Developing the Artisan Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Developing the Artisan Teacher - Essay Example One of the responsibilities of a school administrator is to provide support to the school. Therefore, one should be familiar with the school resources so that he can quickly provide support to both teachers and students. Administrators also plans, manages finance and are always the first face of the school to a new visitor. He should, therefore, be kind, humble, honest, trustworthy and one that is willing to go the extra mile for others. A teacher is a very instrumental person in a student’s life. His teachings are embedded in the students’ mind. Therefore, every teacher should ensure he promotes values, skills and talents in his pupils’. A teacher who has a one on one time with his student is likely to be more influential and impactful than the one who does not have such time. He can also quickly identify each student’s strength, weaknesses, and talents. For maximum coordination and impact, a class should have a few students. Teachers are unable to manage relatively large classes and thus have a poor result and performance. Quality education is as a result of a well-analyzed topic and a teacher’s ability to share the knowledge in a manner that the students will understand best. However, each teacher has a unique way of teaching. Different approaches may bring optimal results depending on the environment, the students and the situation at hand (Tuck, 2012). A teacher has the mandate to identify skills amongst his student. He should create an environment and tasks that propel the students to bring out their natural skills (Olszewski & Thomson, 2015). The teacher should then attentively and deliberately watch the students as they engage in the different activities so that he can be able to identify what every student is gifted at. Then, he can create more opportunities for each child to develop in the area that they are good at (Ornstein, 2015). An external person listens to a teacher teaching and picks his key strengths

Jacques Louis Davids and Edouard Manets paintings Essay

Jacques Louis Davids and Edouard Manets paintings - Essay Example The essay "Jacques Louis David’s and Edouard Manet’s paintings" gives a review of Edouard Manet’s "The Dead Christ with Angels" and Jacques Louis David’s "The Death of Socrates". The publisher and printmaker John Boydell wrote Sir Joshua Reynolds about the painting; "the greatest effort of art since the Sistine Chapel and the stanze of Raphael. This work would have done honor to Athens at the time of Pericles." The subject of the painting loosely bases on Plato’s Phaedo. In painting it though, David consulted various sources. These include the 1758 monograph by Diderot on dramatic poetry and the poetry works of Andre Chenier. A pose by a figure at the bed’s foot on the painting is believed to have been inspired by passages in a book by English writer Richardson. The painting is well composed with various forms contributing to the unity therein. A visual foundation is provided by the dominating darkness, giving contrast to lighter figures. The few rich and light colors spread out with ease against the dark. A shallow stage provides the background, with activity being confined in a narrow space that is contained and unified by the wall at the back creating severely bounding space. The chromatic color used is predominantly warm, with cool colors being subdued, appearing almost grey. A horizontal rectangle bounds all the action, with figures fitting within the contained space. Continuities and lighting along the figure to the left up to Socrates’ arm create a flat, wide pyramid that presents a unified mass.

Use of self and peer assessment

Use of self and peer assessment Use of Self and Peer assessment Self Assessment describes the activities employed within and outside the classroom that enable the pupil to reflect on what has been learnt and judge it against a set of criteria, e.g. using traffic light systems which give pupils the opportunity to indicate their own thoughts about a piece of work against the given Success Criteria (SC). This could simply be used during a pit-stop or plenary, pupils mark work with an R, A or G or with the relevant colour. I have seen this working effectively with children in Keystage 1. Admittedly lower ability pupils require an element of support but simply completing the process prepares and develops their understanding for the future. Both the whiteboard and the interactive whiteboard are access points for pupils to refer to find their learning objective and success criteria. Often the LO and SC can be located on childrens work. Self Evaluation is the process by which the pupil gains an understanding ofhowthey are learning as opposed towhatthey are learning. There are numerous factors that the class teacher must consider here. Whether there is/are: The right classroom climate Clarity in the intended learning outcome and a model of what success looks like examples of expected outcome, modelled by the teacher or TA Time for self assessment and reflection Training to allow the pupils to assess their own workeffectively e.g. use of traffic light cards and colour indicators Planned opportunities for pupils to assess their work during plenaries and pit-stops Resources provided that help the self assessment process on whiteboard, selected pieces of work Classroom strategies that support self and peer assessment include modelling by the teacher using exemplars: at the beginning, during or after completing tasks, success criteria shared or created and continually referred to by teacher and pupils (see whiteboard photograph), use of questioning techniques that promote higher order thinking, graphic organisers e.g. thumbs up, post its, charts and concept maps that encourage reflection on learning process and learning outcome, reflection time during the lesson referring to agreed success criteria, marking that celebrates and encourages the pupil to reflect on aspects of their work related to success criteria, talk partners are sometimes less inhibiting for pupils to express difficulties. The process develops a more analytical approach to their work as they learn from their partners talks. It is essential that pupils are trained. (And last but not least), setting clear targets that pupils understand and can refer to, in order to improve their work: The Wise Owl has become a universal character through Reception to Year 4 at MACAULAY PRIMARY, to indicate the Learning Objective. Similarly is the use of the Success Criteria toolkit, arming pupils with the things they need to succeed in a given task. Using Talk Partners Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998) indicated that it is crucial that children are familiar with self assessment before embarking on peer assessment, which can be known as ‘talk partners or ‘buddy checkers. Children need to be trained in how to do this and a set of ground rules need to be established. I have spent a lot of time with pupils ensuring they are all fully aware of the expectations. Additionally, the emotional aspect of sharing work with a partner should not be overlooked as children can find it daunting to share their work with other pupils in their class. However, the teaching of literacy seems to lend itself to these types of experiences because of the emphasis on development of speaking and listening skills. As a teacher you should model paired marking for the whole class, using role-play to demonstrate the wrong way and the right way over a piece of work. Recently during our topic on Roald Dahl I produced a piece of descriptive writing which pupils then marked using set criteria. Ive found it useful to use paired marking two thirds of the way through a lesson, so that the children can make the improvement and continue with a better understanding of the quality of the work. In order to develop a sound understanding of AfL I recommend the approaches Shirley Clarke discusses in her book Targeting Assessment in the Primary Classroom and Clarkes Golden Rules for marking with a talk partner should be an essential part of any primary teachers toolkit. The guidelines are clear and can be used to create a class agreement for how best to work with your talk partner. Clarke suggests that both partners should be roughly the same ability, or just one jump ahead or behind, rather than a wide gap, however, I have found that pupils do benefit from working with partners of   varying abilities at selected times. Each pupil should take time to check their own work before a talk partner sees it. The talk partner should begin with a positive comment at least one. The roles of both parties need to be clearly defined. And perhaps displayed for future reference. The talk partner needs time to take in the childs work, so it is best for the author to read out work first. This also establishes ownership of the piece. Children need to be trained in the success and improvement process, or whatever is being used, so that they are confident with the steps involved. Children must both agree the part to be changed. The author should make the marks on his or her work, as a result of the paired discussion. Children need to be reminded that the focus of their task is the learning intention for the piece of work. The talk partner should ask for clarification rather than jump to conclusions. The improvement suggestions should be verbal and not written down. The only writing necessary is the identification of the success(es) and the improvement itself. Common experiences, I have observed in the teaching of literacy include: Use of talk partners Peer and Self Assessment Time to respond to marking Comments to help children improve However, I have found that there can be issues with ensuring pupils have time to respond to the comments made. During the spring term in Year 2, we provided pupils with time solely for this purpose; this was very successful and allowed me, as the class teacher to provide vital feedback essential for the children to progress. A second issue is having time to mark pupils work in this way, the policy indicates that not all pieces of work require marking in full but to select one key piece a week in each subject, making this a more realistic objective. As part of a continuous process of monitoring individual progress at Macaulay Primary School, some work, for example in Golden Books, is marked according to National Curriculum levels. Trialling within a year group, a key stage and as a whole school is carried out to ensure that levelling is correct, this is moderate by the Literacy Coordinators and ensures continuity throughout the school. The Golden Book follows the children through each year group during their time in the school, instantly providing evidence of progression.

Subliminal Perception, Neuropsychology, and the I-Function :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Unconscious Processing: Subliminal Perception, Neuropsychology, and the I-Function In his 1957 book The Hidden Persuaders, Vance Packard warned the American public that "Large-scale efforts are being made, often with impressive success, to channel our unthinking habits, our purchasing decisions, and our thought processes... Typically these efforts take place beneath our level of awareness; so that the appeals which move us are often, in a sense, hidden" (1). Packard was convinced - perhaps rightly so - that advertisers were "professional persuaders" whose marketing techniques were deceptive and overly manipulative. Not only were advertisers becomingly increasingly adept at developing campaigns, pitches, and slogans to send specific messages to targeted consumer populations, but some had gone so far as to suggest that such messages could be effective even if they were presented below the level of conscious awareness. James Vicary, one of the market researchers and entrepreneurs profiled in Packard's book, claimed to have developed a machine capable of flashing such unnoticeable, "subliminal messages" within big screen movies. Vicary had allegedly tested his technique by altering movies so that messages urging viewers to "Eat Popcorn" and to "Drink Coke" were displayed at regular intervals throughout the film for such brief durations that they could not be consciously perceived. Vicary claimed that his subliminal messages resulted in a significant increase in sales of popcorn and coke (1). Although no experiment involving subliminal messages has ever replicated the success which Vicary claimed to have achieved and, in fact, Vicary later admitted that it had been no more than a marketing gimmick, the possibility of subliminal or unconscious perception has not been dismissed. In fact, although the use of subliminal messages is generally considered a foolish and invalid practice, the more general phenomenon of subliminal/unconscious perception deserves to be reevaluated in light of current debates surrounding the nature of consciousness. Subliminal or unconscious perception refers to the idea that stimuli presented below the threshold for conscious awareness can influence an individual's thoughts, feelings, or actions (2). The possibility that an individual can acquire and act on input without being aware of doing so has implications for the study of consciousness and the larger set of processes which characterize the I-function. It is generally assumed that that conscious perception of a stimulus is necessary in order to act on that stimulus, and this conscious decision to act is one of several processes which characterize the I-function.

