Thursday, August 27, 2020

Domestic Violence in Russia

For what reason is residential maltreatment so across the board in Russia †and are its causes socially explicit? Slide 1 Domestic brutality is one of the fundamental driver of ladies' misery and even passing. Shockingly, for an assortment of reasons, this point has regularly been ignored peacefully everywhere throughout the world. Be that as it may, in the previous 10 years, things have changed: ladies have started to make their voices heard, and have at long last begun looking for help. In any case, is this valid for ladies in Russia?Slide 2 First we have to characterize what establishes abusive behavior at home. The Department of Health characterizes abusive behavior at home as â€Å"a continuum of conduct running from boisterous attack, physical, rape, to assault, and even murder. † This definition remembers such viciousness as savagery for dating, creature misuse, kid misuse, brutality in same-sex families, savagery between cozy accomplices, just as savagery among nei ghbors and companions. This paper centers around abusive behavior at home between private accomplices, both wedded and unmarried.Slide 3According to the Ukrainian TV channel â€Å"Inter,† â€Å"every third lady on the planet at any rate once in her life has been truly manhandled. † In the Ukraine, just as in Russia, this figure is a lot higher; consistently lady at any rate once becomesâ the survivor of abusive behavior at home. For instance, as per the Acting Head of the Department of Public Order of Russia, General-Lieutenant Michael Artamoshkina, each fourth family in Russia encounters some kind of aggressive behavior at home and 66% of manslaughters are because of family and household reasons.To give a feeling of the scale and seriousness of the fiasco, which in Russia is essentially called â€Å"family problems,† around 14 thousand ladies bite the dust on account of their spouses or different family members and 40 percent of all genuine savage wrongdoings every year are submitted inside families. Just to look at the scale, it ought to be noticed that inside 10 years of war between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan, 14 thousand individuals were slaughtered. The occurrences of abusive behavior at home in Russian families are expanding year after year.In expansion to this, we should take in thought all the kids that are seeing aggressive behavior at home in their families who experience serious injury, which they may then exchange to their future families. Therefore, consistently 50 thousand kids leave their homes and 2 thousand kids end it all. Slide 4 This helps me to remember the famous English expression, â€Å"My home †my castle,† which is meant Russian as â€Å" †,† meaning the security, unwavering quality, and significant serenity cap are being gotten through the dividers of the house as well as for the most part through family, for the most part the mate. Simultaneously there is a Russian saying: â€Å" à ¢â‚¬ ,† which implies, â€Å"Beating is an indication of loving,† which conceivably fills in as another reinforcer or a reason for abusive behavior at home in Russia. Slide 5 Video Slide 6 Domestic brutality doesn’t essentially cause physical damage.There are a few sorts of abusive behavior at home between two personal accomplices: * psychological mistreatment, for example, mortification, which harms confidence, obnoxious attack, impoliteness, imparting that a lady assumes the job of an awful spouse and mother; * financial savagery where the accomplice doesn’t permit the lady to work, driving her to request cash, and, thusly, bringing down her confidence; * sexual maltreatment, which is compelling the accomplice to have a physical relationship; * physical viciousness, which is the most widely recognized and incorporates beating, slapping, utilizing weapons, and so on * dangers, for example, dangers to take the kids or end it all; * tormenting, which can be introduced in the types of terrorizing through signals, activities, decimating family unit things; * control of youngsters, for example, ingraining a feeling of blame before kids, utilizing kids to control; lastly * segregation which is a persistent checking of what a lady does, whom she can be companions with, with whom she relates and conveys and disallowance of correspondence with individuals that are near her.What are the reasons for such savagery by men, and why don’t ladies battle for their ideal for a serene and cheerful life? The principal issue is the absence of a satisfactory framework to manage this issue in Russia. Since the enactment has not grasped a meaning of aggressive behavior at home as a wrongdoing, men feel a feeling of exemption. The subsequent explanation is that this conduct is natural in each individual as a reason for reproducible examples. The ones, who saw their dad beat their mom during their adolescence, have a higher likelihood of turning into a family tyrant.Some different issues that are normal reasons for savagery in Russia are male liquor addiction, low material security, and joblessness among men. Be that as it may, brutality happens in the groups of drunkards, yet in addition in the groups of educators, and chiefs. A few years prior in Russia, this issue was not talked about by any means; the point was for all intents and purposes prohibited. Based on data gave by the previously mentioned channel, â€Å"most of ladies see it as a no-no theme. What's more, don't discuss their issues because of a paranoid fear of a reiteration and trust in the exemption of the guilty party.  Slide 7In Russia, just as in Ukraine, aggressive behavior at home is viewed as â€Å"hooliganism,† and for the most serious abuser the discipline is restriction for a time of as long as 360 hours, which equivalents to the time of about fourteen days, after which the wrongdoer gets discharged go into the family. It isn't amazing that lad ies don't go to the police to report charges of abusive behavior at home since detainment for a time of about fourteen days would just decline a previously confused relationship. There is one more component, the casualty is normally embarrassed to concede that she has been beaten, so she stays quiet for years.In expansion, numerous spouses beat their accomplices so that nobody can see scars and wounds. In this manner the vast majority of the physical injury is being caused to the leaders of the people in question, which closes with progressively fetal results. The reasons why the casualties don't leave their mates are a similar everywhere throughout the world, beginning from cliché monetary hindrances, particularly when they have kids. There are insufficient emergency places and havens for casualties of abusive behavior at home in Russia. There are around 18 state and 40 open safe houses for ladies, there are more than 500 of them in Great Britain.In expansion, social administratio ns don't have the position to assist ladies with youngsters. Sociologists state that aggressive behavior at home is a result of the treatment of ladies as the second grade residents. Shockingly, the casualty frequently concurs with the guilty party. For instance, in the event that she was slapped for not cooking all around ok, at that point she should truly not realize how to cook. The more drawn out casualties remain with the guilty party, the lower their confidence becomes. They start â€Å"putting† themselves into their husband’s or lover’s, creating Stockholm Syndrome.Therefore, one of the undertakings of the therapist in emergency focuses is to disclose to the casualty that she isn't blameworthy, regardless of how inadequately she cleaned the loft or how short her skirt was. The casualties should initially comprehend that there can be no motivations to be genuinely manhandled, and that it is illegal. Yet, the law permits a great deal of different things, as sexual intimidation, since in Russia there is no understanding of â€Å"marital rape,† just as segregation and control, not permitting to dress a specific way, and forestalling access to education.Hopefully, in any event on paper, the circumstance will change with the section of the â€Å"Prevention of Domestic Violence Law,† so the legislature won’t hold up until individuals bite the dust before they take care of this overall issue. Be that as it may, the improvement of this law has started in 1994, however it was for quite some time overlooked. Simultaneously, in the early ‘90s legislatives in numerous different nations propelled changes, which were endorsed and worked very well in forestalling fetal results of local violence.For model, in Israel just as American courts, a limiting request is given to casualties precluding the wrongdoer to move toward the person in question or her obstruction. The reason for such a controlling request isn't simply †Å"actual demonstrations of violence† yet additionally dangers, affront, and outrages. We ought to consider some genuine instances of abusive behavior at home, and the degree to which it can reach. One of the most thrilling instances of abusive behavior at home, which stunned the entire world,â was the matter of Bibi Aisha. Slide 8 This girl’s guardians made her to wed activist Taliban at 14 years old, who was seriously abusive.Having lived four years through unlimited mortifications, in 2009 Bibi chose to get away, yet her dad restored her to her parents in law and as discipline, her better half took her to the mountains, remove her ears and nose and left her there to kick the bucket. The young lady was just 18 years of age. Luckily, she was fortunate, and was spared by American specialists, who a year later had the option to make another nose for her. The historical backdrop of Bibi Aisha influenced the entire world, yet lamentably it is a long way from extraordinary. One day in 2010 a Russian young lady named Tatyana Polskaya was coming back from work.Approaching the passageway of her structure, she saw a youngster remaining by the passage with a jug in his grasp. He was not the only one; Tatyana said that she saw somebody watching not a long way from the passage. At the point when she went to the youngster, he sprinkled in her face something of the container. She raced to a snowdrift and started to wash her face with the day off. As it turned out later, the jug was brimming with sulfuric corrosive. The examination of her case has hit an impasse; there are no suspects or litigants. Tanya has just had eight tasks, yet her vision hasn’t been restored.The same year Oksana Serdyuk, who has as of late said a final farewell to her previous sweetheart, was returning home with a

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Symbolism in Hawthornes free essay sample

