Human Resources in the Aviation Industry

Human Resources in the Aviation Industry Submitted to: Mrs. Jasmina Popov-Locke Submitted by: Maha A. Jammoul CONTENTS Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Recruitment and Selection Process†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4-12 Effect of recruitment, selection, and interviewing processes on Southwest Airlines†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13-17 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 INTRODUCTION Human resources is a very important and essential element of any business. In the aviation industry, it plays a vital role due the contribution it makes to the over-all employee-firm relationship.Human resources concern the human side of managing enterprises and employees’ relations with their firms. It makes sure that the employees of the company are being used in such a manner that the employer obtains greatest possible benefit from the employees’ abilities and the employees, on the other hand, obtain optimum material and psychological rewards from their respective work. This assignment will be covering each stage of the recruitment and selection processes in general terms with applicable examples given from the aviation industry to support its description.An explanation of how the recruitment, selection, and interviewing processes can affect the operation of an organization within the aviation industry will be provided as well. P2 – Describe the recruitment and selection process followed by aviation organizations in order to meet obligations. HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING Human Resource Planning includes forecasting the n umber and kinds of employees that will be required in the future and to what extent the given demand is likely to be met. Basically, it wraps around the idea of number of workers, type of workers, skills needed, and cost-factor included in such process.The Human Resource Planning helps in the following areas when it comes to decision-making: 1. Recruitment 2. Avoidance of redundancies 3. Training – numbers and categories 4. Management development 5. Estimates of labour costs 6. Productivity bargaining 7. Accommodation requirements Few important points : ? Human Resource Planning needs continuous readjustments due to instability of an organization goal and uncertainty of the environment of the business. ? HRP is complex because of many independent variables involved in it such as invention, population changes, consumer demand, etc. A feedback must be included in case the objectives are to be modified due to the plan’s inability to be fulfilled. RECRUITMENT Recruitment i s basically the first part in the process of filling a vacancy. It includes examining the vacancy, considering sources of suitable candidates, and contacting candidates and attracting applications from them. ? If the vacancy is additional to the present workforce: 1. A new employee is needed 2. A compiled job specification is needed SOURCES: ? Headhunting This process is also known as â€Å"executive search† where it is believed that he best candidates are those who are successful in their current jobs and are not thinking of moving elsewhere instead of those who are replying to advertisements and are looking for jobs in any other ways. ? Advertising It is the most popular method o recruitment wherein the vacancy is advertised and candidates are invited to apply to the company. Few pointers on Advertising: ? The advertisement should have a job specification and a personnel specification contained in it. ? The advertisement must appear in the appropriate publication. Experimen ts regarding response to different sizes, headings, wording, page position, etc should be done. ? Careful records about the advertisement should be kept. ? The response should be analyzed. ? Courteous letter must be sent to rejected candidates. Processes involved in Recruitment: ? Application: Candidates fill up application forms or submit their curriculum vitae. ? Initial Screening: Screening out totally irrelevant applicant is done during the recruitment process especially when the organization has high number of applicants to be assessed in the selection process. SELECTIONIn the process of selection, the candidates for the specific job will be assessed and filtered out based on their level of compatibility with the organization or firm as a whole. Common Steps taken by Manager in the Selection Process: 1. Comparing of application forms and looking for candidates exhibiting suitability for the job. 2. Making a list of candidates to be interviewed and a list of rejected applicants (Short-listing). 3. Deciding what type of interview should be given and what test should be used. 4. Taking down notes on the applicants’ performance in the interview and tests. ? Interview MethodThis is the most common method used. The interview is conducted by the recruiter and types of interview vary from one organization to another e. g. individual, successive, panel. In this method, the applicant will be answering questions given by the interviewer wherein his/her communication skills and job knowledge will be put to test. ? Psychometric Testing Method In this method, applicants will be assessed based on their personalities and their ability to fit in the organization. ? Aptitude Testing Method Skills of the applicants are being assessed in this given method. ? In-tray Exercise MethodExercise or activities will be given to the candidates which will show their performance level on the job they will be handling. ? Presentation Method Skills and ideas of candidates will be evident in this type of selection method. Organizations using this type of method are more after a person’s creative ideas than his/her academic proficiency. ? Medical Tests Process Medical tests are done for the employer to ensure that the applicant is free from any contagious disease that may harm other people in the organization. This test is also done for jobs that have some medical standard that the applicants must meet such as pilots and the like. Background Checks Process Background and security checks are being performed to assess an applicant’s â€Å"sterility† and to avoid any kind of threat to an organization. It is a very crucial part of selection when it comes to certain types of industry such as the aviation industry where it is prone to threats and attacks. ? Written Examination Process Psychometric and aptitude testing methods fall under this process. This examination process helps in assessing the over-all job knowledge of the candidate and base d on this, the organization will be able to determine is/her compatibility and qualification. HIRING When the suitable candidate emerges from the selection process, a job offer must be received by him/her. The job offer might be: 1. Oral 2. Written The initial job offer must include : 1. The wage or salary offered 2. Name of the job and any special conditions 3. Condition of the employment, hours, holidays, bonuses, and fringe benefits 4. Provisos must be stated 5. Date and time to get in touch again in case the applicant asks time for consideration of the job offer.If the applicant accepts the initial offer, the conditions and everything that is stated in the letter will be made official and its accuracy is very important for it will be regarded as a permanent record. ? Induction This is the process of receiving the employees when they begin work. They’ll be introduced to the company and colleagues and informed of the activities, customs, and traditions of the company. ? Fol low- up In this process, the employee will be asked about how he/she feels about the job and his/her progress to the present time.Reviews and comments on the employees will be asked for from the immediate superiors. A proper and adequate training will be provided for some employees by the organization if needed and sometimes, switching of jobs or stations takes place depending on where the employer sees the employee performs and excels the most. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING: ? Southwest Airlines go after the creative kind of people and those who have an attitude. ? The company culture plays an integral part in the business and that’s why flexible and unconventional ideas are welcomed by the rganization. ? This airline gives importance to its â€Å"fun-LUVing† culture. RECRUITMENT: ? Online resumes are being accepted by Southwest Airlines which includes uploading your resume, cutting and pasting, or using their Resume Wiza rd. ? Advertisements on jobs available can be seen on their website ? All job specifications, requirements, and benefits are found on their website ? Interested applicants can choose a specific job, register, and make an account as a job seeker on their website. Submission of resume online is followed if the applicant is really interested. SELECTION: A screening-meeting is held for all those who wish to join the Southwest Airlines group wherein requirement information and conditions on how to get the job will be received during this process. ? A background check and drug test will be undergone during the interview process which is one-on-one. Failure to pass the tests will automatically remove the applicant from consideration. ? A class or training depending on the selected job should be attended and passed during the last process of selection in the Southwest Airlines. ? Unconventional and creative applicants are a major consideration to the airlines. Applicants who don’t ha ve sense of humour and a care-free attitude are not being selected by the organization for those type of applicants contradict with the culture of the organization. HIRING: ? Job offer letters are being given to the suitable and accepted applicants which includes all the necessary information needed about the job and the terms and conditions. ? An induction takes place for newly hired applicants in the Southwest Airlines. ? People-skills courses at the University for People, Southwest’s training center in Dallas, are being gone through by employees once they are hired.M1 – Explain how recruitment and selection and interviewing processes can affect the operation of a specified aviation organization. Southwest Airlines Operations is all about the over-all performance and effectiveness of the employees comprising the organization. How activities and â€Å"things† work out in Southwest Airlines is mainly based on its workforce since first of all, it’s in an i ntangible type of industry, the aviation industry. Operations basically refer to activities wherein the services and products being provided by the airlines.It mainly deals with the manner or how the services and products are being offered or provided. EFFECT OF SOUTHWEST AIRLINES’ RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS ON ITS OPERATIONS STEP BY STEP PROCESS: PLANNING: ? Right type of candidates are being targeted to attract for recruitment ? Expenses are being minimized due to the initial planning and knowing what type of applicants to go after RECRUITMENT: ? Correct and right kind of advertisements are being distributed as a result of the effective planning done in the first place ? Right brand or organization image is being projected through the advertisements ?Right type of applicants are being attracted SELECTION: ? Methods used directly filter out irrelevant candidates and leave the most suitable ones behind ? Having the most suitable applicants are being based on the effect ive selection method used by Southwest Airlines depending on the standards and culture requirements being tackled in the first process which is planning. HIRING: ? Right hiring process brings about employee satisfaction ? Employee satisfaction results in effective employee performance ? Effective employee performance results in good businessEFFECT ON THE OVER-ALL OPERATIONS AT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 1. High rank in customer service ? Southwest Airline’s principle of putting the employees first which is a part of their recruitment and selection process brings about the concept of them having high ranks when it comes to customer service. Since they take good care of their employees, they assume that this care will be passed on as well to the customers by the employees. The employees in this organization take a good care of their customers because the employer is taking care of them in the first place. . Ranked Number One in America's Happiest Airlines for Holiday Travel by Forbes f or the third consecutive year ? The recruitment, selection, and interview process at Southwest Airlines is a very evident cause of this ranking. This is an effect of having their unique recruitment standard which is to go after people who don’t take themselves too seriously and have the care-free spirit. The people that they have recruited carry on with them a sense of humour which makes the travel experience for their customers more fun and happy. During interview, the candidates are being asked about how they’ve used their sense of humour during difficult situations. On the other hand, those who walk in over-dressed are asked to change to Bermuda shorts wherein candidates who refuse to do so are automatically disqualified. In here we can see how evident happiness and fun is being observed throughout their recruitment, selection, and interview process. ?Hence, the success in their recruitment, selection and interview process brought about this effect through having th e right and most suitable applicants joining their operations 3.Profitable business for 42 years now ?The success of their business is a by-product of the HR department’s works. The whole process starting from planning up to hiring which is held responsible by the â€Å"People Department† is what made the company successful and profitable for a long period of time. They had the specific workforce they needed which was brought about through the recruitment and selection process. They obtained maximum benefit from their workforce’s skills and abilities and because of this, they are having a fruitful business. 4. Friendly employee-customer interaction The Southwest Airlines employees are being trained on their social skills and abilities. They are actually hired based on their inter-personal skills and friendly attitude. With that being said, they are able to maintain a healthy and friendly relationship with their customers. Being equipped with the social skills ne eded, they find it easy to be friendly and â€Å"real† when dealing with passengers. 5. Satisfied employees ? The CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly, visits his employees randomly and from time to time to check on them and their performance.He asks them on how they are doing and feeling. Having that kind of communication which is face-to-face between the employer and his employees is what drives the employees to be more satisfied and motivated. What Gary Kelly is doing is a part of the employer care in the follow-up which falls under the last part of the recruitment and selection process better known as hiring. The wages, incentives, bonuses, pensions, â€Å"Southwest Citizenship†, career developments and all other offers is what is behind the satisfied employees of Southwest Airlines.Again, we can see what the effect of the whole recruitment and selection process was. It resulted in highly satisfied employees. 6. Good employee performance ?The performance of the em ployees in their respective jobs is the â€Å"core operation† in the airlines. Southwest Airlines is very fortunate to have a good or, in my opinion, a great workforce performance. Why is this so? We fall back to the same redundant reason—recruitment, selection, and interview process held by the HR department. Going back to the previous point, employees are satisfied and motivated.Obviously, contented employees end up performing well for their jobs. They do whatever is assigned and expected from them in an effective manner. For Southwest, it works well for them since their workforce is equipped with the talent, attitude, and creativity that meet their business needs. As a proof for this, a flight attendant onboard Southwest Airlines rapped the safety instructions to be followed by the passengers. This is a job well-done for the airlines because the employee made use of his creativity to please and satisfy the passengers. 7.Right and accurate brand image is being projec ted to the public ? Through the employees and the advertisements being send out, the culture of the company is being reflected to the public. The idea of what the company is all about and what is its â€Å"tradition† is being conveyed to the mass and this brings about a positive brand image and a positive word of mouth. Not only that, the operations in Southwest Airlines have everything to do with their culture that is being initially set during the planning stage of the recruitment and selection process and is being observed until its last part.So, the friendly and happy interaction between Southwest Airlines employees and passengers plants the positive, fun-loving, creative culture of the airlines in the passengers’ minds. 8. The accurate culture of Southwest Airlines which is fun-LUVing is being continually set ? While the recruitment, selection, and interview process of the Southwest airlines continues on observing its optimum vessel which is their culture, â€Å" their type of people† are being continuously drawn to them. Through this, the type of workforce present enables the company to have its culture set straight-out.As far as Southwest airline is concerned, until now, they are still successful in setting their culture and making the mass get their idea behind it. They can’t be successful with doing so without their employees complying and demonstrating that kind of culture which all turns back to the HR as their responsibility to recruit and hire those people who are capable of adapting to their fun-LUVing culture. CONCLUSION The Human Resource Department is responsible for the Recruitment and Selection Process of an organization.They make sure that the appropriate applicants are being drawn to them through their advertisements and culture set which is all done during the workforce planning process. The recruitment and selection process varies from one company to another but usually it involves four immediate steps – workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and hiring. During this process, the main goal of the firm is to get the best candidate possible for a designated job. Getting the â€Å"best† applicant depends on the standards and culture of an organization.In the aviation industry, it is very important for the human resource department of any organization to be able to get the workforce that meets their business needs since they offer an intangible service and experience. This service is what puts them either ahead or behind the competition in the industry. The recruitment, selection, and interview at any given organization and in any type of industry will shape how the operations in that certain company take place and how activities and jobs run – smoothly or roughly. BIBLIOGRAPHY Human Resources Management (Graham ; Bennett, 1998)Mrs. Jasmina Popov-Locke’s PowerPoint Presentation (Outcome 1) http://swamedia. com/channels/Corporate-Fact-Sheet/pages/corporate-fact- sheet#distinctions http://www. arichall. com/academic/papers/om5210-hrm. pdf http://www. wikihow. com/Become-a-Southwest-Airlines-Flight-Attendant http://www. indeed. com/forum/cmp/Southwest-Airlines/southwest-airline-hiring-process/t255708/p9 http://www. newteacher. com/obooks/Chapter_5/iaculture. html http://www. news. com. au/breaking-news/bored-flight-attendant-raps-safety-briefing/story-e6frfkp9-1111119158261 www. southwest. com

