Critically evaluate the cognitive development theories of Piaget and Essay

Critically evaluate the cognitive development theories of Piaget and Vygotsky and discuss their relevance to Social Work practice - Essay Example He came up with the cognitive development theory where he showed two major aspects to his theory: the process of coming to know and the stages used to acquire the ability to know. In his book, Miller, (2002, p.32) stated that Piaget viewed knowledge as a process and that children have an active process of knowing their surrounding. As a biologist, he was interested in how a given organism adapts to its environment. Behaviour is controlled through mental organization where an individual uses some schemes to represent the world and designate action. This adaptation is motivated by biological drive to obtain balance between the schemes and the environment. Piaget hypothesized that an infant is born with schemes that operate from birth. These schemes are reflexes which are used to adapt the environment and are later replaced by constructed schemes. He described two processes that are used by individual to adapt to the environment; assimilation and accommodation. These processes are used throughout life as the person progressively adapts to the environment in a more complex way. Assimilation is a process of transforming the environment so that it can be suitable in the pre-existing cognitive structures. An example is where an infant uses a sucking schema that was developed by sucking a small bottle when trying to suck a larger bottle. Accommodation on the other hand, is the process of changing the cognitive structures in order to accept anything from the environment. An example would be when the child wants to modify a sucking schema that was developed through sucking on a pacifier to one that could be thriving for sucking on a bottle. The two processes are simultaneously useful throughout life. Piaget proposes that there are four distinct stages of mental representation that children pass through right from their infancy stage to the adult level of intelligence. The four stages are; sensorimotor period, preoperation period, concrete operational stage and formal operational stage. Sensorimotor stage starts from birth to two years. It is the primary stage in cognitive development; this is where infants create an understanding of the world by coordinating the sensory experience with physical actions. They gain knowledge from the world through the physical actions hence, progress from reflexive instinctual action at birth to the beginning of symbolic thought towards the end of the stage. Piaget subdivided the sensorimotor stage into six sub-stages. Simple reflexes are a sub-stage where the infant coordinates the sensation and action through reflexive behaviour. It starts right from birth to the period when the infant is one month old. First habits and primary circular reactions phase is the second sub-stage (Bateson 2005, p 127). It starts from one month to four months after birth. Other sub-stages include: secondary circular reaction phase, coordination of secondary circular reaction phase, tertiary circular reactions and curiosity and internalization of the schemes. By the end of sensorimotor stage, the child acquires the sense of object permanence. The child understands that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be heard, seen or touched. According to Piaget,

Employee Engagement in the Oil & Gas Sector Essay Example for Free

Employee Engagement in the Oil Gas Sector Essay 1. Introduction According to Aon Hewitt (2012), employee engagement refers to the â€Å"state of emotional and intellectual involvement that motivates employees to do their best work through examination of employees’ level of engagement relative to the organisation’s antecedents† (p.5). Scarlett (2010) defines employee engagement as â€Å"the measurable degree of an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organisation that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at the workplace†. White (2011) however states that â€Å"employee engagement represents an alignment of maximum job satisfaction with maximum job contribution† (p. 5). Varied statistics show that employee engagement is a pertinent aspect in enhancing an organisation’s productivity. Beddoes (2011) states that engagement levels are stabilising globally with a 58% increase in 2011 as compared to 56% in 2010, with the greatest levels experienced in Asia Pacific and Europe. After the economic crisis, engagement levels lagged but economic indicators show increasing improvement between 2009 and 2010 around the globe (Aon Hewitt, 2012). Minton (n.d.) states that four out of ten employees are not engaged translating into 58% engaged and 42% partially or totally disengaged, with motivational factors, career development opportunities, employee recognition and the organisation’s reputation playing a major contributory factor to the results. This study has developed the following objectives (1) identification of employee engagement levels/models, (2) identification of employee engagement drivers. (3) Identification of effective ways to engage employees, (4) advantages realised by having an engaged work force. 2. Engagement Model/ Levels Aon Hewitt (2012) define engagement model as â€Å"a model that determines employee engagement levels in the organisation through examining employees’ level of engagement towards the organisation in the relation to the set organisational antecedents† (p.5). This model states that engagement in one’s work or organisation is an individual choice but regularly influenced by group affiliations, developed by the employees, psychological and behavioural capacity regarding the organisation. The management particularly human resource managers should incorporate, encourage and develop the model’s components while relating with the employees. The model incorporates three main components (1) ‘Say component’ that encourages the management and employees to think and speak highly of the organisation and its activities to colleagues, potential employees and clients. (2) ‘Stay component’ that encourages the employees to continually desire to be part of the company through encouraging recognition, appraisal, teamwork and team building activities thus reducing employee turnover and encouraging potential employees and clients (Schneider, White Paul 1998). (3) ‘Strive component’ that encourages growth of an organisational culture that encourages hard work and achievement of success, thus enhancing input of extra effort from employees which in turn enhances commitment and increased productivity. Incorporation of the above model leads to more engaged employees, which lead to increased quality delivery, client satisfaction and sales, which eventually leads to increased efficiency (Organ, Posdako ff Mackenzie 2006). 3. Engagement Drivers Sijts and Crim (2006) define engagement drivers as factors that increase employee engagement in organisation through effective management of engagement levels. These drivers identify potential improvement areas in the organisation pertaining to employee engagement. These drivers are interrelated thus work in unison. Engagement drivers therefore help management identify lacking areas that prohibit employee potential, thus enhancing focus on improvement efforts that enhance productivity through increased employee commitment (Organ, Posdakoff MacKenzie 2006). 3.1 Quality of Work Life Quality of work life refers to creation of a work environment whereby employees’ activities are prioritised through execution of work structure activities that deem the activities less routine thus more rewarding to the employees (Sigy, Efraty, Siegel Lee 2001). It therefore involves creation of a conducive physical environment through availing the required resources necessary for work execution such as proper safety clothing and equipment thus enhancing productivity and engagement. It also involves enhancement of a work-life balance policy, which enables employees to clearly define and separate their work and social lives thus enhancing growth of an all-rounded employee, which enhances engagement leading to increased productivity (Richard Deci 2000). 3.2 Company Practices The organisation’s practices greatly contribute to employee engagement levels. Integration of interactive human resource policies enhances employee involvement in decision making, which in turns motivates them thus enhancing employee engagement (Aon Hewitt 2012). Introduction of effective management performance policies will enhance creation of efficient performance management and appraisal systems, which will recognise employees’ work input thus increasing their engagement leading to increased productivity (Cook, 2008). Extensive brand alignment through increased marketing and advertising will enhance engagement, as employees will view the organisation as a long-term venture as it has demonstrated continuity of operations (Payne 2012). Increasing and developed organisational reputation will enhance engagement, as employees will be more at ease to work in a reputable organisation thus demonstrating its continuity and job security. Development of a diversity culture relating to the organisation’s activities and employment of diverse individuals concerning race or gender, will enhance engagement, as it will eradicate any occurrences or fears of discrimination. According to Hynes (2012), creation of an effective communication system and structure will ensure that any important information pertaining to employees work activities or welfare are timely relayed thus enhancing growth and development of work interrelationships which enhance efficiency and effectiveness of operations. 3.3 Total Rewards Organisations should clearly outline its reward structure, as this will contribute to the engagement or disengagement of employees. Clear definition of employees’ expected pay and benefits package will enhance clear understanding about the pay package thus enhancing engagement (Harter, Schmidt Theodore 2012). The oil and gas sector should also clearly stipulate systems used to determine recognition payments regarding bonus allocation. 3.4 Opportunities To effectively enhance employee engagement, organisations in the oil and gas sector should clearly outline career opportunities available to employees who want to further advance their careers within the organisation regarding promotions and transfers that contribute to career development. Organisations should also outline the available learning and development opportunities within the organisation (Richard Deci 2000). Such opportunities could include sponsorships, study leave and provision of work-study allowances. 3.5 People People involved in the management, operational and end-user aspects of the organisation have a great impact on employees’ engagement. Organisations should therefore enhance creation of a proper work structure and culture that will enhance effective cooperation and communication among management, employees and customers (Aon Hewitt, 2012).This will in turn enhance development of interrelationships, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness through increased employee engagement. 3.6 Work Activities An organisation’s work structure can contribute to either engagement or disengagement of employees within the organisation. Development of an elaborate and conclusive work structure will enhance clear development of work tasks, work processes, provision of necessary resources, hence providing the employees with a sense of accomplishment through effective and efficient execution of allocated work (Sahoo Mishra 2012). This will therefore lead to increased employee engagement. 4. Ways to Engage Employees Employee engagement is essential to organisations in the oil and gas sector as it enhances efficiency and effectiveness through increased production. Incorporation of various aspects has been identified as potential ways to increase employee engagement. These aspects include (1) Enhancement of employee career opportunities by creating career path for employees through training them in preparation for their next career role by creation of lateral growth opportunities (Aon Hewitt, 2012). (2) Increasing employee recognition through providing them with feedback regarding their work activities and how to improve on them by providing the necessary reinforcements and also rewarding them for work well done (Cook, 2008). (3) Management should strive to engage the employees more with the organisation through its vision, mission and objectives by explaining to them why the employer is the most desirable by offering a compelling proposition, reward and work experience structure thus enhancing the organisation’s reputation as the most preferred employer (Payne, 2012). (4) Creation of an engaging communication structure through enhancement of corporate communication which will appeal to employees emotional, behavioural, psychological and social aspects thus enhancing commitment to the organisation (Hynes, 2012). (5) Increased management of employee performance as employees will be effectively rewarded for their efforts thus enhancing employee engagement. (6) Provision of favourable pay as it will enhance employee engagement through provision of a pay and benefits package that is relative to their work performance (Zablah et al. 2012). 5. Advantages of having Engaged Employees Employee engagement directly relates and affects employee efficiency and effectiveness in relation to performance. Several advantages are extended to organisations in the oil and gas sector, which have employees who are actively engaged in the organisation and its production activities: * Employees exhibit high levels of performance as they are highly motivated leading to increased production that enhances efficiency and effectiveness. * Development of an interrelating link between employee engagement and profits realised thus leading to increased revenues that enhance organisational growth. * Leads to increased employee retention and loyalty, which enhances business success through efficient and effective production. * Enhances creation of a competitive environment which increases production thus enhancing effectiveness and increased profits. * Enhances team-work that provides new ideas that enhance innovation and creativity thus enhancing creation of new and effective products. * Development of brand ambassadors through employees for the organisations products thus enhancing marketing and advertising activities which enhance profit realisation. 6. Recommendations i. Oil and gas companies should encourage employee engagement through creation of an organisational culture that develops engagement, through increased employers, leaders and stakeholders involvement in the process by enhancing team work and being a part of the process. ii. Increasing focus on drivers that provide the greatest impact in organisational improvement such as increasing opportunities for improvement which leads to increased rate of return due to increased profits. iii. Increased recognition of employee efforts through provision of feedback which in turn motivates them thus increasing productivity. iv. Organisations should continually connect with employees through regular communication of organisation’s strategy, which keeps them focussed on achievement of set organisational objectives. v. Creative creation of employee career growth opportunities by re-navigating employees’ expectations towards growth in areas that will satisfy growing business needs such as lateral movements. vi. Selecting employees during recruitment who show aspects that encourage engagement such as loyalty, diversity and work aggressiveness. 7. Conclusion Employee engagement is a pertinent aspect in management of employees in the oil and gas industry. Clear understanding of the aspect regarding its impact on the organisation and application of the findings can lead to increased employee engagement through increased productivity, which increases the overall profits realised thus enhancing the sector’s growth. This has led to the identification and incorporation of various engagement models/ levels by organisations and they include stay and strive components. It has led to the identification of engagement drivers which enhance understanding of the drivers that contribute to increased employee engagement and how they can be incorporated. Engagement drivers include (1) Quality of work life which incorporates physical work environment and work-life balance. (2) Company practices which incorporate human resource policies, performance management, brand alignment, organisational representatives, diversity and communication. (3) Total rewards which incorporate pay, benefits and recognition. (4) Opportunities drive, which incorporates career opportunities, learning and development. (5) People drive, which incorporates management, employees, colleagues, people-focus and clients. (6) Work activities, which incorporate work tasks, work processes, resources and a sense of accomplishment. The study has also identified ways of enhancing employee engagement which include increasing career opportunities, increased recognition, enhancing organisational reputation, enhancing communication, enhancing performance management, and provision of fair remuneration in relation to one’s contribution. Employee engagement extends various advantages to the organisations, which include increased revenues, increased productivity, quality delivery, decreased turnover, increased employee loyalty and enhanced organisational reputation. Employee engagement is therefore a pertinent aspect in the oil and gas industry and should be considered to ensure that the organisations have increased quality delivery, productivity and revenue generation.