Engineering Economic analysis Essay

Relevant psychological and physiological effects were found to occur in a promotion or transition process and these include the increased stress due to more challenging job experience and more demanding job responsibilities and the observation that the promoted technical person will become more people oriented and less technically oriented. The stress created could either result to positive or negative consequences to the just promoted manager. If positive, the promotion may make him or her happy in the job but if not the negative effects could result to the company not attaining its organizational objective. Motivational and leadership theories could be incorporated in the daily routine to the workplace but the their incorporation must take into consideration the assumptions and conditions under which theories may be applied in order to assure the company of a better chance of benefiting from their incorporation as people may react differently in a way that may contradict the intended purpose or purposes of the theories. It is an accepted business reality that people are the most important part of the organization but they are the same time the greatest liability if they are not motivated which makes it easy to attribute success or failure of the business to people and their decisions and actions. Applying or incorporating the theories is possible but requires a great deal of challenge to management because it is difficult to determine with certainty the different conditions under which the theories and motivations and leadership may apply. In however making the decision to incorporate the theories into the daily routine of the workplace, advantages could be found in the greater chance of having motivated employees that would help the organization in attaining its vision but at the same time disadvantages are also inevitable for incorporating the same on the basis of the risk of making decisions to incorporate for not all incorporations of theories will result to a successful end. This paper asserts that certain foreseen and relevant psychological and physiological effects may occur in a promotion or transition process of technical person, using another person’s personal on-the-job experience, and the managerial visionary concepts covered/discussed in both MSE504 (Engineering Management and previously MSE404) and MSE602 (Advanced Engineering Management.) This further asserts that incorporating the theories of â€Å"Motivation and Leadership† into the daily routine of the company (workplace) from the perspective of engineer advancing in positions and that of an accomplished engineering manager is not easy as the theories are applicable under different set of assumptions or conditions which the present company does not readily lend without effecting changes to the higher corporate strategies of the organization. It is further asserted that in so incorporating the said theories touches upon different pertinent theories and job-related experiences that cover key attributes of management such as: risk-taking and decision-making, judgment by trial and error, performance monitoring and evaluation, observation and interpretation, strategizing and behavioral analysis and that in so having various effects among these attributes of management, advantages and disadvantages as well as ramifications could be observed as they personal conduct, overall managerial tasks, and the company’s operational vision.

Business Survival in a Recession Essay

The key to business survival in recession is leadership† To what extent do you agree with this view? There are many different ways in which a business can use techniques to survive in a recession and here leadership is the key focus. To explain fully I will be focusing upon such ideas as the type of leadership management used, motivational effects where a business motivates the demoting factors such as ‘cuts’, for example sack employees to reduce costs that may viable save a business, the role of leaders in setting about change and management in bringing about the idea of change/ new instructions. Yet as well as the positives there are the negatives to a leadership styles and how its managed within a recession, so such factors as limited resources from change, an example being the reduction in the workforce size, the role of stake holders that ask the questions whether one leader is enough in a recession in comparison yet the leadership throughout the whole organisation. Particular business example such as ‘British Airways’ and ‘Sainsbury’ case studies and finally the external factors that inhibit a business chances for survival in a recession. Most certainly one of the most relevant points to make about a business trying to survive in a recession is the type of leadership management that is in place. For a success full leader and many styles can be used in times of desperate measures; here I would suggest during a recession that an Autocratic style of leadership needs to be followed, clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. Although for the short term this aggressive direct approach needs to be considered to get a business through the hard times it had to face. For example with Margret Thatcher who was in power during the last recession in the 1990’s had to use this style of leadership to get the country out of the problem, yet left certain problems in doing so. If this is not to be the most productive method of leadership during a recession managers may adopt the Democratic leadership style where leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. Although the type of leadership is successful in producing high quality it is less productive than that of an Autocratic leadership style. Motivational factors are essential for a business survival in a recession whether it’s for the employees/ staff or the customers who have the purchasing power. Both these groups need to be aimed at by the higher authorities of a business to allow for a good circular flow of income to keep the business stable in hard times such as the recession. Although this motivation may comes in many different ways some being bad and the others being good, for a business such motivational factors as making ‘cuts’ and redundancies of employees to allow for a business to keep up with costs will see demotivation amongst labour workers but may see improvement in the costs in which they have to pay. Reduction of stock and capacity utilisation will see a lower work ethos, as less produce will be produced. By not overstocking and hoping that it will sell a business may have to adopt a ‘JIT’ or just in time method of production to satisfy orders the have at present rather than in the future. So here leaders/ managers must make the decisions to implement whether to make the changes needed to allow the business to survive for the time of the recession or maintain their current workforce and level of stock and hope the business is successful and can still sell their products. The introduction and bringing around of change is in some cases problematic for a business in terms of the employees views of change and valid in times where its essential to keep the business floating. Such examples as General motor’s, IBM, and Sears are ones that need pushing for organizational improvement, whether they are external members of the board, major investors, or top executives; they must deal with cultural and behavioral obstacles to change. Specifically, attempts at organizational change must consider three key features of organizational life: the firm’s culture, the leadership of the change effort, and the existing network of power. Company culture is important because it can make or break a company. Companies with an adaptive culture that is aligned to their business goals routinely outperform their competitors. Company cultures evolve and they change over time. As employee leave the company and replacements are hired the company culture will change. If it is a strong culture, it may not change much. However, since each new employee brings their own values and practices to the group the culture will change, and with this could include different motivational factors and views of other workers; so its vital for a business to include employees and workers in the changes a manager/ leader may wish to implement so such things as strikes and revolts do not occur. The roll of stakeholders in a business is essential as they can decide where a business should go and what should be done during times of recession. Here employees, investors, sharholders, customers and suppliers are all stakeholders that need to be satisfied in order for them to continue to invest within the business to keep it running. Employees should all see where the business is heading, and where it is heading towards otherwise they might see little point in changes in changes that have been made and may become suspicious. It is very important that the changes are explained clearly to employees and that any fear they may have are properly addressed. Investors are important because the business relies on their investment to finance the decisions that it takes. They may become worried that the business has no overall direction and look for other places to put their money. If they are unhappy this could leave the business weakened and prone to take-over. Shareholders are interested in any decision that effects the dividends that they receive is their share of profits. Any decision that will reduce profits, even for a short while, will not be popular with the shareholders. So here the managers of the business would want to avoid this in such poor economic times, so they would have to consider how shareholders will feel about the decisions made. Customers will be concerned if the decisions affect the price, quality, or service of the product they may change their buying habits if the product does not meet their requirements. Suppliers will want to get regular orders with prompt payment, these may be effected by the decisions made by the business. To conclude I do feel that the key to business survival in recession is leadership. For example a business that had a bad leadership style during the recession was British Airways where Willie Walsh’s decisions where poor communication amongst the companies stake holders saw strikes and grounded airlines. With the limited flights due to the poor leadership the business has lost a large amount of profits and the costs the company has to pay in order to compensate customers; the company now and is still in problematic times to regain the motivation and reassurance of the customers.

metallic conductor essays

metallic conductor essays Determination of r for a Metallic Conductor To determine the resistivity (r) of a given sample of wire Physical factors that affect the resistance of a conductor are length, cross sectional area and a constant that depends upon the material called the resistivity. The resistance per unit length is the same all along a uniform wire so if the resistance of different lengths of a wire is found out, the resistivity can be calculated. Resistance of a material, R = Voltage Current Resistance of a conductor, R = r Ãâ€" Length Cross sectional area - given sample of wire ( 5 m) - variable resistor is used to alter the resistance to change the current and voltage for each length - ammeter the 5 ampere outlet was used since the current was generally over 1 amperes - voltmeter the 5 volt outlet was used because voltage was always below 5 volts - meter stick more appropriate than a 30 cm ruler because the length is changed by 50 cm each time - micrometer since the wire is very thin an accurate measurement of the diameter can be obtained by using a micrometer with an uncertainty of 0.0005mm. 1. Set up the apparatus as shown on the diagram. 2. Make sure the voltmeter outlet is at 5 volts and the ammeter outlet is at 1 amp. 3. Measure 50 cm of the wire using the meter stick. 4. Connect this part of the wire to the circuit using the crocodile clips. 5. Make sure the wire is not touching other parts of the wire. 6. Turn the power supply on, record the voltage and current. 7. Using the variable resistor, alter the resistance and take 4 more different readings of voltage and current for this length. 8. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for 5 more times, each time increase the length of wire by 50 cm using the meter s ...