Imagery is the act of speaking to things by methods for images or of ascribing emblematic implications or hugeness to articles, occasions, or connections. In both of Hawthornes short stories The Ministers Black Veil and The Birthmark show imagery, The Ministers Black Veil represents sin and solid will; The Birthmark represents love and blemish. The Ministers Black Veil is an anecdote about a popular Minister in a humble community named Mr. Hooper. As the story advances Parson Hooper, an admired resident and incredible evangelist starts to wear a dark cloak that covers his face. The gathering of his congregation and individuals around town got inquisitive, upset, and to some degree terrified of the dark cloak he wore over his face and why a man of his height would do something like this. What did he do? What was he stowing away? All through the story the cover remained on and these inquiries were posed, the individuals got Judgmental of the evangelist and thought about whether his transgression was awful to the point that he didnt need his face found in chapel. We will compose a custom paper test on Imagery in Hawthornes or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page One thing that grabbed my eye was the way uch excitement this little dark shroud had caused. He couldnt exit out in the open with out creating an uproar, kids would flee and shout, people would stop people in their tracks, and gaze at him like the man had a plague. His better half even wound up leaving him since she was alarmed of what he was stowing away or what he had done that made him put on a dark shroud. To the townspeople the dark cover is an image for wrongdoing and what malicious Mr. Hooper could have done to shroud his face in sight of the Lord. That is to say, the individuals didnt even set aside the effort to ask the man for what valid reason he decided to wear it r if his profound prosperity was 0k. Rather they expected the most exceedingly terrible, talk about him despite his good faith and exacerbate things then it really was, perhaps he was evaluating another style articulation for all we know. To me Mr. Hooper was a solid willed individual and this is represented in this story, in light of the fact that not once did he down from his choice of wearing the dark cloak despite the fact that the whole town even his better half was against the man. Like astute The Birthmark shows a great deal of imagery, for example, Amour love and blemish. In this story there is a drop dead orgeous youngster by the name of Georgiana, and by the manner in which Hawthorne depicts her, shes an ideal ten, with the exception of one skin pigmentation that exist in favor of her face. Regardless of what you may think Georgiana cherishes her pigmentation, it is the thing that made her remarkable and blemished, in light of the fact that no one is great so she grasps it. Georgiana is hitched toa man named Aylmer, and hes practically a major narrow minded dick. One day he returns home and gets some information about expelling the skin coloration since it stuns him each time he takes a gander at her delightful face. Aylmer is narrow minded nough to inquire as to whether he could evacuate it and doesnt even think about the outcomes of what may occur after medical procedure, or thought about that Georgiana was 0k with her little blemish. Aylmer at long last persuades Georgiana to have the medical procedure to attempt to expel the skin coloration. Test after test Georgiana sees that Aylmer is working tirelessly to evacuate her flaw and expectations that in the event that he succeeds, at that point he will adore her perpetually as much as she cherishes him. She has the medical procedure and after she stirs the pigmentation is no longer on ner tace. Aylmer is delighted that his test promotion worked, Georgiana perceives how cheerful he that she is presently impeccable in his eyes however has nothing to state expect for Poor Aylmer in light of the fact that she realize she is biting the dust. The imagery in this short story is that there is nothing impeccable on this planet and by expelling the blemish Aylmer additionally expelled Georgiana from the world. It was through Georgianas Amour love (profound caring affection) for Aylmer that she was happy to go to unimaginable lengths for him that he would share that equivalent love for her regardless of whether it implied she needed to bite the dust for him to acknowledge it.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Color Theory How You Can Apply It for Branding

Color Theory How You Can Apply It for Branding Have you ever wondered why logos of some of the biggest companies are of a certain color or color scheme? Have you ever thought of what these colors signify?It is interesting to note that there is a whole theory based on how colors can be used to create a certain perception in the minds of the target audience called the ‘Color Theory’. Based on this color theory, marketers come up with a color scheme that would best suit the ‘personality’ of the brand. © Shutterstock.com | Piccia NeriIn this article, we will explore 1) the basic color theory, 2) what is color harmony, 3) what meaning do colors have and how they influence people? as well as 4) practical uses of color theory in marketing.Here are some shocking statistics that will prove exactly how helpful the color theory is when it comes to the decision-making process when buying new products.Sometimes the color is the prime reason why a customer feels compelled to buy a product or go for a certain brand over others.93% percent of buyers go for products that have a visually attractive appearance as compared to products that are effective but lag behind in visual appearance.More than 83% customers claim that they opt for certain products and brands only because of the color.The facts and figures mentioned above tells us exactly how color influences our purchasing behavior. For instance, you may feel calm and tranquility when you look at a sign board that is majorly blue in color. B ut you may feel slightly alarmed when you see an advertisement on a billboard that is painted red.Simply put, color is a cue that makes a brand stand out which is why the tenets of the color theory are strictly followed by all marketers. Color is what gets your target audience to see your brand the way you want them to see it and do what you want them to do. Your brand may have everything it needs to taste success in the market but if the color choice is poor, then your product or brand is somewhat destined to become a market failure.THE BASIC COLOR THEORYNow that you know that colors play a significant role in consumer behavior, we will talk about the color theory in great detail in this article to help you understand how you can use the power of colors to make your new brand a major success.Understanding how colors work and how optimal color combinations can be created is just not for the artists. Basically, the entire color theory is built on the three basic groups of colors â€" primary, secondary, and tertiary. The color groups can be used to create different color schemes like analogous, complementary and nature.For instance, you may notice the red and yellow color used in the McDonald’s logo that promotes cheeriness and urgency since these two colors are known to attract children. On the other hand, if you take a look at the Starbucks logo, you would notice that it is probably the only brand that uses green as its primary color for promoting peace, tranquility and most importantly, brings about a sense of relaxation. © Wikimedia Commons | DanPMKPrimary ColorsAs the name suggests, primary colors are the three main colors that are mixed with each other to create different colors are labeled as secondary colors. In the color wheel, the three primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. For example, mixing blue and yellow will give you green, red and blue will result in purple and, red and yellow will create a new color â€" orange. The reason why these three colors are termed ‘primary’ is that the pigments cannot be made from combining any two colors.Secondary ColorsSecondary colors refer to those colors that are created by mixing the three primary colors â€" red, yellow, and blue. For example, the secondary colors are orange, purple, and green on the color wheel.Tertiary ColorsTertiary colors are those colors that are created using one primary and one secondary color. The hue created is usually a two-word name, for instance, blue-green, red-purple, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, etc.Pure ColorsHighly saturated colors that are not lightened or darkened using additional colors like white and black or any third color are called pure colors. Pure colors are bright, intense, and untainted. They are usually used in making toys for children, summer clothes, and daycare décor.WHAT IS COLOR HARMONY?Harmony can best be defined as the perfect arrangement of different components. Color harmony refers to the perfect combination of colors that is pleasing to the eye â€" it is neither too intense nor too mild, it is just the right shade. It is critical to choose colors in a way that they strike a balance otherwise they may become too chaotic or too boring.The Formula of Color HarmonyThere are usually two worst-case scenarios when the color harmony is not followed to the letter. At one end is a visual experience so boring that it goes completely unnoticed because the human brain tends to ignore under-stimulating information. On the other hand, visual experience may be so chaotic that it may be perceived as chaotic and alarming.Over-stimulating information too is ignored because the human brain does not register anything that it cannot understand. Color harmony is what promotes a sense of order and stimulates visual interest. Simply put, extreme unity is under-stimulating and extreme complexity is over-stimulating while harmony is a dynamic equilibrium that balances it all.Color Scheme Based On Analogous ColorsThe analogous color scheme is created by using colors that are directly adjacent to each other in position on the color wheel. One color usually dominates the scheme while the others enrich the scheme and make it look more attractive. The analogous color scheme has striking similarities with the monochromatic color scheme, but this one offers more nuances.Color Scheme Based On Complimentary ColorsThis type of color scheme is created using two colors that are positioned opposite to each other on the color wheel. The complementary color scheme looks best when you have a warm color placed against a cool color thus creating a high contrast. For instance, red vs. green-blue is the ideal example of a color scheme based on complementary colors.Color Scheme Based On NatureColor schemes based on nature are quite different from the ones based on analogous and complementary colors because it focuses more on what appeals to the eyes rather than its position on the color wheel or the technical formula used. For instance, red, yellow, and green can be used to create a naturally harmonious design.WHAT MEANING DO COLORS HAVE AND HOW THEY INFLUENCE PEOPLE?Each color that we see on the color wheel has its significance. Colors have their symbolism. Below are the meanings of each color present on the color wheel and how it influences people. © Wikimedia Commons | WarsRed: Red is an intense color that usually signifies urgency that is good for clearance sales. It is also known to promote appetite which is why it is used as a primary color by some of the biggest fast food chains in the world. But that is not all; red is also the color of passion and excitement and thus, it stimulates the heart rate and blood pressure.Green: Green is often believed to power, nature, health, and tranquility. It is used largely to promote environmental issues or to help the customers feel relaxed. The human brain perceives green to be a harmonizing color that increases productivity in terms of decisiveness.Blue: Usually believed to be a preferable color for men, blue is often associated with reliability, tranquility, and peace. It also provides one a strong sense of security as well as stimulates productivity and curbs appetite. Most commonly, blue is used as a primary color by brands that want to build a relationship with customers based on trust.Purple: Always considered a sign of royalty, purple is often linked to respect and wisdom. It promotes a strong sense of creativity and stimulates problem-solving. Therefore, you will see the color purple being used by anti aging products most of the times.Orange and Yellow: Both these bright, peppy colors are linked to optimism. However, yellow can make babies often weep while orange somehow promotes a feeling of caution. For impulsive buyers and window shoppers, orange and yellow often trigger a sense of anxiety that draws them in.White: White is chiefly used to exude the aura of safety, purity, and cleanliness. White is used to show an absence of neutrality or color. On the other hand, white also promotes creativity since it is often perceived as a clean slate by the human brain.Black: Black is often considered the color that signifies intelligence but it can overwhelm the brain if it is viewed too often. Black is linked to attributes such as power, strength, stability, an d authority.Grey: Grey brings about feelings of practicality, solidarity, and old age. However, grey should be used with caution because it can also be perceived as the color that signifies depression and nothingness.PRACTICAL USE OF COLOR THEORY IN MARKETINGMarketers must use the color theory with caution. The color scheme chose should be such that uses contrasting colors to avoid unnecessary eye strain. It is important to understand that the vibrancy of colors is what dictates the emotional response users have to the design of a product or website.For instance, brands that use intense colors are often picked in order to make the users feel more energetic. However, if you have to pick a website that is information intensive, it is best to pick a color scheme consisting of dark colors to make the information processing easier.Now let us move on to branding. Color perception and branding go hand in hand. You will find many experts who will try their best to do research on how a color brings about specific feelings in a user, but that is not the case often. Colors cannot be universally translated into specific feelings because they are too dependent on personal experiences.Color Psychology and Common MisconceptionsColor psychology is a widely discussed topic in the field of marketing, but somehow there is not enough statistical data to back up the facts. The reason why we cannot find hard facts about color psychology is that everyone’s preference for colors is based on some factors.Elements such as cultural differences, personal preferences, experiences, upbringing, and context usually make every individual and their perception about colors unique. Therefore, there is no way experts can predict the effectiveness of using specific colors to bring about hyper-specific emotions in customers.But do not give up on the color theory just yet for it can effectively be used for broader messaging patterns that are often linked to color perception. Colors do play a fairl y significant role in influencing the purchase decisions of users.Using The Color Theory In BrandingAccording to a marketing study titled ‘The Impact of Color in Marketing’, it is suggested that people usually make snap judgments when it comes to buying products based on color only. On the other hand, another famously studied research called ‘The Interactive Effects of Colors’ shows that the entire relationship between a color and the brand is dependent solely on one factor â€" the appropriateness of the color being used for a particular brand.Simply put, a color should fit the brand in order to have an influence on the mind of the customers. Additional studies like ‘Color Research and Application’ tell us how the color theory is of paramount importance when it comes to marketing. With the help of the color theory, new brands can come up with specific logos to outshine the competition using special differentiation techniques.For example, your competitor’s logo is blue, and you can use purple to stand out from the rest of the crowd.Define Your Brand PersonalityJennifer Aaker, a renowned Stanford professor and psychologist came up with a study on the color perception called ‘Dimensions of Brand Personality’ in which she found the five core elements that play a major role in determining the personality of the brand. Sometimes brands may have more than one trait but such brands are always dominated by one major trait. For example, high street fashion apparel may personify sophistication while camping gear may personify ruggedness.Additional research on this particular topic found that there is indeed a link between the use of colors and the customers’ perceptions about brand personality. There are certain colors that can be broadly linked to certain traits like brown with ruggedness, red with excitement and purple with sophistication.However, all academic studies were done on color perception and branding point towards the fact that it is impor tant for a color you choose to suit the personality of your brand rather than opting for stereotypical color combinations. If you think green signifies calmness, you may see it being using in Timberland’s GREEN standard that raises awareness on different environmental issues, but you may also see it being used majorly on financial websites like mint.com. This is because broad statements can lead to inaccuracies.Color Preferences by Gender and AgeJoe Hallock’s study called ‘Color Assignments’ shows clear preferences in certain colors across males and females. Interesting to note is that there are certain factors that play a major role in color preferences by gender like color perceptions and the environment. This is one of the reasons why pink is usually preferred for girls while blue is considered a color for boys. Some other studies show that men tend to go for bolder colors while women like softer shades.Color Coordination + ConversionsFinding a color combination that incr eases conversion rates in websites has been a topic of discussion for long, and it has been confirmed that there is no fixed color that can increase conversion rates. The Isolation Effect is a psychological principle that suggests something that stands out like a sore thumb has higher chances of being remembered.For websites, studies like ‘Aesthetic Response to Color Combinations’ and ‘Consumer Preferences for Color Combinations’ suggest that color patterns sporting similar hues and shades with a highly contrasting accent color are highly preferred. Now that you have gained insights into the different uses of the Color Theory and how it is used by marketing experts, you too, can use the power of colors to make your brand stand out from the rest of the crowd by choosing a unique color that matches the personality of your brand. The color wheel and different color schemes discussed in the article will help you come up with one that will attract your target audience and make th e logo of your brand unmistakable. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons | Wars and Wikimedia Commons | DanPMK under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Immunizing Society Against Discrimination - 696 Words