The Company Background And History Of Coca Cola Marketing Essay

The Company Background And History Of Coca Cola Marketing Essay The Coca-Cola Company is established in 1886 by the pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton in Atlanta, in the beginning it was sold as a medicine. The Company registered its trade mark in March 27, 1944. Nowadays it is spread in more than 200 countries with over 500 brands and 3,300 beverage products. These products include sparkling beverages and still beverages, such as waters, juice drinks, teas, coffees, sports drinks and energy drinks. The top five NARTD (non alcoholic ready to drink) are: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. The number of employees worldwide is 92,400 and headquarter is in Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KO. The Coca-Cola system operates on a local scale in every country where they do business. It does not own or control most of its bottling partners, its compromises the company and the bottling partners. The Company has more than 300 bottlers worldwide. Coca-Cola manufactures and sells concentrates, bev erage bases and syrups through its concentrate plant to bottlers; it does own the brands and is responsible for brand marketing initiatives. The bottling Companies manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the finished branded beverages to Coca-Cola customers and vending partners, who then sell the products to the consumers.1 This was an overview on the Global Coca-Cola Company. Lets look to Coca-Cola Egypt as the paper is studying the company in Egypt. Coca-Cola exists since 1942 and has two bottlers TCCBCE and El Nile Beverage Company. The bottling operation ownership for The Coca-Cola Bottling Company (TCCBCE) is: 51% TCCBCE and 49% Coca-Cola Company as for El Nile its 100% owned by El Nile. The entire system has 11,494 full time employees. 1-coca-cola annual report The Strategic business units that the company operates in Egypt are carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and mineral water. The company recorded revenues of $78,526 million during the financial year ended December 2009 with an increase of 15% compared to 2008. The increase of 12% in revenues was coming from CSD (carbonated soft drinks) segment and 3% from the Mineral water segment. However there is a decrease in the CSD growth rate by 3% in 2009 which was 15.6% (FY 07-08) versus 12% (FY 08-09) the decrease is due to change in the consumer life style became healthier conscious. Egypt juice Industry analysis The non carbonated soft drinks are considerate to have a huge potential within the juice sector. Egypt juice industry is a lucrative market with a value of $/$216mm, it is growing from 11-22% over the last eight years. The industry sales are 44 mm unit cases in 2009. The juice segment expected to grow at 11% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in 2012 while the Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSD) segment is expected to grow at 4.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in 2012. Based on retail audits done by the AC Nielsen and Protrac studying the Egyptian beverage market the result shows that the consumer life style is changing and became healthier conscious and they are shifting to the drinks that are healthier. The CSD market is shrinking and other markets are developing. Juice is a lucrative product category that has been growing consistently over the past 8 years. The juice industry depends on farms that cultivate fruits. The different juice type: Fruit-Flavored Drink is a 100% concentrate, Juice Drinks it contain up to 24% Juice, Nectar contains 25% up to 99% juice and product called 100% juice is a product of 100% juice. PESTEL Analysis for Juice in Egyptian market PESTEL analysis is a business measurement tool that helps to understand the external surroundings and market as such the position, potential and direction for a business. PESTEL stands for Political factors e.g. changes in government policies, Economic factors relate to changes in the wider economy such as rises in living standards or the general level of demand, Social factors explain the buying patterns and buying attitude, Technologic factors is the changes in innovation potential, Environmental factors include the weather and climate change and Legal factors major legal changes that have affected firms where they operate. All these factors are used to assess the market. Political factor Egypts political condition is secure and a completely democratic republic is projected within the near future. Egypt was ruled by many countries before establishing freedom and today it is run by a multi-party semi-presidential system where the supervisory power is separated between the president and the prime minister, although in practice the president tends to hold a larger share of the power. Egypts political system presently receives much needed financial support from the US which is helping to develop the country into a new era of optimism. Egypt increased inward investment, creating a rich investment atmosphere. Economic factor The economic environment in Egypt is ready for investment. Egypts economic freedom score is 59.0, making its economy the 94th freest in the 2010 Index. 3.2% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) Per capita to reach $2,161. Per capita consumption of non alcoholic ready to drink (NARTD) will increase by 30% reaching in 2020. Growth is highly driven by stills (juices and water). Juice is the fastest growing category with Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) increase of 11 % driving growth of non alcoholic ready to drink NARTD. Social factor Key factors behind the forecast increase of juice market in Egypt is the new consumer lifestyle preferences for healthier drinks and scare of obesity which resulted a slowing growth rates for sales of carbonated soft drinks (CSD) market. Despite the fact the carbonated soft drinks (CSD) market has remained profitable. One of the main characteristic of Egyptian life style is the importance of family and friendships. Egyptians are enormously socials and one of the importances of their life style is the relaxation time which they spend with friends or families at home, cafà © or restaurants. An important part of Egyptian residents is the eating behavior. The last five years the coffee shops spread very fast in daily life especially in young adults and teen generation. The consumption of juice is correlated to person age. Population is 81 Million out of which 50% are under 20 years. 50% of the population is the prospective juice target (kids and teenagers) because 64% of ready to drink juice volumes comes from 8-29 yr olds skewed towards 8-11 yrs old. Technology factor The juice industry benefits of a huge technology. Its for the sake of both business and the consumer when new technologies guide to better quality products. The industry depends on the quality of fruits that are growing in the country. Juice makers divided their production into two different forms pasteurized and raw juice. Technology helps to retain the properties of fruit the same as its original taste. Juice shelf life is small due to defect that can happen based on environmental climate. To extend the shelf life, juice is pasteurized on the same method as milk which for decades can be considered a middle ground between raw and ultra-pasteurized. The flavor of milk is affected by pasteurization much more strongly than fruit juices tend to be. Ecological factors Juice Industry is depending on agriculture and fruit growth wherever it spread. It is necessary to realize that fruit growing relies on agricultural land, water and suitable climate. Fertilizers used in agriculture can be a source of environmental pollution. Major change in climate occurring due to global warming can impact the farming industry. This leads to a need of integration of farmers into an agro environmental program that needs a support and keeping production procedures in accordance with environmental protection and sustainability of natural process. Legal factors Legal issues involve laws in juice production regulated by Egyptian government which prohibits use of returnable glass bottles. Such regulation negatively affects juice industry as returnable glass bottles are more profitable. Porter five forces model for juice sector Porters Five Forces Model was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors in 1980. The famous book he wrote in his thirties became an international best seller, published in nineteen languages and re-printed approaching sixty times. Since that time Porters Model became an important tool help for analyzing an organizations industry structure in strategic processes. Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry and answer the question of What are the key factors that can determine a business success? The five forces are described as follows: Threat of new entrants Bargaining power of customers Competitive rivalry within the industry Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of substitutes Recklies Management Project GmbH www.themanager.org (figure 1) Bargaining Power of Customers Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitutes Competitive Rivalry between Existing firms In combination with a PESTEL-Analysis, which reveals drivers for change in an industry, Five Forces Analysis can reveal insights about the potential future attractiveness of the industry. Porters Model is useful tools to determine potential changes of competitive forces. Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is described by how much power suppliers have on you in a specific industry or market. A business or a producing industry requires inputs to give a final product such as raw materials, labor, component and other supplies. This lead to a relationship between buyer and supplier provide raw materials used in the production. Supplier is called powerful when he has influence on the producing industry. Lets focus on suppliers in Egyptian juice industry and how much they have power influencing the production of the final juice product. Juice industry depends on many suppliers; sugar, material required in packaging, preservative, flavor and a key player in juice industry is the juice concentrate supplier. Juice supply chain starts form farm that depend on fruit seasonality. The crop of any fruit varies from time to time in quantity and quality based on climate changes and natural crises. This is the main reasons that change in juice concentrate availability pric e and quality. Juice concentrate suppliers are divided in three categories. Suppliers that produce concentrate and use them in the production of final juice product, others that produce concentrate and use part of their production to make a final juice product and sell the rest and suppliers that sell all their production of juice concentrate. Its worth to mention that a big part of the juice concentrate is exported outside Egypt to other countries and one of the main countries who import from Egypt are the Gulf countries. Therefore the supplier power is considerate high because the market is dominated by a few large suppliers rather than fragmented source of supply, supplier customer are fragmented, there is a possibility for supplier to increase concentrate juice prices and there is no substitute to the juice concentrate. To reduce supplier power in juice industry it is important to know what is the influence of outside factors to be taken in consideration to find a place in the m arket. Juice producers make a partnership with suppliers that produce juice concentrate to reduce the power of suppliers. Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of customers is how much negotiation power the customers have and how much power he has over you in a specific industry or market, meaning how much customer can impose pressure in margin and volume. When buyer has a strong economic power the relationship to the producing industry is near to what economist call monopsony, a market where there is many suppliers and one buyer. In such case your ability to capture a high proportion of the value created will decrease, and you will earn lower profit. Having a few large buyers will have a significant leverage to negotiate price and others terms because you will be afraid losing an important buyer and volume which puts you in a weak position. Buyers have also power on you if they can produce the product themselves and they can play suppliers against each others. However there is a few large buyers and they buy in a large quantities. Meanwhile there are many small buyers that you have greater control over them because they buy a small portion of your sales. Bargaining power of consumer in the juice industry, there are three type of buyer which is the direct consumer, the retail outlets and the wholesalers. 75% of direct consumers for juice freshly prepare juice at home or they buy it from a plain juice shops. In this situation the main competition of those buyers is any plain juice shops or fresh fruit that can substitute the juice product. The juice producer can reduce this bargaining by offering a differentiated product and create loyalty to the brand that offers higher value as the juice freshly prepared its shelf life is limited. The Wholesalers are few in number therefore their bargaining power of consumer is significant due to the number of juice product that they do have on the retails shelf and how do they present the product to the consumer. The retails outlets are many in numbers and they do have a big number of products however the bargaining power of wholesalers and retail outlets are not significant if the consumers are loyal to the brand. Generally the juice industry in Egypt, buyers has more power than the entrepreneurs due to the fact that consumer have different option to entertainment, number of retail outlets that have a several product on self. Therefore the differentiation, creating value to the product and loyalty to the brand is very important. Threat of a new entrant Threat of a new entrant is how easy a competitor can enter into your industry or market? New competitors determents changes in the market environment in terms of gain market shares, pressure to reduce the prices which have an impact on profit and impact on customer loyalty at any time. In term of reaction and adjustment the existing players have a pressure on them. Threat of new entrant depends on barrier to enter industry or market and how the existing player will react with a new competitor. New entrant barrier is economies of scale, the experience that the existing players have which lead to cost advantage, high fixed assets cost and strong distribution channel of existing players. The existing of these barriers protects the existing player from the threat of new entrant. In addition the existent players can react by reducing price or forming a partnership to reduce the threat of a new entrant. Threat of new entrant is considerate in Egyptian juice industry due to high capital cost and knowledge required. Based on this usually the threat of new entrant is higher for the companies that are involved in manufacturing then service. Its not always negative that you do have a competition close to you. Some industry encourage a new entrant specially if they do have already experience in a similar field and they do have a big part of their capital already established such as the factory which just need the production line and having their own distribution channel. Threat of a substitutes products Threat of substitutes products, we give term substitutes to a product that a buyer can replace a business product with another one. What products your buyer can replace your product with? It exists when a buyer can replace your product with another product for the same purpose with a lower price. In such case they can attract a significant proportion of the market and have impact on sales and volume of the existing players. The substitutes product also applies on complementary product. The main factors that can affect substitutes product are customer shift to another similar product based on lower price because your product doesnt give different value from the competitors one and customer have a little loyalty to your product therefore, the threat of substitute is considerable. A substitute threat can be reduced by differentiating your product than the other existing in market and create loyalty to the brand through marketing initiative (TV, radio, outdoors advertisingetc). Following the new live styles trend, consumers became healthier conscious make the threat of substitutes products low in juice industry. The consumption of carbonated soft drinks decreased. The substitute product in this industry can be a healthy product such as fruit juice drink, fruit flavored drink, powdered fruit drinks can substitute the juice concentrate drink and it can also be substituted by milk , fruit base yogurt and mineral or bottled water. Variety of substitutes products are available at the market consumer have an open choices which they can choose whatever suits their needs. However they are not real substitutes products because juice is drunk in different time and occasions. Rivalry between existing firms Rivalry is the competition between existing firms in an industry. In certain industry the rivalry is high and has an impact on profit as you cannot set your own price and it can make the profit to zero. This force might be the most important in Poters five forces as it describe the intensity between existing players. The rivalry is called high when the competitors on a same industry have similar products with no differentiation and they compete in term of price. The market players are same in mass with comparable strategies. Having high barrier to exit the market and when the market is increasing slowly or shrinking this makes the rivalry a considerable force. To decrease the rivalry between existing players you should avoid price competition, differentiate your product and strategies, focus on a different sector and avoid high capacity production. The Egyptian juice market is a fragmented market with many players. Four companies have 50% of the market the rest are less than 5% each. The market is not only splited between the players in terms of market share but also shrinked by products. This means that there is a good chance to enter the market. However, PepsiCo the major competitive to Coca-Cola is preparing new juice launch during the current year. PepsiCo made a joint venture with Almarai Company (extremely successful dairy foods company in the Middle East) and have acquired Beyti well known brand name in Egypt. It produces a variety of high-quality dairy and juice. They are big in size with a very strong distribution channel however the consumer has a law loyalty to specific brand. This situation will make rivalry in the near future. Egypt juice market analysis Lets go more deep and look into the market analysis to be able to determine the juice market sucess . The goal is to be able to find out the market attractivness and understand more about the opportunity and threats of the sector. Key success factors Key success factors depend on two questions which need to be analyzed What does the consumer want? (Here we need to analyze the market) How to face the competition? (Competition analysis) In Egypt juice sector to make a success from the consumer point: Egyptians doesnt make a great difference between artificial distilled fruit beverage and fruit juice they are comparing products in terms of price. Therefore you need to have a competitive price or to build a differentiation strategy to enable you to set your price. Innovation is one of key success factors that need to be present to gain consumer. The consumer has a law loyalty to brands this makes the product availability in market very important. The availability plus the innovation in packages and product range that suits the new consumer life styles will help to build loyalty to the brand. For the competition, you need to be different in product image, have a strong distribution channel to be able to position yourself in the market and to start to compete. Demand Analysis Demand characteristic Following the new consumer life style, the juice market has a high demand based on questionnaire done by MEMRB agency to the Coca-Cola Egypt company here is the outcome. Those that consume juice product on monthly bases dont think it is as strong on Thirst quenching, Good for you, Great tasting and refreshing. However, an improvement on all measures for juice, frequent consumption coming from weekly consumers. Consumer that thinks that they are always doing new thinks shows growth from0% to 7% in 2008-2009 while the carbonated soft drinks shows 3% increase in 2009 and the one that things that uice gives energy shows an improvement from 5% to 9% for year 2008-2009 while the carbonated soft drinks shows a decrease from -6% to -11% for year 2008-2009.