Homeschool Planning and Organizational Tips

Homeschool Planning and Organizational Tips With the fresh start of a new year, January is a prime time for focusing on planning and organizing. This is true for homeschooling families, as well. This round-up of planning and organizing articles will help you prune time-wasters and become a master planner in your homeschool. How to Write a Homeschooling Philosophy Statement Learning how to write a homeschooling philosophy statement is an often over-looked, but logical first step in homeschooling planning and organization. If you have a clear picture of why you’re homeschooling and what you hope to accomplish, it’s much easier to figure out how to get there. A philosophy statement can also be helpful for parents of teens in explaining to colleges what your student has learned in your homeschool. This article offers a peek into the authors personal homeschool philosophy statement to give you a model for your own. How to Write Homeschool Lesson Plans If you still dont quite have a handle on the hows and whys of homeschool lesson planning, dont miss this article. It outlines several scheduling options and basic methods of lesson planning. It also features practical tips for writing realistic lesson plans that will allow plenty of room for flexibility. Homeschool Daily Schedules Get yourself and your kids organized in the new year by refining your homeschool daily schedule. Whether you prefer detailed plans or simply a predictable daily routine, these scheduling tips take into account your familys schedule and your kids peak productivity times. Homeschool schedules are as varied as the families they represent, so there is no right or wrong schedule. However, these tips can help you to work out the most effective schedule for your unique family. Teach Kids Organization With a Homeschool Schedule Daily schedules arent just for homeschooling parents. They are an excellent resource for teaching kids organizational and time management skills that they can use throughout their lives. The freedom and flexibility of homeschooling allows kids the opportunity to practice structuring their day and managing their time while under the guidance of their parents. Learn how to create a homeschool schedule for your students and the benefits of doing so. 4 Steps to Writing Your Own Unit Studies You may want to work on planning your own unit studies in the upcoming year. Doing so is not as intimidating as it may sound and can actually be quite enjoyable. This article outlines four practical steps for writing your own topical studies based on your kids’ interests. It includes scheduling tips to help you get the most out of each unit without overwhelming yourself or your kids. Spring Cleaning Tips for Homeschool Parents These 5 spring cleaning tips are also perfect for a mid-year organizational purge. Discover practical tips for dealing with all the papers, projects, books, and supplies that homeschooling families tend to accumulate over the year. A January purge may be just what you need to start the second semester clutter-free and focused. 10 Homeschool Support Group Topic Ideas If you’re a leader in your local homeschool group, chances are your New Year planning will include outings and events for your homeschool group. This article offers 10 support group topic ideas, including several that will be applicable in the first few months of the new year, including: Identifying and coping with learning strugglesOvercoming  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ or avoiding  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ homeschool burnoutCombating spring feverHow to wrap up your homeschool year Homeschool Field Trips Whether you’re planning field trips for your homeschool group or just for your family, this planning article is a must-read. It outlines practical tip for stress-free planning and offers field trip destination suggestions that will appeal to a wide variety of student ages and interests. If you’re like the majority of the population, this is the time of year that you’re focused on planning and organizing for the fresh start of a new year. Don’t overlook the opportunity to do so for the fresh start of your next homeschool semester!

How Salt Melts Ice and Snow

How Salt Melts Ice and Snow If you live in an area with a cold and icy winter, you have probably experienced salt on sidewalks and roads. This is because salt is used to melt the ice and snow and keep it from refreezing. Salt is also used to make homemade ice cream. In both cases, the salt works by lowering the melting or freezing point of water. The effect is termed freezing point depression. How Freezing Point Depression Works When you add salt to water, you introduce dissolved foreign particles into the water. The freezing point of water becomes lower as more particles are added until the point where the salt stops dissolving. For a solution of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) in water, this temperature is -21 C (-6 F) under controlled lab conditions. In the real world, on a real sidewalk, sodium chloride can melt ice only down to about -9 C (15 F). Colligative Properties Freezing point depression is a colligative property of water. A colligative property is one which depends on the number of particles in a substance. All liquid solvents with dissolved particles (solutes) demonstrate colligative properties. Other colligative properties include boiling point elevation, vapor pressure lowering, and osmotic pressure. More Particles Mean More Melting Power Sodium chloride isnt the only salt used for de-icing, nor is it necessarily the best choice. Sodium chloride dissolves into two types of particles: one sodium ion and one chloride ion per sodium chloride molecule. A compound that yields more ions into a water solution would lower the freezing point of water more than salt. For example, calcium chloride (CaCl2) dissolves into three ions (one of calcium and two of chloride) and lowers the freezing point of water more than sodium chloride. Salts Used to Melt Ice Here are some common de-icing compounds, as well as their chemical formulas, temperature range, advantages, and disadvantages: Name Formula Lowest Practical Temp Pros Cons Ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 -7 C(20 F) Fertilizer Damages concrete Calcium chloride CaCl2 -29 C(-20 F) Melts ice faster than sodium chloride Attracts moisture, surfaces slippery below -18Â °C (0Â °F) Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) Calcium carbonate CaCO3, magnesium carbonate MgCO3, and acetic acid CH3COOH -9 C(15 F) Safest for concrete vegetation Works better to prevent re-icing than as ice remover Magnesium chloride MgCl2 -15 C(5 F) Melts ice faster than sodium chloride Attracts moisture Potassium acetate CH3COOK -9 C(15 F) Biodegradable Corrosive Potassium chloride KCl -7 C(20 F) Fertilizer Damages concrete Sodium chloride (rock salt, halite) NaCl -9 C(15 F) Keeps sidewalks dry Corrosive, damages concrete vegetation Urea NH2CONH2 -7 C(20 F) Fertilizer Agricultural grade is corrosive Factors That Affect Which Salt to Choose While some salts are more effective at melting ice than others, that doesnt necessarily make them the best choice for a certain application. Sodium chloride is used for ice cream makers because its inexpensive, readily available, and non-toxic. Yet, sodium chloride (NaCl) is avoided for salting roads and sidewalks because the sodium can accumulate and upset the electrolyte balance in plants and wildlife, plus it can corrode automobiles. Magnesium chloride melts ice more quickly than sodium chloride, but it attracts moisture, which can lead to slick conditions. Selecting a salt to melt ice depends on its cost, availability, environmental impact, toxicity, and reactivity, in addition to its optimal temperature.

Report - Usability and Anthropometrics for ROWENTA Intensium Bagless Assignment

Report - Usability and Anthropometrics for ROWENTA Intensium Bagless Vacuum Cleaner - Assignment Example By the end of the report a clear evaluation of the appliance achieved by experimenting it with users will be covered. The report also offers an analysis of performance in regard to ergonomic principles. Although, it is widely thought that bag-less vacuums were developed just the recently, the features have been in use since time immemorial.  The previous vacuums, for example used bag-less qualities until about three decades ago, when the feature was discarded.   The manufacturers abandoned making bag-less vacuums on hygienic grounds.   The usability of such appliances was low.  One had to remove the bag part off and empty the dirt in the garbage. This was a daunting task, especially when a dustbin or refuse disposal was not near.  Additionally, the appliance’s use over time would result in the clogging of the filtration in the bag, following more dust accumulation (Gavriel, 2012). Most users were prompted to wash the cloth bag in order to achieve adequate efficiency when the cloth had become dirty.  The current world has, however, seen the comeback of the bag-less vacuum. Rowenta Intensium Bag-less Vacuum Cleaner is arguably one such equipment that is as well-lik ed as before due to its effective usability qualities. According to Gavriel (2012), the primary reason behind the widespread use of the appliance is that one does not need to purchase vacuum bags to operate it. This implies more savings on the part of the user.  Additionally, as the chamber in which dirt collects becomes increasingly filled with dirt, it should just be removed and emptied in the refuse bin.  Another advantage of using the Rowenta appliance is that any more accumulation of dirt in the chamber does not impact its continued functionality, and that one can practically read the amount of dirt being absorbed by the vacuum cleaner, hence the ease to tell whether the appliance is functioning well, and the level of dirt