The themes of racism and growing up are significant in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, a lawyer, is trying to defend a black man who has been falsely accused in a trial. His children Scout and Jem don’t understand a lot of the racism occurring in the beginning, but slowly start to realize that people are being discriminated against and understand what they may be going through as they grow up and mature. How is discrimination infectious? It can influence the young by family and/or society. Atticus’s children Scout and Jem, are brought up with the values of non-discrimination and these values will help them go far in life. Through the characters of Scout and Jem, Harper Lee demonstrates that when growing up, people who are exposed to discrimination are encouraged to discriminate in return. Discrimination is contagious and harmful for the well-being of the society. This book shows how the â€Å"mad dog† which symbolizes racism, can enter a town and spread over like a disease. Calpurnia phones Atticus and shouts â€Å"There is a mad dog down the street† (Lee 123). The mad dog is sick and diseased with rabies which represents racism that is about to enter the town and spread this disease. Just like how rabies is contagious, so is racism. When Atticus shoots the mad dog it is like he is shooting down racism and prevents this contagious disease from spreading over the town. Secondly, Miss Maudie shows how one small nutgrass can spread and ruin a whole yard whichShow MoreRelatedEssay On Recreation Areas1532 Words   |  7 Pagespeople likewise. â€Å"State parties shall take appropriate measure to enable persons [†¦] to have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit but also for the enrichment of society† (World Federation of Deaf). Everyone has the right to participate in recreation parks and if we deny them the opportunity to participate we are not offering them a way to use rights they have both earned and deserve. Advantages/Pros: †¢ If I extendRead MorePoor Health Habits Among The United States Should Spend More Money On Preventative Care1736 Words   |  7 Pagesillnesses would decrease. As important as managing national spending and funding is, the most important factor is the overall health of Americans. Providing preventative care that varies between racial and ethnic groups does not create a healthier society, but a society with more chronic illness and higher medical bills for its citizens. The average cost of treating cancer is significantly higher than the cost of using preventative services. Individuals who skip preventative services may end up paying moreRead MorePolicy Brief : National Vaccine Information Center And Non Medical Vaccination2172 Words   |  9 Pagesput burden over budget allocation for other public health initiatives and would undoubtedly increase the federal deficit. Efficacy of Vaccine and the knowledge gap: Vaccines may provide temporary immunity; however, they do not provide protection against acute infections. Injecting vaccines can provide artificial immunity for the disease that not has been developed yet or has shown odds of developing such. Comparing to that, natural infection provides longer lasting immunity for almost 30 years (Wearing

Thursday, May 14, 2020

INT 1 Task 1 - 1735 Words

Part One Changes in DNA Understanding - a Continuing Process INT - Task 1 Understanding Genetics a Timeline of DNA Science ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  1700’s - it is believed that all traits are acquired. Example - a giraffe has a long neck due to stretching to reach the leaves in the taller trees. 1800’s - Carl Linnaeus classified by visible traits. 1866 - Gregor Mendel, through pea plant breeding and research; discovered that traits are inherited not acquired- before anyone knew or understood anything about â€Å"genes†. He published what he discovered as the â€Å"principles of inheritance† - however, his ideas were not recognized for over 30 years. 1900’s - Mendel’s experiments are rediscovered, confirmed by three researchers and his paper’s are†¦show more content†¦Helens. The Forest Service scientists and collaborators were on the edges of the volcano within 2 weeks of the eruption collecting information and making observations of the volcano and the areas ecology - learning about things science has not had the chance to learn about until this time. Listed below are a few of the things that the eruption of Mount St. Helens has taught taught scientists: ââ€"  This was the first time this type of volcano eruption was actually witnessed and documented in history. In 1956, there was a similar landslide and blast at Bezymianny volcano in Kamchatka, Russia - however, there were no witnesses to document the actual blast. It wasn’t until Mt. St. Helens that it was recognized that the two blasts were the same style of eruption. ââ€"  These â€Å"sector collapse† (the name of this type of eruption) have now been identified at over 200 volcanoes around the world. The detailed studies of the sector collapse, the lateral blast, and the large mudflow of this eruption have led to the reassessment of volcano hazards at other sites around the world. This has given these communities a way to become better prepared for future eruptions. ââ€"  Studies of Mount St. Helens has also demonstrated that volcanic eruptions can be accurately predicted. Lessons Learned After the Eruption of Mount St. Helens ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  Mt. St. Helens has created the ideal natural laboratory for science observations - over the years the growth of a lava dome in theShow MoreRelatedInt Task 1 Essay767 Words   |  4 Pages Visual Organizer for QBT1 Language Comm (V1 Undergrad-1211)-PA TASK 3 Teassa Eubanks WGU Student ID #270035 July 25, 2013 Works Cited Jackson, J. (2013). Learning Environments For Homeschooling: EzineArticles.com Retrieved July 25, 2013 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Learning-Environments-For-Homeschoolingid=2286248 Wenner, M. (2008). Study: Religion is Good for Kids: Live Science Read MoreAssignment Notes : Public Class Benchmarking Techniques714 Words   |  3 Pagesassignment unit 1; import java.util.*; public class BenchmarkingSortingAlgorithms { // Here I compute banchmarks of two different sorting techniques intmaxArraySize=10000; // Array Size int[] sortingArray1 = new int[maxArraySize]; // First Array int[] sortingArray2 = new int[maxArraySize]; // Second Array public BenchmarkingSortingAlgorithms(){ //The class Constructor for (int i = 0; i sortingArray1.length; i++) { // Fill two arrays with the same random numbers. sortingArray1[i]=(int)(IntegerRead MoreWhat Input Will Be Entered Into A Program : Program Analysis976 Words   |  4 Pagespurchased by the customer. What calculations will be performed by the program. List and explain them in the table below. Calculation Explanation Adult  £10.30*1 (price multiply by number of tickets) The Calculation for adult ticket. 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Why is it preferable to write programs in a high level language such as C++? A: The machine code is the language which the computer hardware understands and executes. It is preferable to write programs in a high level language such as C ++ because it is much easier to understand and learn this machine language. 2. What does a compiler do? What kinds of errors are reported by a compiler? A: A computerRead MoreA Study Of Current System Essay1038 Words   |  5 Pages2.1: Study of current system The current system consists of manually carrying out all the tasks such as : telephonic communications regarding need of blood, : searching the blood from storage, : retrieving the required blood group, : performing necessary documentations and : delivering the blood. This raises the cost and time required to a considerable extent. Moreover, the efficiency is reduced . Sometimes, due to technical errors the blood delivered may be unhealthy but still it is givenRead MorePatient Billing software srs1594 Words   |  7 PagesCharacteristics 2.6 Constraints 2.7 Use Case Model Description 2.8 Class Diagram 2.9 Sequence Diagram 2.10 Database Design 2.10.1 ER Diagram 2.11 Assumptions and Dependencies 3.0 Specific Requirements 3.1 Use Case Reports Software Requirements Specification 1. Introduction: 1.1 Purpose: The Software is for the automation of Patient Billing. The Software includes:Maintaining Patient details. Providing Prescription details. Providing and maintaining all kinds of tests for a patient. Billing and Report generationRead MoreEssay on Java767 Words   |  4 Pagesfuture, in the year 2016, the cable news empire has fallen, and former talking heads have stooped to running for political office. In fact, five former talk show stars are running for President of the United States, and locked in a close race. Your task is to design and implement a set of classes that process a collection of Integer objects, corresponding to votes for each candidate. The integers are stored in a queue by a driver. In particular, the following code must compile error free and executeRead MoreJava Essay797 Words   |  4 Pagesfuture, in the year 2016, the cable news empire has fallen, and former talking heads have stooped to running for political office. In fact, five former talk show stars are running for President of the United States, and locked in a close race. Your task is to design and implement a set of classes that process a collection of Integer objects, corresponding to votes for each candidate. The integers are stored in a queue by a driver. In particular, the following code must compile error free and executeRead MoreCs 315 Lab21281 Words   |  6 Pagesfollowing questions. Hint: You can either find the answer from the textbook or from the Internet. *You need to write the procedure that is necessary to accomplish the tasks listed below. Test to see if your answers are correct and type your correct answer under each question. Upload your finished lab document to the dropbox. 1. Use the ls command to list the contents of the root file system directory (/) on your system. ls / 2. Use the ls -l command to view the contents of the root file