Essay --

APPLE’S PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES The keynote at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2013 offers yet another opportunity to learn fresh and effective techniques that you can and should apply to your presentations. Stick to one theme per slide. It means that it is better not to put the two topics or statistics in one slide. Apple brings this recommendation to the top and becomes as laconic as can be. Apple had to deliver the following idea: â€Å"The developer program is incredibly vibrant. We have over six million registered developers. Demand for this show has never been greater. We sold out in just over a minute [71 seconds].† Let’s think how many slides you would create. Most people would put the two statistics, 6 million and 71 seconds, on one slide. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, had two slides. The first one simply read: 6 million. The second slide read: 71 seconds. The second slide also had the words â€Å"Sold Out† in red. We know that facts and statistic have benefits and drawbacks. If used effectively they offer quick, credible support for your message. Make data visual. In the presentation of Apple Tim Cook announced that Apple customers have downloaded 50 billion apps from the App Store. Instead of simply putting the number on the screen, as most presenters would do, Apple designers created a visual display of the data with zeroes that are actually images of apps. Creative visual cues can impress the audience and become more memorable. Always avoid bullet points. There are images and text (sometimes on the same slide) on Apple slides, but no bullet points. The theory says, â€Å"Include no more than four to six lines of text on one slide- this can be one quote, three bullets that are two lines each, or one example.† The designer... ... part of your company story. Apple’s team presentation is a better role model for creating, designing and delivering presentations. It appears as mix of informative and persuasive presentations. It is perfect example of how speakers’ body language and words match one other. Supporting materials in this presentation add interest, visual impact, and credibility. Techniques that Apple used in this presentation are extremely impressive and effective. Work Cited: DiResta, Diane. Knockout Presentations. Worcester ( Mass.): Chandler House, 1998. Print. Goodall, H. Lloyd., Sandra Goodall, and Jill Schiefelbein. Business and Professional Communication in the Global Workplace. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Pub., 2010. Print. Gallo, Carmine. "10 Presentation Techniques You Can (And Should) Copy From Apple's WWDC Keynote." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 June 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013.

Influence of Fictional Character on Casual Fashion

Influence of fictional character on casual fashion:Abstract: This research paper focuses on the influence of fictional character on day to day fashion. The branding of the companies like Netflix, Disney, Marvel, DC has a lot to do in this. This is the reason that this kind of fashion is not bound to any age group or gender. This fictional character prints or motif can change the value of a simple t-shirt, just because someone likes the character. Keywords: Fandom, Graphic, Fiction, Casual Fashion, Street-wearIntroduction: Human being a very social animal tend to look for pathways to convey its unique ideas to a greater majority. Apart from serious topics such as Politics, Religion and Race, fan-fiction or a talk over people's favourite is considered as a very unique way to establish your physical or virtual identity not among teenagers as well as young-adults. Especially for young-adults who navigate from one place to another during their formative years tend to meet a lot of people. Be it the person you sit next to during class or your roommate, you need to establish a social network because most of us don't want to be considered as eccentric or introverts. Hence a popular television fandom is the only way. The term â€Å"fandom† describes a community of people who bond over a common interest. People following such fandom tend to express themselves in very unique ways. As a result they form a huge market for brands such as free authority who excel at merchandising such television shows and movies. Moreover, there are numerous websites who deal with customised t-shirts which absolutely rely on fan-fiction propaganda. Research Objective:To study the impact of popular television series and movie on Casual Fashion for kids and young-adults. To study the role of branding and merchandising in creating such fandom driven products.Research Method:Research Type: Exploratory research as it tries to explore the market of fandom driven productsData Collection Technique: Data collected will only be secondaryReview of Literature:A fictional character is a person or other being in a narrative of a series,videogames,movie etc. It can be 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional. The term cartoon originated in the Middle Ages and first described a prepare story drawing for a piece of art, such as painting, fresco, tapestry or stained glass window . In 19th century, it came to refer to humorous illustrations in magazines and newspapers. And in early 20th century and on words it refer to comic strips and animated films.The populery which this fictional character got,it influenced fashion in many ways.From a kid to a young adult every one wanted this merchandise. Gupta, S. and Panna, B. (2015). Effect of Cartoon Shows on Kids Fashion. International Journal of scientific research and management (IJSRM), [online] 3(6), pp.1-2. Available at: http://ijsrm.in/v3-i6/27%20ijsrm.pdf [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018]. How Manga and Anime influence Fashionhttp://otapleonehalf.tumblr.com/post/126507841313/how-manga-and-anime-influence-fashionAnalysis and Interpretation:Conclusion: RefernceWilkin, D. (2014). The influential impact of fandoms. Fandoms are indicative of passion and dedication, don't be so quick to judge.. [online] The Diamondback. Available at: http://www.dbknews.com/archives/article_fac2e8e6-3def-11e4-ab37-001a4bcf6878.html [Accessed 14 Apr. 2018].http://ijsrm.in/v3-i6/27%20ijsrm.pdfhttp://otapleonehalf.tumblr.com/post/126507841313/how-manga-and-anime-influence-fashionhttps://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2015/sep/17/minnie-mouse-how-the-disney-cartoon-influenced-fashionhttp://www.complex.com/style/2012/08/how-90s-cartoons-influenced-todays-style-trends/patterned-shorts