Climate change as environmental challenge Essay

Climate change is the most imperative environmental challenge facing the planet. Due to intensified reliance on fossil fuels for energy, greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere and warms the Earth warts and all evident from the increasing ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising sea levels (http://www.pewtrusts.org). The warming observed in the past fifty years is very likely to have been caused by the increased greenhouse gases released by human activities like burning of fossil fuels, land use change and agriculture. The atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases have significantly increased since the beginning of industrial revolution (http://ec.europa.eu). The Earth’s average surface temperature since 1850 has risen by 0.76oC and is projected to increase from 1.8oC to 4oC in the end of the 21st century considering that there will be no additional mitigation measure apart from those already in place in 2000 (http://ec.europa.eu). This increase in temperature may lead to severe snow and ice melting, changes in hydrological and biological systems, earlier migrations and shifting towards the poles of species’ geographic ranges. Adaptation measures are already being implemented and are essential to address the projected consequences. The European Union played a key role in the development of the major treaty addressing the issue on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, agreed in 1997. The Kyoto protocol of cutting greenhouse gas emission to 8% below 1990’s level in 2008-2012 has allowed the establishment of a global response to the climate problem (http://www.pewtrusts.org); however this adaptation effort is limited. Less lenient mitigation measures will also be needed in order to reduce the severity of climate change’s impacts. It may be necessary to set mandatory limits and ratify national climate policies on reduction of greenhouse gas emission across all economic sectors. Also switching to a more sustainable development paths related to energy efficiency, renewable energies and conservation of natural habitats can make a major contribution to climate change mitigation. Works Cited â€Å"Pew Campaign on Global Warming.† The Pew Charitable Trusts. 1996-2008. 3 June 2008  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . â€Å"Climate Change.† The European Commission. 14 May 2008. 3 June 2008  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .   

