Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Industrial Location Model by Phunziro Mphwina

A TOPIC REVIEW ON INDUSTRIAL LOCATION MODEL BY ALFRED WEBER. Geography despite being defined as a science it has a vast area of concern, whereby some of these areas touch the economic grounds a field which others identify not as a science. In geography Spatial science is the field that holds some of the economic aspects this is so as it looks at the economic functions of space. Krugman (1991:p6) defines spatial science as a geographical science that is concerned with the organization of things according to space.This is to say that the arrangement and distribution of things in line with space has a lot of effect on the efficiency of other economic processes. This led to the development of Alfred Weber’s â€Å"Industrial location model† in 1901 (McCann & Shaffer, 2004: p8). Where by Weber argued that the location of an industrial plant is determined the factors of transport costs, labor costs and agglomeration (Barnes, 1984: p1).This is the model which this essay intends to make a review on. |Adopting some of Weber’s factors as basis of their arguments Christaller and Losch thus the Central place theory and Von Thunen’s land use theory these theorists argued in similar vain as Weber. Weber assumed that there is an uneven distribution of natural resources. Thus raw materials are in not equal existence elsewhere, (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43).Lokman (2003: p1) justifies Weber’s factor of resource distribution by relating it to one of Christaller’s assumptions that there is a homogeneous disperse of resources where he says one would choose to place his industry at location A which is 3 kilometers away from the market or location B which lies 5 kilometers away from the markets. Since there is an even existence of resources people would not be limited by resource availability an assumption which is very unreal.Weber disagrees to such a presupposition by bringing in reality where he says there is an uneven distribution of mater ial thus raw materials, fuel, and water needed for industrial production may be found only in particular locations. Consequently people would prefer to locate to the areas close both to the market and resources in order to minimize transport costs. Thereby distribution of raw material determining the location of an industry. Weber also continued to assume that the size and location of centers of consumption of the industrial products are given.This means that producers cover different sizes of land for their Industrial activities. This determines the location of the industry in that land as we enclose the market place tends to be costly this is so as it is more expensive because the producer would have low transport costs but pay high rent compared to other’s who located away from the market place but cover huge land that would let them cover up for the transport costs. (Barnes, 1984: p16) This assumption differs from that of Christaller and Von Thunen which assumes that ther e is an isotropic (all flat) surface. Therefore difference in land size determining location of an industry.In terms of labor Weber assumed that there are several fixed locations of labor where given rates operate, this is to say labor is immobile and unlimited at these locations (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43). This is to say that since there area differences in distribution of raw materials which is one of the determining factors in the location of the industry. This means some locations could have increased access to labor and this means there would be law labor costs at such places other than in location that have low labor experiences whereby those employed would have to work extra hours which would result into extra labor costs.Therefore access to labor determining industry location. Despite the fact that most of Weber’s assumptions deviate from the Christaller and Thunen’s, he agrees with both of the, on the idea that all entrepreneurs work on minimizing the cost o f production and maximize their profits. (Calvert, 2010: p 45) describes some of the ways that these entrepreneurs adopt in order to elevate their profits. One of the ways is by investing in fields that are not faces with harsh government policies that lead to losses, the other solution to these losses is by going by transport systems that are cheap and efficient.In contrast Weber identified the three general regional factors that affect the costs of production namely, cost of raw materials, cost of transporting the raw materials and the cost of labor. These have been advanced by the assumptions. In terms of raw material cost Weber argues that raw material value determines their cost thus there are other material which are hard to get (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43) give an example of mines where cost of mining some of the minerals outwits the cost of selling the minerals themselves, they also say these variations in mining difficulties prompts the reflection based on the transport and labor costs.Weber on the other hand identified agglomeration which is the effect produced when two different firms operate in the same area and tend to pull losses against each other. This is an economic situation where individual firms would suffer great losses for similar services. Weber suggests that these two firms can work hand in hand and access the desired services at a lower cost. This determines the location of an industry in that, one would choose a location where he will be able to link with other firms in order to access services at a more reasonable cost other than working individually (McCann & Shaffer, 2004: p10).Revisiting the cost of transporting the raw materials Weber differentiated two different types of raw material. He specifically explained that there are other materials that are used to the fullest thus upon extraction and processing there is a reasonable mass that is lost other than that which remains for full use. This means that the unneeded mass that as transported along with the end product just added extra costs other than the cost for transporting the real raw material. For example a company transports 5 kilos of iron ore for K2000.The ore from which 2 kilos is going to be extracted from, this is to say 3 kilos will be taken as wastes thus cost approximately K1000 which is a loss. This can be modified by adopting a different transporting system or changing the investment field. All in all Weber’s model though it was developed in the old days when technology had not fully sprouted it serves a great deal to the economic world, under the factors that have been discussed above. REFERENCES Bradford M. G. & Kent W. A (1977) Human geography theories and other applications Vol. 5 of Science in Geography, United Kingdom; Oxford University press.Barnes T. J. (1984) The place of locational analysis: a selective and interpretive history. Canada; University of British Columbia. Calvert L. (2012) Nature’s metropolis: The ghost d ance of Christaller and Von Thunen. PDF. Krugman P. (1991) Urban concentration: The role of increasing returns and transport costs. International Regional Science Review 19 Lokman O. (2003) Criticism on Christaller: PDF McCann P. & Shafer D. (2004) Regional Science: Location, agglomeration and infrastructure. United Kingdom; University of Reading press. ————————————————- CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI ———————————————— ————————————————- FACULTY OF EDUCATION ————————————————- ———————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY ————————————————- COURSE TITLE. ————————————————- SPATIAL ORGANISATION ————————————————- COURSE CODE ————————————————- GEO 2203 ————————————————- ————————————————-TO —————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Mr. GONDWE ————————————————- FROM ————————————————- PHUNZIRO B. M. MPHWINA, BAED 15/02/11 ————————————————- ASSIGNMENT 1 ————————————————- ————————————————- ASSIGNMENT TITLE ————————————————- CHAPTER REVIEW ON INDUSTRIAL LOCATION MODEL. ————â €”———————————- ————————————————- DUE DATE: 19/04/12 Industrial Location Model by Phunziro Mphwina A TOPIC REVIEW ON INDUSTRIAL LOCATION MODEL BY ALFRED WEBER. Geography despite being defined as a science it has a vast area of concern, whereby some of these areas touch the economic grounds a field which others identify not as a science. In geography Spatial science is the field that holds some of the economic aspects this is so as it looks at the economic functions of space. Krugman (1991:p6) defines spatial science as a geographical science that is concerned with the organization of things according to space.This is to say that the arrangement and distribution of things in line with space has a lot of effect on the efficiency of other economic processes. This led to the development of Alfred Weber’s â€Å"Industrial location model† in 1901 (McCann & Shaffer, 2004: p8). Where by Weber argued that the location of an industrial plant is determined the factors of transport costs, labor costs and agglomeration (Barnes, 1984: p1).This is the model which this essay intends to make a review on. |Adopting some of Weber’s factors as basis of their arguments Christaller and Losch thus the Central place theory and Von Thunen’s land use theory these theorists argued in similar vain as Weber. Weber assumed that there is an uneven distribution of natural resources. Thus raw materials are in not equal existence elsewhere, (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43).Lokman (2003: p1) justifies Weber’s factor of resource distribution by relating it to one of Christaller’s assumptions that there is a homogeneous disperse of resources where he says one would choose to place his industry at location A which is 3 kilometers away from the market or location B which lies 5 kilometers away from the markets. Since there is an even existence of resources people would not be limited by resource availability an assumption which is very unreal.Weber disagrees to such a presupposition by bringing in reality where he says there is an uneven distribution of mater ial thus raw materials, fuel, and water needed for industrial production may be found only in particular locations. Consequently people would prefer to locate to the areas close both to the market and resources in order to minimize transport costs. Thereby distribution of raw material determining the location of an industry. Weber also continued to assume that the size and location of centers of consumption of the industrial products are given.This means that producers cover different sizes of land for their Industrial activities. This determines the location of the industry in that land as we enclose the market place tends to be costly this is so as it is more expensive because the producer would have low transport costs but pay high rent compared to other’s who located away from the market place but cover huge land that would let them cover up for the transport costs. (Barnes, 1984: p16) This assumption differs from that of Christaller and Von Thunen which assumes that ther e is an isotropic (all flat) surface. Therefore difference in land size determining location of an industry.In terms of labor Weber assumed that there are several fixed locations of labor where given rates operate, this is to say labor is immobile and unlimited at these locations (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43). This is to say that since there area differences in distribution of raw materials which is one of the determining factors in the location of the industry. This means some locations could have increased access to labor and this means there would be law labor costs at such places other than in location that have low labor experiences whereby those employed would have to work extra hours which would result into extra labor costs.Therefore access to labor determining industry location. Despite the fact that most of Weber’s assumptions deviate from the Christaller and Thunen’s, he agrees with both of the, on the idea that all entrepreneurs work on minimizing the cost o f production and maximize their profits. (Calvert, 2010: p 45) describes some of the ways that these entrepreneurs adopt in order to elevate their profits. One of the ways is by investing in fields that are not faces with harsh government policies that lead to losses, the other solution to these losses is by going by transport systems that are cheap and efficient.In contrast Weber identified the three general regional factors that affect the costs of production namely, cost of raw materials, cost of transporting the raw materials and the cost of labor. These have been advanced by the assumptions. In terms of raw material cost Weber argues that raw material value determines their cost thus there are other material which are hard to get (Bradford & Kent, 1977: p43) give an example of mines where cost of mining some of the minerals outwits the cost of selling the minerals themselves, they also say these variations in mining difficulties prompts the reflection based on the transport and labor costs.Weber on the other hand identified agglomeration which is the effect produced when two different firms operate in the same area and tend to pull losses against each other. This is an economic situation where individual firms would suffer great losses for similar services. Weber suggests that these two firms can work hand in hand and access the desired services at a lower cost. This determines the location of an industry in that, one would choose a location where he will be able to link with other firms in order to access services at a more reasonable cost other than working individually (McCann & Shaffer, 2004: p10).Revisiting the cost of transporting the raw materials Weber differentiated two different types of raw material. He specifically explained that there are other materials that are used to the fullest thus upon extraction and processing there is a reasonable mass that is lost other than that which remains for full use. This means that the unneeded mass that as transported along with the end product just added extra costs other than the cost for transporting the real raw material. For example a company transports 5 kilos of iron ore for K2000.The ore from which 2 kilos is going to be extracted from, this is to say 3 kilos will be taken as wastes thus cost approximately K1000 which is a loss. This can be modified by adopting a different transporting system or changing the investment field. All in all Weber’s model though it was developed in the old days when technology had not fully sprouted it serves a great deal to the economic world, under the factors that have been discussed above. REFERENCES Bradford M. G. & Kent W. A (1977) Human geography theories and other applications Vol. 5 of Science in Geography, United Kingdom; Oxford University press.Barnes T. J. (1984) The place of locational analysis: a selective and interpretive history. Canada; University of British Columbia. Calvert L. (2012) Nature’s metropolis: The ghost d ance of Christaller and Von Thunen. PDF. Krugman P. (1991) Urban concentration: The role of increasing returns and transport costs. International Regional Science Review 19 Lokman O. (2003) Criticism on Christaller: PDF McCann P. & Shafer D. (2004) Regional Science: Location, agglomeration and infrastructure. United Kingdom; University of Reading press. ————————————————- CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI ———————————————— ————————————————- FACULTY OF EDUCATION ————————————————- ———————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY ————————————————- COURSE TITLE. ————————————————- SPATIAL ORGANISATION ————————————————- COURSE CODE ————————————————- GEO 2203 ————————————————- ————————————————-TO —————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Mr. GONDWE ————————————————- FROM ————————————————- PHUNZIRO B. M. MPHWINA, BAED 15/02/11 ————————————————- ASSIGNMENT 1 ————————————————- ————————————————- ASSIGNMENT TITLE ————————————————- CHAPTER REVIEW ON INDUSTRIAL LOCATION MODEL. ————â €”———————————- ————————————————- DUE DATE: 19/04/12