Bill Gates Essays - Microsoft, Bill Gates, Windows XP, Management

Bill Gates Essays - Microsoft, Bill Gates, Windows XP, Management Bill Gates In its 23-year lifetime, Microsoft has had three distinct phases. The first, from 1975 to 1989, was characterized by both bold thrusts into new businesses. Among their many successes were MS-DOS, Word, Excel, Macintosh software and Windows. The company relied on the success of Windows, banking every penny they had on its success, which paid off in Microsoft's second phase from 1990, when Windows 3.0 was released, to 1994. Customer driven change also marked phase two. Customers wanted operating systems that blended the best of Windows, UNIX, and NetWare, this was the beginning of Windows NT. Customers wanted the best of Microsofts productivity tools to work better together, so Microsoft Office was created to integrate the software. Recognizing the need to develop fundamental advances in software, Microsoft created Microsoft research. In 1995 Microsoft entered phase three, taking advantage of tremendous opportunities offered by the Internet. Since 1995 Microsoft has reinvented itself s o that, today, everything Microsoft creates or updates leverages with the Internet. In the beginning Gates' was mainly concerned and involved with technical development of new products in order to attract consumers. Since Microsoft controls the largest percentage of the market than any of its competitors Gates' puts more focus on the organization itself and its employees. Microsoft's mission is to continually advance and improve software technology and to make it easier, more cost effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. In order for Microsoft to continue on its fruitful path the development of intelligent decision makers, otherwise known as managers, must be trained. Gates' realizes the ROI of his creation relies on every single individual, which makes up the organization called Microsoft. He also knows he cannot be at the table to make ever single day-to-day decision, instead of trying to be in a hundred place at oncece Gates' attempts to train well oiled managers. He has even published articles that reveal his expectations and qualities he attemp ts to instill into Microsoft managers. Here are Bill's ten qualities of a good employee: 1. Choose a field thoughtfully. By choosing a field one enjoys it makes it easier to generate enthusiasm towards one's work. This is true for both a manager and an employee. 2. Hire carefully and be willing to fire. A strong team is vital, because a mediocre team provides mediocre results, no matter how well it is managed. 3. Create a productive environment. This is a particular challenge because it requires different approaches depending on the environment. Sometimes productivity is maximized by providing everybody his or her own office and other times by moving everybody into open space. Sometimes financial incentives stimulates productivity and motivation. Usually a mixture of approaches is necessary to reach desired productivity. 4. Define success. This is done by providing employees with a clear definition of success and how they should measure their achievements. Goals must be realistic. For example, project schedules must be set those who actually do the work. People will accept a bottom-up deadline they helped set, but maybe overwhelmed by a schedule imposed from upper management that doesn't map reality. Unachievable goals undermine an organization. 5. To be a good manager, you have to like people and be good at communicating. This quality is generally impossible to fake. If an individual doesn't genuinely enjoy interacting with people it will be hard to manage well. 6. Develop your people to do their jobs better than you can. Transfer your skills to them. This is an exciting goal, but it can be threatening to a manger that is worried about training his replacement. Many managers like to see their employees increase their responsibility because it frees them up to tackle new or undone tasks. 7. Build morale. It should be made clear there's plenty of good will to go around and that there is not just one hotshot manager getting all the credit. Explain to employees the importance of their work to the company and customers. Giving people a sense of importance increases motivation to complete the task to the best of their ability and provides the feeling of satisfaction after completion. 8. Take on projects yourself. Managers need to do more than communicate. Nobody wants to work for a boss who just delegates tasks. It

Taxes essays

Taxes essays Through out the years, people have always complained that they have to pay too many taxes. But in reality, the government needs those taxes. I agree with Oliver Wendall Holmes when he said Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society. It takes tax money to insure a safe and productive society. The taxes people pay are always used for the good of the public, most people dont know what all is paid for by taxes. Taxes pay for everything from education to the pavement of the highways. At the state level, taxes help pay for our highway system. These highways allow our society to function in a beneficial manner. If we didnt have efficient roadways, goods couldnt be delivered and our society wouldnt be as advanced as we are today. Everything we buy has be transported from somewhere. Having taxes keep our highways in suitable condition insures the safety of the people. Both state and local taxes aid in the education of our children. Every year taxes are used to help repair old school buildings and help buy new modern equipment. Without this help, our schools would be left in the dark ages without the essential equipment that is needed to help the kids perform to their best ability. When children are taught in an exceptional environment, the results are having superior leaders in A significant amount of tax money is used by our national defense. Though out the years the amount of money used by the defense has gone down but it still uses a tremendous amount of money. With our national defense being one of the best in the world, most citizens feel safe. They dont worry about attacks from other countries. In other countries the residents feel unsafe in their homeland. I wouldnt want to live a life where I was afraid of what was going to hap ...

Dave lives in Dale City

Dave lives in Dale City, California through all the seasons. In my book Daves mom abused him though out his child life. The teachers at the elementary school were he goes knew there was something wrong. His mom would make him ware the old close over and over without washing them he never got new close to ware. He never had a bath unless his mom was not home then he would take one. The teacher would say something to his mom and he would come home from school and his mom would beat him more then usual. The teacher found this out and turned it in to the police Dave was taken away from his family, and he was put into a foster home. Dave always got along with other foster children, but he never stayed in one place to long during his stay in. Dave mad several mistakes in his life at one foster home he became friends with a large kid and got into some trouble. The kid that he became friends with told him to be accepted in his group he would have to slit the principals tier o! n his new car. Dave chooses not to do that. The kid accepted that and he choose another thing for him to do. That was to help him burn the school down. Dave thought he was joking, but he decided to go to the school when the kid asked him to, so he did. When he got there the kid had already started the fire and could not put it out. Dave put the fire out, and got out of the school before the police could see him, but one little girl said that she had seen him and pointed him out. He got in trouble and had to go to juvy hall. Then got moved to a different home. The home he got moved to had just got into the foster thing and they didnt last very long. He lived in many different homes. He then got with one family and lived with them for a while. With this family he was happy and had friends and a nice place to live. They soon started fighting a lot and he decide that he woul

International Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Financial Reporting - Essay Example Before January 2013, IAS 19 under GAAP set off bookkeeping requirements for diverse kinds of benefits offered by an employer, often a company, to its staff members. These benefits extended to employment termination and retirement contexts. These benefits significantly affected employer’s fiscal positions and output because they attract the distinct attention of the users of fiscal statements. This paper further discusses the similarities and differences between IFRS and American GAAP for revising IAS 19 to analyze this issue extensively. The IAS 19 Standard Revision The rationale surrounding the revision of IAS 19 by the IASB is its main requirements. First, IAS 19 acknowledges both legal and positive commitments made to workers by their employers. The logic for amending this requirement is the delayed acknowledgement of profits and losses by the above acknowledgement. A revision of IAS 19 made sure the funded position of a given company will never be similar to the one reflected on its IASB balance sheet requirement (Price Water House Coopers, 2013). Second, IAS 19 requires the practice of Projected Unit Credit as just an actuarial costing technique. Adopting a change in IAS 19 resulted in the company acknowledging an asset for unfinanced packages and an obligation for excessively financed packages. Third, IAS 19 needed demographic and fiscal actuarial presumptions to be objective and mutually matched. A revision of IAS 19 assured the decrease of the comparability of options available today, as well as the limitation of their effectiveness to fiscal reports. Fourth, IAS 19 based fiscal presumptions on market anticipations. Revising this requirement made it hard to compare the impacts of the DB packages of various organizations.

Small Business in Nigeria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Small Business in Nigeria - Essay Example A short history of Nigeria's business and political changes is given. Environmental scans show that because of government intervention at many levels of business, and the favoring of large business by government, small business suffers from a lack of resources and funding. Because of political upheavals and tensions between factions of Nigeria, there has been a lack on economic stability or long-term economic policy. This paper relies upon information found in previous surveys. There is a severe lack of information available from Nigerian government sources. The postal system in Nigeria is deficient, and a third factor of difficulty is the unwillingness on the part of many Nigerians to 'share' information with outsiders. Personal visits by the sources to many companies were used to correlate information. Findings have been combined to develop an overall picture. While there are serious cultural differences WITHIN Nigeria, as well as without, the impact on business in Nigeria is becoming less important. ... The largest cultural difference within the country is from the North, the Huasas territory which is Muslim and very traditional, eschewing the English language, but still dominating the government policies. Another cultural situation is the paternalistic management of companies that follow traditional ways, using the older males of the family to manage the business. The impact of bribery and corruption has been shown to be negative on business in countries all over the world. Evidence of this is given in this paper. Communitarian virtue ethics theory is briefly discussed to the ethical context of Nigerian business. Cultural challenges as well as government changes suggest the need for a "mediating institutions approach" (Mambula 2004). The Enterprise Promotions Act of 1972 helped use more indigenous people in the management of foreign operations. These business philosophies may help reorganize Nigerian economics. The role of women in the workplace in Nigeria is examined, as it has become a growing part of the business world. Previous cultural restrictions have caused women to get less schooling and technical training, and own fewer businesses. But recent economic needs have pushed women into business where they often run their own business as well as take care of dometic chores. The constraints of banking practices on small business is discussed briefly. The overall viewpoint leads to considerations American business might need in deciding whether to engage in business in Nigeria or not. Leadership styles are also highlighted to show which has been more effective. And ethical business theories are focused upon. Common variables of research articles for direction and future research A paragraph from Babarinde (1997) states that

Incorporate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Incorporate - Essay Example This price that the option is offered is referred to as a â€Å"grant† price. This â€Å"grant† price is usually the market value of the shares at the time the employees are granted that opportunity to receive the stock option. Those employees that have received the grant hope that the market value of the shares will later increase and thus benefit from the grant. This program is perceived as a flexible way of sharing the company’s ownership with employees. This thus calls for high performance of employees as they feel attached to the company they are working for. It also attracts and retains a motivated workforce. However the option is not a strategy that would work for a company that its future is not certain as members and staff off the company would take that opportunity to sell their shares to avoid total loss of their investment. This can be valued by using the information of the company’s annual report. Using HP as our case study we begin by valuing the employee stock options using the black-Scholes option pricing method. To calculate the black-Scholes value, we combine the information with our estimates of the following