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Children in the restaurant observation - Research Paper Example 1100: Tasha enters through the door and seems to be dragging her mum inside as though she cannot wait to have a taste of the delicacies served in the restaurant. She shouts, â€Å"I want French fries, mum I need those† as she points to one of the customer’s plates that is loaded with nicely plated brown French fries with strands of red ketchup. Just as expected, Tasha and her mum are both served, and they head for their seats. Tasha eats hurriedly while focusing all her attention on her plate and seems to care less about her mum seated right in front of her. Neither does she care about adding ketchup or salt to her food. 1105: Jean gets into the hotel with his mother. He does not seem to be in a hurry and stops at the door to watch the restaurant’s cowboy statue erected at the entrance. It is not until his mum drags him that he finds a seat opposite Tasha’s. He seems to care less about the food. His mum joins him with two plates of French fries, and they begin to eat. 1110: Tasha stretches her left hand to reach for a bottle of ketchup. Her mum mumbles a few words before she goes on picking her chips one after the other. Tasha seems reluctant to add ketchup to her half full plate of French fries. She gazes around aimlessly like though she had not noticed the presence of their customers in the restaurant before she finally squeezes the ketchup on her plate wastefully. Her mum seems irritated and grabs the bottle. 1115: Jean eats slowly but steadily. He is not distracted by the melee caused in the restaurant when a group of rowdy teenagers enter the premise. Jean only lifts his head for a moment as if to confirm his mum’s presence then resumes his slow but steady eating. 1120: Tasha seems a little distracted by the food on her plate and begins to play with the sticks of chips. She rolls her sleeves up and begins to rearrange the food on her plate as if to create some sought of artwork. She

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing research - Essay Example In effect, the outcome was inappropriate positioning of the baby and the failure to ensure proper latch-on during breastfeeding. Hence, this contributed to discomfort in babies and mothers, which eventually led to inappropriate breastfeeding tendencies in mothers. In addition, it is crucial to point out that research studies pointed out that some mothers stopped breastfeeding their babies even before attaining the mandatory six months age. In effect, this program is essential in ensuring that the mothers breastfed their babies even after they attained the mandatory six months. Based on the foregoing, the outcomes of this program are: Proper latch-on technique for mothers who are breastfeeding their babies Effective positioning of the baby during breastfeeding in order to ensure that the mother and the child did not suffer from any discomfort Breastfeeding for a period not less than six months in order to ensure the breastfeeding tendencies were appropriate Outcome Measures and Target Description of the Target Effective Latch-on Outcome Measure The nurses in the facility did not know the appropriate latch-on technique. On the other hand, the healthcare facility will ensure that mothers developed the appropriate latch-on techniques during the process of breastfeeding. ... Baseline Data During the implementation stage of this program, 2 out of 10 nurses did not know the right approaches to latch-on babies during breastfeeding. Hence, the facility aims to achieve 100% effective latch-on technique among nurses in order to ensure a successful implementation. In the implementation stage, 15% of mothers who attended prenatal care were aware of the efficient latch-on technique. Hence, the program seeks to ensure that there was a 100% awareness of the effective latch-on technique used during breastfeeding. On the other hand, only 40% of antenatal mothers knew of the effective latch-on technique. In effect, the facility seeks to achieve 100% knowledge of the effective technique. Description of the Target Effective Positioning Outcome Measure The appropriate outcome measure in this case is effective position of the mother and the child during breastfeeding. In line with this, it is important to point out that only 50% of the nurses are aware of the effective po sition of the baby during breastfeeding. Hence, all nurses should be aware of the appropriate position in order for them to transfer the same to the mothers. Pregnant mothers should devise the appropriate posture and position during breastfeeding in order to ensure that there was no discomfort on the baby and the mother. Baseline Data Fifty-percent of the nurses should gain the skills and knowledge required for correct positioning of the mother during breastfeeding. More than 70% of the mothers attending prenatal care thought that breastfeeding did not require any correct or appropriate position. Thirty two percent of afterbirth mothers did not use the right position during breastfeeding and