Ompensation laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ompensation laws - Essay Example This paper presents analysis of a case study in light of the compensation laws. The characters are Orlando (lender) and Kate (borrower). I am supposed to advise Orlando apropos his wish to sue Kate for the remaining amount of debt that he had formerly waived. Before writing my advice to Orlando, it is customary to briefly review the various contract laws and conditions that apply on the case under consideration. Promissory estoppel: Promissory estoppel is employed as one of the legal principles in US law. It may also exist in many other legal systems with a different title. â€Å"Promissory estoppel allows a party to recover on a promise even though that promise was made without consideration† (Oppenheimer, 2011). It necessarily keeps an individual from asserting that a promise he/she made in the past is not to be upheld. When a party who holds a contract with another party, makes a promise to it that essentially waives any or all traits of the contract between the two, upon c ertain conditions that the other party complies with, the promisor no more remains in a position to enforce the contract at a later point in time. This is the fundamental principle of promissory estoppel. The law gives all the importance to a contract in the analysis of cases. Previously, a promise that rendered the contract unenforceable in any way was not given any consideration as per the common law theory. However, promises were frequently made in practice that caused considerable abuse that was not adequately addressed by the common law. Equity later brought up a new disparity of estoppel. Because of that, although the promise was not given due consideration, the promisor is deprived of the right to enforce the earlier contract against which, he/she had made a promise to the other party. Contract offer and acceptance: In contract law, a traditional approach that can be used to check whether or not an agreement sustains between two or more parties, is the offer and acceptance an alysis. An offer is a suggestion made by one entity to another whereby the first expresses a will to engage in a contract on clearly defined conditions. The contract does not leave any room for further discussions. The rules are clearly identified and fixed. Once the second entity accedes to the conditions put forth by the first entity and conveys its acceptance to the offerer, a contract is established. A contract forms as a result of momentary unionization of minds of the parties entering it, and serves as a standard for the time to come. Such developments as the estoppel law, unjust enhancement and inappropriate conduct have caused considerable damage to the classical contract development approach. Part payment of debt: Part payment of debt involves partial return of the debt instead of full by the borrower to the lender. When looked at from the perspective this contract law, Orlando may still have some rights to exercise. Although Orlando consented to accept ?625 from Kate in fu ll satisfaction of the original amount i.e. ?1250, this does not bind Orlando by his promise. The law offers Orlando right to demand the remaining amount by suing Kate at a later point in time. â€Å"Part payment of a lesser sum, on the day (that it is due) cannot be any satisfaction for the whole because it appears to the judges that by no possibility a lesser sum can be satisfaction to the claimant for a greater sum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (SIC, 2010). However, Orlando has lost his right over the rest of the money because the case involves one of the three exceptions to the general rule. The case reveals that Orlando has asked Kate to return half of the money till Wednesday, but Kate paid him the sum on Tuesday instead of Wednesday which essentially means that Orlando had accepted the payment, one day in advance of the payment date he had formerly told Kate. According to the law, if the creditor accepts the payment in advance of the due date, he waives his/her right to sue the borrower lat er (SIC, 2010). Consideration: Consideration is the name of a benefit of any sort

Societal Forces Affecting Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Societal Forces Affecting Science - Essay Example Half were given an application from a â€Å"male† applicant. The other half were given the identical application, from a â€Å"female†. The allegedly female applicant was consistently marked as a less competent and less likely candidates than were the allegedly male applicants (Yuriewicz). Thus, gender bias definitely exists in the scientific community, and it blocks equality of opportunity (Yuriewicz). Masculine bias would obviously shape the field of science significantly. The findings strongly indicated that female scientists also rated male applicants as more competent and more likely candidates (Yuriewicz). This indicates that the bias in those who pride themselves on objectivity is sub-conscious, and unquestioned. This effect can and should be minimized through gender bias awareness training, and through a more objective applicant screening process, one carried out by a computer program, for example. A positive influence bias in science is the strong bias for journal publication and citation search indexes to include only English research articles (Granda-Orive, Solano-Reina and Jimenez-Ruiz 104). There is a negative influence, in that language, not quality, positions papers to be cited and quoted (104). Yet, there is a positive influence in that language and thought are closely intertwined, and it is beneficial to the advancement of scientific knowledge for there to be a global base from which to theorize. Replication is part of the scientific method, so common language brings common understanding and a common framework within which to communicate. The negative effect can and should be minimized by maintaining a citation database for non-English papers, but the positive influence of this bias outweighs the negative impact, and should be

Conflict in America Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper

Conflict in America Legalizing Marijuana - Research Paper Example During the previous government, this drug was illegal; however, when Obama’s government took power, it legalized marijuana and several states followed suit. This did not amuse the federal government, who were opposed to the move; it criticized the act and even went forth to pronounce legal action on those states and people found trading marijuana. Since this is an issue that may threaten national stability in the United States, it can be resolved by having the two bodies harmonize and come up with the best solution, rather than living with disputes. Keywords: Marijuana, State Laws, Federal Laws Every new government in the US comes with its own laws that favor it; the laws made reflect the promises of the new government and its political party. During the reign of President George W. Bush between the years 2001 to 2009, the government had enforced laws against marijuana. It took actions against those who dealt with the drug. However, when the government of President Obama took office, there was a different approach on marijuana; the government no longer took actions against those who were trading on the drug. According to Morgan (2011), the attorney general announced that the government was no longer going to deal with issues of marijuana peddling anymore. The announcement caused a lot of uproar from those who did not support the idea. The memorandum by the attorney general acknowledged the presence of conflict on marijuana between the federal and the state laws. As at present, the federal laws prohibit all deals on marijuana and according to the US drug enforcement administration, marijuana lacks a safe way of using it and has a high potential of becoming abused (Morgan, 2011). On the other hand, the state laws do not conform to the federal laws. An example of this is California, which became the first state to legalize marijuana, and 15 other states soon followed it. The many conflicts surrounding marijuana are not only found at federal and state domain s. This issue is also present in the medical domain; there are two contrasting arguments of medics concerning marijuana, with one group arguing that the use of marijuana has no effect to the body and the other arguing that it has effects. The American thoracic society reported that most marijuana users had no increased lung infections, while the British lung foundation had filed a report in 2002 citing the adverse effects of marijuana in the human body (Morgan, 2011). Conflict on marijuana is a major issue and of great concern. The greatest effect to Obama’s government is in the political arena. This is because most of those who are opposed to the move could use this chance to ambush an attack to the government, especially given that during the reign of the Republican Party, Marijuana was banned. Democrats’ risk losing their popularity among anti-marijuana citizens and organizations. Most international organizations and nations classify marijuana as a drug and in most countries, its use and trade is prohibited and punished by law. Permission by American government to its citizens to trade and use marijuana offers risks to the country; these include risks of losing reputation amongst international communities among others. In the New York Times, Savage (2012) informs that, â€Å"Several had cautioned that the issue had raised several legal and complex issues†. The complex issues were based on international antidrug

The Benefits Of Diversity To British Society And As To How Such A Essay

The Benefits Of Diversity To British Society And As To How Such A Diverse Society May Cause Its Own Tension And Conflict - Essay Example The migration of people into Britain including work permit holders in 2003 was 119000. When the increase in the population was 2.2 million, 1.14 million was from abroad. Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester and Oldham have Pakistanis and Indians. French, Portuguese, Greeks, Poles and Zimbabweans make up smaller proportions of the foreign- born. However when the second generation who are citizens are considered, the number just swells (Wood et al, 2006, p. 2). The debate on the diversity issue is an ongoing one. Originally the issues dwelled on how many people Britain could accommodate as new citizens. The conservative right viewed immigration as a threat to the national perspective (Banting and Will, 2004). Tensions are possible in 2 situations: the â€Å"heterogeneity/redistribution† tension and the recognition/ redistribution. In the first, social policies are difficult to implement because of the difficulty in eliciting trust and national solidarity among the ethnic groups or different races. Occasionally the multiculturalism policies increase the tension between diversity and social solidarity. Both reduce the support for redistribution. A British sociologist, T.H.Marshall, believed that citizenship must possess a feeling of community and have the feelings of trust, reciprocity or mutual obligation. The immigrants having been awarded many social benefits called social citizenship, developed a national consciousness (1950, p.8) . Social capital is hindered by ethnicity issues. Trusting one’s neighbours and getting involved in the social networks supports the capacity for collective action (Putnam, 2000). It is difficult to earn the trust of minorities when compared to the majority; trusting across racial differences is a challenge. However other factors like income, gender, age and social spending appear to score over ethnicity. The level of social spending in ethnic diversity depends on the amount of economic development, age distribution of the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 125

Assignment Example Therefore, the participation of these different groups makes procurement a cross-disciplinary process. Public beheading means killing a supplier in public when they do not meet the supply requirements. Such an action invokes efficiency in supply, given that non-performance leads to death. Consequently, most suppliers at this time ensured that they fulfilled the requirement of the king by all means, which promoted operations in the kingdom. However, the lack of power in the hands of the suppliers led to their oppression, given that the market at times faces uncertainties that could affect supply. Following the establishment of the law of contract, an organization can choose to sue a supplier who does not abide by the contract terms of delivery. In other cases, an organization can work with multiple suppliers, to, maintain continuity of operations when one supplier fails. I believe in the power of negotiations. Interacting with suppliers can enhance this skill as relations can be built between the organization and the suppliers. Consequently, an organization can bargain for better prices, thus leading to low cost of purchasing. The low cost translates into low product prices, thus increasing the competitive edge of the organization. Alternatively, the organization can negotiate for suitable credit terms that allow it to operate normally in cases of reduced cash flow. Technical skills also play a major role in procurement. They ensure the purchase of technologically viable products. This leads to the proper integration of technology with the existing business structures, thus promoting the ability of the organization to develop innovative strategies that lead to success. Computer proficiency continues to rank as one of the most important skills in an organization. The use of computers leads to the standardization of various processes in the organization, thus enhancing uniformity. Computer applications also make work easier, and allow the organization to