Breast Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example The Genesis of a Cancer Cell A normal cell turns into a cancer cell because of one or more mutations in its DNA which can be inherited or acquired. Mutation is sudden abrupt changes that occur in the genetic material i.e. the DNA of the cell. This genetic material is facilitated by various agents called mutagens. Mutagens can be either physical agents such as UV radiations, X-rays etc. or they could be some chemical agents which are capable of producing changes in the cell by reacting with cellular macromolecules. These chemical agents form bond with the cellular macromolecules, thereby alter their normal structures. If they combine with the genetic material, the peptide formation is affected. Thus, these mutagenic agents affect the normal well being of the cell and when such a defective cell replicates the cellular modification is also passed on. These cellular alterations may lead to cancer, where the carcinogenic agents (cancer causing) are capable of altering the cell division le ading to the uncontrolled proliferation of the cell (Alberts, 2007; Chemical Carcinogens). ... These epigenetic factors do not produce cancer by themselves but enhances the likelihood of genetic mutation(s) resulting in cancer (Katzang et al., 2009). These genetic changes are categorized as - A. The activation of proto-oncogenes to oncogenes: Proto-oncogenes are the normal genes present in the cells and are responsible for controlling cell division, cell differentiation and apoptosis. A triggering factor such as a virus or exposure to any carcinogen brings malignant changes in the cell. B. The inactivation of tumor suppressor genes: A cell has the mechanism to protect itself from uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation due to expression of genes called tumor suppressor genes. These genes possess the ability to suppress malignant changes and are also referred as antioncogenes. Mutation in proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes results in the proliferation of tumor. Thus, a loss of function of tumor suppressor genes can be the critical event in carcinogenesis (Rang et al., 2007; Katzang et al., 2009). More than 30 tumor suppressor genes as well as more than 100 dominant oncogenes have been found to be associated with various types of cancers (Rang et al., 2007). Characteristics of Cancer cells The genetic basis of cancer has been revealed through numerous animal models. The Cancer Genome Atlas aims at methodically differentiating the configurational source of cancer, through recognition of the genomic mutations linked with every cancer form. A corresponding progress and description forms the basis of understanding growth and external appearance of the cancer or tumor called the phenotype of the cancer, is essential for

Laguna Art Museum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Laguna Art Museum - Research Paper Example Roscoe Shrader (painter specializing in post impressionistic landscapes, figures and still life), Sean Duffy (installations), a tribute to Megan Hart Jones (daughter of John Paul Jones,specializes in paintings and ceramic sculpture) and Masterstrokes (members of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association). I was intrigued by the artworks of Megan Hart Jones who died at an early age of 20. Her Soul Portrait was sublime with an essence of ethereal beauty that captivates the viewers by her looks. Her painting was fairly simple in style, color and design (portraits, flowers, cloud studies) but are a beauty to behold. The Pierced Red Square by Suzanne Williams is a painting in oil on canvass appears very simple in design with geometric triangular shapes in red predominantly appearing. Painted in 1998, the painting actually appears timeless due to the utter simplicity in style. Kevin Arcell’s Media Miracle in 1999 combined elements of contemporary subjects in Maverick surf sport and the images of cherubs or angels descending from the sky. The Two Headed Coin by Travis Somerville is a contemporary rendition of oil, oil stick, collage on blueprints, mounted on canvas. The collage had prominent images of a rabbit, an old man, and some shadowed figures in the center. It is unique in its expression and style but not as beautiful as traditional paintings in oil. The Untitled acrylic on canvas by Tim Ebner, created in 1988 was mostly monochromatic with the color green seen predominantly in geometric columns of diverse shades. It does not provide opportunities to highlight the creative talent of the artist. A Piece of Cake by Scott Hess was disturbing in message being relayed by the artist due to the focal point of the painting, a black woman seated and indicated that she was recently raped. The spectators at the party offered her the piece of cake with others curiously appearing to get information from her. Michael

The racist media of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The racist media of America - Essay Example This is really a big problem not only for the society but also for its future because racism affects every aspects of life. To understand why media always portray African Americans unfairly it is important to understand where this racism came from in the media. Live shows were very popular in American entertainment when there was no film and television long back ago. In 1920s stage shows was the main source of entertainment in America. During that period comedy shows are very popular and mockery of other races by the stage actors is very popular among the white audiences. Generally the white stage performers make the African Americans victims of their degrading jokes. During that period the most famous comedy show was the minstrel show. The minstrel show was started by in 1830s by the white actor, Thomas Dartmouth Rice. He copied the song-and-dance idea from the young African Americans artists who used to perform on the street. In this show the lead actor used to perform the role of "Daddy Rice" after blackened his face with burnt cork. He used to perform "Jump Jim Crow" while wearing tattered clothes. After few years, Edwin P. Christie, a white businessman, marketed the entire show which made the minstrel show more famous. After the laws were changed, the African Americans also performed in the show, but they too had to paint their face black for the show. There were several titles for minstrel shows. These shows are completely based on the stereotypes of African American cultures. Generally these shows are based on lazy African Americans who used to spoke poor English. Often white actors used to perform in a stupid way and audience used to laug h at them. The motion picture was started after the Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope 1889 and after the invention of cinema whites again started portraying the African Americans unfairly for their entertainment. The first full length feature film "The Epic Birth of a Nation" was released in America in 1915 in which Klu Klux Klan was portrayed as true American hero whereas blacks were portrayed as inferior and brutal to whites. In this way, the first movie which was made in America shows the brutal racism against the African Americans. In the early days of Hollywood there were many African American actors but almost all of them are portrayed as inferior and stupid servants with low level of intelligence. The minstrel image from the early days of the film and television of America still continue to haunt the media of this country. Men in Black and Rush Hour are the highest grossing films starring African American actors. In the movie Rush Hour Chris Tucker acts as an incompetent joker from the beginning till the end. Chris Tucker is now the highest paid African American actor in Hollywood. He collects over $20 million a movie. In Hollywood there are also serious actors such as Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington who do not perform minstrel roles like Chris Tucker, and both Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington are not highly paid as him. In Men in Black, Wills Smith had performed weird minstrel role and acted like a joker in the whole movie and handles the tiny gun incompetently. In America media plays an important role to guide the thoughts and mind of the people.

Breast Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example The Genesis of a Cancer Cell A normal cell turns into a cancer cell because of one or more mutations in its DNA which can be inherited or acquired. Mutation is sudden abrupt changes that occur in the genetic material i.e. the DNA of the cell. This genetic material is facilitated by various agents called mutagens. Mutagens can be either physical agents such as UV radiations, X-rays etc. or they could be some chemical agents which are capable of producing changes in the cell by reacting with cellular macromolecules. These chemical agents form bond with the cellular macromolecules, thereby alter their normal structures. If they combine with the genetic material, the peptide formation is affected. Thus, these mutagenic agents affect the normal well being of the cell and when such a defective cell replicates the cellular modification is also passed on. These cellular alterations may lead to cancer, where the carcinogenic agents (cancer causing) are capable of altering the cell division le ading to the uncontrolled proliferation of the cell (Alberts, 2007; Chemical Carcinogens). ... These epigenetic factors do not produce cancer by themselves but enhances the likelihood of genetic mutation(s) resulting in cancer (Katzang et al., 2009). These genetic changes are categorized as - A. The activation of proto-oncogenes to oncogenes: Proto-oncogenes are the normal genes present in the cells and are responsible for controlling cell division, cell differentiation and apoptosis. A triggering factor such as a virus or exposure to any carcinogen brings malignant changes in the cell. B. The inactivation of tumor suppressor genes: A cell has the mechanism to protect itself from uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation due to expression of genes called tumor suppressor genes. These genes possess the ability to suppress malignant changes and are also referred as antioncogenes. Mutation in proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes results in the proliferation of tumor. Thus, a loss of function of tumor suppressor genes can be the critical event in carcinogenesis (Rang et al., 2007; Katzang et al., 2009). More than 30 tumor suppressor genes as well as more than 100 dominant oncogenes have been found to be associated with various types of cancers (Rang et al., 2007). Characteristics of Cancer cells The genetic basis of cancer has been revealed through numerous animal models. The Cancer Genome Atlas aims at methodically differentiating the configurational source of cancer, through recognition of the genomic mutations linked with every cancer form. A corresponding progress and description forms the basis of understanding growth and external appearance of the cancer or tumor called the phenotype of the cancer, is essential for

The racist media of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The racist media of America - Essay Example This is really a big problem not only for the society but also for its future because racism affects every aspects of life. To understand why media always portray African Americans unfairly it is important to understand where this racism came from in the media. Live shows were very popular in American entertainment when there was no film and television long back ago. In 1920s stage shows was the main source of entertainment in America. During that period comedy shows are very popular and mockery of other races by the stage actors is very popular among the white audiences. Generally the white stage performers make the African Americans victims of their degrading jokes. During that period the most famous comedy show was the minstrel show. The minstrel show was started by in 1830s by the white actor, Thomas Dartmouth Rice. He copied the song-and-dance idea from the young African Americans artists who used to perform on the street. In this show the lead actor used to perform the role of "Daddy Rice" after blackened his face with burnt cork. He used to perform "Jump Jim Crow" while wearing tattered clothes. After few years, Edwin P. Christie, a white businessman, marketed the entire show which made the minstrel show more famous. After the laws were changed, the African Americans also performed in the show, but they too had to paint their face black for the show. There were several titles for minstrel shows. These shows are completely based on the stereotypes of African American cultures. Generally these shows are based on lazy African Americans who used to spoke poor English. Often white actors used to perform in a stupid way and audience used to laug h at them. The motion picture was started after the Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope 1889 and after the invention of cinema whites again started portraying the African Americans unfairly for their entertainment. The first full length feature film "The Epic Birth of a Nation" was released in America in 1915 in which Klu Klux Klan was portrayed as true American hero whereas blacks were portrayed as inferior and brutal to whites. In this way, the first movie which was made in America shows the brutal racism against the African Americans. In the early days of Hollywood there were many African American actors but almost all of them are portrayed as inferior and stupid servants with low level of intelligence. The minstrel image from the early days of the film and television of America still continue to haunt the media of this country. Men in Black and Rush Hour are the highest grossing films starring African American actors. In the movie Rush Hour Chris Tucker acts as an incompetent joker from the beginning till the end. Chris Tucker is now the highest paid African American actor in Hollywood. He collects over $20 million a movie. In Hollywood there are also serious actors such as Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington who do not perform minstrel roles like Chris Tucker, and both Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington are not highly paid as him. In Men in Black, Wills Smith had performed weird minstrel role and acted like a joker in the whole movie and handles the tiny gun incompetently. In America media plays an important role to guide the thoughts and mind of the people.