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Organic Milk Attitudes and Consumption Patterns - 6587 Words

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0007-070X.htm BFJ 104,7 CASE STUDY 526 Organic milk: attitudes and consumption patterns Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, Department of Retailing and Marketing, Manchester, UK Keywords Organic food, Milk, Consumer behaviour Abstract This article considers consumer attitudes and motivation towards organic food, and milk specifically. This is then linked to the resulting purchase behaviour. Based on a combination of secondary and primary research, the results indicate the dynamics between these concepts. The resulting discussion highlights the importance of the associated internal and external factors within†¦show more content†¦Milk market overview The dairy market consists of milk, butter, cream, yoghurt, dairy desserts and cheese. In value terms, the market is dominated by milk, a large commodity BFJ 104,7 528 Figure 2. Most populat organic foods product, accounting for 43.5 per cent of all sales in 1997. The share held by milk of total sales has been falling throughout the 1990s (Market Review, 1998, pp. 16567). The dairy market has been suffering over the last four years as falling prices has meant that farmers are receiving less than the cost of production for their milk at payments of around 16ppl (price per litre). Since 1995/1996 farmers prices have dropped by about 40 per cent from 26ppl peak (Crosskey, 2000, p. 4). The 1990s saw a shift away from whole milk towards semi-skimmed milk, in line with consumers concerns about health. This now accounts for more than a half of all fresh milk sales. Furthermore, the market has stabilised at this position, as whole milk continues to play an important role in the diet of young children and also in the prevention of osteoporosis among older women (Market Intelligence, 2000, p. 4). However some of the reasons for the overall decline in milk consumption have been due to the decrea se of consumption of tea, coffee and cereals, which are normally added to these products. For future growth, the marketShow MoreRelatedOrganic Food4050 Words   |  17 PagesAn introduction to organic foods In spite of the increasing popularity of Organic food these days, most of the people do not have a clear idea regarding the definition of organic food. In simple words, Organic foods are those foods that are produced, processed and packaged without using chemicals. They have been accepted due to their perceived health benefits over conventional food. The organic industry is growing rapidly and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above all, consumersRead MoreFast Food Industry Research Proposal1593 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Proposal (Fast Food Industry) To study the attitude towards consumption of healthy food within the fast food industry Background We are a marketing research team of a fast food chain store. With increasing awareness about healthy food among the masses and with consumer preferences changing towards healthy food, we intend to launch a health food segment to cater to this need of the customers. We are also concerned about the pricing of the product that whether it should be priced same asRead MoreFamily Health Assessment : Family Assessment Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pagesprevention and promotion. A Family Assessment by Gordon’s Eleven Health Patterns Gordon’s health patterns are family assessment information’s emphasis on developmental phases and the risk factors affected in the family’s health. This is an important tool for nurses to assess and evaluate the family’s traditional health patterns. The family I selected is an Asian Indian family. This paper is going to discuss about health patterns of Mr. Raju Fernandez family. Raju is 37-year-old port polio manager workingRead MoreIs Sainsbury A Best For His Or Her Well Being? Essay2126 Words   |  9 Pagesthe integrity of the organization in which they spend their money with. In so doing, the consumers will entrust the company in doing the right thing all through their buying process. One of the products of the company that is widely used is the dairy milk Sainsbury’s basics. The product is said to have low fat of about 1%. i am really interested in this organization since it is near to my place of residence and it is easier for data collection . the company is said to be currently involved in reductionRead MoreBlah4489 Words   |  18 PagesJournal of Advertising, 43(1), 18–32 Copyright C 2014, American Academy of Advertising ISSN: 0091-3367 print / 1557-7805 online DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2013.799450 â€Å"I Eat Organic for My Beneï ¬ t and Yours†: Egoistic and Altruistic Considerations for Purchasing Organic Food and Their Implications for Advertising Strategists Ioannis Kareklas Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA Jeffrey R. Carlson University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA Darrel D. Muehling WashingtonRead MoreVitasoy – Sparkling Soy Milk3500 Words   |  14 PagesVITASOY – Sparkling soy milk †¢ Executive summary †¢ Background of Studies †¢ Environmental scanning †¢ Advertising and Promotion strategies/ tactics †¢ Conclusion †¢ Reference †¢ Appendices †¢ Executive summary †¢ Background of Studies In 1940, Vitasoy was established by Dr K.S. Lo in Hong Kong. Soya bean is the main source of protein for Chinese people for 4,000 years. Mr. Lo brought this big idea to Hong Kong market, he began to sell his Soya bean milk from delivery in fresh to customers’Read MoreSwot Analysis Of Mountain Dew And Coca Cola Amatil Essay1847 Words   |  8 Pages(Frucor, 2015). Situational Analysis Background of the Market â€Å"New Zealanders spend $1.2 billion a year on non-alcoholic cold beverages, consuming 640 million litres of soft drinks, fruit juice, bottled water, sports and energy drinks, and flavoured milk.† (NZJBA, 2015). The carbonated drinks market was â€Å"dominated by two major players in 2014: Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ)†, with a market share of 36.9%, and Frucor Beverages, with a market share of 36.9%. Competition between the two companies remained fierceRead MoreThe International Organic Food Market2319 Words   |  10 Pagesof organic food industry globally has become one of the evidence proving that people emphasize more in eating well, sanely, healthfully and even ethically nowadays (Bittman, 2009).An estimation of US$ 47.2 billion is expected to grow in the international organic food market within 5 years from 2010 to 2015 (Transparency Market Research, 2014). Consumers are willing to pay more for organic, environmentally-friendly or natural products even during recessi on (Cummings, 2008). Demand for organic productsRead MoreHealth Drink1869 Words   |  8 PagesExecutive summary: 1.1 Background India, the world’s largest malt-based drinks market, accounts for 22% of the world’s retail volume sales. These drinks are traditionally consumed as milk substitutes and marketed as a nutritious drink, mainly consumed by the old, the young and the sick. The Health food drinks category consists of white drinks and brown drinks. South and East India are large markets for these drinks, accounting for the largest proportion of all India sales. The total market isRead MoreFactors Influencing The Organic Food Market6312 Words   |  26 PagesThe organic food market in the US has reached new heights, with retail sales in 2010 totaling $26.6 billion; this represents a significant increase from $6.1 billion just ten years earlier (Dimitri, 2012). Organic production includes food that is grown without pesticides, chemicals, growth hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Consumers, once buying mainly organic fruits and vegetables, have recently indicated a strong interest in a wide range of organic products, such as milk, eggs

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Main Role of Education in Nazi Germany free essay sample