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

“What Do Someone’s Eyes Indicate About His or Her Personality?

â€Å"What do someone's eyes indicate about his or her personality? † Personality consists of a wide variety of attributes and traits; therefore I do not believe that a personality can be determined merely by looking at someone’s eyes. However, there is a component of body language, which is a manifestation of your inner feelings†¦ Most everyone knows the fact that personality can also be learned. For example, a person who learns to be shy due to experience, customs, culture may exhibit a downward gaze. A confident person may exhibit a straight-forward look and be more reassured. The bottom line is that eye contact could reveal a person's personality, moods, emotions, farther reactions. Etc. Most people make eye contact in some way, I've never had much of an issue with it nor used it to make judgments about people unless one is either so shy or maladaptive that they cannot look someone in the eye or face to face and divert their eyes away, upward or downward while speaking which sends out a warning signal about a personality issue, and I'm not speaking about cultural differences of showing respect by keeping the eyes somewhat lowered. The ones I speak of cannot speak directly to you. But have you ever encountered those with lazy eye or wandering eye where their eyes go in opposite directions and they cannot help it? They are looking at you but their eyes wander off and it’s a disability they cannot help. Some people have an evil eye, have you noticed? When they are trying to scam you or pull something over on you? What about laughing eyes? When there is so much joy inside a person it just exudes from their eyes. Eyes are very expressive. You cannot mistake sad eyes and know someone is suffering but trying to put on a good front. Darting eyes are nervous eyes, suspicious eyes, why is this person checking everything out? And have you seem the look in the eyes of a person who temporarily spaces out and you know they have left the scene is gone? These are a few things that I see when I look into someone eyes. I guess the question is left to the eye of the beholder. Can you tell what someone's eyes indicate about his or her personality? Word Count385| |

Monday, July 29, 2019

An Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay

An Evaluation Of The Impacts Of Tourism Tourism Essay In this project I would like to take a look at the relationship between tourism and the people living in popular tourist locations; specifically the deep impact tourism has on local culture. This topic interests me as although I have never visited the global south myself, many of my friends and acquaintances travel there frequently for vacations. Tourism is sure to have many effects on these ‘destination’ type communities. I know that many of these destinations are in poorer areas of the world. Some significant effects that tourism has on these areas manifest themselves economically, socially and culturally. Though tourism may create jobs and stimulate the local economy there are some downsides to tourism and aspects of the influx of visitors that may be harmful to local cultures. In my research paper I will analyze the benefits that tourism has on local economies in relation to the social and cultural impact on the community. I hope to evaluate just how beneficial pote ntially short-term economic stimulus is in the face of potential harm to the economy in the long term, local people and local culture. I will discuss this topic globally but with a focus on Southeast Asia and specifically India. My paper will emphasize the important question: is vacationing in a ‘third world’ country potentially unethical? Or does the stimulus to a developing country’s economy justify the social and cultural implications of tourism and the development that tourism brings in the area. Looking at the ethical issues surrounding this will also be an important factor in determining whether the cultural impacts of tourism is acceptable or justifiable by the economic benefits. In my opinion, although tourism does support economic growth in many communities there is deep and irreversible cultural impact. In ‘Tourism in Destination Communities’ Shalini Singh looks at an idea by Jafar Jafari the author of â€Å"Encyclopedia of Tourism†. Jafari created the consolidated platforms of tourism. One of Jafari’s four platforms is advocacy- that is to say that tourism is capable of economic good. Another platform, the cautionary platform, emphasizes the importance of noting the complex interactions at the local level. The other two platforms are â€Å"Adaptancy† (which is described as ‘pro community tourism’) and Knowledge based – which is a holistic treatment for community-based tourism (Jafari cited in Singh 2003). Singh and S.W. Boyd (26-30) discuss relationships between tourism and destination communities in terms of ‘win-win,’ ‘win-lose,’ ‘lose-win’ or ‘lose-lose’ paradigms (Carter and Lowman, 1944; Nepal, 2000). Examples of ‘win-win’ situations do exist and this indicates that tourism can indeed be economically beneficial to a destination community. The example given by Boyd and Singh is that of Ayers rock (Uluru) whic h is one of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions. Although Australia is not a country typically considered to be part of the global south I believe this example is relevant as the aboriginal communities in the area could easily be marginalized and exploited by tourism. The community however takes an active role by defining their relationship with tourism as having control and choice. (Mercer cited in S.W. Boyd and S. Singh: 1994:37). The community participates by providing educational services, which allows them to convey that the religious and cultural significance of Uluru is something to be respected. (Wells, cited in S.W. Boyd and S. Singh 1996:37). The local businesses in the area benefit and are owned by the people of the aboriginal community. This example is congruent to Jafari’s platforms of Advocacy and Adaptancy and it shows tourism in this scenario as ‘pro community’ and capable of economic good. As this situation is economically benefici al to this area, without compromising or de-valuing the local culture, it is an excellent means of development. Another example where the local community benefits is the ‘win-lose’ situation, a very salient example being Cuba. The community benefits economically, although mass tourism does not. This is achieved through policies and marketing that emphasizes quality tourism by restricting the number and type of tourists (high spenders, low numbers). The tourism is marketed for exclusivity and affluence and this is done through selective marketing and catering the services towards wealthier people. Cuba’s tourism industry’s markets strategically to target Canadian ‘snowbirds’ who also take long-term vacations in Florida (Peters 2002:4). Their vacationing for long periods of time in a US location and their ability to spend US currency indicates their affluence. Another strategy is the development of golf courses in the area. Miguel Figueras, a to urism ministry economist and advisor in Cuba, says that golf is a feature that can attract higher spending tourists (Peters 2002:5). Strategic tourism planning allows a country to tap into the wealth of the global north’s wealthiest tourists allowing maximum economic benefit without mass sharing of what they have to offer.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Film or Play Review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film or Play - Movie Review Example In order to avoid Antonia and Alonzo, he proceeds to create his own kingdom in a remote island in Greek with Miranda, Aretha, his mistress, and Kalibanos, a goat herder and the only inhabitant on the island before Philip arrives. On this magical island with surreally beautiful scenery, the obsession of Philip unfolds. His exercise of power affects the agency of characters who are already marginalized by their race, gender, and social status. In addition, Philip’s character also serves as a critique of an upper-middle class male who occupies a high social status but is oppressed by people who possess even more wealth and social capital that him. Unlike Shakespeare’s Prospero, the protagonist of the film Philip, performed by John Cassavetes is portrayed as a miserable middle-aged man who is tired of his career and social life. On the other hand, his employer Alonzo is extremely upbeat and ambitious, even though he appears to be much older than Philip. Instead of having an Antonio figure in the film to rebel against the protagonist, Mazursky chooses to transform that character into Antonia. This is an interesting move that will affect the audience’s feeling towards Philip as Antonia is a loyal but frustrated wife instead of an antagonistic character, the audience is less likely to be sympathetic towards Philip. Antonia’s hair style and clothing highlights her confidence and femininity, which seems to intimidate Philip. Another interesting female character in the film is Aretha, the Ariel figure in Shakespeare’s original play. She dons an airy white and half transparent gown throughout the whole mov ie, complementing the serenity of the island. Here Mazursky once again plays on the idea of masculinity and femininity. Philip explicitly refuses to have sex with Aretha without explaining the reason. It seems that Philip remains insecure about his power as a man after being oppressed and cheated respectively by Alonzo

The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe Assignment

The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe - Assignment Example Many folk practices and folktales have been cataloged in the ethnographic encyclopedia and folkloric motifs as a standard guide. These works allow the historian to crosscheck critically the practices and customs that were documented in primary sources. Our area of focus is going to deal with blood and its relationship to the early modern European (Redwald 27). The blood and the bodily symbolism are not only going to reflect the individual and social beliefs but also be able to interpret as they have the values and concepts that can be used to understand how people’s identity is built in a given society that they belong to. Anthropology methodologies are normally concerned with people’s culture; we are going to deal with an anthropological study of magic, witchcraft, heresy, and mysticism commonly known as paganism. Paganism ranges in various ways of high magic (known as ceremonial magic); through witchcraft, these two have varying cosmologies and mythologies, but they h ave a common unifying belief in communication with other spirits and deities in other worlds. These are usually experienced in one’s consciousness (Matteoni 97). According to Sprenger and Institoris’ analysis about witchcraft to have an effect, there must be the witch, the devil and God’s permission to concur in all the mentioned things. So the definition of many late medieval icons about the devil is not easy as one cannot tell the extent to which the devil is present in people’s minds (James 70). According to Peter Burke, the definition of â€Å"people† in western culture existed from the opposed categories: the nobility for the commoners, the literate for the illiterate, the rich for the poor, and the clergy for the laity. Historiography witchcraft reflects the problem of which figure perception by different parts of society, and historians have taken into consideration the socio-economic problems and changes in religious tensions, early modern society, the perception of the witch figure, effect of reformation and its gender relations (Levack 74).           Ã‚  