The Influence of the MQ-1A Predator on Modern Warfare Essay Example for Free

The Influence of the MQ-1A Predator on Modern Warfare Essay The General Atomics MQ-1B Predator is a revolutionary unmanned aerial vehicle that has changed the very nature of warfare in the United States. The MQ-1 Predator drone was initially developed as a reconnaissance aircraft for the Central Intelligence Agency, designed to be a very light vehicle with a number of intelligent sensors to stealthily gather intelligence. However, since it’s development in the early 1990s, the Predator has undergone a number of variations and upgrades to take on a multitude of roles. Specifically, the United States Air Force describes the Predator as â€Å"uniquely qualified to conduct irregular warfare operations in support of Combatant Commander objectives†[1]. As public opinion continues to favor the value of every American soldier’s life, the MQ-1B Predator has had a profound impact on the United States Armed Forces. Though the concept of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles existed almost as soon as airplanes were developed, they were severely limited in their roles until the Vietnam War. By that time, the development of the â€Å"Lightning Bug† spy planes had been sufficiently developed for use in Vietnam and southern China. The Lightning Bug drones had numerous advantages, such as various countermeasure systems, a low cost, and little risk for the controlling crew[2]. The United States used the Lightning Bug drones on over a thousand missions during the Vietnam War, though some led to an emphasis on developing new UAV programs. The Lightning Bug employed a very basic control program, the first model developed operated on a timer, and would simply turn around after a certain amount of time had elapsed. Later models could be controlled by radio, though the drones had a short control range. The largest limitation of the Frisbee was that it could not take off or land independently; it was usually launched from a DC-130 Hercules and recovered by a helicopter after its parachute had been deployed. Despite these limitation, the Lightning Bug proved to concept of UAVs to the United States. By 1984, the Defense Advanced Research Projects contracted Leading Systems Incorporated of California to create an endurance UAV codenamed â€Å"Amber. † Amber was initially designed for photographic reconnaissance, electronic counter-intelligence operations, and could be used as a cruise missile. The first Amber drones were able to fly continuously for approximately 38 hours, and successfully completed long range test flights in 1987. During the late 1980s, Congress pressured the numerous UAV programs through funding cuts, though the Amber drone survived after being incorporated into the Joint Program Office for UAV development. By 1990 however, the Amber program was cut, likely due to the abrasive personality of its director, Abraham Karem[3]. Leading Systems faced financial difficulties after the failure of the Amber program, and was bought by General Atomics. At the time of its sale, Leading Systems was developing a variation of the Amber drone named the Gnat750, which was designed as a less expensive alternative. Though its wingspan was larger than the Amber, this enabled the Gnat to weigh less but carry a larger payload. The Gnat also had an extremely long range, with an endurance of 48 or more hours. The Gnat also featured a GPS system for independent flight, as well as a configurable sensor package that could be customized for various missions[4]. In the early 1990s, the CIA order multiple Gnat 750s to gather intelligence on the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Though the Gnat was successful on its missions, software glitches caused at least one crash and the drone was discovered to be susceptible to rough weather. The Gnat was considered a success for its configurability and endurance, and General Atomics resolved to develop a new UAV. General Atomics was awarded a contract to build the RQ-1A Predator in January 1994. The Predator’s design is similar to that of the Gnat 750, with a aerodynamic fuselage with low mounted wings. The Predator is also much larger than the Gnat, with a wingspan of 55 feet and a length of 27 feet[5]. The Predator featured a sensor â€Å"turret† underneath the nose of the aircraft which enabled Infrared and Electro-Optical imaging, a laser designator was added to later models. The Predator also includes a number of datalink antennas that enables it to be controlled from the ground by line of sight radio transmission or satellite link. The antennas also allows the Predator to upload information to various other battlefield units, such as aircraft or naval vessels. This allows the Armed Forces to obtain real time intelligence on the battlefield as long as the Predator can remain in the area. The Predator can be flown by remote control from a mounted camera, or will otherwise fly in a preprogrammed path via a mounted GPS system. The range of the Predator drone is also very large, â€Å"If a Predator were flown out of San Francisco, it would be able to operate into Nevada, southern Oregon, or northwestern Mexico and monitor a 185 x 185 kilometer (115 x 115 mile) grid†[6]. The Predator first saw service over Bosnia in 1995 with the CIA; one aircraft was destroyed by the mission commander after an engine failure and another was shot down. These initial drones were handed over to the Air Force and used in numerous campaigns. In early missions, the Predator’s primary role was to designate targets for other aircraft, though inexperienced pilots often could not get support to an area quickly enough to make a difference. It was quickly decided that Predator drones would need offensive capabilities in case it needed to engage a target itself, and many were quickly outfitted with a pair of Hellfire anti-armor missiles. After successful testing, one officer in the Air Force stated that â€Å"The effectiveness was a relief nobody was quite sure that firing a Hellfire from a Predator wouldnt rip the UAVs wing right off†[7]. The newly armed Predator drones were quickly put into service with the new designation of MQ-1A. According to the US Air Force website, M is the Department of Defense designation for multi-role, while Q is designated to all UAVs. Finally, the 1 and A show that the Predator was the first modern series of UAVs widely developed by the Air Force. The widespread use of the MQ-1A Predators and its variations are attributable to successful attributes of the previous UAV programs. Like the original Lightning Bug drones, the Predator is relatively inexpensive and enjoys a long endurance time. The Predator is also able to independently take off and land like the Amber drone, and has a unique design and a customizable sensor platform like the Gnat 750. All of these aspects allow the Predator drone to be highly adaptable to numerous mission types, all while putting no lives at risk and remaining cost efficient. Many pieces of modern military equipment, especially those with the modern sensor and weapons equipment found in the Predator platform, cost encormous amounts of money. However, as of 2009 a complete Predator drone package costs only $20 million. This includes four MQ-1A Predator drones, a ground control station, and a Predator Primary Satellite Link. The cost of maintaining the Predator fleet is also relatively low, operating and sustaining 195 MQ-1 Predators in 2010 cost the United States $2. 38 billion. In comparison, one F-15 Strike Eagle costs the Air Force approximately $100 million. The ground control station of a Predator unit is highly customizable, but a standard station is designed to fit into the body of a C-130 Hercules aircraft. During operation, one operator controls a Predators flight path and movements, while another monitor’s the drone’s equipment, including sensors and weapons. A commander will always be present in a ground control station to supervise the Predator unit. As the Predator was designed to be adaptable and upgradable, many variations and enhanced version of the Predator exist. In 2001, General Atomics created proof of concept UAV then called the Predator-B. The Predator-B featured a more efficient engine that was also less prone to malfunction, a longer wingspan, and a hardened design. This allowed the Predator-B to fly as high as 52,000 feet, above any potentially dangerous weather. By 2004, the Air Force had need of a UAV with more offensive capabilities, and the Predator-B was selected to take on this role. Renamed the MQ-9B Hunter Killer or MQ-9B Reaper, this drone has become the main UAV of the United States Armed Forces. The MQ-9B Reaper has an improved targeting system for identification and weapons targeting, an increased weight capacity for munitions or fuel, and an endurance time of over 42 hours. [9] The Reaper is not meant to replace the Predator drone however, instead it is used in more offensive mission, as it can be fitted with â€Å"twin 225 kilogram guided bombs, eight Hellfires, and two Sidewinder [missiles]†[10]. The original MQ-1A Predator is used for missions that only require surveillance or light armament. A third major variation of the Predator drone, the Predator-C, is under development as a stealth UAV. With a more streamlined design, the Predator-C is intended to offer offensive and surveillance capabilities, and models have been designed for deployment on aircraft carriers. Though development is ongoing, the United States Navy and Air Force have both ordered Predator-Cs. As the MQ-1A Predator is so adaptable and cost-efficient, it has had a major impact on numerous operations since its introduction. In 2000, the Predators were undergoing a trial run in Afghanistan by search for majoring terrorist leaders, including Osama Bin Laden. On at least two occasions in September of 2000, the Predators identified a tall man wearing white robes in Kandahar, Afghanistan that the 9/11 Commission Report states was â€Å"probably Bin Laden. †[11] However, these events occurred before the Predators were outfitted with offensive capabilities. On March 4, 2002, also in Afghanistan, a Predator drone destroyed a fortified Taliban bunker that had pinned down an Army Ranger team during the Battle of Robert’s Ridge. F-15 and F-16 fighters were previously scrambled to destroy the bunker, but were unsuccessful. Additionally, two of the twenty-two terrorists on the FBI’s most wanted list have been killed by Predator drones, Mohammed Atef and Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, both participants in the 1998 US Embassy bombings. The Predator was also been extremely effective in operations in Iraq. Between July 2005 and June 2006, Predator drones â€Å"participated in more than 242 separate raids; engaged 132 troops in contact-force protection actions; fired 59 Hellfire missiles; surveyed 18,490 targets; escorted four convoys; and flew 2,073 sorties for more than 33,833 flying hours. [13] Due to the success and variability of the entire Predator series, the platform is currently under consideration for many non-military roles. The Federal Aviation Administration recently authorized both the Predator and Reaper drones for domestic use in searching for the victims of disasters; the advance imaging equipment in the drones could be used to located survivors that would otherwise remain lost, and the drones are capable of remaining in flight much longer than ordinary rescue teams. 14] The US Border Patrol also utilizes Predator drones to maintain the US-Mexico border, and NASA uses the drones for high altitude scientific study. As the culmination of UAV technology and development, the MQ-1A Predator drone and its variations have had a lasting and revolutionary impact both on and off the battlefield. As the United States moves continues to move into the 21st century, the Predator drone enables long range surveillance and offensive capabilities without endangering the lives of soldiers, all while remaining extremely cost efficient. The applications of the Predator drone are nearly limitless as it has been an overwhelming success in nearly every deployment it has seen. By utilizing the technological advantages that the Predator drone offers, the United States Armed Forces will continue its missions without putting more servicemen or women at risk.