The main role of education in Nazi Germany was to prepare boys and girls for different roles† Do you agree? Explain your answer. No, I do not fully agree with this statement. However, I do believe that they prepared boys and girls for their different roles, but I do not think that this was the main reason for education by the Nazis. I believe that it was mainly to brainwash the pupils into Nazi ideology. The young were the future of Germany so Hitler put a great focus on them and assured that they grow into loyal Nazis. This was achieved by controlling all aspects of education. It included lessons beginning with the pupils saluting and saying ‘Heil Hitler’. History books were even re-written to glorify the rise of the Nazi Party. Also, they had classes such as Race Studies and Eugenics which was a subject that taught pupils about selective breeding, to create a master Aryan race and to not marry inferior racial types, such as Jews. We will write a custom essay sample on The Main Role of Education in Nazi Germany or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Race studies taught them how to measure skulls to classify different races. They also wouldn’t accept any teachers to teach if they opposed Nazi beliefs and teachers’ camps (which nearly all teachers were a part of) mainly concentrated on how to indoctrinate the young. A source also suggests the same â€Å"The whole purpose of education is to create Nazis† said by the Nazi Minister of education himself, Bernard Rust. In school, there seemed to be no escape in Nazism as in Geography classes, pupils are taught which lands to invade as Germany is need for more Lebensraum. More Nazi ideology included in their Maths questions by asking for calculations such as the weight of an aircraft after the bombs have dropped in Warsaw (the centre of international Jewry). Of course, these all meant that school was not a happy place for the Jews. They would be teased and laughed of in front the class by the teacher encouraging the German Aryan kids to join in so this taught them how to be completely disapproving of the Jews. In addition to this, a part of Nazi ideology is that men and women both have different roles in life. Men are supposed to join and fight in the army and women are supposed to stay home, reproduce perfect Aryan babies with the men and take care of the family. The schools prepared them for these roles by preparing the girls for marriage and motherhood with the emphasis on domestic duties. Physical education occupied 15% of school time so girls were fit enough to do house work whilst at the same time, taking care of their children. The boys mainly concentrated on this as they were preparing for military service. They took classes such as physical and military fitness. These roles were so important to be met that all pupils had to pass a physical examination or else they could be expelled from school. In conclusion, the main role of education in Nazi Germany was to indoctrinate children so that they grew up being loyal Nazis with a blind hatred of anyone who was Jewish or any other whom they found to be different and not of their own. Boys and girls having different roles was only a part of Nazi beliefs, but not the main reason for education.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Microeconomics

Introduction The term microeconomics is derived from the Greek word mikros which means small. Therefore, in microeconomics, the focus is on individual economic units such as individual consumer or an individual firm or an individual factor owner. Each of these small units seeks to maximize or minimize something (Mukherjee 2007, p. 33).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Microeconomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Normally, microeconomics consists of looking at the economy through a microscope, as it were, to see how individuals or households as consumers, and the individual or firms as producers, play their part in the working of the economy. In general, microeconomics concerns itself with the explanation and analysis of how the various cells of the economic organism or the so-called units of economic such as millions of consumers, producers or business firms, workers and factory owners perform their economic a ctivities and succeed in reaching their respective equilibrium states or achieving their optimization goals such as utility maximization, profit maximization, or optimization of incomes. This paper presents a discussion of two issues related to the subject of microeconomics. First, the main economic factors that determine the price of a good or service will be explained and later, economic factors that have led to the rises in the prices of cereals in the past five years will be examined. Factors that Determine the Price of a Good or Service Two main factors that directly influence the price of goods or services in the market are demand and supply. Generally, the price of goods and services is high when the demand is high (Grant Vidler, 2000). A low demand on the other hand implies that the producers have no choice but to reduce the prices as the competition to sell is high and the focus for each seller is to be able to attract as many buyers as may be practically possible. This, h owever, typically applies in a free market economy where the prevailing market conditions determine the prices. In a similar way, low supply will result in high prices for goods or services while a high supply will mean that prices have to go up (Mukherjee 2007, p. 35).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Odland (2012, p. 1), the price of goods and services is considered a function of both supply and demand. The effects of demand and supply on the price of a good or a service are explained in the following sub sections. Demand Demand relates to the behavior of consumers. The quantity demanded of any good or service is the amount of the good or service that buyers are willing to and able to purchase (Jones 2004, p.64). Although there are many things that determine the price of a good or service, the level of demand for the good or service affects the price that sell ers can offer. Ideally, when the demand is high, the price tends to go up. Regardless of what is responsible for causing the increase in demand, the consumer will be expected to pay a higher price. The demand may rise due to an influx of people into the market, artificial shortages created by suppliers, or poor infrastructure making it difficult to deliver the good or service as expected (Mankiw Taylor, 2006). As an example, consider how the cost of fuel keeps fluctuating in many countries across the world. Usually, the demand of fuel may increase as a result of war experienced in oil producing countries or it may be caused by increased activities such as during Christmas or during Easter celebrations. Given that the same commodity is being sought after by a higher number of people, it is most likely that sellers will take advantage and start selling the good or service at a higher than normal price. In some countries, however, the government has put in place strict measures to reg ulate prices and protect the consumers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Microeconomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the quantity consumed is affected by the prevailing market price. This is illustrated by figure 1 (Bernanke 2004, p. 61). Figure 1: Demand Curve A fundamental property of the demand curve is that it is downward sloping with respect to price. As can be seen from figure 1, it is clear that consumers will purchase more when prices are low and vice versa. Obviously, the demand curve can be interpreted either vertically or horizontally. Under the horizontal interpretation, we begin with a price and then end up with the quantity demanded at that price. For example, at a price of $ 4 only 8,000 units will be demanded per day while at a price of $ 2, consumers will demand up to 16,000 units. Under the vertical interpretation, we begin with a quantity a specific quantity and go on to determin e the price from the demand curve. For example, when the demand is high, at 16,000 units per day, a lower price of $ 2 is charged while when the supply is only 8,000 units per day, a higher price of $ 4 is charged.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Supply As stated earlier, a high supply of a good or service will result in lower prices while a decline in supply will lead to higher prices. Although some shortages in supply may be natural, others may be influenced by sellers who are out to extort money from unsuspecting consumers (Myers 2004, p. 23). Clearly, when the supply is low, a higher number of consumers will be fighting to get the same commodity. If this happens in a free market economy, the consumer becomes the biggest loser. Figure 2 illustrates how supply affects prices. Figure 2: Supply Curve Like the demand curve, the supply curve can be interpreted either horizontally or vertically. Under the horizontal interpretation, we being with a price and then go over to the supply curve to check the quantity that sellers wish to sell at that price on the horizontal axis. For example, at a price of $ 2, sellers are willing to sell 8,000 units in a day. Under the vertical interpretation, we begin with a quantity and then dete rmine the corresponding price from the supply curve. For example, when the quantity supplied is 12,000 units, the corresponding price is $ 3. Equilibrium Price and Equilibrium Quantity The equilibrium price is that price that sets buyers’ plans equal to sellers’ plans. Similarly, the quantity at which these plans are equal is referred to as the equilibrium quantity. Therefore, in a free market economy, the equilibrium price and quantity are the price and quantity toward which markets will automatically move. At the equilibrium price, the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied and neither sellers nor buyers will want to change the price or the quantity (Welch Welch, 2009). Often, the equilibrium price is referred to as the market clearing price since at this price, the amount buyers want exactly matches the amount that sellers offer, thereby clearing the market of the good or service. When the price of a good or service is below its equilibrium level, a shortag e will develop, and the price will be driven up toward the equilibrium. On the other hand, if the price is above the equilibrium, a surplus will develop, causing the price to fall toward equilibrium. Figure 3 a combined graph of demand and supply curves and illustrates the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity (Welch Welch, 2009). Figure 3: Equilibrium Price and Equilibrium Quantity Factors that have Led to the Rises in the Prices of Cereals in the Past Five Years As noted by Meyer (2012, p. 1), poor weather conditions played a big role in the rise of prices of cereals in the past five years. To a great extent, this is also related to the devastating effects of global warming and climate change. Although other factors are partly to blame for the pathetic weather experienced in most parts of the world, increased activities on earth by men and women are largely responsible for degrading the environment. The result of this has been severe droughts in any countries and hence poor harvests. The poor harvests automatically imply that the quantity of cereals supplied can not meet the market demand. Clearly, the low supply and high demand imply that the prices of cereals had to go up. A study by the World Bank also arrived at the conclusion that weather is the most critical factor that is to blame for the soaring prices of cereals (World Bank, 2012, p. 2). The unfavorable weather is generally blamed for vast damage caused to cereal crops and hence affecting the output from farms. As noted by Odland (2012, p. 1), restrictions by the government are also to blame for the rise in cereal prices. Even though this may be beneficial to some degree, it can easily lead to poor harvests. Increased prices are also linked to the fact that the rise in the cost of oil directly affects the cost of transport as well as other production materials. In places like China and India, where the population is always on the rise, a high demand for food stuff leads to high prices for goo ds and services. Another factor that has led to the rise in prices of cereals is absence of government subsidy (FAO 2011, p. 13). Among the most important forms of government assistance to farmers is the fertilizer subsidy. Where fertilizer subsidies are provided by the government, commodity prices tend to be lower. Since farmers receive fertilizers at reduced prices, they are also able to sell their produce at lower prices without going into a loss. In the past five years, however, changes in government policies touching on subsidies for cereal crops have led to increased prices (OECD 2008, p. 8). Unfortunately, the government of the United States has been accused of encouraging farmers to engage in farming practices that consume little water. In as much as this may be of some benefit to the environment, it has the negative repercussion of reducing food supply. The decline in food supply in turn leads to low supply and this eventually results in high commodity prices. Reference Lis t Bernanke, B. 2004, Principles of Microeconomics, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Hong Kong, China. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2011, Recent Trends in World Food Commodity Prices: Costs and Benefits. Web. Grant, S. Vidler, C. 2000, Economics in Context, Heinemann Educational Publishers, Sandton. Jones, T. 2004, Business Economics and Managerial Decision Making, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Mankiw, N. G. Taylor, M. P. 2006, Microeconomics, Cengage Learning EMEA, Bedford Row, London. Meyer, G. 2012, Moment of Truth for US Grain. Web. Mukherjee, S. 2007, Modern Economic Theory, New Age International, New Delhi, India. Myers, D. 2004, Construction Economics: A New Approach, Taylor Francis, New York, NY. Odland, S. 2012, Why Are Food Prices So High? Web. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Rising Food Prices: Causes and Consequences. Web. Welch, P. J. Welch, G. F. 2009, Economics: Theory and Practice, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, N. J. World Bank, 2012, Poverty Reduction and Equity Group Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Network. Web. This report on Microeconomics was written and submitted by user Libby Blake to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Hernando Cortez essays