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Simple Pendulum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Simple Pendulum - Essay Example The oscillations were repeated nine times using the same thread, same ball, while varying the length of the thread. The data was collected and analyzed using a graph. The results showed that as the length of the thread was reduced so was the time taken for a complete oscillation. It is widely known that the acceleration gravity g = 9.8 m/s2. (PHY 123 Lab 1 - Error and Uncertainty and the Simple Pendulum, 2010). However, the acceleration gravity may vary and as such the experiment of a simple pendulum can be used to determine the acceleration gravity (L09. Measuring the Acceleration Due to Gravity with a Simple Pendulum). The movement of a fixed object from one point to the opposite side and back to the original point is called an oscillation (Gray, Costanzo, Conaway, Watterson, & Riley, 2005). The period of the oscillation is dependent on the length of the pendulum, the amplitude of the swing and the acceleration due to gravity (PHY 123 Lab 1 - Error and Uncertainty and the Simple Pendulum, 2010). There are a number of factors always ignored that could affect the period of the pendulum-the experimental errors (L09. Measuring the Acceleration Due to Gravity with a Simple Pendulum). The objective of this experiment was to estimate the value of gravitational fo rce (g), based on measurements obtained from a simple pendulum and comparing it to the value of widely accepted value of 9.81ms-2. Moreover, the project aimed at understanding the relationship between different parameters in an oscillating system. The relationship employed in this experiment was: The sphere (golf ball) was connected to a thread to create a pendulum. The length of the thread used for this experiment was 0.79m determined by the measurement tool. A stopwatch was used to set and record the time taken for the oscillations. The pendulum was fixed to a table in order to limit errors and to make the oscillations near perfect. The time was set before the oscillations then measured and recorded

Friday, July 26, 2019

Economic Activity in Frace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Activity in Frace - Essay Example This was more that the OECD countries which had an average house hold income of 23,938 dollars per year (Gofen and Blandine, 27). Despite these high numbers, there is a considerable difference between the poorest and the richest in France. The top 20% of the population in France are able to earn five times more, than the bottom 20% of the population. The most relevant industry for the supply of ice cream laced wine is the hospitality industry (Gofen and Blandine, 21). This industry comprises of hotels, bars, discos, Casinos, etc. The hospitality industry in France is very stable, and the most lucrative. For instance, during the financial crisis, the hospitality industry was not affected. For example, France has the highest hotel penetration rate in Europe. This rate stands at 41%. The wine product sold by my company is a luxurious product, and hence the people of France can afford it. This is because they have a strong income per capita, and the target industry is performing

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Final Report on Shenzhen Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final Report on Shenzhen Company - Essay Example The company is a limited liability company with ownership never changing hands since the company’s establishment. As a management policy, human resource is developed in the company through internal training. Most often than not, the company trains lower ranked staff to take up top rank position so as to ensure that less resources are spent on recruitment and placement. Greater part of the company’s clientele has to do with other production companies most of whom have their operations demanding the constant supply of energy. To a large extent therefore, every newly established company becomes an automatic target client for the company. The company’s internal systems have translated into a business image whereby the company is seen as one with a well regulated organizational culture that is based on customer satisfaction. Clearly, the customer satisfaction models used by the company have become its greatest competitive edge. Though public publicity and advertisemen ts are done, most of the company’s new clients are the result of the good things that existing customers tell them about the company. This includes the numerous customer appreciation promotions they enjoy from the company. As a strategy, pricing has always been the same as that of competitors. However, there is a slight difference whereby there are regular discount programs to reward faithful customers. The company’s competitors include other energy companies especially government funded energy companies. Part II. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Company (30 pts) In a number of ways, the company has exhibited a number of strong points as far as the delivery of work is concerned. For instance the company has established an organizational culture that focuses purposely on the customer. This has generally improved the customer service of the company and made it one of the best to in the world as far as customer satisfaction is concerned. There also exists the use of compet itive pricing in the company. Instead of strategizing in the use of lower prices, the company wins the hearts of customers through other for a such as the institutionalization of quality assurance and excellent customer service so that these would make room for maintaining competitive pricing that ensures that the company does not run at losses resulting from reduced prices of goods and services. What is more, the use of internal recruitment is an excellent way of ensuring that workers in the company give off their very best when they are at post. If for nothing at all, the employee would work hard and be committed to work so that he or she gains promotion to take up higher portfolios. The strengths discussed above not withstanding, there remain certain vital weaknesses that are worth addressing with immediate effect. The greater part of this has to do with the growth and expansion policy of the company. Presently, the company concentrates more on regional expansion rather than glob al expansion. This means that not as many branches as the company is in a position to build are formed in international economies. What this implies is that the company is denied of precious foreign exchange. The company also lacks diversity in its overall workforce. Again, the company is not opened to international standards and competition. It is therefore suggested that the company starts major

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The government of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The government of the United States - Essay Example The government of the United States is based on a constitution first developed in 1789 making it the first constitutional state in the world. The constitution relies on the principles of federalism which provides for a mechanism of power-sharing between the federal states and the central government. The fact that the country has fifty semi-autonomous states coming together under one central government influenced the formation of an effective and concrete constitution that captures the interests of all the states. Additionally, the racial segregation later in the history of the country and the subsequent abolition of the slave trade resulted in the formation of the American bill of rights to safeguard the interest of every citizen. The bill of rights provides for the respect of human life and to oversee this is the judicial arm of the government constituted of independent courts which exercise their powers thus ensuring obedience to the laws of the land. The constitution defines power s of both the executive and the Congress which are crafted in a way to defend the interest of the citizens and uphold the values of equality among all Americans irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. Wood (1998) asserts that the American government has three arms namely the judiciary, the executive, and the legislature all of which are independent in their operations. The three tires approach to governance protects the citizens from exploitation thus resulting in a more responsive form of governance over time.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence Essay - 1

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence - Essay Example Patriot women also engaged in their traditional weaving to make clothes for local consumption. Reduced market on imported products did not only interfere with local economic development but also forced local community to appreciate traditional values. Although women were not allowed to actively participate in the country’s economy, Africa America and housewives utilized their purchasing power to support patriot women by cause through refusing to purchase British manufactured products. Refusal to purchase and consume British manufactured products was used to communicate a very critical political message to the British government. In addition, to demonstrate their concern in the United States of America affairs, American women formed the first women political Movement Edenton Tea Party. The formation of this movement resulted in the signing by 51 women an agreement to officially boycott tea and other products that were produced in Britain. Even though, it was an America policy to use local products at the expense of international produced products; it was America women who enacted the initiative in their household. In 1778, a good number of women confronted a merchant who was holding and selling British coffee and confiscated the coffee.  Although women role in the war was concentrated in family economic, the revolution witnessed women participation in broader economic perspectives.  Ã‚   Women actively participated in the lively revolution by being recruited in legislative bodies and in the military.   

Maintaining Systems & Upgrades Essay Example for Free

Maintaining Systems Upgrades Essay Utility software are computer programs designed to manage and tune up the computer OS and hardware. They prevent or reduce problems by diagnosing and correcting the faults before it gets worse. Some of the main utility programs are described below: Disk De-Fragmenter A de-fragmenter scans for fragmented computer files and move them together to increase efficiency. It reduces the amount of fragmented files in a computer system. It tidies up the hard-drive reusing the space more efficiently after a disk cleanup. Defragmentation’s result will be the best if it’s carried out after a disk cleanup, as all the unwanted files will be deleted. The application can be loaded from the control panel or from All programs/Accessories/System Utilities from the Start Menu. Clicking on the Analyse button on the application window shows the estimated disk usage after defragmentation. We can then choose to defragment the disk by clicking on the Defragment button. Screen shots of the defragmentation process are displayed below: image00. png image01. png The screen shot above shows the result of the process. Antivirus Antivirus software prevents and removes Viruses, Worms and Trojans from the computer. Most of the antivirus software comes with built in spyware, adware and malware removal tools. Antivirus software uses different methods to detect viruses; Signature based detection, Malicious activity detection and Heuristic based detection. Signature based detection is the most common way of antivirus and other malware detection. The software traces the virus by spotting the signature. The software manufactures collect profiles and signature information of the virus in the form of DAT files. These files will be downloaded by the antivirus software through updates and will be used to detect new malwares. This makes it essential to keep the antivirus software up-to-date and to run virus scans periodically. Firewall Firewall is a utility designed to prevent unauthorised access to from a private network. It prevents unauthorised internet users from accessing private networks connected to the internet. All the packet data entering and leaving the computer is examined when it passes through the firewall and will be blocked if the packet data do not meet the security criteria. Firewalls build a protective environment around computers that are connected to a network. Firewall uses four different types of techniques to block unauthorised access. They are: Packet Filter : Packet filter scans each packet of data entering or leaving a network and block them if they are not based on the user-defined rules. This kind of filtering is an effective method to prevent unauthorised access. Application Gateway : Application gateway applies security measures to applications like FTP and Telnet Servers. This is another effective firewall technique, but it really affects the performance of the network. Circuit-Level Gateway: Circuit-level Gateway applies mechanisms when a TCP connection is established. Once the connection is made packets can flow between hosts without further checking. Proxy Server : This technique is used to intercept all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server hides the real network address. Formatting Formatting is the process of preparing a hard disk or a storage medium to store data. Formatting a disk involves two major process: High Level formatting and Low Level formatting. Physical formatting(low-level) Low-level formatting is the process of outlining the position of tracks and sector on hard-drives and other storage media. All the data in a drive will be lost permanently after a low-level formatting is done. A low-level formatting is generally done by the BIOS rather than the Operating System. Logical formatting (high-level) High-level formatting is the process of setting up an empty file system on the disk and installing a boot sector. As this process takes only a little time it is commonly known as Quick Format. In this process the disk also have the option to scan the entire disk for potential defects which may take several hours depending on the size of the medium. Below is a screen shot of a Quick Formatting.image02. png Disk Cleanup The Disk Cleanup tool helps to free up space on the hard disk by searching disk for files that can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Disk cleanup tool can be used to perform the following task to free up space in a hard-drive. Remove temporary Internet files. Remove downloaded program files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet. Empty the Recycle Bin. Remove Windows temporary files. Remove optional Windows components that you are not using. Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Small and Medium Scale Business Marketing Strategies and Ideas Essay Example for Free