The Searchers Film Themes Essay Example for Free

The Searchers Film Themes Essay The Searchers (1956, John Ford) explores themes of family, community, and morality on the edge of the uncivilized Western frontier. The story takes place several years after the end of the Civil War in a remote region of Texas, where the Comanche are a constant and mortal threat to the few settlers on the thinly populated frontier. The film uses the conventions of the Western genre, but employs notable exceptions to the traditional components of the genre to reshape the audience’s perception of reality. The film begins with a masterpiece sequence of auteur filmmaking, using location, cinematography, evocative music, and nuanced acting to shape the audience’s perception of the story’s universe. The audience observes Ethan Edwards, a nomadic, renegade ex-warrior with a clouded past, returning to the comparative safety and comfort of his family home. His brother is emotionally reserved at Ethan’s return, but there clearly are unspoken and muted emotions between his brother’s wife, Martha, and Ethan, hinting at a hidden past. In one revealing scene of auteur style that confirms Martha and Ethan’s past, Martha takes Ethans greatcoat and privately and lovingly folds it and places it in a chest. The three Edward’s children are excited by Ethan’s return, but clearly do not remember much about him. Ethan is generous to them, giving gifts, including giving his cavalry saber to his nephew, some sort of military medal (as jewelry) to his niece, and giving his brother a small fortune in gold, avoiding his brother’s questions about how he got it. When his brother’s adopted son arrives, Ethan’s demeanor changes and the theme of racism is first introduced in the story. Teenaged Marty is half-white and half-Indian and his very presence evokes a degree of hatred and resentment in Ethan. This is complicated when the audience is told that it was Ethan who found Marty as an infant abandoned on the frontier and rescued him. When Ethan’s brother and his wife and two of his children are murdered and the youngest daughter kidnapped by raiding Comanche, the plot kicks into high gear. Ethan swears to find his niece and goes on a five-year chase, with young Marty, to find her. Their subsequent search and companionship explores the theme of Ethan’s hatred towards all things Indian. Traditional Westerns juxtapose opposites, usually featuring a good guy protagonist and a villainous nemesis, a good community or group preyed upon by social or cultural outlaws. There are horse chases, violent gunplay, and a happy ending with the villains receiving justice and the heroes triumphant. The Searchers deviates from some of these conventions in ways that transform the genre and elevate the film. While it is something of a traditional morality story, the protagonist is a dark, brooding character, full of hate, who has been estranged from his family and community. The wildness of the Monument Valley location is juxtaposed by the comfort and affection Ethan find’s in his brother and Martha’s home. Ethan’s racial bias towards the native Americans is juxtaposed with his growing trust of Marty. Eventually, Ethan   even makes Marty the beneficiary of his will. The drama of the revenge plot is juxtaposed with the humor of the wedding subplot. Perhaps the greatest shock to the audience’s expectations of the film as a genre Western comes when they realize that Ethan doesn’t mean to rescue Debbie from the Comanche, he means to kill her. Later, when he changes his mind, it is a relief when the audience sees that he has grown and has changed his mind about killing Debbie. The opening scene of Ethan being welcomed by his family in the opening scene is juxtaposed with his exclusion in the final scene. All of these simple and clear polarities are hallmarks of the traditional Western that have been transformed by an auteur director to create a unique work of film art. One of The Searcher’s profound deviations from the simplicity of the traditional genre Western is in the complexity of it’s cast of characters. Among these is a character that represents civilization’s key elements of law and order, and religion. He’s both a Texas Ranger Captain and a Reverend named Sam Clayton (Ward Bond), and he has very complicated mixed feelings towards Ethan, suspicious that he may be a fugitive criminal, but respectful of his abilities as a fighter and frontiersman. Another key supporting character, partially comic relief, is Mose Harper (Hank Worden), who had been kidnapped by the Comanche and feigned being crazy to escape. He is apparently actually crazy, but is embraced and cared for by the frontier families. He does, however, ride with the Rangers, Ethan, and Marty, to rescue Debbie and seems to be a fully capable member of the posse. These two characters are examples of the artistic auteur touch of John Ford that elevates this movie above the standard genre. The Searchers reality mode is very different from a fantasy mode such as in The Wizard of Oz. For instance, it uses character differently from Oz. While both films rely on characterization to establish and advance theme, The Searchers is populated by recognizable, realistic genre characters, where as Oz is populated by expressionistic characters, not meant to be perceived as realistic. Oz uses black and white film and color, sound, an exotic cast (oh, the little people!) and a fantasy journey, while The Searchers uses a realistic, if stylized, environment, authentic characters, and other realistic and conventional genre elements to tell it’s story.   We’re asked to define and describe modes of screen reality, which I would define as the cinematic manipulation of screen time, the framing of scenes, the direction of character behavior, and the purposeful craft of camera and sound to create the illusion of reality in which a story unfolds. All genres and many non-traditional film types utilize familiar representational realities, each of which is a sort of short-hand means of clueing in the audience to which movie formula (in the broadest sense) to expect. Movie modes can be reality based – i.e. plausable, such as Saving Private Ryan, expressionistic – i.e. manipulative of conventional film elements such as Psycho, fantasy – i.e. metaphoric, or fantastic – i.e. metaphoric and implausable such as Edward Scissorhands, or cinematic self-reflexive – a creation by internal logic only, such as Animal Crackers.

The MCI Project What Message Is Mci Finance Essay

The MCI Project What Message Is Mci Finance Essay MCI would like to enhance Shareholder value by repurchasing outstanding stock, and send a bold signal to market and manager to stimulate the market price per stock to increase. A share buyback (by investing in themselves) instead of paying a cash dividend or, in other words, increasing a regular dividend, could represent an increase in the value of shares still available, this happens in the case that occurs a reduction in the number of shares of stock outstanding. If earnings remain the same but there is less shares outstanding, we can take for granted that the earnings per share might represent a positive NPV, or if the company reduces their number of shares outstanding, then they could increase earnings per share and also can raise the market value of the shares outstanding. However, if the company decides to authorize a repurchase of shares at the price of the book value per share, arguing that the shares are undervalued, then investors could buy those shares at a very low price. What will be the effects of issuing $2 billion of new debt and using the proceeds to repurchase shares on: MCIs shares outstanding? Assumptions: Shares repurchased at $28,92,Æ’Å“ then 69,16 million shares are going to be repurchased back, leaving 611,84 million shares outstanding. Shares repurchased at the current price of $27,75, Æ’Å“then 72,07 million shares can be repurchased and leaves 608,93 million shares outstanding. If there is no repurchase, then shares outstanding remain between 608,93 and 611,84 million (which are the shares outstanding if they were repurchased) as the repurchase price increases from $27,75 to $28,92 (at a Pre or Post repurchase share price). MCIs book value of equity? According to Exhibit 5: Total Current Liabilities = 4870 Long Term Debt = 3444+2000 = 5444 Deferred Taxes and Other = 1385 Stockholders Equity = 9602-2000 = 7602 Repurchase effect on leverage (using D/E ratio as a measurement, and assuming that D refers to Long-Term Debt): Pre D/E = 3444/9602 = 0,359 Post D/E= 5444/7602= 0,716Æ’Å ¸This is the increase of the Debt-Equity ratio to at least twice 36%. We have to remember that Phillips suggested that MCI would need to increase its Debt-Equity ratio from its current level of around 36% to at least twice that, even at that debt level the companys debt-to-cap would be moderate relative to the industry. Supposing that the debt of $2.000 million is Long-Term Debt (LTD); According to Exhibit 2: LTD/ BV (Book Value) of Pre Equity = 0,359 Then: BV of Pre Equity= LTD/0,359 = 3444/0,359 = 9593 BV of Post Equity= 9593* 609/681 = 8579 The price per share of MCI stock? New market Price= (New VOP Old Debt)/Old number of stocks = ($27.537,26 3.944) / 681= 28,8 These is the Data: Old debt 3944,00 new debt 5944,00 NEW VOP $ 23.537,26 oldà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬n# of stock 681,00 new n# of stock 611,49 Old share mkt price $ 27,75 NEW MKT PRICE $ 28,77 old mkt cap. Equity 18897,75 new mkt cap.Equity 17593,26 FREE CASH FLOW 2714,21 Earnings per share? EPS= Net Income/ Shares Outstanding Assuming the EBIT keeps stable in 1996: Using the cost of debt of MCI shown in exhibit 3. Loan interest level BBB1 Phones based on the interest level of obligations of A1 Phones =((6,26+6,46)/2)= 6,36 Post EPS= (EBIT (Interest Expense + Debt* Cost of debt))*(1-Taxes)/Post Number of shares = (1118-(181+2000*6,36))*(1-0,4))/609 =485,88/609 = 0,80 Using Income statement of 1995 to get the interest rate: EPS= (Income before extraordinary item Debt *(Interest expense/Long Term debt)*Taxes)/Post Number of shares EPS= ($573 $2000 * ($181/$3444) *0,4)/609= 0,87 Using the estimated EPS in exhibit 2: EPS= Net Income / Outstanding = (Estimated 1996 Year End EPS * Outstanding debt* i * (1-T))/ A- outstanding = (1,75 * 681 2000 * 6,36% * (1-0,04))/609 = 1,83 What is MCIs current (pre repurchase) weighted average cost of capital (WACC)? MCIS current WACC =11,88% (See Excel Sheets for explanation) What would you expect to happen to MCIs WACC if it issues $2 billion in debt and uses the proceeds to repurchase shares? If MCI issues $2 billion in debt and uses the proceeds to repurchase share, the cost of equity will increase and the WACC is expected to decrease. The higher WACC is due to the higher leverage ratio. In the MCI case, the market value WACC will be decreased from its original 11.88% to 11.53%, it also have higher value of cooperation, the increased value of the firm makes the stock price going higher level. The following table shows the relationship between corporatevalues of the firm versus WACC. Would you recommend that MCI increase its use of debt? If so, by how much? Yes, it is recommended. From the below sensitivity test, we can see that the optimal WACC is about 10.79% which means 42.25% debt ratio and 57.75 equity ratio. The debit required is 6381.83million, and the book value of corporate will be increased to 14213.42million. Therefore I suggest MCI issue 2.437billion dollars to increase its debt/equity level and maximize the value and stock price. By old Book value after debt T 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% 40.00% RPm 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% 7.00% Rrf 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% 5.70% wd 0.00% 17.27% 20.00% 25.00% 29.12% 35.00% 42.25% 44.90% 45.00% ws 100.00% 82.73% 80.00% 75.00% 70.88% 65.00% 57.75% 55.10% 55.00% D/E 0.00% 20.87% 25.00% 33.33% 41.07% 53.85% 73.17% 81.49% 81.82% Rd 6.03% 6.30% 6.30% 6.30% 6.30% 7.09% 7.09% 7.09% 8.26% bU 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 bL 1.00 1.13 1.15 1.20 1.25 1.32 1.44 1.49 1.49 Rs 12.70% 13.57% 13.75% 14.10% 14.42% 14.96% 15.77% 16.12% 16.13% wacc 12.70% 11.88% 11.75% 11.52% 11.32% 11.21% 10.90% 10.79% 11.10% Corporate Value 12080.78 12908.83 13050.45 13317.68 13546.00 13680.91 14067.11 14213.42 13814.48 Debt 0.00 2228.90 2610.09 3329.42 3944.00 4788.32 5944.00 6381.83 6216.51

Richard and Iago: Rational, Sensitive, or Vegetative? :: essays research papers

Can humans have three souls? Or are there three parts to the human soul? Most people would say that a person has only one soul. However, the human soul is very complex, which explains why there are so many parts to it. In the Elizabethan period, people understood that there were three â€Å"souls† in a person, or three parts to the human soul. These were the rational, sensitive, and vegetative souls. Both of the plays Richard the Third and Othello by William Shakespeare are examples of this concept. The characters of Richard in Richard the Third and Iago in Othello each are influenced by the rational, sensitive, and vegetative souls as they were understood by the Elizabethans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Elizabethan period, the rational soul was understood to be that part of a person that was the closest to God. This soul caused the person to be more rational in thinking and to behave logically. The main characters in each of these plays are not governed by the rational soul. Richard is driven by his desire to be the king of England, and Iago is driven by his hatred of Othello. Richard becomes a ruthless murderer who will stop at nothing to be king. He indirectly kills his brother King Edward the Fourth, kills his nephews who are heirs to the throne, and anyone else who he believes is in his way. Iago is also very cold-hearted. He is Othello's lieutenant, and, as Othello believes, his good friend. However, Iago devises a plan to destroy Othello. By doing so, he must also destroy those closest to Othello, most notably his wife Desdemona. Iago does this simply because he is able to. In this way, the two characters ignore the rational soul and are not guid ed by it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sensitive, or passionate soul was understood to govern that part of a person that looks past all logic and reason. Iago and Richard are somewhat governed by this soul in that they both are passionate about what they are doing. Richard is driven by his desire to be king. In his pursuit of the throne, he overlooks all logical thinking. Instead, he focuses only on what he must do in order to reach his goal. This shows how good of a planner he is. Iago also does this, although his goal is not as clear. He concentrates on destroying or discrediting the people closest to Othello.