The Benefits Of Diversity To British Society And As To How Such A Essay

The Benefits Of Diversity To British Society And As To How Such A Diverse Society May Cause Its Own Tension And Conflict - Essay Example The migration of people into Britain including work permit holders in 2003 was 119000. When the increase in the population was 2.2 million, 1.14 million was from abroad. Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester and Oldham have Pakistanis and Indians. French, Portuguese, Greeks, Poles and Zimbabweans make up smaller proportions of the foreign- born. However when the second generation who are citizens are considered, the number just swells (Wood et al, 2006, p. 2). The debate on the diversity issue is an ongoing one. Originally the issues dwelled on how many people Britain could accommodate as new citizens. The conservative right viewed immigration as a threat to the national perspective (Banting and Will, 2004). Tensions are possible in 2 situations: the â€Å"heterogeneity/redistribution† tension and the recognition/ redistribution. In the first, social policies are difficult to implement because of the difficulty in eliciting trust and national solidarity among the ethnic groups or different races. Occasionally the multiculturalism policies increase the tension between diversity and social solidarity. Both reduce the support for redistribution. A British sociologist, T.H.Marshall, believed that citizenship must possess a feeling of community and have the feelings of trust, reciprocity or mutual obligation. The immigrants having been awarded many social benefits called social citizenship, developed a national consciousness (1950, p.8) . Social capital is hindered by ethnicity issues. Trusting one’s neighbours and getting involved in the social networks supports the capacity for collective action (Putnam, 2000). It is difficult to earn the trust of minorities when compared to the majority; trusting across racial differences is a challenge. However other factors like income, gender, age and social spending appear to score over ethnicity. The level of social spending in ethnic diversity depends on the amount of economic development, age distribution of the

Poetry essay Essay Example for Free

Poetry essay Essay ?How does Owen Sheers use language, form and structure to explore ideas about separation and division in ‘Winter Swans’? The Poem ‘Winter Swans’ seems to convey a strong theme of natural love. The poem begins with setting a scene of a peaceful day, where nature seems to be stilled after the torrential weather that is referred to in the first line through ‘The clouds had given their all. ’ It goes on to say that there was then a ‘break’, and throughout the poem the poet uses words such as ‘silent’ and ‘rolling’, ‘stilling’ and ‘slow-stepping’ to capture this scene of peace and serenity, as if the world was resting after being thrashed about by a storm. With the idea of a natural love, there comes the confusion and the inartificial knowledge that love is not materialistic, a feeling and something that can not be brought on by force. Through all natural love stories come feelings of hurt and division. A separation that brings the subjects closer and strengthens the emotion. Sheers uses the theme of leaving, and then returning, or rage, and then peace, or the unknown, and then the known to reoccur throughout the poem, eventually strengthening the love, which could be argued as the main emotion of the poem. The poet also uses imagery such as ‘lakes and ‘swans’, to symbolise the peacefulness, and also to symbolise love. You notice words that show the subject is not alone, with ‘we’ and ‘our’. These words and also the motion of the swans, the lake, and the peacefulness are foreshadowing that the poem will take a turning onto love that is more literate. However I don’t think that the poems theme is so much about love in particular, but about a natural love, a natural pull that brings two people together even after hard times. Sheer’s uses Swans as a metaphor of love, the way swans will smoothly dip in and out of the water, and how they are known to curve towards and away from each other as if dancing on ice. They are the perfect example to show the way love will draw away and then come back. He uses vocabulary ranging from ‘silent’ and ‘rolling’ to ‘righting’ and ‘rough’ to show the separation and how quickly the emotions get confused, and how quickly compassion will turn into anger, and vice versa. The poem begins referring to this in the first stanza with weather, as raging storm. And then a ‘break’. The poet then adds on ‘in which we walked’, showing possibly that the subject and whoever they are with also went through a hard time, but are now peaceful along with the nature. In the fourth stanza it describes the swans ‘halving themselves’ in the ‘dark water’, to portray a hard time, but then ‘returning again like boats righting in rough weather’ It then moves onto the poems only piece of speech, â€Å"they mate for life. † Which rounds off the conclusion of the theme of the poem, that although there are hard times, they will always be pulled back together. The poem then shows this also applies for the people, as at the beginning of the poem it describes them as being ‘silent and apart’, but right at the end it shows them holding hands, symbolising how they are together. The poem’s theme is concluded with comparing them to a ‘pair of wings settling after flight’, to show that finally, the emotion has strengthened, and they can settle after the confusion and separation.