Small and Medium Scale Business Marketing Strategies and Ideas Essay Also, I will like to thank my parents for their immense provision and support. I will like to appreciate Pressy Ebimobowei Waratimi the Deputy CEO and founder of Rakeone Music, Rakeone Films and Rakeone TV for his immense support. I like to thank Slimface Ebiye Romeo the CEO of Romeos Artisthood. My express deep gratitude goes to my lovely friends Midian-Dicey Biyen, Kio Mikietuoniso, Gabriel Alari Benson, Samuel Oluku, Itong Washington Uwowa, Babema Tonye Amaye with others too numerous to mention. DEDICATION This book is dedicated to God Almighty. COPYRIGHT RESERVED I would be revealing to you in this free article various strategies on how to go about marketing your business to your business area, city, state, country and the world at large. The essence of this, is to fetch you many customers inorder to boost your income. I would be revealing to you also, online business marketing (E marketing) strategies. One of the smartest things a small or medium business owner can do for their business is to take the time to develop a marketing plan that will set them apart from their competitors. MARKETING PLAN One of the smartest things a small or medium business owner can do for their usiness is to take the time to develop a marketing plan that will set them apart from their competitors. A marketing plan clearly outlines how you will reach your ideal clients by effectively implementing your marketing strategy. You can choose marketing strategies below to make up your marketing plan. 1 MARKETING STRATEGIES AND IDEAS The various strategies and ideas on how to go about marketing your small or medium scale business are therefore explained below; MARKETING MATERIALS 1. Create or update your business cards. 2. Make your business card stand out from the rest. 3. Create or update your brochure fliers and stickers. . Create your website, wordpress or a blogspot. 5. Create a digital version of your brochure for your website, wordpress or blogspot. IN-PERSON NETWORKING 1. Register and attend a business conference. 2. Introduce yourself to other local business owners. 3. Plan a local business workshop or conference to showcase your product or service. 4. Rent a booth at a trade show and showcase your product. ADVERTISING 1. Advertise on the radio: Many people think it is very expensive to advertise on the radio. I assure you it is definitely not, why not go and take a survey at various Radio Stations. 2. If you have the money you can advertise on a billboard. 3. Use stickers to advertise on your car, or you can give to people to put on their cars. 2 4. Advertise in your local news paper. You can go for a cheap rate; it’s not all that expensive. 5. Advertise on a local TV station. COUPONS AND INCENTIVES Coupon simply means a voucher or ticket entitling the holder to a discount off a particular product. According to www. businessdictionary. com Incentive simple means a monetary gift or bonus given to an employee based on his or her performance, which is thought of as one way to entice the employee to continue delivering positive results. . Start a contest. 2. Create a coupon. 3. Create a buyer reward program by using the created coupon. 4. Give out free gifts mostly towards the end of the year. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING 1. Send out a customer satisfaction survey. 2. Help promote or volunteer your time for charity event. 3. Send birthday sms or holiday sms to your clients. EMPLOYEE B EHAVIOUR 1. Train your staffs on how to welcome, approach and be of a good behaviour to your clients. This will go a long way to bring more clients. 3 OFFICE OR SHOP APPEARANCE The appearance of your office or shop should be arranged well and not in a scattered manner you know what I mean. Your office or business premises should be painted with a very nice colour and should be repainted if the painted is faded or dirtied. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING 1. Get started with social media for business. 2. Create a facebook page. 3. Create a twitter account. 4. Create a facebook group. 5. Create a facebook ad (they do charge money). 6. Create account on different online forums, e. g. www. advertise. ng. com, www. nigerianbusinessforums. com, www. gnbo. com. ng, www. nairaland. com, www. naijagreen. com www. hopenigeria. com, www. nairaland. com, www. forumotion. com, www. nigerianbestforum. com, www. ebsitenigera. com, www. allnigeriansites. com, www. newnigerians. com, www. allnigeria. com, www. perfspot. com, www. nigerdeltaforum. com, www. nairasource. com, www. boomdizzle. com, www. veengle. com, www. zimbio. com, www. naijavoice. com, www. vanguardngr. com, www. allnaija. com, www. afroterminal. com, www. naijafinder. com, www. onlinenigeria. com, www. nigerianwebsuccess. com, www. naijaurban. com, www. naijaelites. com, www. naijacyberforum. com, www. habnaija. com, www. gistmania. com All you need do is to create an account†¦. log unto it†¦. go to business forum†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦click on it and click on start new topic†¦.. Post about your 4 business†¦.. don’t forget to include your phone number and email. INTERNET MARKETING 1. Create account with www. youtube. com 2. Upload your business video advertisement (The one you give to TV stations): Steps – After creating account with youtube†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Log unto youtube with your email and password†¦. look around the website you will see upload†¦.. click on it†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦a screen will show up asking you to choose a file, go to where you save the video file and click ok†¦.. enter a title†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. after upload is finished you will be given a link†¦.. you can copy and paste the link to your facebook wall, page and group. . Online Business Directory Listings: All you need do is to go to the various online business directories listing 5 websites that I will give to you below, you can find more yourself. Each country has their own. Online business directory listing is an online business website showing different kin ds of businesses, companies, firms (including their various info, addresses, phone numbers, etc). With these an individual can go to this websites to look for a company that can do a specific job for him or her, take the phone number and call or can take your address and locate your office. Online business directory will drive some of its visitors to your business. Note: One of the workers of the websites might contact you inorder to get some info from you before your company, business, firm can be listed in their websites. This is free of charge. The websites are; www. vconnect. com, www. nigerianyellowpages. com, www. onlinebusinessdirectorynigeria. com, www. nigeriangalleria. com, 5 www. lagosdirectoryonline. com, www. mynigeriareview. com, www. nigeriapagesonline. com, www. uknigeriabusinesses. com, www. nigerianbusinesspages. com, www. ngclassified. om, www. naijaonlinemart. com, www. finelib. com. EMAIL MARKETING 1. Have an email list of your clients 2. Start and send a free monthly email newsletter to your emails. CONCLUSION: You can make your marketing plan by choosing any of the various marketing strategies. If you can afford, you can do hire a marketing consultant, public relations professional, internet guru, etc to help you in the given marketing strategies. THE END Thanks for reading, I hope this will go a long way in helping you plan for your Business Marketing. GOD BLESSES YOU Contact me via 08136194354 6

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Process Of Learning A Musical Instrument Education Essay