Creation verses Evolution Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many beliefs about how we came to be. There is the religious belief, there is the â€Å"Big Bang† theory, and there is the belief that we evolved from lower life forms. Its hard to say exactly how life came to be and who have the right answer. A person can take one of the two views on the origin of life. Either they believe there is a creator (creationist) or they believe (evolutionist) but with a thorough examination of scientific evidence one must believe that evolution is the basis for our existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of creation varies with each of the world’s many religions; not providing creationists with a stable ground to inform on. Creationist’s believe in a supreme creator, who is responsible for the universe and everything natural that it contains. Creationists believe in Genesis to prove that evolutionists’ theories are false. Mostly everyone know the book they refer to The Holy Bible, and in the book of Geneses chapter 2 verse 19 â€Å"and out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air† is what the creationist whole true. Although evolution is seen throughout nature and proven by ancient fossils, they still disagree with the thought. Creationists include a type of evolution as necessary in their studies. This form of evolution is called â€Å"micro-evolution†, or variation within a type of organism occurs. This means that small changes take place like a frog grows web feet to swim b etter. Large-scale change of one type of organism to another is known as â€Å"macro-evolution†; apes changing to humans. Creationists believe this type of evolution is beyond the ability of mutation or natural selection which the evolutionists believe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creationists believe that Adam and Eve were the first human beings to walk the planet, and each of us is a descendant of the two. Evolutionist challenge this because Adam and Eve could only be one race but there are several different race of people – in a wide range of colors. There are too many unanswered questions to support the theory of creation but taking the evolutionist point of view can clear things up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evolutionists believe in their experiments and sciences to prove the creatio... ...oubts the fact of evolution is adequately clear. We do not need a listing of evidences to demonstrate the fact of evolution no more than we need to demonstrate the existence of mountain rangesâ€Å". (Wysong 23).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theodosis Dobzhansky a geneticist who was quoted saying â€Å"Evolution as a historical fact was proved beyond a reasonable doubt not later than in the closing decades of the19th century. No one who takes the trouble to become familiar with the pertinent evidence has at present a valid reason that the living world, including man, is a product of evolutionary developmentâ€Å". (Wysong 23) Works Cited Hyperspace. A BBC video. With Sam Niel. Jason Browning, Dr. Gerald Lenner, Mark Rajock. Creation Science. 1997 http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/ Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Did man get here by Evolution Or by Creation?. Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and International Bible student Association. Life how did it get here. Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. Wysong, R.L. The Creation Evolution Controversy. 1st ed. 1976. The Holy Bible, King James Version.

Case Garuda Indonesia Essay

In spite of the rapid growth in both passengers the traffic and fleet during the oil boom of the 1970’s, thus making it the â€Å"largest airline in the Southern Hemisphere†, Garuda, as it was known then, had been plagued by a bad reputation as well as heavy losses year after year. Having been a member of Mr. Lumenta’s management team of Garuda since November 17, 1984, Mr. Soeparno had the opportunity to involve himself with the management in its efforts to develop and implement new strategies to turn around the airline, which posted a net loss of U.S.$7 million in 1984 (exhibit 9), into profitability. He was therefore very pleased to see the company making a profit for the first time in more than a decade, to the tune of a modest rupiah 300 million (exhibit1). This result confirmed Mr. Soeparno’s confidence in the effectiveness of the policies adopted by Mr. Lumenta upon the latter’s appointment as President Director of Garuda in 1984. As the newly appointed President of Garuda, Mr. Soeparno is caught in the middle of a dilemma of whether to continue Mr. Lumenta’s successful policies or to formulate a new set of policies which would enhance the company’s ability to deal with the challenges it may face during his term and beyond. I. CENTRAL PROBLEM The weaknesses of their system were the manually produced passenger tickets and failure of reservation system. II. AREAS OF COSIDERATION a. Strength †¢ Good management †¢ Their business was expanding †¢ Higher Economic growth †¢ Biggest airlines in the Southern Hemisphere b. Weakness †¢ System weakness †¢ Not customer oriented TIME CONTEXT: January 6, 1988 SUMMARY: On January 6, 1988, Mr. Mohammad Soerparno (50) was appointed by the c. Opportunities †¢ Better condition of world’s economy †¢ The progress in business climate in Indonesia d. Threats †¢ Uncertain economic situation †¢ Increasing competition ANALYSIS Mr. Lumenta is a very hardworking and a responsible business man. He is a role model of the business industry, he find ways to settle the problems of the company, maintaining the stability the airlines is his one objective. Maintaining the stability of a company is not that easy, they encounter up’s and down. But in the case of the Garuda Indonesia they are the most prestige airlines in the country, they are the top among their competitors. III. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION I have therefore conclude that the best solution to the problem is In every business, negative and positive feedback of customer is always there. It is one of the reasons why company’s relay’s on their feedback, to know what the other ways are their going to accomplish just to satisfy their customer wants. Satisfying customers is one of the important, because your business cannot stand alone without them. Through them your business will evolve. As a recommendation, in order for that your customer will be sincere in your company you should show nice treatment to him, always prioritize you customer and new offers or new environment is one of the reason why customer is always constant to your company.