Personal Experience Of Interprofessional Working

Personal Experience Of Interprofessional Working In order for an individual to receive holistic, high quality health and social care services, effective communication and multi disciplinary working between professionals is imperative (Ashcroft et al, 2005). I will discuss my personal experience of interprofessional working, both in regards to the conference and the on line group work undertaken. I will also explore how the module relates to my own experiences in practice, drawing on literature and policy of both a political, professional and social nature. The team of which I was a member consisted of students studying adult nursing and medicine. I was the only group member studying social work which initially did create a barrier in respect of the perception held by the other group members of what a social work practitioners role is. It was clear, following initial introductions, that some group members held a stereotypical view of social workers and were very dismissive of the work carried out by practitioners. It is essential, when working interprofessionaly that practitioners are mindful of the various methods employed by associated health and social care professionals and vital, therefore, that practitioners become aware of their own possible prejudices, through reflection on their practice. This reflective process assists to ensure potential negative stereotyping does not hinder the outcome of the work carried out by the team and have a detrimental effect on the care provided to the service user ( Fook, 2002). Through discussion it transpired that much of this stereotypical view had been constructed through the influence of the medias portrayal of social workers. During the conference group members cited television documentaries in which social workers failings were highlighted. Lombard ( 2009) argues that this type of media attention is damaging not just to social work but to all allied health and social care staff, attributing it to a possible lack of comprehension of the profession. Earlier this year a national advertising campaign was introduced. This aimed to draw attention to the role social workers play in safeguarding children and adults and to achieve a more positive, public perception of the profession ( McGregor, 2010). The perceived lower professional position of social workers, held by other health professionals, however, is argued by Barbour (1985) as being a source of high anxiety for students studying on social work courses. However, it became apparent as the conference continued and discussions were held, that as a social work student I had gained experience of a wide range of practice settings and of working interprofessionally in order to achieve the best possible care provision for the service user. These practice experiences enabled me to reflect on both positive and negative factors of working with other professionals and to contribute to the group discussion with examples of interprofessional work in which I had participated. An example of which is regarding a case I care managed whilst working within a hospital social work team. In order to facilitate a safe discharge home for an older person with dementia, input was required from various disciplines. Occupational therapy support was ne cessary to ensure the home environment would still be suitable and assessment from the community psychiatric nurse was also completed in respect of service provision to maintain the emotional and mental well- being of the service user. Ongoing communication between involved professionals was therefore essential, for an effective outcome for the service user to be achieved. This illustrates the highly significant role of interprofessional education for students studying to practice in the health and social care field. Reeves et al (2009) argue that interprofessional education has impacted notably on patient care in, for example, the improved knowledge and expertise of staff providing care to individuals with mental health issues. The discussion of practice experience, I feel, added positively to the group and perhaps began to reduce the preconceptions held by other group members of lack of professional competency executed by social workers (Carpenter Hewstone,1996). Through the process of exchanging opinions, discussions and working as a group, the potential to overcome stereotypical views and facilitate change was engaged in (Mullender Ward, 1991). Being a member of a group can determine a sense of familiarity, group members may have experiences in common and this sharing of situations can act as a supportive, cathartic procedure ( Johnson Johnson, 1994). A fundamental element of effective interprofessional partnership, therefore, is trust. If facilitation and engagement in open debate and sharing of ideas between professionals is to occur, this must be apparent ( Cook et al, 2001). The example of interprofessional working in respect of facilitating a safe discharge home from hospital, also raised further discussion regarding the role of input from the service user and their carers. They should be seen as part of the group, not externally from it and involved fully in the decision making process. This was challenged by one of the group members studying medicine, who felt that the responsibility to make decisions about care provision should be held solely by the professionals involved. Payne (2000) argues, however, that a focus on the interactions between the professionals can undermine the participation of the people who use the services. Involvement of service users, family and carers and recognition of their role as being experts by experience, may begin to create equality of power between professionals and the individuals they are supporting ( Domenelli,1996). We explored this further through discussion within the group and I felt concerned by some of the group members attitudes towards the notion of making a decision as professionals, whilst excluding the service user from this process. This is an oppressive way to practice and the empowerment of individuals through maximization of control and choice, should be striven towards in all provision of health and social care services ( Banks, 2006). Respect for the individual choices and interests of the service user should always be paramount throughout provision of health and social care and the assessment process, as detailed in the National Occupational Standards for social work (2009). Ongoing communication has been actively engaged in during my personal practice experience. However, throughout the module there was very little online participation from the team via blackboard. This was disappointing, as through the proactive exchange of ideas from the varying professionals perspectives, a more cohesive and beneficial learning experience may have been achieved. Indeed, the centre for the advancement of interprofessional education (1997) has documented that there are significant benefits in students from varied fields, learning together. In contrast to the team work which took place at the conference, my experience of working alongside allied health and social care professionals in practice has been extremely positive. An example of which is in my previous employment within an adult care community team in which I attended weekly meetings with the district nursing team and local G.Ps. enabling effective sharing of information to take place. This communication enabled all involved professionals to gain knowledge of changes in service users health and care needs and provided a forum for any concerns regarding safeguarding issues, to be shared and explored further. Within the conference team, therefore, further discussion and exploration of the differing views regarding this topic was carried out. The conclusion of which was the establishment of one of the teams sentences as be open minded and willing to accommodate other professionals values, within a team working environment. The ideologies of interprofessional working are not always apparent in practice however, resulting in catastrophic failings in care. Victoria Climbie died after suffering serious abuse whilst under the care of the NHS and social services. Lord Laming (2003) reported a lack of sharing of information between professionals and argued that when practitioners did raise child protection concerns, there was a lack of feedback and little or no further communication between agencies. The death of Baby Peter Connelly also sadly highlights concerns regarding how professionals work together. The serious case review reports that at a significant case conference held regarding Baby Peter, there was poor attendance from professionals, with neither doctors, police or lawyers turning up ( Laming, 2009). This illustrates that even after the reported failings in communication between professionals in the Victoria Climbie case, interprofessional working does not always appear to be fully engaged in. (Word count 1368) Section 2 Discuss how you would take what you have learnt about Interprofessional working into practice. Attendance at the conference provided an opportunity to explore the process of working effectively with other professionals. In practice, the active joint working between health and social care professionals and the voluntary sector has become increasingly important with the introduction of the personalisation agenda, as detailed in the social policy Putting people first: a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care (2007). The personalisation of social care services enables service users to take increased control of their own support packages and provides a high level of empowerment. I will discuss this further in relation to interprofessional working and its application in practice. Service users are now provided with the option to choose from which provider their care is sourced ie, from the private, pubic or voluntary sector. In 2004 the strategic concurrence between the NHS, Department of health and the voluntary sector of making partnership work for patients, carers and service users (2004) was formed, which indicated a dedication to interprofessional working and a fully person centered approach to practice. However, the change in government this year and recent significant cuts in funding to the welfare state proposed by the coalition government may impact significantly on the initial goals set out in this policy ( Dunning, 2010).Significant changes in how funding is allocated impacts greatly on social care practice. On qualification as a social worker I will endeavor to carry out effective interprofessional practice, however with increasing reductions in front line staff and higher caseloads it raises concerns regarding how achievable this will be. My own experiences of working within an adult care management team have been of positive interprofessional working. I have attributed this to the comprehensive, ongoing sharing of information between social work practitioners and community nursing teams, which took place. The desire to strive towards a common goal and achieve the best possible care for the service users, provided an effectual construct for professionals to practice within. The recognition of individual differences regarding ethnicity, culture and relationships by all involved professionals enabled truly anti-oppressive practice to take place (Dominelli 2002). However, during the conference, team members voiced concerns regarding how engaging in interprofessional working may cause their specific professional identity to become vulnerable. This has been identified by Frost et al (2005), who postulates that the fusion of professional margins can create apprehension and resentment between practitioners. This discussion was an interesting aspect of my personal learning within the group. As a social work practitioner the opportunity to engage in joint working with other professionals is embraced and is essential to effectual, safe practice. The varied perspectives between group members however, has provided a deeper insight into how other professionals may view this method of working and I will be mindful of this in future practice. Interprofessional working was illustrated further during the conference by a presentation from the Bristol Intermediate care team. The team consists of health professionals working alongside social work practitioners, aiming to reduce hospital admissions, providing a holistic approach to practice and enabling service users to remain in the community and to be cared for at home (Drake Williams, 2010). I feel the cohesive working style of this team, provides the best possible outcome for service users through application of an anti oppressive, person centered approach. This interprofessional method of practice provides for less of a risk adverse approach to practice which can be present in community care teams consisting exclusively of social work practitioners (Roe Beech, 2005). This may be due to the presence of multi disciplinary professional opinions being readily provided, enabling a more holistic view of a situation and perhaps also the fundamental ethos of the team which is to promote independence. The ethic of empowering others to achieve independence however, is a core value of social work and I endeavor to implement this within my own future practice. In order to facilitate change in my practice, I will be conscious of the importance of information sharing with other professionals and engaging in the process of reflection on my previous experiences of working interprofessionally (Payne, 2006). An example which occurred whilst working within an adult care management team is regarding an allocated case concerning a couple, living at home in the community, both of which had multivariate care needs. In this circumstance a wife was providing care for her husband who has dementia, however she has limited mobility and depends on him to support her with some physical tasks. Joint working with other health and social care professionals was imperative in order to safeguard the needs of both service users (Meads Ashcroft et al, 2005). Combined assessments were carried out by myself as a social work practitioner, the district nursing team and community psychiatric nurse, enabling all involved professionals to be aware of each others role and involvement. This method of working was also highly beneficial to the service users in respect of limiting the amount of assessment meetings which took place and avoiding repetition of the same information to several professionals, which can become exhausting and create further anxiety ( Walker Beckett, 2003). I did encounter difficulty in interprofessional working when liaising with the GP regarding a requested review of the couples medication. The GP held the opinion that both service users should be placed in residential care due to their age and health problems and was reluctant to engage in any discussion regarding alternative options. Through joint working between other professionals however, funding for a live in carer was secured to support the couple, alongside ongoin g support from the community matron to ensure both health and community care assessed needs continued to be met fully and safely, in accordance with the NHS and Community Care Act (1990). On reflection this was a challenging experience and I felt frustrated by the apparent disregard of the wishes of the service users and the discriminative attitude exhibited in respect of their age, by the GP. The reluctance to engage further with any of the involved professionals following a case conference in which the GPs opinion had been challenged by myself and others working on the case, highlighted to me the hierarchy which is still in place within health and social care professions. Monlyneux (2001) argues that professionals who are assured in their professional role, are able to explore disparities in opinions and practice outside their own professions margin without feeling vulnerable. The importance, therefore, of maintaining focus on the service users wishes rather than difficulties in communication between professionals, ensuring their needs are met fully, is paramount. However, this incident demonstrates the difficulties which can occur when working within a team and the need for respect and equality for all members, in order to ensure effective interprofessional working takes place (Conyne, 1999). The discussions held amongst the team during the conference have highlighted further to me the disparity between perspectives held by health professionals, who apply the medical model of practice and social work practitioners implementing the social model. As argued by Petch (2002), in order to respond fully and positively the uniqueness of the individuals needs should be identified. Through this process, empowerment and equality can begin to be accomplished. Both perspectives, therefore, are valuable when striving towards holistic health and social care provision. These are issues I will be mindful of in my future practice and I will endeavor to continue to practice with integrity and in an anti-oppressive way in order to implement person centered care provision. To conclude, as a result of my practice experience and learning achieved from the conference, I feel strongly that a critical part of my future role as a qualified social worker is to facilitate the sharing of information between professionals. When appropriate, to advocate the service users individual wishes and to ensure all professionals are aware of these shared common goals. I feel this will contribute significantly to achieving the highest level of care for the service user and aims to support the safeguarding of both adults and children. (Word count 1338 ) Section 3. References Ashcroft, J. Meads, G. With, Barr, H. Scott, R. Wild, A. (2005) The case for Interprofessional collaboration: In health and social care. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. Banks, S. (2006) Ethics and values in social work. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Barbour, R.S. (1985) Dealing with the transsituational demands of professional socialisation. Sociological Review 3: 495 531. Carpenter, J. Hewstone, M. (1996) Shared learning for doctors and social workers: evaluation of a programme, British Journal of Social Work 26: 239- 57. Centre for the advancement of interprofessional education (1997) Interprofessional education: A definition. London, CAIPE. Conyne, R, K. (1999) Failures in group work: How we can learn from our mistakes. London, Sage Publications Ltd. Cook, G, Gerrish. K, Clarke, C. (2001) Decision making in teams: issues arising from two evaluations. Journal of Interprofessional Care 15: 141 51. Dominelli, L. ( 1996) Deprofessionalising social work: Equal opportunities, competences and postmodernism. British Journal of Social Work 26 : 153- 75. Dominelli, L. (2002) Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Drake, S. Williams. V. The Intermediate care team: Interprofessional working seminar 7th October 2010. UWE Bristol, IPE Level 2 Conference. Dunning, J. (2010) Claim of extra  £2bn for social care challenged as cuts loom. Community care ( Magazine) 28 October 2010, p.5. Fook, J. (2002) Social work critical theory and practice. London, Routledge. Frost, N. Robinson, M. Anning, A.(2005) Social workers in multidisciplinary teams: issues and dilemmas for professional practice . Child and family social work 10: 187 96. Johnson, D.W. Johnson, F.P. (1994) Joining together: Group theory and group skills (5th edn), Boston, Allyn Bacon. Laming, Lord (2003) The Victoria Climbie Inquiry: report of an inquiry by Lord Laming. London, The Stationary Office. Available from: http://www.Victoria-Climbie-inquiry.org.uk/ (Accessed 29 October 2010). Laming, Lord ( 2009). Peter Connelly Serious case review. Available from: http://www.haringey/scb_org/executive_summary-peter-final.pdf (Accessed 17 November 2010). Lombard, D. (2009) Negative coverage often fails to give right of reply. Community care (Magazine) 12 May 2009, p.21. Making partnership work for patients, carers and service users: A strategic agreement between the Department of Health, the NHS and the community and voluntary sector (2004). Available from: http://www.dhgov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4089516.pdf (Accessed 28 October 2010). McGregor, K. (2010) Unison campaigns to boost appreciation of social workers. Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/articles/2010/03/15/114049/unison-campaigns-to-boost-appreciation-of-social-workers.htm (Accessed 04 November 2010). Meads, G. Ashcroft, J. With, Barr, H, Scott, R. Wild, A. ( 2005) The case for interprofessional collaboration in health and social care. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing. Molyneux, J. (2001) Interprofessional teamworking: what makes teams work well? Journal of Interprofessional care 15: 29 35. Mullender, A. Ward, D. (1991) Self directed groupwork: Users take action for empowerment, London, Whiting Birch. NHS Community Care Act ( 1990). Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/19/contents (Accessed 16 November 2010). Payne, M. (2000) Teamwork in multiprofessional care, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillen. Payne, M. (2006) What is professional social work? Bristol, The Policy Press. Petch, A. (2002) Intermediate care: What do we know about older peoples experiences? Available from: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/18593513/x.pdf (Accessed 14 November 2010). Putting people first: A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care (2007). Available from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_081119.pdf (Accessed 01 November 2010). Reeves, S. Zwarenstein, M. Goldman, J. Barr, H. Hammick, M. Koppel, I. (2009) Interprofesisonal education: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. The Cochrane Collaboration, Wiley Sons. Roe, B. Beech, R. (2005) Intermediate and continuing care: Policy and practice. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Skills for care ( 2009) National occupational standards for social work. Available from: http://www.skillsforcare.org/developing_skills/national_occupational_standards/National_occupational_standards_(NOS)_Health_and_social_care.asp (Accessed 01 November 2010). Walker, S. Beckett, C. (2003) Social work assessment and intervention, Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing. Section 4.