The Process Of Learning A Musical Instrument Education Essay The process of learning a musical instrument has changed a lot in the recent years, and it is all thanks to the Internet. Before websites with sufficient information on how to learn have first come to picture, young adepts of the guitar arts could only count on themselves. Finding and learning their favorite song was not just a few clicks away, and using such music software as Guitar Pro was not quite an option as it simply did not exist. The main challenge was to learn the found song using only their hearing and then transcribe it. This learning process involved good aural and transcribing skills and could only be developed by transcribing new songs. At that time books were invaluable source of knowledge. Things look way different now. There are thousands of websites with a variety of materials. But which way of learning would be more beneficial to the learner? This paper will try to examine how the various ways of learning have evolved in the past couple decades and how much influence on them has Internet, and the sources it provides, had. Here are a few examples just to illustrate advantages and disadvantages of the Internet in the learning process: there are a lot of helpful resources such as DVDs, music software, backing tracks, aural tests but on the other hand the vast accessibility poses the danger of treating the Internet as a primary source of knowledge whereas its content can sometimes be misleading because a lot of online tutors lack formal teaching qualifications. Finding information doesnt require any effort and limits the learner to thoughtless consumption of unnecessary data, additionally theres no place for research which is always crucial in the learning process. The Internet also lacks the aspect of an interaction with other musicians which is vital when it comes to developing ones musicality. There are a lot more arguments for and against the Internet as a teaching resource. In my dissertation I will test and analyze these two different learning processes in order to establish how they have evolved si nce the times when Internet teaching resources didnt exist on such a vast scale up until now. INTRODUCTION In this paper, I will discuss and assess how the guitar learning process has evolved over the past 30 years. I will present, analyse and compare two different approaches to learning guitar. For the purpose of this study, the first approach will be referred to as traditional and the second one will be known as modern, e-learning or online learning. It is crucial to understand the difference between the two. The traditional approach to learning guitar mainly dominated in the pre-Internet era of 70s and 80s, when teaching resources were very limited. However, in no way did the restricted availability of teaching materials affect students willingness to explore and learn the new instrument. It was just the specific approach towards knowledge attainment that was very different to the one that we know and are used to nowadays. Therefore my main focus will be on researching the pre-Internet times, which I refer to as the classic rock era, in order to examine and assess the guitar learning methods of that period. The modern approach to learning guitar has first come to the picture with the arrival of the Internet. The Internet revolutionised and reshaped the whole guitar learning model. Unlimited teaching resources (online lessons, videos, instructional DVDs, YouTube, digital sheet music) are just a few clicks away. Students are no longer required to leave their bedrooms to be able to attain musical knowledge. With the vast availability of technologically advanced software and equipment everyone can effortlessly learn an instrument. But is the previous sentence entirely true? Is it possible to learn an instrument and develop ones musicality without interacting with other musicians? Again, I will research the area of the e-learning process in order to determine and assess what effects, if any, it has on modern musicians and to be able to answer the above questions. To briefly summarise, there are two major problems my dissertation will address: The differences between the modern instrument learning process and the one of the classic rock era; By contrasting the two above processes I will decide which one is more beneficial to the learner; Some of the research questions this paper will examine and answer are: How important is it to learn an instrument and develop ones skills and musicality by interacting and playing with other musicians (the traditional approach)? Is the solitary way of attaining knowledge with the help of modern technology and the Internet more supportive in the learning process? Does the social aspect of group learning associated with the traditional approach play an important role in the guitar learning process? To answer these questions I will conduct a sociological analysis of this matter using available books on the importance of team work in the learning process and other necessary sources. This analysis will allow me to understand how the two contrary learning methods work under various social circumstances and will help me to determine which of the studied methods is more valuable to the music student. Furthermore I will conduct a range of adequately structured and in-depth interviews with current tutors who were either educated back in the 70s or in the modern Internet era. It will shed some light on the issues I am concerned with and will help to determine the usefulness of the two tested learning methods. Some exemplary questions I might ask are: Was the lack of teaching resources a discouraging or motivating factor in the guitar learning process?, What kind of research methods did you use to obtain the essential information required for the learning? Additionally I will write a short questionnaire for the current music students, which will be inclusive of simple but interesting questions that will attract the respondents attention. The aim of this survey will be to assess young learners views on the usefulness of the Internet as a teaching tool and to determine how the online learning translates into students ability to function in the real music world. In order to illustrate the aims and objectives of my dissertation, I will answer a few simple questions: Who will benefit from my investigation? My main aim is to determine, by analysing and comparing two well-known instrument learning approaches from two different time periods, how the beginning guitar players can get the most out of guitar lessons. In what sense will they benefit? Firstly I will combine the final dissertation outcomes together, then I will apply these findings to some problems and issues the new student faces while learning an instrument. As a conclusion, I will try to work out the best approach to learning guitar by evaluating the results of my research. In what sense will my contribution add to what is already known? To address the main dissertation question (which of the two learning methods is more beneficial?), I will conduct research that is primarily based on interviews and questionnaires. After collecting and analysing all necessary data, I will compare the significance of my findings against the already existing data and establish how my study can contribute to what is already known. What are the constraints or limitations of the study? The major limitation is the fact that it is nearly impossible to find academic books with sufficient information about guitar learning methods back in the classic rock era, therefore primary data will be collected from interviews with tutors of the 70s. The following paragraph will briefly describe the content of this dissertation: The first chapter will consist of a review of what is already known and of the main problems and issues. It will cover past research and studies from relevant books and magazines. It will also summarise what other researchers have written and published around the topic of my study. Critical judgment will be used here to present my opinions on relevant issues. The second chapter will describe and evaluate methods and techniques of research used for the purpose of this paper. As mentioned before, it will mainly consist of interviews and questionnaires. The reason for using such methods will also be justified in this section. In the third section, a comparative study of two contrary guitar learning processes along with the data obtained in the previous section will be presented. Arguments and counter-arguments will also be contrasted in this chapter. In the fourth section, dissertation findings will be interpreted. The difference between my findings and those of other people will also be presented. The last chapter will consist of a summary of main findings and conclusions. Bibliography will be included. CHAPTER 1 Traditional approach vs. modern approach Traditional approach The first chapter will consist of a review of what is already known and of the main problems and issues. It will cover past research and studies from relevant books and magazines. It will also summarise what other researchers have written and published around the topic of my study. Critical judgment will be used here to present my opinions on relevant issues. There are numerous publications available on the Internet that describe advantages and disadvantages of online and traditional learning, however, its not yet been proved which of the above-mentioned learning methods is more efficient. Although there arent enough findings that would determine superiority, equivalence or non-inferiority of one approach to another, one can argue that the modern approach is not a replacement for the traditional learning process. Undoubtedly, there are countless benefits associated with e-learning; however, there are a few aspects of it that seem to be problematic when put side by side with the traditional learning. What the modern guitar learning process certainly lacks is the ability to facilitate group interactions which are the crucial part of music education. It might be possible, with other branches of knowledge, to eliminate the interactive part of learning but when it comes to music, its highly unlikely for a music student to perform well when the collaborative factor is omitted. It is commonly known that students tend to attain knowledge most effectively when they are given the opportunity to interact with other students. Such interactions among students also help to develop strong group problem solving skills. For that reason, the importance of meeting students learning peers, exchanging ideas and sharing common musical experiences can never be underestimated. In an early stage of musical education, it is always advisable to provide young students with proper guidance from tutors. Carrying out the initial study through the face-to-face approach allows creating more controlled environment for children to be taught in. Of course, it should not be assumed that the more controlled environment and guidance are not achievable through the process of online learning, but the fact, that there is very little control, which a teacher wields on a student, might suggest the superiority of the traditional learning over e-learning. Teachers guidance is there to help students explore their limitations and objectives and also increase their motivation and provide opportunities for students to share their personal learning goals and objectives. While discussing the two tested learning methods, there is another important issue that needs to be taken into consideration. In order to fully engage in any form of Internet-based learning activity, a student must absolutely have a very high motivation. Its mainly due to the fact that the link between a student and a teacher is missing in this type of learning environment. This problem does not seem to occur with the traditional learning process, where a tutors main responsibility is to encourage and reinforce effective study habits of students. Another important aspect of the face-to-face mode, rarely achievable with other learning modes, is the students ability to recognise their strengths and limitations and understand their learning goals and objectives. A further problem, the learner faces while utilising the Internet for educational purposes, is the overwhelming amount of information and knowledge available online in an instant. Accessibility of all imaginable knowledge should predominantly be regarded as an improvement but there are also some evident disadvantages associated with it. For young music students, such vast amount of knowledge and data is simply unmanageable. Indisputably, learners taking first steps in music education need to have well-developed analytical, organisational and learning resources skills in order to be able to filter through and select the right resources for learning. Obviously, the child learning an instrument is not expected to possess such complex skills, so this is why the personal guidance from a tutor or learning peers cannot be substituted with the Internet. Modern approach It is without a doubt that the overall interest in online education has grown tremendously in recent years. However, the question that needs to be asked here is how effective online learning is compared to traditional learning. There are not many findings that could unambiguously answer this question but a very recent study, published in 2009, suggests that online learners perform slightly better than students in traditional face-to-face classrooms (Church 2009). This study was conducted by SRI International for the US Department of Education. It analysed research that compared online and conventional learning at institutions of higher education between 1996 and 2008 (Means 2009). The key finding of this study, as interpreted and presented by Jodi Church (2009) in an article entitled Is online education more effective than traditional learning?, shows that students doing partial or all course work online rank, on average, in the 59th percentile, meaning better than 59% of all those who were scored; whereas students in traditional classrooms ranked in the 50th percentile. While analysing these findings, it can be rightly assumed that traditional learning is not necessarily the best way of maintaining a learning process. For that reason, e-learning models are regarded as good educational models that constantly evolve and improve, offering music students better tools and opportunities to achieve their educational goals. But how can we define a good educational model? A good educational model must be able to provide the student with satisfactory learning environment, in which they are able to think by themselves, to be creative and original, to solve problems and to interact with their surroundings in a collaborative way. With its flexibility, accessibility and convenience; e-learning seems to be the perfect way to develop these objectives (Rashty 2001). Referring to past studies on online learning David Rashty (2001) points out that students have expressed higher satisfaction from the computer-mediated learning, and rated the learning as more effective than in the traditional framework. A further analysis of the modern approach reveals a number of characteristic features of this model, which are superior to traditional learning. These are listed below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Active learning and its main advantages (Rashty 2001): It requires the learner to be intensely involved in the learning process, which is due to the use of a computer and a physical involvement in gathering and sending information; It requires the learner to be socially and cognitively involved in the learning process, as a direct result of the need to discuss with and respond to other online learners; It enhances and magnifies the attainment of knowledge and requires the learner to be able to organise and analyse the information; It is not time-restricted, so it allows the learner enough time for developing complex concepts and digesting the information; It allows the learner to control the learning process; It allows receiving and processing information at convenient times; It requires learners responsibility and initiative in advancing in the learning process and forwarding knowledge; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creative thinking as an important element of online learning (Rashty 2001): Online learning (OL) improves the learners ability to seek out gaps in information, to propose, examine and improve ideas and to discuss the results; OL enhances learners creativity by encouraging him/her to take risks and to commit to tasks; OL supports learners curiosity and openness to new ideas; OL enables the learner to freely express himself/herself in an environment that is free from many psychological inhabitations existing in the traditional classroom; OL enhances the learners creative thinking processes by utilising the Internets developing technology and its tools for the purpose of gaining and processing information; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creative thinking (Rashty 2001): There are various techniques, which have been put to use in learning through the Web which encourage the development of critical thinking. Critical thinking was intended to enable a choice of information, the ability to choose among several solutions, the ability to assess the force of a given argument, and the ability to reach decisions. The critical thinking grows stronger also following use of graphics and hypertext, which refine the hierarchy and logical structure of the concepts on the Web. The process required from the student when searching for information on the Web, which includes defining the query, carrying out the search operation, examining the results and sifting and pinpointing the question, also refines the students critical thinking. Any other operation by which the student identifies main points, searches for cause and effect, finds patterns and relationships between data, creates a timetable, examines costs versus products all these are also actions which refine the students critical thinking. eLearning also includes advantages which are not found in traditional learning, such as: time for digesting the information and responding, enhanced communication among the learners, both as regards quality and as regards urgency, knowledge being acquired and transferred among the learners themselves, the ability to conduct an open discussion, where each learner gets more of an equal standing than in a face-to-face discussion, access to information and to discussion ability, responses may be made around the clock with no restrictions, a higher motivation and involvement in the process on the part of the learners. The very use of technology for learning has been found to have a positive effect on the students commitment to the learning process. Also, use of technology creates a greater commitment on the students part to learning. The following table summarizes several opinions regarding the comparison between traditional learning and eLearning: Traditional Learning eLearning Classroom Discussions The teacher usually talks more than the student The student talks at least as much as or more than the teacher Learning Process The learning is conducted with the whole class participating; there is almost no group or individual study Most of the learning process takes place in groups or by the individual student. Subject Matter The teacher conducts the lesson according to the study program and the existing curriculum The student participates in determining the subject matter; the studying is based on various sources of information, including web data banks and net-experts located by the student. Emphases in the Learning Process The students learn what and not how; the students and the teachers are busy completing the required subject matter quota; the students are not involved in inquiry-based education and in solving problems, but rather in tasks set by the teacher. The students learn how and less what; the learning includes research study which combines searching for and collecting information from web data banks and authorities on the communications network; the learning is better connected to the real world, the subject matter is richer and includes material in different formats. Motivation The students motivation is low, and the subject matter is distant from them. The students motivation is high due to the involvement in matters that are closer to them and to the use of technology. Teachers Role The teacher is the authority The teacher directs the student to the information. Location of Learning The learning takes place within the classroom and the school The learning takes place with no fixed location Lesson Structure The teacher dictates the structure of the lesson and the division of time The structure of the lesson is affected by the group dynamics.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