Toyota Business Strategies Analysis

Toyota Business Strategies Analysis The following will focus on identifying and analyzing of Toyotas business strategies which lead them to success, as well as critical comparison and contrast will be provided Toyotas current strategies. Due to the global crisis which is the globalization, Toyota is facing with new opportunities and challenges; according to Porters five forces (2008), threats of rivalry among existing competitors, new entrants, substitutes, power of both consumer and suppliers are making them worried, Therefore, it is necessarily find out the ways to gearing themselves up to cope these crisis. In the end suggestive solution and recommendation will be laid out to improve the business strategies. THE HISTORY OF TOYOTA Toyota Motor is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan and is the worlds biggest automaker. Toyota now owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries Isuzu Motors, and Yamaha Motors. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Vehicles were originally sold under the name Toyoda from the family name of the companys founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. (online Accessed on 13-04-2010) TOYOTAS BUSINESS STRATEGY Toyota is the most leading Japanese automobile company. By creating more innovative car design and spending billions dollars in advertisement a year, Toyota has appeared in the eyes of many auto consumers worldwide. By producing high quality vehicles at affordable prices, Toyota has built its reputation globally. Toyota has reduced their prices as compared to other automobile makers. Toyota believes that the role of purchasing should be long term at the lowest price and no compromise on the production of quality products. Normally, companies do not want to cut their targeted return and they follow the strategy which is formulated in to the cost + profit = selling price. But Toyota takes a slightly different strategy which is formulated in to the price-cost=profit. Strategic management has a direct impact on its business in all organizations. Thats why Toyota has become leading company in auto industry because of the attractive strategic management policy. Now, Toyota plans to build t raining centers in different parts of the world, where they can easily train their new workers and managers how to design new cars and assemble them. Toyota is constructing more new factories. Although, it has already plants in 27 countries. When Toyota enters in US, everyone believes that this company will not be able to run a successful business. But, at present Toyota is leading in auto companies worldwide because of its strategic management planning. Solid Foundation As part of Toyota Customer First plan, Toyota is reinforcing our systems for building in excellence that reflects the customers point of view. Toyota is painstakingly getting better design quality by analyzing the causes of inconvenience from the design stage, which is the foundation of quality. Toyota is also honing their capability to analyze quality on manufacture lines by introducing in-line dimension. And, Toyota are reasserting basic assurance that assembly processes fabricate in excellence by introducing a team-leader structure for training production in human resources. Furthermore, in an effort to develop quality from side to side production and development, Toyota is collaborating intimately with suppliers. During this range of initiatives, Toyota is gradually producing results. It can say that, quality improvement never ends. Consequently, to avoid gratification, Toyota will use those initiatives as a starting point for more quality enhancement efforts. Growth Philosophy For the last decade, Toyota has focused on product and supply, sales and marketing and widespread advanced technology strategy, as well as the improvement of conventional hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). Toyota believes that a transformation of people and technology lies at the heart of a companys competitiveness. As a result, Toyota is moving forward with personnel training based on the beliefs that developing human resources is a key part of manufacturing. These efforts expand ahead of simply having employees obtain knowledge and skills that development, production, or sales divisions need. Internationally, Toyota is implementing programs to facilitate all employees to embrace Toyotas culture and values and be aware of Toyota Way. (Online: accessed on 12/04/2010) Technology For development of an extensive range of technologies and products with focus on market formation, Toyota has determined on a wide-ranging advanced technology strategy, as well as the expansion of conservative hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). The strategy of sustainable mobility goes further than now the vehicles themselves. Instead it integrates: The vehicles and technologies, as well as their whole life cycle measurementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.from improvement and production, to vehicle use, to how the vehicle is recycled at end of life. The partnerships that are essential to bring these advanced technologies to market The energy compulsory to power the technology, i.e.) how is the electricity generatedcoal, natural gas, solar? The urban atmosphere in which these products will function, as well as how the personal car fits into a mixed mobility transit strategy, re-charge/ re-fuel infrastructure, car sharing, etc. This wide-ranging strategy acknowledges the fact that there are many considerations when bringing a vehicle to market. By inspiring the discussion above individual technologies, Toyota is working to make parallel the technology and the market to make sure successful introduction and implementation of advanced technology vehicles. Training According to Porter (1980), in the planning stages, it is significant to note that new-product planning emphasizes a product that is as defect-free as achievable. Toyota designs excellence into the automobile. Technical advances, such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), have helped designers generate and transform their specifications more rapidly than before, at the same time as getting better design quality. Quality is a necessary part of the pre-production process. Quality is the dynamic strength in establishing a system that meets the goals of design, cost and production quantity. The planning segment as well establishes a plan that outlines all particulars of the examination procedure. Quality manage involves close collaboration of numerous production departments. The competitive point of view for Toyota in the mini-car segment of Europe remains good. While competition is strong, Toyota has key competencies that allow the company to succeed in this environment. Recommendations Toyotas management performed well under the crisis they had to face, the problem was identified and think tanks gave the perfect solution of switching to central database and were supported by the decision makers. On the other hand, no praise shall taken away from Toyota by recommending that if the QMS department would have been a bit more affective, the wrongly dispatched tyres for the High Revenue Lexus Customers might had never been approved and customers not had to face the inconvenience or if Toyota would have forecasted the issue before they might have chosen the Central Database approach that would have added some more to the bunch of Toyotas satisfied customer. (Online, accessed on 13/04/10) Conclusion In conclusion, auto industries have to face the challenges of trade barriers nowadays and global competition amongst the auto manufacturers has become intensive. The vision for Toyota and is to become the worlds leading automotive company and achieve great success by adopting different marketing strategies. In addition, the Toyota values are expressed through anticipating consumer needs and delivering outstanding products and services that improve peoples lives, driven by a customer focus, creativity, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial spirit. The marketing strategies were adopted by Toyota, affect the auto industrys potential for globalization. In order to be successful, major auto suppliers should pay particular attention to market needs and consumer expectations, costs issues within product design and development, and forces within global competition and political/legal environment. It is necessary to reduce costs by global configuration of value-adding as is the most important step towards the globalization of certain industries.

Cassandra as a Tragic Figure :: essays research papers

Cassandra as a Tragic Figure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra is a tragic figure in Agamemnon. She is destroyed by a web of circumstances beyond her control, but not beyond her awareness. Cassandra has full knowledge of what is going to happen, yet she cannot change the tragic events. Cassandra’s tragic role is Agamemnon is best filled in three instances: as Cassandra is getting out of the chariot, during her dialogue with the leader of the chorus when she reveals her prophecy, and as she is approaching the doors to face her death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra is waiting in the chariot and the leader of the chorus persuades her to come out of the chariot. Cassandra is very hesitant to get out of the chariot because she knows what is about to happen: â€Å"God of the long road, Apollo Apollo my destroyer-you destroy me once, destroy me twice-â€Å"(145.1078.1080) Cassandra has already been destroyed by having true prophecy that no one will believe and once again she knows she is going to be destroyed by murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra begins to have dialogue with the Leader of the chorus. The Leader does not understand what is being said so Cassandra finally says, â€Å"Agamemnon, you will see him dead.†(153.1259) At this point this Leader says, â€Å"Peace, poor girl! Put those words to sleep.†(153.1260) The Leader thinks that she is just imaging things and that what she says is not possible. Cassandra cannot do a thing to stop what is about to happen, yet she is completely aware of what is going to happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the end, Cassandra walks toward the doors of the house to face her fate. She realizes that there is nothing left that she can do: â€Å"Well, I must go in now, mourning Agamemnon’s death and mine. Enough of life!†(157.1335.1337) Cassandra knows her death is closer now than ever before, but she does not try to fight it. She has no control over what happens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra is a tragic figure in Agamemnon who is destroyed by a web of circumstances beyond her control, but not beyond her

fathers and sons :: essays research papers

Father and Son But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.' (Douglas Macarthur) Even though the main father and son relationship in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons does not display the â€Å"perfect† relationship they still hold respect and love for one another, they are each other’s security. In this play the author displays a society in which the characters are selfish, and seem to care only about themselves and the things that may benefit them. The men in this play go through great lengths to get everything they want, even if their actions may bring harm to others. Mr. Joe Keller seems to be an exception in this play; He will go through a lot of trouble to benefit others, especially his family. Joe displays so much love for his family through his affection for his son Chris. Chris and Joe have an amazing bond that lies deep within them. The respect and love they hold for one another is unmatched by other characters, and seem to be hard to divide. Although Chris is Joes’ son, Joe also has many other â€Å"sons† the men that fough t in the war, these too are his children yet he deceives them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joe Keller and his son Chris are the main father and son relationship in this play; they are extremely close and completely respect one another however, they have much to learn, for one has a secret. Being a father means more then anything to Joe, it means the personification of graciousness and infallibility. Every move Joe makes in his life is for Chris. His entire factory that he has built from the ground up has been for Chris; his plan was after he retired that Chris would have total control over the business. After Larry, Joe’s elder son passes away Chris becomes everything to him. His love and desire for Chris to be successful made Joe oblivious to all that surrounds him. fathers and sons :: essays research papers Father and Son But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.' (Douglas Macarthur) Even though the main father and son relationship in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons does not display the â€Å"perfect† relationship they still hold respect and love for one another, they are each other’s security. In this play the author displays a society in which the characters are selfish, and seem to care only about themselves and the things that may benefit them. The men in this play go through great lengths to get everything they want, even if their actions may bring harm to others. Mr. Joe Keller seems to be an exception in this play; He will go through a lot of trouble to benefit others, especially his family. Joe displays so much love for his family through his affection for his son Chris. Chris and Joe have an amazing bond that lies deep within them. The respect and love they hold for one another is unmatched by other characters, and seem to be hard to divide. Although Chris is Joes’ son, Joe also has many other â€Å"sons† the men that fough t in the war, these too are his children yet he deceives them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joe Keller and his son Chris are the main father and son relationship in this play; they are extremely close and completely respect one another however, they have much to learn, for one has a secret. Being a father means more then anything to Joe, it means the personification of graciousness and infallibility. Every move Joe makes in his life is for Chris. His entire factory that he has built from the ground up has been for Chris; his plan was after he retired that Chris would have total control over the business. After Larry, Joe’s elder son passes away Chris becomes everything to him. His love and desire for Chris to be successful made Joe oblivious to all that surrounds him.