What is this? Essay -- Technology

The use of computer technology in the classroom is growing to be a major concern for parents and educators. How much time should children be allowed to browse on the Internet? Is the Internet affecting the children, the future of our society, and the ability to focus? Should parents and educators trust the websites that students get their information from? Although the Internet provides access to live video chatting, music streaming, and online books, it is not the miracle cure that many believe that it is. The Internet does an absolutely fabulous job of making what may have seemed impossible possible; it is responsible for a reduced attention span, ability to read in-depth and analyze literature. First amongst the problems is the speed. The Internet can access an enormous amount of information in less than a few seconds with a few typed letters and the click of a button. Search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and Ask offer an endless number of links leading to what an individual is inquiring about. The danger there is that students do not necessarily know how to select their sites wisely. Also, there are websites including GoogleMaps and Mapquest that make finding a destination and/or direction to such destination a â€Å"piece of cake.† Such websites are without a doubt handy and provide a driver with step by step directions. However, when the satellite is out or a GPS malfunctions, the driver is out of luck. The Internet is making society’s ability to remember and do such tasks as driving to an unfamiliar place essentially impossible to do without its help. In Nicholas Carr’s article â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† he writes about how he notices more and more how his ability to focus and find research on his own has deeply... ...ary†. Education Digest 67-1 (2001): 46-49. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 March 2012. Keen, Andrew. â€Å"The Cult of the Amateur†. Perspectives on Argument. Ed. Nancy V. Wood. Boston. Pearson, 2012. 503-504. Print. Kirshenbaum, Matthew. â€Å"How Reading is Being Reimagined†. Perspectives on Argument. Ed. Nancy V. Wood. Boston. Pearson, 2012. 508-510. Print. O'Hear, Steve. "The Internet Can Increase Learning." Has Technology Increased Learning? Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Rpt. from "E-learning 2.0—\ How Web Technologies Are Shaping Education." www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e- learning_20.php. 2006. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. Wells, Melissa. â€Å"Internet-Related Problems Coming to The Attention of School Social Workers†. Children & Schools 28.4 (2006): 237-242. Academic Search Elite. Web. 13 March 2012.

Against Gun Control in America :: Second Amendment The Right To Bear Arms

Constitutional Law Gun Control Paper Gun control is undoubtedly an issue that most Americans have been exposed to. In 1989, guns killed 11,832 Americans. The National Rifle Association (NRA) members believe that it is their constitutional right to own guns, stating that guns are not the root of the crime problem in the United States. Gun control activists like the members of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) argue that guns are responsible for the majority of violent crimes that take place. They wish to instill many types of bans and waiting periods on firearms, making it nearly impossible to obtain a handgun. In fact, in 1993 the Brady Bill, which mandates a waiting period on buying firearms, was passed. Their arguments range from protecting children to saying that guns are diseases, but when one looks at the facts, though, the arguments of gun control advocates seem irrelevant and it becomes clear that guns should not be controlled. The Supreme Court has been very careful in limiting the rights of individuals to carry firearms. They have also been debating about weather the framers intended the Second Amendment to apply to individuals, or to state militias. In U S v. Cruikshank, 92 U.S. 542 (1875) the court ruled that laws could be passed regarding gun control. The court said â€Å"The right they’re specified is that of 'bearing arms for a lawful purpose.' This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence.