A Liberal Arts Education :: essays research papers

A Liberal Arts Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction. This universal education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects. The students can observe the strengths and capabilities, as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows the students to find connections between diverse fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories, thoughts, or inventions. It allows the students to investigate areas of intrigue and create new fields of study by blending subjects that compliment each other. With these new inventions, discoveries, ideas, and new methods of problem solving, society will advance in a positive direction. Standards of living will rise with these inventions and discoveries, making society more productive and more capable of controlling its surroundings. New thoughts and theories will give insight to those who desire meaning and understanding of concepts. A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields and subjects allowing students to create new theories, inventions, and connections between fields. With this foundation, great thinkers can build and expand from what others have learned rather than wasting time and effort on what has already been discovered. While it is true that the factual information about each subject is very important, the most useful tool liberal arts students can possess is the knowledge of the strengths and capabilities of each individual field, as well as the weaknesses and restrictions. With this knowledge, the students can mesh attributes of different subjects to formulate new and more brilliant concepts; the brilliance being a function of the strengths and compatibility of the chosen subjects. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by mixing different colors. The brilliance of this new color depends on the shades and hues of the colors used to create it. The same is true for education. The resulting idea or innovation is a function of the aptness and compatibility of the subjects meshed to create it. For example, the invention of the transistor, one of the most important electronic devices, was developed by a team of research specialists. Specialized mathematicians, scientists, physicists, and engineers all worked together to find a quicker, more efficient way to process the overload of telephone calls. The leaders of this research team had to be highly educated in every one of those fields of study, as well as language. They had to practically translate the technical terms of each field to the other team members so each one understood the A Liberal Arts Education :: essays research papers A Liberal Arts Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction. This universal education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects. The students can observe the strengths and capabilities, as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows the students to find connections between diverse fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories, thoughts, or inventions. It allows the students to investigate areas of intrigue and create new fields of study by blending subjects that compliment each other. With these new inventions, discoveries, ideas, and new methods of problem solving, society will advance in a positive direction. Standards of living will rise with these inventions and discoveries, making society more productive and more capable of controlling its surroundings. New thoughts and theories will give insight to those who desire meaning and understanding of concepts. A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields and subjects allowing students to create new theories, inventions, and connections between fields. With this foundation, great thinkers can build and expand from what others have learned rather than wasting time and effort on what has already been discovered. While it is true that the factual information about each subject is very important, the most useful tool liberal arts students can possess is the knowledge of the strengths and capabilities of each individual field, as well as the weaknesses and restrictions. With this knowledge, the students can mesh attributes of different subjects to formulate new and more brilliant concepts; the brilliance being a function of the strengths and compatibility of the chosen subjects. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by mixing different colors. The brilliance of this new color depends on the shades and hues of the colors used to create it. The same is true for education. The resulting idea or innovation is a function of the aptness and compatibility of the subjects meshed to create it. For example, the invention of the transistor, one of the most important electronic devices, was developed by a team of research specialists. Specialized mathematicians, scientists, physicists, and engineers all worked together to find a quicker, more efficient way to process the overload of telephone calls. The leaders of this research team had to be highly educated in every one of those fields of study, as well as language. They had to practically translate the technical terms of each field to the other team members so each one understood the

Medieval Weapons Essay -- European History

Medieval Weapons Medieval society, in spite of its stereotypes, was not inherently more violent than modern society. â€Å"Although there was no state in the modern sense, and therefore no set of laws that inherently took away the power of the average man or woman to exercise violence, the violence of the day was considered differently, and with out the inherent sense of criminality that accompanies it today. Our understanding of the weapons of the medieval world is skewed by the vast disarming of the â€Å"the civilian† that is taken for granted today, yet is a vastly different situation compared to what existed in many parts of â€Å"the West† as little as seven years ago. Medieval weapons and armor are, for better or for worse, generally considered in light of the knight and the nobility. The nobility, fighting as heavy cavalry, had exerted a tremendous influence on the battlefield. In spite of the pressures brought to bear on the knight by the increased use of the longbow, crossbow, handgun, and pike, heavy cavalry continued to play an absolutely essential role on the battlefield. The 14th-16th century saw great chanteys in weapons and armor, not because they â€Å"evolved† per se, but because they changed to maintain their effectiveness under deferent conditions, as John Clements puts in his book Medieval Swordsmanship â€Å"after all, swards did not get sharper, stronger, or especially more effective after the middle Ages. They did not evolve as guns did to become more accurate, of l...

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Rejection of Svidrigailov in Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

The Rejection of Svidrigailov in Crime and Punishment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Crime and Punishment  Ã‚     Raskolnikov would reject Svidrigailov because he knows that this man has designs against his sister. Dounia has been his main concern for the past couple chapters-he hounds Svidrigailov not because he enjoys his company, but he worries endlessly about his intentions. Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov at the bar engage in a conversation about Dounia and the interactions of her and he at the house of Marfa Petrovna. Raskolnikov is eventually duped by the base Svid., and he lets him be after he has jumped on a carriage and is speeding down the road-he is not going to the Islands though, he is coming back and has a meeting scheduled with Dounia. Svidrigailov, like Porfiry, employs tacit and devious tactics. Raskolnikov realizes this, and he resents Svidrigailov for this. There is another very important reason why Raskolnikov hates Svid. As Hobbes pointed out, if a person knows that another man knows the truth about a lie he is telling, or is in the position to find out such information, he will subsequently hate that person no matter what previous relation they were in. This hate and dislike can be repressed, but even then it still has the ability to come out in a deluge of rejection. Raskolnikov, so far, has been able to repress his anger towards Svidrigailov and also Porfiry. He does scream at Porfiry to either arrest him or let him be, but he is much less outwardly forceful with his anger. Does Svidrigailov represent Raskolnikov's evil side? Does he embody the ideas and philosophies of Raskolnikov? Perhaps it is easy to say yes-to simplify this great work of a philosophy and psychological writing. It is much better to steer away from the trap though of simply saying that he is the representation of R.'s evil side. The story is much deeper than that. Svidrigailov molests, irks, and bothers young women who do not wish to be associated with him. He panders to their weakness and self-admittedly uses deception to win them for his own. This is not Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov is the man who conceives a theory-a theory that actually had the better of society as its aim-Svid. simply exists in a nihilistic atmosphere of vice and wanton behavior.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited Essay

