work, thus the significance of owning a car is decreased. . Car renting and Car Sharing Today, the ever-rising petrol price becomes another factor that forces many people reduce the usage rate of their cars. Many people choose to rent a car for travel or share one car between friends instead of driving alone. As a result, demand of purchasing a car would be decreased and there is increasing demand for car rental especially now some rental firms have provided more complete and customerizedservices[45]. To summarize, public transportation, car renting and car sharing could be some of the substitute methods of owning private cars. All of these means have pressed threaten on the world auto industry. 2.2.5 Intensity of Rivalry Among Existing Competitions Porter[35] point out that rivalry occurs for the reason that one or more competitors feels pressure or sees the opportunity to improve position. In global automobile industry, rivalry among the competitors is very strong and the major competitors are closely balanced so that the rivalry is increasing intense. Besides old rivals such as General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, those Japanese carmaker like Toyota and Honda now are gaining stronger power in this industry. Because there is little differentiation among the products, when deciding purchasing, one rival is always compared to another constantly in price, quality, durability, and many other aspects. As a result, in order to gain market share in the automobile industry, company should provide better product as well as better service so that it could take the market share from their competitors. 2.3 Strategic Group Analysis To identify strategic groups which has similar strategic characteristics, following similar strategies or competing on similar bases can help to understand the most direct competitors and of any given organization and also can help identify potential opportunities and threats[34]. Strategic groups in automobile industry can be identified according to the products class and status such as those upper class manufactures such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, and up medium, medium and lower medium manufactures such as Honda, Ford and other market segment such as racing car and so on. In different regions, each groups power are vary. It is essential to Ford Company to identify different situation in different places all over the world, so that the business strategy can be chosen properly. III. INTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.1 Resource Audit Resource audit is useful in understanding strategic capability according to Johnson[34]. To identify the availability of resource that can be used is important for a business. In the following, the resource of Ford Company would be examined. 3.1.1 Brand The Ford Motor Company controls the many car marques wouldwide, such as Jaguar, , Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, and Volvo[1]. Through acquisition, Ford Company got control of some famous brands such as Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo. Based on the customer knowledge and trust of those upper class brands, the sales of other segments and brands of Ford car had been promoted[46]. By building the image of Combining solid refined design and the best new technologies available[2], the company becomes a powerful rival in the market, and the brand has widely accepted by many people. 3.1.2 Products and Market Ford has numerous locations where Ford vehicles are developed, manufactured, sold or distributed[47]. These plant and office locations work to provide a basis of the companys leading position in car market for many years, which take responsibility in manufacturing vehicles and power products, technological developing, purchasing and distribution its products all around the world. Although with high cost-effective Ford models such as Transit, Fiesta and Focus that have become the best seller for many years[82], there would be a problem of shrinking of market and declining in profitability recent years. 3.1.3 Finance According to Ford Company 2006 annual report[48], although the company is at loss during the year for the unsatisfied performance in North American market, the situation in Europe market is still profitable with the sales of vehicles that generated the major income and cash of the companys automotive sectors revenue. In addition, the interest on finance receivables generated the primary income of the companys financial services sectors revenue. Based on its vehicles and financial service sales, the company has the ability to support some technology development or have some further investment such as diesel engineering[49]. 3.1.4 Technology Ford invests heavily in new technology. In Britain only, it spends around 450 million on automotive research and development annually. In Dunton Technical Centre, it has the largest automotive design and engineering facility in the UK and one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Europe[47]. The emphasis on technology enables the company have a solid basis of product development. As a result, competitive advantage through new technique, programmes such as digital in-vehicle system called Sync created with Microsoft[50] that is turning out this summer is a good example. 3.1.5 People In order to equip its employees with stronger capability, Ford offers well equipped learning resource centers and training programmes for all employees. These human resource management actions has not only trained sufficient qualified employees for the company, but also provided a base for producing conversations of companys strategic change[51]. On the other hand, recent bad performance forced Ford Company to shear its employees. It is said that a downsized Ford would shed up to 30,000 jobs and 14 factories by 2012 in order to be more innovative[86]. 3.2 Value Chain Analysis Value chain (see appendix III) analysis has been widely adopted as a way of understanding the relationship between strategic capability and organisations resources. As to Ford Company, in its very early years, the company has controlled the entire value chain[52], now it endeavors to integrate its multi-tiered value chain which include chief elements such as real-time quality feedback from the market to tier, inventory reduction, transaction reduction, collaborative visual design studios, rapid customer feedback, accelerated time to market[53]. Through those actions, the resource utilization is enhanced so there would be less resource is wasted during the production and transaction. Besides, the cost efficiency has increased by building the economies of scale, reducing supply cost and effective communications between suppliers and buyers. In addition, a carefully planned marketing mix and a better service would promote effectiveness, such as the efforts that the Ford Company put on CarsDirect and online selling[54]. IV. GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES 4.1 SWOT Analysis 4.1.1 Strengthens Companys Large Scale Ford Company is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world. It manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents[1]. The large size has brought the company economies of scale as well as name recognition and customer trust. Product Diversity Through acquisition, Ford Company now has owned many world famous brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo[1]. The companys products has penetrated into every segments of auto industry and each brands has its own strengthens in different segment, such as Land Rover is famous of its 4X4 vehicle and Lincoln is a well know luxury car. Profitable Financial Services Division The financial services division, Ford Motor Credit, plays a key role in keeping the company afloat. Even the automotive division are reported at loss[48], there is evidence that the financial services still remain profit. As a result, the revenue made by financial services division would be a great help when its automotive sector is not performing well. Strategic Alliance By cooperating with some strategic alliance, the company can benefit a lot from the advantages of their partners. Ford has announced to start offering Sony-branded audio systems in Ford and Mercury automobiles[55] and Microsoft software will be used for the Ford Sync radios[56]. Besides, Ford Company also support racing teams such as NASCAR[57]