Critical State Soil Mechanics

The preparation of the Cam Clay theoretical account in 1958 is possibly the most of import development in modern dirt mechanics. Mechanical belongingss of dirt have been unified elegantly and systematically into the theoretical model of the theoretical account: the critical province dirt mechanics. Since so, many theoretical accounts were developed within the theoretical model of Cam Clay theoretical account and they form theoretical accounts of the Cam Clay household. Two most distinguished characteristics of theoretical accounts of the Cam Clay household are: ( 1 ) the hardening of dirts based on plastic volumetric distortion, and ( 2 ) the being of a critical province of distortion as the concluding failure province. A brief debut of the two characteristics is given in this session, and descriptions of the strengths of dirts based on critical province dirt mechanics is given in the undermentioned subdivision.7.1.1: Hardening of dirt based on plastic volumetric distortionAs seen in the compaction theoretical account illustrated in Fig. 10, whenever the current emphasis goes beyond the historical upper limit emphasis, plastic volumetric distortion occurs and the elastic zone enlarges. The expansion of the elastic zone is seen as the hardening of dirt and is straight linked to the plastic volumetric distortion of the dirt. Consequently, the undermentioned decisions are drawn from indurating mechanism of dirt. The magnitude of plastic volumetric distortion is dependent on the alteration in size of the output surface, but independent of the stress way. All emphasis provinces which have the same accretion of plastic volumetric strain constitute a individual output surface.7.1.2: Prediction of the being of a critical province of distortionSoil is a frictional stuff. When the emphasis ratio applied on a dirt component additions, dirt will finally make a point, where it has no opposition to further shear distortion. The dirt fails. This is a critical province of distortion. A Critical State of distortion is defined as At a Critical State of distortion, a dirt has no opposition to shear distortion and the dirt can be distorted continuously with its emphasis province and nothingnesss ratio remain unchanged. A critical province of distortion is a concluding failure province. The theoretical model, uniting systematically the mechanical belongingss of dirt into one simple and elegant system under the Cam Clay theoretical account, is referred to as the Critical State Soil Mechanics ( CSSM ) .7.2: Strength of dirt described in the critical province dirt mechanicsThe behavior of Fuji sand in triaxial trials is shown in Fig. 12 ( Tatsuoka, 1972 ) . The trials are drained trials. The axial emphasis additions with the restricting emphasis kept changeless. The denseness of the dirt for the three trials varies from really loose to really dense. It is seen that Fuji sand in a really heavy Fuji province has two strengths: a peak strength and a strength as really big shear strain. For the loose sand, the dirt has merely one strength, besides at really big shear strain. It besides appears that the strength as really big shear 0 5 10 15 20 25 Distortional strain ad ( % ) Volumetric strain Cv ( % ) -12 4 0 5 10 15 20 25 Dense =0.52 Loose eaˆz =0.78 Very loose =0.85 Distortional strain ad ( % ) Fig. 12 The shearing behavior of Fuji sand under triaxial compaction trials ( Test informations after Tatsuoka, 1972 ) Shear emphasis ratio two 3.2 2.4 0.8 1.6 0 Dense =0.52 Loose eaˆz =0.78 Very loose =0.85 -4 -8 strain for the three samples are really near and appears to near a alone value as the distortional strain additions. The peak strength and the critical province strength of dirt interpreted by the critical province dirt mechanics are introduced in the followers.7.2.1 Critical province strengthUnder shearing ( increasing distortional strain ) , dirt reaches a concluding failure province, the critical province of distortion. At a critical province of distortion: Therefore, a dirt can be distorted with no alteration in its emphasis, and no volumetric plastic distortion. At critical provinces of distortion, dirt has the undermentioned characteristics ( Fig. 13 ) . The shear emphasis ratio c is changeless, denoted by I . There is a alone relationship between the average effectual emphasis paˆ? and nothingnesss ratio vitamin E, irrespective of the initial state of affairs of the dirt or the stress way of the trial. 27 This relationship is additive in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite, and its gradient is the same as that of ICL in the compaction theoretical account, being e . The features of critical provinces can be represented by the critical province line ( CSL ) in the paˆ? – q infinite and the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite. They are described mathematically as. I · Q = I? ( 46 ) Paˆ?e=eCS a?’I »lnpaˆ? ( 47 ) Critical province shear emphasis ratio M Shear emphasis Q I? CSL Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) ( a ) CSL in the p'-q infinite The critical province shear emphasis ratio is linked to the concluding failure clash angle ocs of dirt measured from conventional triaxial compress trial by the undermentioned equation I? = 6 wickedness I† cs ( 48 ) 3 a?’sin I† cs The critical province clash angle for most san vitamin D is 32A ° A ± 1A ° , which gives about M = 1.28. Determination of the concluding failure strength of dirts Nothingnesss ratio vitamin E vitamin E CS eIC ( 1 ) Undrained concluding strength of dirt ICL I » CSL I » p'=1 kPa Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) ( B ) CSL in the e-lnp ‘ infinite Fig. 13 Characteristics of critical province of distortion P aˆ? = exp aZ? aZ? aZY Cesium I a?’ Cs aZ? I » aZ Three parametric quantities define a dirt province. They are the emphasis province on the dirt and its nothingnesss ratio, i.e. , ( paˆ? , Q, vitamin E ) . Because any dirt province at a critical province of distortion must fulfill conditions expressed by equation ( 46 ) and ( 47 ) , the concluding failure province ofa dirt, the critical province of distortion, can be determined if there is one more extra status. Some of common instances are discussed here. During an undrained trial, volumetric distortion is non allowed. Therefore, the nothingnesss ratio ofthe dirt is kept the same and is equal to its initial value, ei. Based on equations ( 46 ) and ( 47 ) , the undrained concluding shear strength qcs, the mean effectual emphasis paˆ?cs, an d the nothingnesss ratio European Union are given by ( 49 ) 28 aZ § aZ†ºe vitamin E aZz Cesium I aZ†º a?’ aZz aZ? aZY aZ? I » aZ aZ?aZ? vitamin E vitamin E Cs aZ? Q = I? exp vitamin E vitamin E Cs I=aZ © aZ? aZ? aZ? ( 2 ) Drained concluding strength for changeless paˆ? trials The average effectual emphasis at the concluding critical failure province is known, paˆ?i, so aZ § aZ?aZ? aZ?aZ © personal computers = pi qcs Ipaˆ?i ( 50 ) ei = eCS a?’ I » ln pi The stress way for this type of trials is a perpendicular line in the paˆ? – Q infinite, as shown in Fig. 4. ( 3 ) Drained concluding strength for changeless Q trials The shear strength at the concluding failure province is known, chi, soI » ln chi aˆ? = Cs P I? qcs = chi=ei European Union a?’ aZ†º Q aZz ( 51 ) I aZ?aZ? I? aZ aZY The stress way for this type of trials is a horizontal line in the paˆ? – Q infinite, as shown in Fig. 4. ( 4 ) Drained concluding strength for trials with additive emphasis waies Suppose the gradient for the additive emphasis way is k, and the initial emphasis province of the dirt is ( paˆ?i, chi ) . Then the dirt province at the concluding failure province can be obtained from work outing the undermentioned equations qcs a?’ chi = k personal computers a?’ pi I?aˆ? P Cs =eCSa?’I »lnp qcs European Union ( 52 ) aZ § aZ? aZ? aZ © aˆ? Cs 29 Two common additive emphasis waies, discussed in subdivision 3.3, are ( 1 ) conventional triaxial compaction trials with the restricting emphasis kept changeless and in this instance k = 3, and ( 2 ) conventional triaxial extension trials with the axial emphasis kept changeless and in this instance k = – 1.5.Example 5The critical province clash angle for a sand is 32A ° . For its CSL in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite, the gradient is 0.12 and European Union is 1.42. ( 1 ) Determine the values of M ; ( 2 ) Pull a study of the CSL in the paˆ? – q infinite and the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite ; ( 3 ) Determine the concluding failure strength of a specimen of the sand with initial province as ( paˆ? = 75 kPa, q = 0, vitamin E = 0.85 ) . ( a ) under undrained state of affairs ; ( B ) under a changeless mean effectual emphasis trial ; and ( degree Celsius ) following a stress way with = 2.dq dpaˆ? A: Determine the values of M 400 800 600 200 0 CSL q=1.29p ‘ Shear emphasis Q kPa 30 100 200 300 400 500 600 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa Nothingnesss ratioe 0.9 0.7 0.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 CSL e=1.42-0.12lnp ‘ 1 10 100 1000 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa Oxygen Nothingnesss ratio e n Shear emphasis Q CSL C I? Bacillus A P ‘ ( kPa ) CSL e=eCS -elnpaˆ? Bacillus C Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ ( kPa ) Fig. 14 Variation of dirt strength ( 53 ) 7.2.2 Peak strength As seen in Fig. 12, under shearing dirt at heavy province may make a peak strength ( higher than the critical province strength ) . However, this strength of dirt lessenings with the addition of distortional strain, and becomes indistinguishable to the critical province strength finally. Two characteristics of the peak strength should be noticed. The happening of a strength for dirt greater than the concluding critical province strength ( the extremum strength ) is possible merely if the dirt is under the CSL in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite ( Fig 14 ) . This is in the â€Å" Dry † side. As named by Schofield and Wroth ( 1968 ) , soil behavior with both peak and critical province strength is â€Å" Dry † behavior. The peak strength is non stable. The minute a peak strength is reached, the strength of dirt will diminish with the farther distortional distortion. An empirical equation proposed by Liu and Carter ( 2002 ) may be used to gauge the peak strength ratio cp of dirt based on its place in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite=Q P = aˆ? I · P P P 31 ( 1 a?’ I ¦ ) I? for A- & lt ; 0 I ¦ , the province parametric quantity, defined by Been and Jefferies ( 1985 ) as I ¦ = vitamin E a?’ vitamin E CS + I » ln p aˆ? ( 54 ) Uniting the above two equations, we obtain q P I · = = + a?’ a?’ aˆ? I? & lt ; a?’ I » aˆ? ( vitamin E e P ) vitamin E vitamin E P 1 ln for ln P CS CS ( 55 ) P P aˆ? For A- & gt ; 0, there is merely one strength. The peak strength and the critical province strength may be considered as coincident.7.2.3 Variation of dirt strength in the paˆ? – Q infiniteMohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard, written in the paˆ? – Q infinite, is given as 32 Q degree Fahrenheit = c + I? MC P aˆ? degree Fahrenheit ( 56 ) This standard is possibly the widely used standard to find the strength of dirts in geotechnical technology pattern. However, it is applicable for dirt conditionally. As shown in Fig. 14, Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard is applicable to dirty in the scope of AB, where the dirt in the â€Å" Dry † side, i.e. , below the CSL. The general strength standard for dirt may be divided into three scopes to analyze. Strength of dirts on the â€Å" Wet † side If a dirt province in the vitamin E – lnpaˆ? infinite is above the CSL, i.e. , A- & gt ; 0, the dirt is on the â€Å" Wet † side. Dirts on the â€Å" Wet † side have merely one strength, the concluding critical province strength. The critical province strength of dirts is represented by line BC, and their belongingss are introduced in subdivision 7.2.1. No tensile emphasis line Farinaceous stuffs such as littorals or clays in reconstituted provinces have no echt coherence, and can non prolong a tensile emphasis. The boundary oaˆ?min & gt ; 0 in the paˆ? – q infinite is = 3 Q,paˆ? represented by line OA. On the left side of line OA, tensile emphasis occurs. Strength of dirts on the â€Å" Dry † side Merely when dirt on the â€Å" Dry † side, the dirt has a coherence c. The strength of the dirt can depict by equation ( 56 ) , the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard. Cohesion degree Celsius may be treated as changeless. Clash angle oMC and parametric quantity MMC is related by the undermentioned equation = 6sinoMC ( 57 ) Megahertz I?MC 3 a?’ sino The whole strength envelope OABC is shown in Fig. 14. Two errors are normally made in using the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard for finding the strength of dirts. The extension of the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard to the left side of AB and therefore implies dirt has a tensile strength. The extension of the Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard to the right side of AB ( beyond the critical province strength ) . This implies the ultimate clash angle of dirt will go on lessening after the critical province clash angle unlimited with the average effectual emphasis. Terzaghi, the laminitis of modern dirt mechanics, made both errors in widening the pertinence of Don Taylor ‘s experimental information. And I hope you will non do the same error in your technology designs or safety cheque. 33Example 6The critical province clash angle for a Leighton Buzzard sand in situ is 31A ° measured from conventional triaxial compaction trials. The strength envelope detected for the sand can be described by Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength standard with c= 40 kPa and oMC = 23A ° . ( 1 ) Determine the values of dirt parametric quantities M for critical province stength and MMC for Mohr-Coulomb ‘s strength ; ( 2 ) Pull the strength envelope of this Leighton Buzzard sand and depict the features of the strength of the sand ; ( 3 ) Discourse the strength of the sand under a drained conventional triaxial compaction trial with the initial emphasis province of the dirt being ( paˆ? = 30 kPa, q = 0, ) . A: Determine dirt parametric quantities M and MMC ; Shear emphasis Q kPa 250 200 150 100 50 0 A 3 ( 30, 0 ) vitamin D 3 0.9 Bacillus 1.24 C 0 50 100 150 200 Mean effectual emphasis P ‘ kPa 347.2.4 Residual province strength of clayey dirtsAfter probes on landslides in the late fiftiess, it was found that the shearing opposition of dirt in a figure of instances was much smaller than the â€Å" concluding † critical province strength measured in the research lab. The construct of residuary strength is formed ( Skempton, 1964 ) Residual strength is defined as the shear strength of a dirt that can be mobilised on a polished sliding surface, after it has been formed through the dirt due to the alliance of its Platypoecilus maculatus atoms. For any given dirt it is the minimal strength come-at-able. There are four major facets of the residuary strength, viz. Dirt must hold adequate plate-like atoms so that a smooth slickensided surface can be formed. The skiding surface of well-aligned dirt atoms must be for the residuary strength to be mobilised. The skiding surface of well-aligned Platypoecilus maculatus atoms can ease residuary failure merely along that surface. 4. The residuary sliding surface one time formed is normally non modified by subsequent distortions of comparatively little magnitude. The residuary strength of a dirt is chiefly dependent on the mineralogy of the dirt: the clay fraction. Clay fraction uc defined as the weight of the clay particles less than 0.002 millimeter in size over the entire weight of the dirt sample. uc is defined as I†° = G0.002 ( 58 ) cG Some experimental informations on the fluctuation of the critical province strength and residuary strength with clay fraction is shown In Fig. 15 ( From Skempton, 1984 ) . The undermentioned information can be obtained this information. ( 1 ) For a dirt with a clay fraction less than 25 % the concluding strength is the critical province strength. The strength is independent on clay fraction. Otherwise, the concluding strength of the dirt is its residuary strength. 0 20 40 60 80 10 0 Clash angle ( A ° ) 34 28 22 16 10 4 residuary province critical province Clay fraction ( % ) Fig. 15 Variation of the critical province and residuary province strengths with clay fraction 35 With 50 % & gt ; uc & gt ; 25 % , both critical province and residuary province strengths vary with clay fraction. With uc & gt ; 50 % , critical province and residuary province strengths are different, but remains with any alteration of clay fraction in the scope. The concluding strength of a dirt, expressed as a clash angle, may change from 32A ° to every bit low as 6A ° with the fluctuation of the clay fraction.