ITC Limited which previously stood for Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited is an Indian conglomerate with a turnover of US $ 4.75 billion. It ranks third in pre-tax profit among India’s private sector corporations. The company has its registered office in Kolkata. The company is currently headed by Yogesh Chander Deveshwar. It employs over 20,000 people at more than 60 locations across India and is listed on Forbes 2000. The Training Centre of the company is in Munger, Bihar. ITC is also known as â€Å"Chatkal† (especially in Munger). ITC Limited or ITC is an Indian conglomerate. Its diversified business includes five segments: Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards, Paper & Packaging and Agri Business. â€Å"A country’s brands are a reflection of its competitive strengths and a manifestation of its innovation and intellectual capacity. I strongly believe that a country’s economic capacity is significantly enriched when its institutions build and own internationally competitive brands. Winning brands serve as market anchors to support the competitiveness of the entire value chains of which they are a part. Strong domestic brands create much larger value since they create, capture and retain value within the country. ITC takes justifiable pride in creating world-class Indian brands that have demonstrated immense vitality in the global Indian market place.† Y C Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC Limited ITC’s Branded Packaged Foods business is one of the fastest growing foods businesses in India, driven by the market standing and consumer franchise of its seven popular brands – Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, Bingo!, Kitchens of India, mint-o, Candyman and Yippee! Over the past 5 years, the business has grown at an impressive rate faster than that of the industry. Given India’s rapid economic growth and rising disposable incomes, ITC’s Branded Packaged Foods business is well-positioned to ride this boom to secure robust, long-term growth. The business continues to invest in every aspect of manufacturing, distribution and marketing to ensure that it can leverage emerging opportunities and fulfill its aspiration of being the most trusted provider of Branded Packaged Foods in the country. HISTORY ITC was incorporated on August 24, 1910 under the name Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited. As the Company’s ownership progressively Indianised, the name of the Company was changed from Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited to India Tobacco Company Limited in 1970 and then to I.T.C. Limited in 1974. In recognition of the Company’s multi-business portfolio encompassing a wide range of businesses – Fast Moving Consumer Goods comprising Foods, Personal Care, Cigarettes and Cigars, Branded Apparel, Education and Stationery Products, Incense Sticks and Safety Matches, Hotels, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Packaging, Agri-Business and Information Technology – the full stops in the Company’s name were removed effective September 18, 2001. The Company now stands rechristened Limited, ‘where ‘ITC’ is today no longer an acronym or an initialized form. A Modest Beginning The Company’s beginnings were humble. A leased office on Radha Bazaar Lane, Kolkata, was the centre of the Company’s existence. The Company celebrated its 16th birthday on August 24, 1926, by purchasing the plot of land situated at 37, Chowringhee, (now renamed J.L. Nehru Road) Kolkata, for the sum of Rs 310,000. This decision of the Company was historic in more ways than one. It was to mark the beginning of a long and eventful journey into India’s future. The Company’s headquarter building, ‘Virginia House’, which came up on that plot of land two years later, would go on to become one of Kolkata’s most venerated landmarks. 1925: Packaging and Printing: Backward Integration Though the first six decades of the Company’s existence were primarily devoted to the growth and consolidation of the Cigarettes and Leaf Tobacco businesses, ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business was set up in 1925 as a strategic backward integration for ITC’s Cigarettes business. It is today India’s most sophisticated packaging house. 1975: Entry into the Hospitality Sector – A ‘Welcome’ Move The Seventies witnessed the beginnings of a corporate transformation that would usher in momentous changes in the life of the Company. In 1975, the Company launched its Hotels business with the acquisition of a hotel in Chennai which was rechristened ‘ITC-Welcomgroup Hotel Chola’ (now renamed My Fortune, Chennai). The objective of ITC’s entry into the hotels business was rooted in the concept of creating value for the nation. ITC chose the Hotels business for its potential to earn high levels of foreign exchange, create tourism infrastructure and generate large scale direct and indirect employment. Since then ITC’s Hotels business has grown to occupy a position of leadership, with over 100 owned and managed properties spread across India under four brands namely, ITC Hotels – Luxury Collection, WelcomHotels, Fortune Hotels and WelcomHeritage. ITC Hotels recently took its first step toward international expansion with an upcoming super premium luxury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In addition, ITC Hotels also recently tied up with RP Group Hotels & Resorts to manage 5 hotels in Dubai and India under ITC Hotels’ 5-star ‘WelcomHotel’ brand and the mid-market to upscale ‘Fortune’ brand. 1979: Paperboards & Specialty Papers – Development of a Backward Area In 1979, ITC entered the Paperboards business by promoting ITC Bhadrachalam Paperboards Limited. Bhadrachalam Paperboards amalgamated with the Company effective March 13, 2002 and became a Division of the Company, Bhadrachalam Paperboards Division. In November 2002, this division merged with the Company’s Tribeni Tissues Division to form the Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division. ITC’s paperboards’ technology, productivity, quality and manufacturing processes are comparable to the best in the world. It has also made an immense contribution to the development of Sarapaka, an economically backward area in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is directly involved in education, environmental protection and community development. In 2004, ITC acquired the paperboard manufacturing facility of BILT Industrial Packaging Co. Ltd (BIPCO), near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The Kovai Unit allows ITC to improve customer service with reduced lead time and a wider product range. 1985: Nepal Subsidiary – First Steps beyond National Borders In 1985, ITC set up Surya Tobacco Co. in Nepal as an Indo-Nepal and British joint venture. In August 2002, Surya Tobacco became a subsidiary of ITC Limited and its name was changed to Surya Nepal Private Limited (Surya Nepal). In 2004, the company diversified into manufacturing and exports of garments. 1990: Paperboards & Specialty Papers – Consolidation and Expansion In 1990, ITC acquired Tribeni Tissues Limited, a Specialty paper manufacturing company and a major supplier of tissue paper to the cigarette industry. The merged entity was named the Tribeni Tissues Division (TTD). To harness strategic and operational synergies, TTD was merged with the Bhadrachalam Paperboards Division to form the Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division in November 2002. 1990: Agri Business – Strengthening Farmer Linkages Also in 1990, leveraging its agri-sourcing competency, ITC set up the Agri Business Division for export of agri-commodities. The Division is today one of India’s largest exporters. ITC’s unique and now widely acknowledged e-Choupal initiative began in 2000 with soya farmers in Madhya Pradesh. Now it extends to 10 states covering over 4 million farmers. Also, through the ‘Choupal Pradarshan Khet’ initiative, the agri services vertical has been focusing on improving productivity of crops while deepening the relationship with the farming community. 2002: Education & Stationery Products – Offering the Greenest products ITC launched line of premium range of notebooks under brand Paperkraft in 2002. To augment its offering and to reach a wider student population, the Classmate range of notebooks was launched in 2003. Classmate over the years has grown to become India’s largest notebook brand and has also increased its portfolio to occupy a greater share of the school bag. Years 2007- 2009 saw the launch of Practical Books, Drawing Books, Geometry Boxes, Pens and Pencils under the ‘Classmate’ brand. In 2008, ITC positioned the business as the Education and Stationery Products Business and launched India’s first environment friendly premium business paper under the ‘Paperkraft’ Brand. ‘Paperkraft’ offers a diverse portfolio in the premium executive stationery and office consumables segment. In 2010, Colour Crew was launched as a new brand of art stationery. 2000: Lifestyle Retailing – Premium Offerings ITC also entered the Lifestyle Retailing business with the Wills Sport range of international quality relaxed wear for men and women in 2000. The Wills Lifestyle chain of exclusive stores later expanded its range to include Wills Classic formal wear (2002) and Wills Clublife evening wear (2003). ITC also initiated a foray into the popular segment with its men’s wear brand, John Players, in 2002. In 2006, Wills Lifestyle became title partner of the country’s most premier fashion event – Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week – that has gained recognition from buyers and retailers as the single largest B-2-B platform for the Fashion Design industry. To mark the occasion, ITC launched a special ‘Wills Signature’, taking the event forward to consumers. 2000: Information Technology – Business Friendly Solutions In 2000, ITC spun off its information technology business into a wholly owned subsidiary, ITC Infotech India Limited, to more aggressively pursue emerging opportunities in this area. Today ITC Infotech is one of India’s fastest growing global IT and IT-enabled services companies and has established itself as a key player in offshore outsourcing, providing outsourced IT solutions and services to leading global customers across key focus verticals – Banking Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail, Manufacturing, Engineering Services, Media & Entertainment, Travel, Hospitality, Life Sciences and Transportation & Logistics. 2001: Branded Packaged Foods – Delighting Millions of Households ITC’s foray into the Foods business is an outstanding example of successfully blending multiple internal competencies to create a new driver of business growth. It began in August 2001 with the introduction of’Kitchens of India’ ready-to-eat Indian gourmet dishes. In 2002, ITC entered the confectionery and staples segments with the launch of the brands mint-o and Candyman confectionery and Aashirvaad atta (wheat flour). 2003 witnessed the introduction of Sunfeast as the Company entered the biscuits segment. ITC entered the fast growing branded snacks category with Bingo! in 2007. In 2010, ITC launched Sunfeast Yippee! to enter the Indian instant noodles market. In just over a decade, the Foods business has grown to a significant size under seven distinctive brands, with an enviable distribution reach, a rapidly growing market share and a solid market standing. 2002: Agarbattis & Safety Matches – Supporting the Small and Cottage Sector In 2002, ITC’s philosophy of contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of the entire value chain found yet another expression in the Safety Matches initiative. ITC now markets popular safety matches brands like iKno,Mangaldeep and Aim. ITC’s foray into the marketing of Agarbattis (incense sticks) in 2003 marked the manifestation of its partnership with the cottage sector. Mangaldeep is a highly established national brand and is available across a range of fragrances like Rose, Jasmine, Bouquet, Sandalwood and ‘Fragrance of Temple’. 2005: Personal Care Products – Expert Solutions for Discerning Consumers ITC entered the Personal Care Business in 2005. In eight years, the Personal Care portfolio has grown under’Essenza Di Wills’, ‘Fiama Di Wills’, ‘Vivel’ and ‘Superia’ brands which have received encouraging consumer response and have been progressively extended nationally. In May 2013, the business expanded its product portfolio with the launch of Engage – one of India’s first range of ‘couple deodorants’ 2010: Expanding the Tobacco Portfolio In 2010, ITC launched its handrolled cigar, Armenteros, in the Indian market. Armenteros cigars are available exclusively at tobacco selling outlets in select hotels, fine dining restaurants and exclusive clubs. PRODUCTS & SERVICES *FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS: 1) CIGARETTES: ITC is the market leader in cigarettes in India. With its wide range of invaluable brands, ITC has a leadership position in every segment of the market. ITC’s highly popular portfolio of brands includes Insignia, India Kings, Lucky Strike, Classic, Gold Flake, Navy Cut, Players, Scissors, Capstan, Berkeley, Bristol, Flake, Silk Cut, Duke & Royal. The Company has been able to consolidate its leadership position with single minded focus on continuous value creation for consumers through significant investments in creating & bringing to market innovative product designs, maintaining consistent & superior quality, state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, & superior marketing and distribution. With consumers & consumer insights driving strategy, ITC has been able to fortify market standing in the long-term, by developing & delivering contemporary offers relevant to the changing attitudes & aspirations of the constantly evolving consumer. ITC’s pursuit of international competitiveness is reflected in its initiatives in overseas markets. In the extremely competitive US market, ITC offers high-quality, value-priced cigarettes and Roll-your-own solutions. In West Asia, ITC has become a key player in the GCC markets through its export operations. ITC’s cigarettes are manufactured in state-of-the-art factories at Bengaluru, Munger, Saharanpur, Kolkata and Pune, with cutting-edge technology & excellent work practices benchmarked to the best globally. An efficient supply-chain & distribution network reaches India’s popular brands across the length & breadth of the country. 2) FOODS: TC made its entry into the branded & packaged Foods business in August 2001 with the launch of the Kitchens of India brand. A more broad-based entry has been made since June 2002 with brand launches in the Confectionery, Staples and Snack Foods segments. The Foods business is today represented in 4 categories in the market. These are: * Ready to Eat Foods * Staples * Confectionery * Snack Foods In order to assure consumers of the highest standards of food safety and hygiene, ITC is engaged in assisting outsourced manufacturers in implementing world-class hygiene standards through HACCP certification. The unwavering commitment to internationally benchmarked quality standards enabled ITC to rapidly gain market standing in all its 6 brands: * Kitchens of India * Aashirvaad * Sunfeast * Mint-o *Candyman * Bingo! *Yippee! 