Human Resource Management can Improve the Competitive Ability of Busine

Human Resource Management can Improve the Competitive Ability of Business The starting point for a human resource strategy is the organisations strategic plan. A workforce must be put in place which provides departments with the correct number of appropriately skilled employees to accomplish targets in all departments. In order to achieve this, the likely demand for products or services must be anticipated and the future implications for recruitment and training considered. Effective communication between departments is vital if this approach is to succeed. For example: Â · The marketing department can supply estimates of future demand. Â · Operations management can detail the level of skill needed to produce the goods. Â · Human resources can then recruit or fire people in line with the new requirements identified. Â · Training may also need to send people on courses if the skill mix of employees is inappropriate. Workforce planning is therefore an integrated process. It requires an overview of the whole operation of the business. In order to use human resources successfully to create a competitive advantage, the future position of the firm must be considered. A workforce must be put in place which will allow the strategic plan of the business to be put into effect. The main benefits of creating a human resource strategy are: Â · To put the appropriate employee mix to allow the organisation to achieve its aims and objectives. Â · To communicate the culture of the busi...

Midwest Office Products Management Essay

Case Overview: MidWest Office Product was a regional distributor of office supplies to institutions and commercial businesses. The company offered a comprehensive product line like simple writing implements and fasteners to specialty paper for modern high-speed copiers and printers. Warehouse personnel in the company’s distribution center unloaded truckload shipments from manufactures, and moved the cartons into designated storage location until customers request the items. Typically, the company shipped products to its customers using commercial truckers; however the MOP had introduced the new way of shipment which called a desktop delivery option in which the personnel delivered the products directly to the destinations at the customer’s site. The company believed that the new way of shipments would improve the margins and create more loyal customers in its competitive market. Moreover, the MOP introduced the electronic data interchange, which allowed customers’ orders to arrive automatically into the system so that clerks wouldn’t have to enter the data manually. John Malone, general manager of Midwest Office Products, was concerned about the financial results of his business for a calendar year 2013. Malone was concerned that even after introducing the innovations, the company couldn’t earn a profit. The company’s management team decided to check out: What actions he should take to regain the profit? What profits Midwest Office Products had really earned on each of the orders stated? Case Solutions: According to calculations made on the Excel sheet, we think that in order for MOP regain the profits the company should look on the following recommendations: 1) To encourage customers to use more efficient and cheaper types of channels, like in this case the EDI. As you could see on the excel sheet 1 the electronic entry costs $3.50 which is the cheapest way of entering the information about the orders. 2) Improve the efficiency of the warehouse operations and order-entry process ( manual and electronic). We could recommend to decrease the amount of order-entry operators. The following action will help the company to decrease the costs on personnel. 3) To improve the Desktop Delivery option meaning to introduce the specific charges for the following options depending on the amount of drop points, distance, time consumed for travelling If the cost for Desktop Delivery is $75 per hour, the company should introduce the specific charges for a such delivery because it costs almost 5 times higher as the commercial freight. 4) It’s highly recommended to minimize the amount of small orders, may be it would be efficient to establish the minimum order size or put the minimum price for an order

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay

Amy Lowell’s Life and Career Marcia B. Dinneen (http://www. english. illinois. edu/maps/poets/g_l/amylowell/life. htm) Amy Lowell was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the daughter of Augustus Lowell and Katherine Bigelow Lawrence. Both sides of the family were New England aristocrats, wealthy and prominent members of society. Augustus Lowell was a businessman, civic leader, and horticulturalist, Katherine Lowell an accomplished musician and linguist. Although considered as â€Å"almost disreputable,† poets were part of the Lowell family, including James Russell Lowell, a first cousin, and later Robert Lowell. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Lowell was first educated at the family home, â€Å"Sevenels† (named by her father as a reference to the seven Lowells living there), by an English governess who left her with a lifelong inability to spell. Her first poem, â€Å"Chacago,† written at age nine, is testament to this problem. In the fall of 1883 Lowell began attending a series of private schools in Brookline and Boston. At school she was â€Å"the terror of the faculty† (Gould, p. 32). Even at Mrs.  Cabot’s school, founded by a Lowell cousin to educate her own children and the children of friends and relations, Lowell was â€Å"totally indifferent to classroom decorum. Noisy, opinionated, and spoiled, she terrorized the other students and spoke back to her teachers† (Heymann, p. 164). During school vacations Lowell traveled with her family. She went to Europe and to New Mexico and California. On the latter trip she kept a travel journal. Lowell enjoyed writing, and two stories she wrote during this time were printed in Dream Drops; or, Stories from Fairyland (1887), by a â€Å"Dreamer. The volume was published privately by her mother, who also contributed material, and the proceeds were donated to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Lowell’s schooling included the usual classes in English, history, French, literature, and a little Italian. As Lowell later noted, â€Å"My family did not consider that it was necessary for girls to learn either Greek or Latin† (Damon, p. 87). She would also describe her formal education as not amounting to â€Å"a hill of beans† (Benvenuto, p. 6). School ended in 1891, and Lowell made her debut. Described as the â€Å"most popular debutante of the season,† she went to sixty dinners given in her honor. Her popularity was attributed to her skills in dancing and in the art of conversation, but her debut did not produce the expected marriage proposal. Although Lowell had finished formal schooling, she continued to educate herself. Unfortunately, higher education was not an option for Lowell women. She put herself through a â€Å"rigorous† reading program, using her father’s 7,000-volume library and the resources of the Boston Athenaeum (her great-grandfather was one of the founders). Later Lowell would successfully speak out against the proposed relocation of the Athenaeum; this would also become the subject of a poem. Lowell’s love of books themselves began with her first â€Å"Rollo† book, Rollo Learning to Read, which her mother gave her when she was six. This gift marked the beginning of an enthusiasm for book collecting that would last throughout her life. In 1891 she made her first major purchase of a set of the complete works of Sir Walter Scott with money she had received as a Christmas gift. It was, however, her collection of Keatsiana, including a rare first edition of Lamia inscribed to F. B. from J. K. (Fanny Brawne from John Keats), that put her in the forefront of international book collectors. Following her debut, Lowell led the life of a prominent socialite, visiting, going to parties and the theater, and traveling. Her mother, who had been an invalid for years, died in 1895. A disappointment in love prompted a winter trip to Egypt in 1897-1898. Lowell had accepted the proposal of a Bostonian whom she loved, but before the engagement was formally announced he â€Å"became entangled elsewhere† (Damon, p. 120). â€Å"The family could do nothing to protect her except guard tenaciously the name of the errant suitor† (Gould, p. 65). The trip was also for â€Å"health† reasons. Doctors felt Lowell’s obesity could be cured by the Egyptian heat and a diet of nothing but tomatoes and asparagus. The regimen almost killed her and resulted in a â€Å"prolonged nervous collapse. † In 1900 Lowell’s father died, and she bought Sevenels. She also bought a summer home in Dublin, New Hampshire, that she named â€Å"Broomley Lacey. † The area was home to the MacDowell Artists’ Colony as well as to other notable painters and sculptors. In Brookline Lowell assumed her father’s civic responsibilities. Early in 1902 she spoke against the reappointment of the elderly superintendent of the Brookline public school system. She was the â€Å"first woman in the Lowell family to make a speech in public† (Gould, p. 77). Initially booed, Lowell continued to speak with her usual forthrightness and, at the end, won applause as well as her point. Lowell became a member of the executive committee of the Brookline Education Society and chair of its Library Board. In October 1902 Lowell became a poet. Her interest in verse had been growing beyond her childhood enthusiasm, fueled by her reading Leigh Hunt’s Imagination and Fancy; or, Selections from the English Poets,which she had found â€Å"near the ceiling† in her father’s library. The volume was a revelation to her, opening a â€Å"door that might otherwise have remained shut,† Lowell remarked (Gould, p. 51). She had become enamored of poetry and the poets Hunt discussed, particularly Keats. After she saw Eleanora Duse perform one October night she wrote her first adult poem, â€Å"Eleanora Duse. † Although some critics say that she was being too hard on herself, Lowell described the 71-line poem as having â€Å"every cliche and every technical error which a poem can have. † Yet she also said, â€Å"It loosed a bolt in my brain and I found out where my true function lay† (Damon, p. 148). At age twenty-eight she had discovered her calling: to be a poet. In 1910 four of Lowell’s sonnets were accepted for publication by the Atlantic Monthly. â€Å"A Fixed Idea,† published first, appeared in August of that year. By 1912 she had published her first book of poetry, A Dome of Many-Colored Glass; the title came from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Adonais, his elegy for Keats. It was not well received by either the public or the critics. Louis Untermeyer wrote that the book â€Å"to be brief, in spite of its lifeless classicism, can never rouse one’s anger. But, to be briefer still, it cannot rouse one at all† (Damon, p. 92). Yet 1912 was also the year that Lowell met actress Ada Dwyer Russell. The friendship between the two women has been described as platonic by some, as lesbian by others; it was, in fact, a â€Å"Boston marriage. â€Å" They lived together and were committed to each other until Lowell’s death. Russell was Lowell’s companion, providing love and emotional support, as well as the practical skill of organizing Lowell’s busy life. Biographer Richard Benvenuto observed that Lowell’s â€Å"great creative output between 1914 and 1925 would not have been possible without her friend’s steadying, supporting presence† (p. 0). The following year Lowell discovered some poems in Poetry by Hilda Doolittle, signed â€Å"H. D. Imagiste. † Lowell felt an identification with the style of H. D. ‘s poetry and determined to discover more about it. Armed with a letter of introduction from Poetry editor Harriet Monroe, Lowell traveled to London to meet Ezra Pound, head of the imagist movement. In London Lowell not only learned about imagism and free verse from Pound, but she also met many poets, several of whom became lifelong friends. Over the years Lowell would develop many literary friendships that resulted in an enormous volume of literary correspondence, requiring Lowell to employ two full-time secretaries. Lowell not only supported and encouraged other poets with her writing, such as her favorable review of Robert Frost’s North of Boston in the New Republic (20 Feb. 1915), but also with money and gifts. Lowell’s poems began to appear in increasing numbers in journals, and she was becoming a prolific writer of essays and reviews. Pound had requested the inclusion of her poem â€Å"In a Garden† in his anthology Des Imagistes(1914). Later Lowell and Pound would have a falling out over the direction of the imagist movement, and Pound would call the movement, as adapted by Lowell, â€Å"Amygism. † Lowell became the spokesperson of imagism, leading the fight for the â€Å"renewal of poetry in her homeland† (Francis, p. 510), and her efforts were tireless. She traveled throughout the country, â€Å"selling† the new poetry. Her own volume Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914), written in free verse and polyphonic prose, a Lowell invention, â€Å"brought her an instantaneous phenomenal rise to fame† (Gould, p. 139). Lowell’s first book of criticism, Six French Poets (1915), based on a series of her lectures, was also well received. Lowell was publishing a book a year, alternating between volumes of short verse and longer poems. Men, Women and Ghosts (1916) was highly regarded and contained â€Å"Patterns† one of her most famous poems. In it an eighteenth-century woman, walking in her garden, contemplates a future that has suddenly become empty because of the loss of her fiance in battle; she mourns the fact that the â€Å"Patterns† of her role required her to remain chaste before marriage. The next year she published another critical volume, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry, which included essays on six contemporary poets: Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, Carl Sandburg, H. D. , and John Gould Fletcher. Lowell also published anthologies of imagist poets in 1915, 1916, and 1917. Her next volume of poetry, Can Grande’s Castle (1918), included four long poems; the title was taken from the name of the refuge where Dante, the Florentine exile, wrote portions of his Divine Comedy. Inspired by her lifelong interest in the Orient, Pictures of a Floating World (1919) is a translation of the Japanese word ukiyo-e, a term commonly associated with a form of eighteenth-century Japanese painting. It includes 174 short, free verse lyrics, considered by some as â€Å"overtly erotic. † For example, â€Å"A Decade† and â€Å"The Weathercock Points South† are described as a celebration of lesbian devotion. Legends (1921) contains eleven longer poems, and Fir-Flower Tablets (1921) is a collection of poems based on translations of ancient Chinese verse. Since Lowell did not read Chinese, she was dependent on English translations by Florence Wheelock Ayscough, which Lowell then turned back into poetry. A Critical Fable (1922) is a long, humorous poem, evaluating the state of contemporary poetry. Originally published anonymously, the poem pokes fun at fellow poets and at Lowell herself in lines of rhymed couplets. The poem was modeled on James Russell Lowell’s A Fable for Critics (1848). Her last publication was the momentous biography , John Keats (1925). In 1921 Lowell had given an address at Yale honoring Keats on the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth. The lecture stimulated her to write the book, which minutely examines Keats’s life and corrects some long-standing misconceptions about him. Lowell was also the first biographer to see Fanny Brawne in a favorable light. The book was well received in the United States but not in Britain, where she was accused of writing â€Å"a psychological thriller† rather than a literary biography. Lowell was angry and heartbroken but in typical fashion determined to confront the critics on their own turf.