Hernando Cortez essays Hernando Cortez was born in 1485 in Medellin, Extremadura. He studied law at the University of Salamanca but left after two years and decided to try in the Americas. Cortez went to Santo Domingo in 1504. In 1511 he became the mayor Cuba. In 1518 Cortez went to Mexico. In 1519, Cortez, with 600 men, and 20 horses, set sail from Cuba. Cortez sailed along the coast of Yucatan and in 1519 landed in Mexico, taking the town of Tabasco. Cortez learned from the natives of Tabasco of the Aztec Empire and its ruler, Montezuma II. Cortez took many of the locals prisoners, one was, Malachi. She was the interpreter, guide, and counselor for the Spanish. So the soldiers would not desert and spread the news to Cuba, Cortez destroyed his ships. Montezuma talked to Cortez to get him to stay away from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Cortez then started to march inland. He defeated the native Tlaxcalans and then they joined sides with Cortez against the Aztecs. This proved to be a very tigh t alliance between these two people. Montezuma decided not to try and fight the Spanish, but to wait for them to come and to learn what they where there for. On November 8, 1519, Cortez entered the city. Some think that the Aztecs may have believed Cortez was a legendary god-king who was expected to return from the east. The soldiers were allowed to go through the city and take all the gold and other treasures they wanted. Cortez still believed that there would be attempts made to drive him out. So to be safe, he captured Montezuma and made him provide a ransom of gold and jewels. After a while harsh rules had made the Aztecs mad. A revolt against the Spanish started. They surrounded and attacked Cortez. Montezuma tried to stop the revolt, but he was stoned, and he died three days later. The Spanish were driven out of the city on June 30, 1520. In July, 1520, Cortez reached Tlaxcala. There he reorganized his army with some re ...

Friday, February 21, 2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Essay Example The overall purpose of the project is to provide the medical, psychological as well as emotional support to the teens and youngsters who may be using drugs. The overall rehabilitation as well as their revival is one of the key purposes of the organization however, the focus is also assisting these teens to develop leadership qualities. Team building as well as organizational skills is also taught to these teens in order to help them to live a life which is organized and based upon mutual help of each other. The organization therefore is a non-profit organization with focus upon ensuring that the teens and youth are provided a new opportunity to live a better and more constructive life at the individual as well as community level. Target Population Though apparently the overall target population of the teens facing drug related issues what is however important to note that parents and guardians of the teens are targeted too. Since rehabilitating the teens is a holistic approach theref ore healthcare service providers therefore not only target the patients themselves but the parents of these children also. This approach is taken in order to ensure that the parent play a better and more constructive role in the recovery and rehabilitation of their children. It is also important to understand that healthcare service provider professionals work on the basis of developing co-leaders and presenting leaders in every situation. This sort of approach therefore helps the organizations to actually better target their population and become more organized in ensuring their proper response to their target population. (Kerfoot, 2004) The Benefits of the Program Apparently, the overall benefit of the program is to produce healthy and constructive citizens who can be better individuals. However, on the whole, program intends to develop a community which is based upon mutual respect and help for each other. In order to accomplish this task, this program therefore is aimed at utili zing and developing the leadership skills of the healthcare service provides including nurses to manage different situations on their own. This therefore allows the healthcare service providers to become more independent in carrying out their responsibilities and become more accountable and responsible for what they treat and deal with at healthcare services providing facilities. The Cost & Budget Justifications The overall cost of rehabilitating the teens and the youth is more than $5 million dollars per annum. This cost includes both the cost of medicines and other support directly required by the individuals in the overall process of rehabilitating them. It also include the support cost such as admin and other running expenses required to accomplish the task of providing overall support to the patients. Such high cost has also been due to the fact that it is becoming difficult to actually hire and retain quality nurses. The overall focus therefore is to build effective teams and co-leaders who can shine in every situation. In order to accomplish this task, more is being spent on training and development of the nurses to improve their overall capability to handle difficult cases in limited time and budget. The Basis of Evaluation One of the basic

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

British Petroleum and its Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

British Petroleum and its Operations - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that British Petroleum, which is also referred to as BP PLC is a British international Gas and Oil Company, which its headquarters stationed in London, England. Based on the revenue statistics released in 2012, British Petroleum is the fifth largest Oil and Gas Company in the world. It deals with the exploration, production, transportation, refining, marketing, distribution and trading of oil and petroleum products. It also deals with power generation, research, and exploration of renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy and biofuels. Petroleum helps provide oil-based fuels for machines, lubricants and petroleum products used in infrastructure development, making plastics, gas, and petrochemicals among other products. BP America forms the largest British Petroleum subsidiary. The company also owns nineteen percent stake in Rosneft, which is a Russian Oil Company that is the most publicly traded in the Oil and Gas sector of the stocks exchange. British Petroleum’s market capitalization is an excess of eighty-five billion pounds and makes the fourth largest company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company is headed by a board, which is responsible for oversight and guidance of the company in the interests of the shareholders. The company’s executive management has several branches that include, Finance, Refining and Marketing, Exploration, Safety and Operational Risk, Production, Strategy and Regions, Corporate Business Activities, Human Resources, and the Upstream department. Various subsidiaries have leaders who report to the main offices in London. There are various external factors that can affect British Petroleum’s success. These include the global economy, natural environment, wars, politics, currency devaluation, infrastructure, customers and the relationship between the company and the local communities. The most important external factors that can affect the compa ny’s success are the global economy and the natural environment. The global economy has a strong influence on the success of British Petroleum as seen during the recession in 2008 when the company recorded falling profits. The profits had declined from eight billion dollars to three dollars. If the recession continued the company would have started to make losses, which would affect its success negatively.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Analysis of Competition in the Technology Market