2) INCENSE STICKS: As part of ITC’s business strategy of creating multiple drivers of growth in the FMCG sector, the Company commenced marketing Agarbattis (Incense Sticks) sourced from small-scale and cottage units in 2003. This Business leverages the core strengths of ITC in nation-wide distribution and marketing, brand building, supply chain management, manufacture of high quality paperboards and the creation of innovative packaging solutions to offer Indian consumers high quality Agarbattis. With its participation in the business, ITC aims to enhance the competitiveness of the small-scale and cottage units through its complementary R&D based product development and strengths in trade marketing and distribution. The Business continues to work on various exciting new offerings to the consumers and is planning to launch them in the near future. In line with ITC’s Triple Bottom Line philosophy of every business contributing to the nation’s economic, environmental and social capital, Mangaldeep agarbattis are manufactured by small scale and cottage units, providing livelihood opportunities for more than 14,000 people. Mangaldeep Agarbatti is manufactured at various centres & 5 of the manufacturing units are ISO 9000 certified. Mangaldeep ASHA (Assistance in Social Habilitation through Agarbattis) is an ITC initiative to improve the quality of raw agarbatti production and provide better livelihood for women rollers. ITC has also extended support to NGOs in states and like Bihar, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, who are setting up agarbatti units, training village women in rolling agarbattis and employing them in these units. ITC has signed a MoU with ORMAS (Orissa Rural Development & Marketing Society), an autonomous body under the Pachayat Raj in Odisha. This initiative provides technical training to rural women & provides employment opportunities to over 4000 rural women†¦ 3) STATIONERY: ITC made its entry to the education and stationery business with its Paperkraft brand in the premium segment in 2002; and later expanded into the popular segment with its Classmate brand in 2003. By 2007, Classmate became the largest Notebook brand in the country. Together, Classmate and Paperkraft offer a range of products in the Education & Stationery space to the discerning consumer, providing unrivalled value in terms of product & price. Classmate and Paperkraft have become a natural extension of the consumer. Meticulous understanding of consumer needs helped creating a relevant and comprehensive portfolio satisfying the needs of different sets of consumers. ITC is the manufacturer of India’s first Ozone treated environment friendly Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp, paper and paperboard. It blends its knowledge of image processing, printing and conversion garnered from Packaging & Printing Business with its brand building and trade marketing & distribution strengths resi dent in its FMCG business to offer superior value products to consumers. Paperkraft Business paper and the papers used in Classmate and Paperkraft notebooks are superior in quality and environment-friendly. Other offerings available in education and Stationery range are safe and certified non-toxic. 4) LIFESTYLE APPAREL: ITC’s Lifestyle Retailing Business Division has established a nationwide retailing presence through its Wills Lifestyle chain of exclusive specialty stores. Wills Lifestyle, the fashion destination, offers a tempting choice of Wills Classic work wear, Wills Sport relaxed wear, Wills Club life evening wear, fashion accessories and Essenza Di Wills – an exclusive range of fine fragrances and bath & body care products and Fiama Di Wills – a range of premium shampoos and shower gels. Wills Lifestyle has also introduced Wills Signature designer wear, designed by the leading designers of the country. Wills Classic Wills Classic work wear was launched in November 2002, providing the premium consumer a distinct product offering and a unique brand positioning. John Players ITC forayed into the youth fashion segment with the launch of In December 2002 and John Players is committed to be the No. 1 fashion brand for the youth. .* HOTELS: ITC Welcome group Hotels, Palaces and Resorts is India’s second largest hotel chain with over 80 hotels. Based out of Hotels Division Headquarters at the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon, ITC Welcome group is also the exclusive franchisee of The Luxury Collection brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in India. ITC entered the hotels business in 1975 with the acquisition of a hotel in Chennai, which was then rechristened ITC Chola. Since then the ITC-Welcomgroup brand has become synonymous with Indian hospitality with over 90 hotels in 77 destinations. * PAPERBOARDS & SPECIALITY PAPERS: ITC Bhadrachalam Paperboards Limited & ITC Tribeni Tissues Division are now under one roof – Paper Boards and Specialty Papers Division. There are 4 Units under one umbrella – Bhadrachalam, Tribeni, Bollarum and Kovai. ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business is the country’s largest convertor of paper board into packaging. It converts over 50,000 tonnes of paper and paperboard per annum into a variety of value-added packaging solutions for the food & beverage, personal products, cigarette, liquor, cellular phone and IT packaging industries. It has also entered the Flexibles and Corrugated Cartons business. *AGRI-BUSINESS: E-Choupal The unique e-Choupal model creates a significant two-way multi-dimensional channel which can efficiently carry products and services into and out of rural India, whilere covering the associated costs through agri-sourcing led efficiencies. This initiative now comprises about 6500 installations covering nearly 40,000 villages and serving over 4million farmers. Leaf Tobacco ITC is the largest buyer, processor and exporter of leaf tobaccos in India – creating a global benchmark as the single largest integrated source of quality tobaccos. Serving customers in 50 countries across more than 70 destinations, ITC co-creates and delivers value at every stage of the leaf tobacco value chain. Corporate strategies ITC is a board-managed professional company, committed to creating enduring value for the shareholder and for the nation. It has a rich organizational culture rooted in its core values of respect for people and belief in empowerment. Its philosophy of all-round value creation is backed by strong corporate governance policies and systems. ITC’s corporate strategies are: Create multiple drivers of growth by developing a portfolio of world class businesses that best matches organizational capability with opportunities in domestic and export markets. Continue to focus on the chosen portfolio of FMCG, Hotels, Paper, Paperboards & Packaging, Agri Business and Information Technology. Benchmark the health of each business comprehensively across the criteria of Market Standing, Profitability and Internal Vitality. Ensure that each of its businesses is world class and internationally competitive. Enhance the competitive power of the portfolio through synergies derived by blending the diverse skills and capabilities residing in ITC are various businesses. Create distributed leadership within the organization by nurturing talented and focused top management teams for each of the businesses. Continuously strengthen and refine Corporate Governance processes and systems to catalyze the entrepreneurial energies of management by striking the golden balance between executive freedom and the need for effective control and accountability. MARKETING STRATEGIES ITC pricing strategy: The pricing of the ITC food division depends upon the Customers’ demand schedule, the cost function and the competitors’ price. The pricing of the company is such that it caters to the need of all income groups of people but special provision has been kept for Low and middle income group, and their pricing are competitive with respect to other players like Britannia, Parle and Brisk farm. The company follows the Going rate pricing that is the price of the product depends upon the competitors price. The firm chooses pricing more or less the same as Market leader. ITC Promotional activities A particular budget is allocated for the promotion of the products, the local promotion scheme is decided by the Area Sales manages, it give its suggestion to the District office and that is forwarded to the Head Quarter in Kolkata. In another promotional scheme for Biscuits a particular number of cases is given freely to the distributors according to the amount of sale they make, this was a drop down promotion I.e. of the number of free cases that a particular distributors gets, off them ascertain part is reserved for the retailers and customer if they buy a certain level of biscuit quantity. ITC Distribution Buoyed by a strong distribution network ITC is likely to retain its market share in the cigarettes business; the ban on advertisements is likely to work in favor of ITC thanks to the recall factor. The company’s reliable distribution network also ensures superior inventory turnover than its peers. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SOCIAL PERFORMANCE As a Company that continuously strives to be ‘Citizen First’, ITC attaches critical importance to its responsibility to contribute to the ‘Triple Bottom Line’, namely the augmentation of economic, ecological and social capital. This commitment finds expression in the Company’s sustainable development philosophy, which recognizes the need to not only preserve but also enrich precious environmental resources. ITC’s social development initiatives harmonize the Company’s endeavour to create shareholder value with making a substantial contribution to society. In partnership with rural communities, ITC supports over 5 million livelihoods in India. The thrust of the Company’s social sector investment is in four areas: (a) Web-enablement of the Indian farmer through the e-Choupal initiative; (b) Natural resource management, which includes wasteland, watershed and agriculture development; (c) Sustainable livelihood creation, comprising gen etic improvement in livestock productivity and women’s economic empowerment; and (d) Community development, with focus on primary education and health & sanitation. MILESTONES 4 million farmers empowered, 6,500 e – Choupals installed 1,45,000 hectares greened, generating 65.67 million person – days of employment 1,21,000 hectares brought under soil and moisture conservation 18,700 women members, 1,494 self – help groups 314 Cattle Development Centers, Animal husbandry services provided to 4,90,000 animals 3,00,000 children covered through 2,845 Supplementary Learning systems 1) Initiatives taken- Let’s put India first ITC is committed to a national agenda of raising agricultural productivity and making the rural economy more socially inclusive. ITC believes that the urgency and scale of these tasks make market linked solutions and innovations more effective and sustainable than capital intensive approaches. 2) Social & farm Forestry ITC has helped to bring nearly 13,000 hectares of wasteland under social forestry benefiting more than 16,000 poor households in 466 villages. ITC’s social forestry programme simultaneously addresses the livelihood problems of marginal farmers and the ecological imperative of regenerating biomass and nurturing depleted soils. 3) Watershed Development ITC’s watershed initiatives have led to an improvement in soil and moisture regimes – there is more land under irrigation, water tables have risen and farmers can harvest more than one crop, making it possible to live off the land round the year. 4) Agricultural Development ITC offers facilitation to farmers to form agri-business societies, pool knowledge and resources, improve productivity and quality, and reach out beyond local markets to sell at better margins. 5) Women Empowerment The confidence and skills generated among women by forming credit groups and managing businesses become assets to their communities. 6) Livestock Development The milk marketing co-operatives represent exemplary change in rural enterprise, away from dependence on agriculture and local markets. 7) Primary Education School going becomes an empowering process for the child and the community. The awareness of entitlements like education and health grows, along with a sense of the community’s responsibility. INVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE Economic progress and long-term business sustainability are today threatened by the real and adverse consequences of global warming and accelerated climate change. ITC has responded to the challenges emerging from the threat of global warming by aligning its corporate strategy with national priorities. Accordingly, in line with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), they have adopted strategies to address climate change-related impacts and developed appropriate mitigation and adaptation plans. Their unique approach has been to integrate these plans with their business strategies and not as separate activities. Their Strategies Include 1. Identifying and evaluating climate change risks for each business. 2. Reducing the environmental impact of our processes, products and services and working towards creating a positive environmental footprint. 3. Adopting a low carbon growth path through reduction in specific energy consumption and enhanced use of renewable energy sources. 4. Enlarging our carbon positive footprint through increased carbon sequestration by expanding forestry projects in wastelands. 5. Reducing specific freshwater intake and augmenting rainwater harvesting activities both on-site and off-site at watershed catchment areas. 6. Working towards minimising waste generation, maximising its reuse and recycling and using external post-consumer waste as raw material in our Units. 7. Creating sustainable livelihoods and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Global honors ITC constantly endeavors to benchmark its products, services and processes to global standards. The Company’s pursuit of excellence has earned it national and international honors. ITC is one of the eight Indian companies to figure in Forbes A-List for 2004, featuring 400 of â€Å"the world’s best big companies†. Forbes has also named ITC among Asia’s ‘Fab 50’ and the World’s Most Reputable Companies. ITC has several firsts to its credit: ITC is the first from India and among the first 10 companies in the world to publish its Sustainability Report in compliance (at the highest A+ level) with the latest G3 guidelines of the Netherlands-based Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a UN-backed, multistakeholder international initiative to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. ITC is the first Indian company and the second in the world to win the prestigious Development Gateway Award. It won the $100,000 Award for the year 2005 for its trailblazing ITC e-Choupal initiative which has achieved the scale of a movement in rural India. The Development Gateway Award recognizes ITC’s e-Choupal as the most exemplary contribution in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development during the last 10 years. ITC e-Choupal won the Award for the importance of its contribution to development priorities like poverty reduction, its scale and replicability, sustainability and transparency. ITC has won the inaugural ‘World Business Award’, the worldwide business award recognizing companies who have made significant efforts to create sustainable livelihood opportunities and enduring wealth in developing countries. The award has been instituted jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the HRH Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF). ITC is the first Corporate to receive the Annual FICCI Outstanding Vision Corporate Triple Impact Award in 2007 for its invaluable contribution to the triple bottom line benchmarks of building economic, social and natural capital for the nation. ITC has won the Golden Peacock Awards for ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (Asia)’ in 2007, the Award for ‘CSR in Emerging Economies 2005’ and ‘Excellence in Corporate Governance’ in the same year. These Awards have been instituted by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, in association with the World Council for Corporate Governance and Centre for Corporate Governance. ITC Hotel Gardenia, Bangalore is the first Indian Hotel and world’s largest, to get the LEED Platinum rating – the highest green building certification globally.