Literature and Social Reality Essay

In this paper I will discuss and analyze the social forces of immigration and industrialization that shape literature during the period of 1865 to 1912. I will describe the major literary movements of the period. Additionally I will explain how Realism and Naturalism influenced the literature of the period, how immigration and industrialization contributed to the influences. I will illustrate using examples from some of the greatest authors of the period. Immigration and Industrialization The United States’ population grew quickly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Baym (2008) et al. write that there were 38. million people in 1870 and had grown to 92 million in 1910. This growth resulted mostly from immigration. People came from countries all over the world but predominantly from European and Asian nations. Immigration was also the major cause for urbanization in the United States according to Baym et al. (2008) with a dramatic proportional shift from a mostly rural population to a larger city population. Simultaneously with this mass immigration industrialization was happening creating an abundance of factory jobs and building immense wealth for some while also creating dramatic divides in society. Baym et al. (2008) describe the situation: â€Å"Long-settled white Americans faced newly arrived white people across divides of power, income, and privilege – worker against owner, farm against city, immigrant against native-born, leading to suspicion and social turbulence on a scale that the nation had not seen† (p. 3). The consequences were labor struggles resulting from terrible working conditions. Immigration brought an abundance of workers resulting in low wages as well as â€Å"inhumane and dangerous working conditions† (Baym et al. 2008, p. ). Conflict also arose from farmers being pushed off their land by the railroads and competition between native-born citizens and immigrants. There was also increased suspicion and resentment between the social classes likely based on fear of losing their â€Å"part of the cake† for the upper and middle classes, whereas the lower class was resentful because of how they were treated. Major Literary Movements The major literary movements during this period were realism and naturalism emerging after a long period of idealism and romanticism. Realism shifted literature to a way of describe life as it actually is instead of trying to present an idealized or romantic image. It was an objective style that offered detached perspectives on the everyday lives of the middle-class, working-class and the poor. This style worked well for describing the struggles of the period. Baym et al. (2008) describe W. D. Howells as the â€Å"chief American advocate† of realism (p. 6). Mark Twain, Henry James, Edith Wharton, and others also joined in this movement as well as some distinguished African American writers such as W. E.  B Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett (Baym et al. , 2008). The nature of Naturalism has been debated as being the opposite of realism or as â€Å"extension or intensification of realism† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 7). Naturalism usually describes more extreme settings and circumstances than realism and focuses on harsher conditions and poorer characters. Baym et al. (2008) suggest that while characters in realistic works often overcome difficulties, in naturalistic pieces the characters never stand a chance. It is a much more pessimistic literary style than realism. Crane, Dreiser, London, and Norris are described by Baym et al. (2008) as the leading American naturalistic writers of the period. How Realism and Naturalism Influenced Literature Realism had an immense influence on the literature during this period. Mark Twain was one of the major authors and his â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† is an excellent example of his style, which became regarded as a leading piece for the â€Å"American style† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 6). Twain used colloquial speech and his writing style puts the reader in the position of participant, almost as if in a dialogue with Huck. It is a very intimate and informal way of writing. Huckleberry Finn is uneducated and sees the world through the lens of his own experience as well as the social circumstances and mores of the time. In chapter 23 of â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† Huck ponders about Jim, his African American companion on his adventure: â€Å"He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn’t ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks do for their’n. It don’t seem natural, but I reckon it is so† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 204). This passage realistically illustrates the view of a young boy at the time who only knows the world through the social context of his time and place, which included slavery and a very derogatory view of African Americans. Twain was very critical and pessimistic about humankind and his writing often reflected this. However with Huck Finn he appears to be attempting to show that even an uneducated young boy in the 1840s could be open-minded and open-hearted enough to see that people are equals. Henry James writes about â€Å"Daisy Miller,† a young American woman who is a new kind of modern girl. She does not appear to care about the established rules and mores of the time and is both bold and naive in her demeanor. Baym et al. (2008) write that James shows his nature as â€Å"a true cosmopolitan concerned with exploring American national character as it is tested by cultural displacement† (p. 317). James is painting a picture of the old and established strict rules of social class and position and how they become a hindrance in forming true connection between people. The established upper- and middle-class look down on the lower class and the up-and-comers. The result is miscommunication, suspicion, and conflict. Jack London was one of the leading naturalist writers of his time. In his essay â€Å"What Life Means to me† he describes his own experience as a working class youngster who toiled in a variety of jobs until finally he had enough of heavy labor and became a vagrant for a while (Baym et al. , 2008). He describes how he found himself at the bottom of society and how in that place â€Å"life offered nothing but sordidness and wretchedness, both of the flesh and the spirit; for here flesh and spirit were alike starved and tormented† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 582). He was keenly aware of the inequalities and injustice that industrialization had brought for the working class. He writes that he realizes that a laborer is finished and broken down at 45 or 50 while an intellectual, â€Å"a brain seller† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 584) comes into his prime at that age or later. He decides to ducate himself to make a difference both for himself and for the working class dear to his heart. London eventually encountered and the Socialist movement and describes in joyful terms finding â€Å"warm faith in then human, glowing idealism, sweetness of unselfishness, renunciation, and martyrdom – all the splendid, stinging things of the spirit† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 584). He was a masterful naturalist writer describing in exquisite detail and with a detached, scientific narrative how the man slowly succumbs to the cold and freezes to death in his short story â€Å"To Build a Fire. Clearly his own experiences in Alaska had provided him with great fodder for this kind of story. Conclusion In this paper I discussed and analyzed the social forces of immigration and industrialization that shaped literature during the period of 1865 to 1912. I described the major literary movements of the period. Additionally I explained how Realism and Naturalism influenced the literature of the period and illustrated with examples from some of the greatest writers of that time.