Analysis of Competition in the Technology Market EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dells competitive advantage is their direct customer sales and customer support; this has made the company one of the leading suppliers of computer systems. Dell has a better understanding of its customers computer needs through continuous online and telephone interaction. This constant interaction drives individual and enterprise productivity. Future growth rates for the computer industry are expected to be less than previous years however, Dell can still be profitable. One of the main problems that Dell faces is the struggling United States economy which Dell has no control over. This is compounded by a saturated PC market with lower profit margins from industry price wars. Dell must focus on being a market taker, instead of trying to be a market maker. Dell needs to capitalize on their ability to enter and dominate new markets, as it did in the low-end server and workstation markets. The company must pursue an international expansion of their middle and high-end server products. T hrough the acquisition of a company like EMC Corporation Dell can pursue the external data storage market. Dell has already captured a large share of the United States market and must increase its server, storage, and service segment overseas to gain more international market share, particularly in China and Latin America. The only viable strategy in order to achieve Michael Dells goal to double Dell Computers current revenue to $60 billion by 2007 is to work on methods to improve sales in the stated new areas. A combination of service, storage and server product growth across newly established international markets is vital to achieve Dells ambitious goal. The United States economy is in a recession, but there are numerous opportunities for growth outside its borders. INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT In the early 2000s, the electronic computer industry was struggling amidst a weak economic climate that presented challenges in business and consumer markets alike. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, after a sharp increase from $56.9 billion in 1998 to $64.7 billion in 1999, electronic computer shipment values fell in 2000 to $62.9 billion. As the economy took a turn for the worse, shipment values plunged to $55.8 billion in 2001. This affected virtually every product segment within the industry, including servers and workstations. Along with values, actual unit shipments also declined, falling from 27.2 million in 2000 to 22.7 million in 2001 (XXX). In the early 2000s there were numerous factors that slowed the purchase of new computers. On September 11, 2001 the terrorist attacks crippled consumer confidence. There was also a rise in the unemployment rates and the possibility of war with Iraq. All these factors made customers content with keeping their existing computers. These s ame conditions caused a slowdown of technology spending in the corporate world too. The wave of year 2000 related new equipment purchases that took place at the end of the 1990s, as well as the availability of quality used equipment from bankrupt Internet companies in the early 2000s, also had a negative impact on the corporate market for new electronic computers. Global competition among computer makers has favored, low-cost producers, and many of these are United States firms. The four largest United States computer makers, Dell, Compaq, Hewlett- Packard, and IBM controlled approximately 40 percent of world computer shipments. In late 2000, Dell proved itself as a potent competitor by taking the title of world market leader away from Compaq. In 2002 Hewlett-Packard had acquired Compaq, in an effort to challenge Dells position. In 2005 the industry reported 2,278 companies manufacturing electronic computers, employing 90,762 people who generated some $196,557.41 million in revenue. Average sales totaled $116.4 million per company. Electronic computers represented 59.7 percent of the market, while digital personal computers garnered 23.5 percent of the market (Electronic Computers, 2007). LEADING COMPANIES DELL Dell designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells and supports information technology systems and services. The company sells its products directly to large corporate, government, healthcare, and education customers as well as small to medium businesses and individual consumers. Dell offers its products in six categories: desktop computer systems, mobility products, software and peripherals, servers and networking products and storage products. The desktop computer systems offer three product lines: Optiplex, Dimension and XPS. The company also offers Precision work stations (Galenet, 2008). The Optiplex product line is primarily for business, government, and institutional customers and the Dimension product line is for small businesses and home users. The XPS product line is for the gaming and entertainment needs of the customers. For the users that run sophisticated applications like three-dimensional computer-aided design, digital content creation, geographic information systems, computer animation, software development and financial analysis the company offers the Precision workstation. The mobility products division provides MP3 players, handhelds (Dell Axim) and three lines of notebooks (Dell XPS, Latitude and Inspiron). The XPS product line for  notebooks targets customers in the gaming or entertainment segment. The Latitude product line focuses on business, government, and institutional customers, while the Inspiron product line is targeted at small businesses. Dell is a leading player in the United States and worldwide for notebook computer shipments (Company Spotlight, 2008). The software and peripheral products of Dell includes printers and displays, software, notebook accessorie s, networking and wireless products, digital cameras, power adapters, scanners and other products. The company offers variety of third party software products such as operating systems, business and office applications, anti-virus and related security software and entertainment software. The companys power edge line of server focuses on enterprise customers and small organizations. Dell is the market leader in the United States in shipments of x86 servers. Computers and servers on small to medium networks can be connected using Dells PowerConnect switches. Dell doesnt just provide products, they also offer infrastructure consulting services, deployment services, asset recovery and recycling services, training services, enterprise support services, client support services and managed lifecycle services. Through Dell Financial Services (DFS) the company can provide United States businesses financing alternatives and asset management services. HEWLETT-PACKARD Hewlett-Packard (HP) offers a complete product portfolio spanning across personal computing, imaging and printing related products and services, and technology solutions. The company operates through seven business segments: enterprise storage and servers, HP services, software, the personal systems group, the imaging and printing group, HP Financial services and corporate investments. The enterprise storage and servers, HP services and software segment are aggregated under the technology solutions group. Hewlett-Packard is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and the company operates in over 170 countries around the world. The United States is the largest geographical market, 33.4 percent of the total revenue during 2007 (Smith, 2008). Enterprise storage and servers provide storage and server products to both small and medium sized businesses. Industry standard servers include entry-level and mid-range ProLiant servers, which operate primarily on the Windows, Linux and Novell operating systems, and Intel Corporation (Intel) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors. The companys product lines span across pedestal-tower servers, density optimized rack servers and HPs BladeSystem family of blade servers. The technology solutions group includes enterprise storage and servers, HP services and HP software. Technology solutions group provide servers, storage, software and information technology services for enterprise and mid-market business customers to manage their current IT environments. Business critical systems include Itanium-based Integrity servers running on the HPUX, Windows, Linux and OpenVMS operating systems including the high-end Superdome servers  and fault-tolerant Integrity NonStop servers. Business critical systems also include the Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)-based servers with the HP 9000 line running on the HP-UX operating system, HP AlphaServers running on both Tru64 UNIX and Open Virtual Memory System, and MIPs-based NonStop servers. The company has planned to phase out its Alpha server product line in recent times (PCs Industry Profile, 2008). Hewlett-Packards services include technology services, consulting and integration, and outsourcing services. It serves industries such as communications, media and entertainment, manufacturing and distribution, financial services and the public sector, and government and education services. The technology services ranges from standalone product support to high availability services for multi-vendor environments and business continuity and recovery services. The consulting and integration segment provided consulting and integration services to implement technology and industry-specific solutions for customers. Outsourcing services provides IT management and outsourcing to support infrastructure, applications, business processes, end user workplace, print environment, and business continuity and recovery requirements. HP Software provides management software solutions including support, that allow enterprise customers to manage their IT infrastructure, operations, applications, IT services and business processes under the brand, HP OpenView. It also delivers comprehensive, carrier-grade software platforms for developing and deploying next generation voice, data and converged services to network and service providers under the HP OpenCall brand. Hewlett Packard acquired Mercury Interactive Corporation, Bristol Technologies, SPI Dynamics and Opsware in fiscal 2007, which added transaction monitoring, applications security testing and data center automation capabilities to its portfolio. Personal systems group (PSG) is one of the leading providers of personal computers (PCs) in the world based both on volume and annual revenue. Its product line includes commercial PCs, consumer PCs, workstations, handheld computing devices, digital entertainment systems, calculators and other related accessories, and software and services. Workstations are individual computing products designed for users demanding enhanced performance such as computer animation, engineering design and other programs requiring high-resolution graphics. HP provides workstations that run on UNIX, Windows and Linux-based operating systems. Hewlett-Packard is the leading imaging and printing systems provider in the world. The segments portfolio of offerings includes consumer and commercial printer hardware, printing supplies, printing media and scanning devices. The HP Financial services provide financial service to small and medium size businesses. It also offers leasing, financing, utility programs and asset recovery services, financial asset management services for large global and enterprise customers. This group provides innovative and customized services to counter technology obsolescence. ACER Acer functions in the manufacture and sale of IT products, and provision of computer software and maintenance services. The company operates in Taiwan, Europe, Asia, and North America. The company operates through a single business segment and sells Acer branded desktop personal computers (PCs), notebook PCs, and other related information technology (IT) products and services. Acers IT product range includes computer system (desktops, notebooks, handhelds, and tablets), servers and storage products, monitors (cathode ray tube and liquid crystal display), peripherals, projectors, internet appliances and personal multimedia, and digital still cameras (DSC). Acer provides a commercial and consumer series desktop. The commercial series desktops include Veriton and AcerPower brands and the consumer series include the Aspire brand. The company provides four series of notebooks: Aspire series, TravelMate series, Tablet PC series, and Ferrari series. The Tablet series is Acers latest high-mobility solution, which easily converts between notebook and slate modes. Acers servers and storage products are sold under the brand name Altos and Acer. Acers services are based on the MegaMicro business model, which is defined by the company as a mega infrastructure that supports micro services. The services offered include e-Enabling Services Business, enabling Information Platform Services, and Enterprise e-Caring Services. The companys e-Enabling offerings combine Acers IT products and services, and are delivered through the companys infrastructure. (Acer.com, 2008) APPLE Apple is one of the major providers of personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices. Apple designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers and related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The company also designs, develops, and markets a line of portable digital music players along with related accessories and services including the online distribution of third-party music, audio books, music videos, short films, and television shows. The company sells its products worldwide through online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers and resellers. Acer is managed on a basis of geographic segments. The company operates through four operating segments: the Americas, Europe, Japan, and retail. The Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. Each reportable geographic operating segment provides the same kind of hardware and software products and services. The retail segment currently operates Apple-owned retail stores in the United States, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company has 174 retail stores in the United States and 23 stores in Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Apples Desktops product line includes iMac, eMac, Mac mini, Power Mac, Mac Pro, and Xserve. Portables include MacBook, iBook, MacBook Pro, and PowerBook. iPod products include iTunes Store and iPod services, and the companys own and third party iPod accessories. Other music related products and services include hardware accessories of the company and third parties, wireless connectivity and networking solutions. Software services comprise Apple  branded operating system and application software, third party software, AppleCare, and Internet services. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT The threat of new entrants into PC market is moderate, a compromise between high brand recognition in the market and strong market growth. The new web enabled mobile phones and games consoles fill the needs of some buyers as well as PCs making the threat of substitutes moderate. Rivalry within the market is moderate, as large competitors are faced with relatively high exit barriers, but still enjoying strong growth that leaves plenty of expansion room for all players. There is product differentiation within the market in terms of technical specification, styling, and support services offered, leading to decrease buyer power. However, there is little differentiation in the underlying architecture, with even Apple recently moving to the use of Intels x86 processors. This pushes the market towards commodification and strengthens buyer power. Buyer power can also be increased if more technology savvy people build their own computer. This requires special knowledge and is only a valid alt ernative to a small portion of the customer base. Buyer power overall remains moderate. Supplier power is low because PC manufactures do not incur a significant cost when switching suppliers. However, Intel has strong supplier power due to its brand recognition of its products and use in the vast majority of PCs on the markets. Microsoft also has strong supplier power as a result of their dominance in the operating systems market. The overall supplier power is strong. The threat of substitutes within the PC market is moderate, with much of the functionality of modern PCs being unavailable through alternative means. However, one of the largest threats to the consumer PC market lies within the sphere of gaming, especially with respect to the next generation games consoles, whose increased specifications are attracting gamers away from the PC format. Mobile phones and similar hand-held devices with email and web browser capability can also replace much of the communication role of PCs. The major PC manufacturers are relatively large companies. Some are strongly focused on the PC market (e.g. Lenovo), others have broadly diversified businesses (e.g. Sony), and so that on average the importance of the PC market to its players is moderate. COMPANY SWOT DELL Strengths Despite losing market share to Hewlett-Packard Company in the recent past, Dell continues to remain a strong player in the computer hardware segment. In the computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing industry in the United States, Dell was in the second place behind the Hewlett-Packard Company. In the computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers industry in the United States, Dell was in the first place with a market share of 6.5 percent. Dell is also one of the leading players in the global servers segment. The company has a strong market position in the storage segment owing to its partnership with EMC. The companys Asia Pacific-Japan segment has reported strong performance in recent three years. The revenue of this segment increased from $5,465 million in fiscal 2005 to $7,358 million in fiscal 2007, an increase of 34.6 percent over 2005. All product categories in this region experienced revenue growth during fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2006. The company has a wide product portfolio, comprising desktops, notebooks, servers, storage products, networking, printers, ink and toner, televisions, software and accessories. Dell has formed partnerships to strengthen its presence in areas where it is weak. A wide portfolio of products has helped the company provide bundled offerings to customers. Weaknesses Dell has weak internal controls. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) started an investigation into the accounting and financial reporting matters at Dell, in August 2005. In 2006 The company announced that its Audit Committees investigation had identified a number of accounting errors, evidence of misconduct, and deficiencies in the financial control environment. The company has had to recall several products in the recent past owing to quality issues. In August 2006, the company announced the recall of 4.1 million notebook batteries owing to fire risk. These Dell branded batteries were based on cells of Sony. The company also recalled several other products in previous years owing to quality problems, including AC Adapters and printers. Opportunities Dell has acquired new companies in 2007 and also plans to go in for acquisitions in the future. In July 2007, Dell entered into an agreement to acquire privately-held SilverBack Technologies, a service delivery platform provider for remote monitoring and management of information technology infrastructure such as servers, storage, networks, desktops and notebooks. In the following month, Dell entered into an agreement to acquire ZING Systems, a private consumer technology and services company that focuses on always-connected audio and entertainment devices. This acquisition enables Dell to use ZINGs capabilities to continue improving the entertainment experiences it provides its customers. In November 2007, the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EqualLogic, (Dell.com, 2008) a provider of high-performance iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions optimized for virtualization. The  global Personal Computer (PC) market generated total revenues of $163.8 billion in 2006, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3 percent for the period spanning from 2002 to 2006. Desktop sales proved the most lucrative for the global PC market in 2006, generating total revenues of $123.1 billion, equivalent to 66.9 percent of the markets overall  value. In comparison, sales of Laptops generated revenues of $60.9 billion in 2006, accounting for 33.1 percent of the markets aggregate revenues. The company is entering into new retail agreements to enable consumers to have greater access to Dell products. In September 2007, the company partnered with Gome, Chinas largest consumer electronics retailer to reach millions of in-store computer buyers and to sell the companys latest products through it. In October 2007, Staples and Dell signed an agreement which allows customers to have the option to buy at 1,400 Staples stores for a wide collection of Dell notebook and desktop computers, monitors, printers, ink and toner (Dell.com, 2007). Threats The electronics manufacturing industry is struggling to compete with the black market, parallel import, and smuggled goods. Some countries like China represented an overwhelming 81 percent of the total value of seized goods in 2006. With an increase in the number of counterfeit products being manufactured in China, the company faces serious threats in most of its market segments. These products, although of poorer quality in most cases, are considerably cheaper and may affect the revenue of the company in the long run. Dells failure to comply with new environmental legislation could result in significant penalties and liabilities. Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) Directive, effective as of July 2006, imposes restrictions on the use of six hazardous materials. Although the company uses a number of third party manufacturers, it will continue to bear responsibility for compliance with the ROHS directive. The European Union has also enacted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive which makes producers of electrical goods, including computers and printers, financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal of past and  future covered products. The United States and Eurozone are two important markets for Dell. The recent turmoil in financial markets, the very weak housing market indicators and consumer sentiments, the growth projection for the United States and the United Kingdome has slowed. Economic slowdown in the United States and Eurozone could lead to less IT spending, which in turn would adversely affect demand for the companys products. HEWLETT-PACKARD Strengths Hewlett-Packard has a strong market position in most of its product segments. The company has a leading market position in the global PC market in terms of shipments. Hewlett-Packard seized market leadership from Dell in the global PC market in 2006 and managed to sustain it in 2007 with 19 percent market share. The company is the second largest entity in the servers market behind International Business Machines (IBM), with its server range extending from low-end systems to high-end systems. In particular, the company is the market leader in x86 Blade and UNIX based servers. Hewlett-Packard has a leading market position in printers. Hewlett-Packard has reported strong financials in recent years. The company has reduced its long-term debt over the last few years from $6,494 million in 2003 to $4,997 million in 2007. Hewlett-Packards long-term debt ratio stood at 0.1 for the fiscal year ended October 2007. The strong financial position provides the company the flexibility of expanding its geographical coverage and product portfolio through organic and inorganic initiatives. Hewlett-Packard also has high brand equity. The company is one of the leading brands in the technology sector along with Microsoft, IBM and Intel. Hewlett-Packard markets several products such as personal computers, inkjet printers and digital cameras to consumers. A strong brand image plays a critical role in consumer markets. Weaknesses Hewlett-Packard has weak internal controls. The company is being investigated by a number of agencies for employing questionable methods to identify the board member, who was leaking  confidential information to the media (Los Angeles Times, 2006). The company is accused of using private agencies, which used illegal methods such as imitation to obtain the phone records of its board members and select journalists. Hewlett-Packard lacks in-house management consulting division. Instead the company has formed partnerships with the likes of Accenture and Capgemini to provide management consulting services to its customers. Increasing number of IT services companies are establishing management consulting divisions in order to provide a more comprehensive and integrated range of services. The research and development expenditure of Hewlett-Packard has remained flat in recent years. The company invested $3,643 million in research and development in each year of 2006 and 2007 compared with $3,492 million in 2005. Research and development as a percentage of revenues declined over the last three years from 4 percent in 2005 and 3.9 percent in 2006 to 3.5 percent in 2007 (HP.com, 2007). Opportunities Hewlett-Packard has undertaken an ambitious revamp of its IT operations, which it hopes will not only improve its effectiveness but also serve as a showcase for its technological capabilities. Hewlett-Packard has taken up five classes of IT initiatives: portfolio management, IT workforce effectiveness, world-class IT, enterprise data warehouse and global data centers. The portfolio management initiatives of the company include reducing active projects from 1,200 to 500 and reducing the number of applications. For improving IT workforce, the company is reducing its IT core sites from 100 to 29 among other initiatives. The company is focused on extending its leadership in imaging and printing. HP acquired Snapfish, online photo service, to dominate the sharing and printing of digital images over the internet. Hewlett-Packard is expanding Snapfish in Europe and Asia. Threats Hewlett-Packard faces intense competition in all its business segments in terms of price, quality,  brand, technology, reputation, distribution, range of products etc. The company faces stiff competition in the PC market. The company has become the market leader in the PC segment in the third and fourth quarter of 2006, sending Dell to the number two position. Acers acquisition of Gateways has made it the third largest PCs supplier in the world. In some regions, the company faces competition from local companies and from generically-branded or white box manufacturers. In the printer supplies segment, Hewlett-Packard competes with re-manufacturers including private label brand stores such as Office Max, supply stores such as Cartridge world, internet vendors and original equipment manufacturers such as Lexmark. The European markets and the United States economy are forecast to decline in coming years. The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom is also forecast to grow in 2008. Risi ng interest rates and increasing unemployment would negatively affect the consumer spending in the United Kingdom. ACER Strengths Acer has robust market position in the global PC and notebook markets. In 2008, the company was ranked as the third largest player in the global PC market with a market share of 12.8 percent. Acer was ranked the second largest in the global notebook market with a share of 19.6 percent. The company was ranked the third largest player in the United States PC market and notebook market. In September 2008, the company completed acquisition E-Ten Information Systems (Acer-group.com, 2008). The acquisition helped the company to strengthen its position in handheld devices, including smartphones and GPS devices. Acer also purchased Packard Bell in 2008. In 2007 the company purchased one of the largest PC companies in the United States, Gateway. The successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell helped the company to strengthen its presence in the United States and enabled deeper penetration into the European and Asian markets. These acquisitions helped the company in generating increasing re venues from non-Taiwan markets. Weaknesses Acer is significantly dependent on Europe for its revenues. In FY2008 and FY2007, the company generated around 51 percent of its total revenues from Europe. Europe is experiencing a slowdown in the recent periods. The United Kingdom economy is forecast to be weak in the coming years. The companys high dependence on Europe makes its operations vulnerable to fluctuations in Europe economy. Opportunities The smartphone market is expected to grow in the coming years. It is anticipated that the smartphone market will grow by 15 percent every year for the next three to five years. The value of the global smartphone market is also expected to be more than $95 billion, representing 47 percent of the total handset market value in 2013. Acer is well-positioned in this segment. The growing smartphone market will provides the company an opportunity to increase its revenues in the coming years. Despite the slowdown in the overall PC market, the netbooks/mini-notebooks sales are forecast to grow in near term. The netbook market experienced a robust growth in 2008 and is forecast to grow about 68.5 percent in shipments. Acer offers netbooks under its four brands: Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. Acer has upgraded its products in the recent times. In September 2008, Acer along with its partners introduced Acer-Hitachi SMS 100, a storage product designed for the needs of small and medium sized businesses. The product offers enterprise class features and does not require specific storage experience to be installed and can be connected to any server through an ethernet network. Acer also launched the Aspire M7200 desktop PC targeting multimedia home-users looking for a powerful multi-tasking system, with plenty of expansion and customization capabilities Threats Acer competes with several large branded as well as smaller branded and generic companies. The company faces severe competition from branded competitors such as Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard. The note book segment has also attracted competition from nontraditional players. Intense competition in the PC segment may erode the companys margins and reduce its market share. Acer has been part of several patent law suits in the recent periods. In 2007, HP  filed a suit against Acer alleging that Acer and its United States subsidiary have knowingly infringed on five HP patents related to PCs. This has raised HPs recent patent claims against Acer to 10. However in 2008, Acer settled all ongoing patent litigations with HP. Acer operates in various countries worldwide, and is exposed to risk from changes in foreign currency rates. The company derived about 95.3 percent of sales from customers outside Taiwan in FY2008. The consolidated companies record transactions in their respective func tional currencies, which generally are the local currency of the primary economic environment in which these entities operate. APPLE Strengths Apple enjoys a high level of brand awareness and brand recognition for its products throughout the markets in which it operates. Apple leverages its brand image to differentiate its product offering and drive sales. The companys strong brand enables it t