Market Failure: Kelloggs Cereal-Mates

A Study on Market Failure: Kellogg Cereal-Mates First, I must begin by saying that as most Americans would agree – cereal and milk go together hand-in-hand. However, how would the general public feel about a combination of the two sold pre-mixed? This was essentially the case when Kellogg’s decided to introduce Breakfast Mates. Breakfast Mates included a small box of Kellogg’s cereal packaged with a container of milk and eating utensil. While the product was right in step with the accelerating trend of convenience foods, a fickle and demanding public found the new packaging less than ideal.Essentially the choice that Kelloggs was giving consumers was that you could eat your Kellogg’s Corn Flakes refrigerator cold and pour cold milk over them, or eat your flakes at room temperature with warm milk. This led to a dilemma that would ultimately be proven as a scar on the company’s record of wonderful products and marketing campaigns. Kellogg’s bel ieve that this would be a popular concept due to increased working hours in the United States combined with the rise of the fast-food industry led the false belief that the product would be successful. Kellogg’s launched the concept on a national basis in ‘kit form’–a four oz. ox of cereal, a four oz. container of aseptically packaged milk [no refrigeration required] and a plastic spoon. The line consisted of four popular Kellogg’s brands; Corn Flakes; Fruit Loops; Mini Wheats; and Frosted Flakes. Although the milk did not require refrigeration, Kellogg’s placed Breakfast Mates in the refrigerated dairy case alongside cheese, yogurt, Jell-O pudding, and other refrigerated desserts. The company believed that this would be the best choice since Americans liked to pour their milk over cereal. This caused much confusion, however, because most individuals wouldn’t be searching for breakfast cereals in the dairy case.I feel that there were 5 main factors that actually led to this marketing and product failure. The first problem I feel was the fact that Kellogg’s believed that providing a â€Å"aseptically packaging†. This meant that the product would require no refrigeration for the milk. Consumers were revolted by the idea of warm milk. The second issue was when Kellogg’s tried to market in a different fashion and use cool milk as the basis by putting the product in the refrigerator section. This actually caused more confusion because the product was not in a location that you would expect cereal at.They company spent too much of what profit money they had received in trying to re-educate consumers into looking in the dairy aisle for cereal. The third factor that led to the products unsuccessful stint into the marketplace was their advertising campaign. In these ads Kelloggs chose to market the product to young kids so they could prepare meals for themselves without their parents’ help. Thi s would have been fine, but the packaging was not child-friendly. Taste was also a serious problem for the Kellogg’s convenience line. Reportedly (according to personal experience), the milk was usually consumed at work or away from home.The warm milk tasted absolutely terrible. Finally, the biggest nail in the coffin for this product was that the price. The cereal was selling for over one dollar per serving, which was considered too expensive by most consumers for a 4 oz cereal. The product survived two years on the market before Kelloggs’ pulled the plug. According to the February 2000 article in the Newsweek on the food, they stated that the product simply wasn’t convenient enough. This is because with increased commute times and busy schedules people wanted a product they could eat on the go.With cereal mates they were required to still pour a liquid milk over the cereal which was not possible to do safely while commuting to work. Most customers also were ad ults, so the small spoon that was supplied with the cereal was too hard to use. I feel that this was a good product in concept, but the complexity of the concept made this product non-attractive to those who not only were needing a convenient and healthy food, but also one they could consume in a hurry. This idea later evolved to the milk and cereal bars they would later introduce around 2004 – which have been wildly more successful than the original cereal mates ever were.

The analysis of EC Proposals and the Statutory Audit Essay

The analysis of EC Proposals and the Statutory Audit - Essay Example Blame was levied at rating agencies, directors of companies in the financial system and their regulatory agencies, as well as accounting and auditing professionals. This led to a number of regulatory responses that were aimed at strengthening controls over the operations of financial institutions and enhancing financial reporting. These responses have not only been limited to governments in the countries affected but to various bodies including standard setters for the accounting and auditing profession. Te European Commission (EC) which gives directives to 27 countries, made two proposals that could result in major changes in the auditing statutory audits and the audit of PIEs. They are aimed at the professionals whose opinion adds credibility to financial statements as well as supervisors of PIEs. Additionally, there was the Basle lll Accord which amended the capital requirements for financial institutions. Since then auditors have been required to provide more comfort to investors by carrying out additional procedures that would enhance financial reporting. Audit committees have also been challenged to provide the necessary support to ensure compliance. This paper provides information on the background to the financial crisis and the audited accounts of financial institutions. ... 2.0 Background to the financial crisis Several factors worked together to generate the crisis in the financial markets across the world since 2007. Jickling (2010) points out that there were multiple causes to the crisis as reflected in the policy responses taken in the US. One of these was the existing and anticipated credit losses on mortgages in the United States (Ellis 2010). These mortgages were made available to persons who would not have been able to obtain them under normal circumstances. The lowering of standards allowed them to obtain mortgages at relatively low rates so that they could own their own homes. However, one drawback was that the rates were adjustable. Therefore, persons who might have been able to repay in the initial stages soon found out that they could no longer service their mortgages. This coupled with the oversupply of houses on the market resulted in a reduction in their house values and therefore the values of the security for mortgage loans. In some ca ses the value of the houses was worth less than the loan balance and so homeowners ended up with negative equity. Therefore, there were no tangible benefits to be gained from holding on to properties that were not worth the amounts owed. A large number of homeowners defaulted on their mortgages and so it had a ripple effect which impacted the global financial system. Murphy (2008) referred to this as imprudent mortgage lending which caused a terrible shock to the financial system. Murphy (2008) also indicated that although imprudent lending paid a role, its role was not very significant. Another factor blamed for the crisis was global imbalances. Smaghi (2008) indicates that this is characterised by some countries like China and Germany having large surpluses