Pizza Hut Mkarekting Strategy Essay

The journey began in 1958, when two college students and brothers from Wichita, USA, Frank and Dan Carney, opened the first Pizza Hut restaurant at their hometown on June 15, 1958. After borrowing $600 from their mother, they purchased some second-hand equipment and rented a small building on a busy intersection in Wichita. The result of their entrepreneurial efforts was the first Pizza Hut restaurant, and the foundation for what would become the largest and most successful pizza restaurant company in the world. Many people ask how Pizza hut got its name. When Carneys were setting up their first restaurant, the building had sign with room for just nine characters. They wanted to use â€Å"pizza† in the name, which left room for a word with only three letters. A family member suggested the building looked like a hut –and Pizza Hut was born. Pizza Hut: Today Pizza Hut is not only the acknowledged leader of pizza industry worldwide, but it is also the world’s largest pizza chain, with over 12,000 restaurants across 100 countries, employing more than 300,000 people, serving 1. 7 million pizzas everyday to more than seven million customers. Pizza Hut is the high-flying brand of Yum! Restaurants International, which is also the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, A&W and Long John Silvers. Taking other four brands with Pizza Hut, Yum! Restaurants International makes up the world’s largest restaurant group. Pizza Hut in Bangladesh Transcom Foods Limited, a concern of Transcom Group is the franchisee of Pizza hut in Bangladesh. With a seating capacity of 220 persons, the first outlet of Pizza Hut is located on South Avenue, Gulshan-1. Pizza Hut provides the perfect mix of great food, great service and great place at a great value to customers who are looking for a grand experience. We believe in positive intension, and maintain a strong internal environment by developing our competitive work force, which we trust. The latest technological tools along with the best support systems from our franchiser YUM! International is used to ensure easy workflow and to make our restaurants the favorite in the Country. The success of Pizza Hut relies heavily on delighting our customers by ensuring that all their needs and desires are met in every way. Hence, the company give strong importance to marketing efforts to ensure that. Along with customer satisfaction, make sure, that the business makes money! Therefore, the first task is to understand our consumers from every aspect. In this regard, we have tried to gain a thorough understanding of our competitive environment and continuously strive to develop unique business ideas to make our business a success. Thus, Pizza hut has successfully attained a broad range of loyal customers, to whom pizza has gained extreme popularity. In order to expand this range, our marketing team is involved in developing new products and concepts, all the time. Above all, not only do we make GOOD FOOD, we are also famous for providing great service and dining experience, to give our valued customers more reasons, to return. Due to the vast success of our flagship restaurant in Gulshan, and huge demand from consumers, opening of new stores in different cities are already under way. And from this experience marketing team has the recognition and understanding of * cultural influences * governmental and political influences * demographic and lifestyle trends * local and national economic trends. In Pizza Hut the role of operations is to be obsessed with the quality of our pizza and the experience that our customers receive. There are 3 distinct categories of restaurants. Full Service Restaurants These are the traditional pizza restaurants that offers seated service and take-away. Home Service Restaurants Restaurants that offer home deliveries and take-away. Restaurant Based Delivery A full service restaurant in combination with delivery and takeaway service. Currently, they are operating as the first category of restaurant, i. e a full service restaurant, with take-away facility. In the near future we will plan to introduce the other categories as well. All Pizza Hut sites work on the CHAMPS standard Cleanliness Hospitality Accuracy Maintenance Product Speed These six objects define the very core of customer expectations. CHAMPS have become the vehicle, which drives Operations Excellence into our business and is also supported by a reward and recognition scheme for the Team members. The ‘CHAMPScheck’ is a tool used to ensure consistency of service and product quality across the entire Pizza Hut estate; in fact it is used for all the Yum! Brands internationally. Environmental considerations Pizza Hut uses environmentally friendly materials where applicable, e. g. water based paint and recycled Pizza boxes. 2. 1 Environmental forces: Strategies are not and should not be developed in a vacuum. They must be responsive to the external and internal environment. Otherwise the firm become, in effect, the most efficient producer of buggy whips, leisure suits, or slide rules. To avoid such strategic mistakes, firms must knowledgeable about the business environment. Here we analyze the pricing strategies of Pizza Hut. In order to developing the pricing strategies and implementing these strategies into program they must scan the major internal and external factors. a. The Company Pizza Hut is a chain restaurant, operated by Transcom Group in Bangladesh. In designing the pricing strategies, they must take account the other company groups. Top management sets the company’s mission, objectives, broad strategies, and policies. They must work closely with departments. Finance department of the Pizza Hut is concerned with finding and using funds to carry out the long run and short run cost and different promotional program. The R&D department focuses on designing tasty and attractive pizzas. The purchasing and operations are responsible for getting supplies and materials, producing and distributing a desired quality and quantity of the foods. b. Suppliers The marketing manager of the Pizza Hut must monitor the price trends of their key inputs or raw materials such as bread loaf, different meats, capsicums, oregano, different flavor souses etc. Because it charges the price of a pizza that both covers all its costs for producing, distributing, and selling the product and delivers a fair rate of return for its efforts and risk. As cost is an important element in its pricing strategy so they should try to reduce supply cost of the inputs. c. Marketing Intermediaries Pizza Hut uses direct marketing to sell their products. Their cost of serving customers is comparatively high than the others. Besides they uses marketing service agencies such as research and development firm, advertising agencies, media firms and marketing consulting firms to promote their products and target the right market. Developing pricing strategies involve the cost of maintaining these intermediaries to sell their final product to consumers. d. Customers The Company believe that customers estimate which offer will deliver the most value. They face a vast array of product and brand choices, prices and suppliers. Whether the buyers are satisfied after purchase depends on the offer’s performance in relation to the buyer’s expectations. As the customers are the value- maximizers then if the total customer value and the total customer cost doesn’t equal then they become dissatisfied. So it is the most important factor for Pizza Hut to implement effective pricing strategy that match the customers’ expectations to incur in evaluating, obtaining, using and disposing of the given market offering. e. Demographic Environment Pizza Hut chooses Bangladesh to set up their outlets as it is one of the mostly dense countries in the world. Growing population means growing human needs to satisfy. Depending on purchasing power, it also means growing market opportunities. This large and highly diverse population poses an opportunity for them to capture the increasing market share. Pizza Hut established their outlets exclusively at Gulshan in Dhaka, at Agra bad in Chittagong. Pizza Hut divides its population group into six different levels: 1. Preschool 2. School-age children 3. Teens 4. Young adults age 25 to 40 5. Middle aged adults age 40 They provide different offer with changing prices to the customers. f. Changing pricing strategies with changing family structure The traditional family structure is changing with the modern world. The number of working women has also increased. This trend has increased the consumption of convenience foods and services. In order to capture big market share and consumers’ support they must design their pricing strategy that satisfy the consumers’ perceived value. g. Economic Forces Pizza Hut use market skimming as their pricing strategy. They charge high price at the initial stage. It focuses on the changes in income of the consumers, their changing spending patterns. Pizza Hut target the high class people as their potential customers. They also set the outlets exclusively in the city. It also monitors the changing spending patterns of the people. Today people spend more in the foods. h. Natural Factors The deterioration of the natural environment is a major global concern. As a restaurant Pizza Hut should take the pricing strategies that also contribute the improvement of green movement. Recently they use recyclable or biodegradable packaging of their products. i. Technological Advancement New technologies create new markets and opportunities. Developing the pricing strategy, technological advancement should give the priority. Pizza Hut uses internet to serve online orders with the help of Bangladesh, keep account of raw materials, and they use consumers’ database of the regular customers.j. Political Environment Pizza Hut makes their marketing environment in Bangladesh by following the rules and regulation of the government. It considers several laws covering issues such as competition, fair trade practice, environmental protection, product safety, truth advertising, labeling, pricing and other factors in setting their product price. h. Cultural Factors Recently the people of Bangladesh have tried to copy the Western culture. They are becoming interested to the western food like pizza, burger, hot dog, pasta, and so many foods. Pizza Hut uses this changing trend in their marketing as well as a pricing strategy. They spend more funds in product promotional program in this country. They offer Ramadan discounts, Valentines Day offer for the couples, friendship day program and so on. All of these schemes must match with their pricing style. COMPETITORS OF THE PIZZA HUT Today, competition is not only rife but growing more intense every time. In Bangladesh the most dominant competitors of Pizza Hut are the BFC, KFC, CFC, DOMINOUS PIZZA, HELVITIA, SHARMA PALACE, CHICKEN KING, BURGER KING, BELLA ITALIA. As the basic product of Pizza Hut is the different flavors pizza, the other fast-food shop is also serve pizza and may copy the marketing strategy of Pizza Hut. It has a certain cost burden that shares much of its strategic conduct. In developing an effective strategy it makes a clear difference between the market concept of competition and the industry concept of the competition. They analyze their competitors’ base on the following characteristics: a. Objectives b. Strengths and weaknesses c. Reaction patterns International Competitors of Pizza Hut. * Papa John’s * Domino’s * Little Caesar’s Domino’s Pizzas Founded in 1960, Domino’s pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery operating a network of company founded and franchise-owned stores in national and international markets. Domino’s Pizza’s vision illustrates a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world. With more than 8000 restaurants and delivery units spread across in 50 countries, Domino’s holds the 2nd position in international pizza market. Domino’s is the world’s fastest pizza maker. It makes 14 pizzas in 2 minutes and 35 seconds. In 2004, Super Bowl Sunday was the busiest day of the year when Domino’s sold close to 1. 2 million pizzas which is approximately 42% more pizzas compared to a normal Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday ranks among the top five days for pizza deliveries annually along with Thanks giving, New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve and Halloween. Little Caesars Little Caesars is 4th largest pizza manufacturer in USA. The company claims to be largest carry-out pizza chain in the world. The company is famous for its advertisement campaign of â€Å"pizza! Pizza! † which was later altered to â€Å"pan! Pan! ’ to promote their pan pizzas. Little Caesars is famous for selling more pizzas at fewer prices. It has notable â€Å"differentiating Strategy† wherein Little Caesars sells â€Å"Hot-N-Ready† pizza for $5. 00 only which means those customers do not have to call before taking the delivery of their pizza. They can just drop in to a â€Å"Little Caesar† outlet and collect their hot-n-ready pizza instantly. Marketing Strategy Pizza Hut follows the following strategy: * Total market strategy: Pizza Hut started with a single product i. e. Pizza but with different segments emerging and the degree of competition increasing, it diversified into several products to serve different segments. It came up with chicken nuggets, wedges, garlic bread, smiley etc. * International marketing strategy: Pizza Hut started with local market strategy in Kansas, USA then moved on to regional markets in and across USA. In 1968, Pizza Hut started its international movement by opening its 1st restaurant in Canada. And today Pizza Hut is world’s largest pizza chain with its presence in more than 100 countries. * Early Entry Strategy: Though Pizza Hut was not the first entrants in the pizza market in USA. But Pizza Hut followed an early entrant strategy. Customers knew what a pizza is but still there was huge potential to tap. In order to become a leader, pizza hut continued to refine their product & develop new product to suit their customer’s changing tastes. Ultimately Pizza Hut with its superior promotion, manufacturing and distribution activities has turned out to be the â€Å"winner†. * Strong Commitment Strategy: Pizza Hut has been operating in the pizza market by realizing all economies of scale in promotion, distribution and manufacturing facilities. If Papa Johns or Little Caesars come out with a new competitive pricing strategy or innovative product, then Pizza Hut quite aggressively fights back by bringing more competitive prices or better innovations in product category. In simple words, Pizza Hut takes all possible measures to defend its leadership position in the market. Customer Focus. â€Å"Consumption is the sole end and purpose of production; and the interest of producer ought to be attended to only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the customer†- Adam Smith Frank and Dan Carey recognized that the concept of Pizza was quite new to American. Although frozen pizzas and pizza mixes had entered into the market and started penetrating in non-traditional food market. Initially Pizza sampling was done to test the product and consumer’s preferences about the product. Thus first Pizza Hut was a success. From the very start, Pizza Hut aimed to get pizza’s to the masses. Initially, the entire world was a common market for Pizza Hut until it began segmenting and targeting particular market segments by differentiating and developing diverse products for them. Pizza Hut as a company has always tried to target and satisfy various diverse customer categories in different countries depending upon various factors and situations. Pizza Hut in order to fulfill its marketing objective of maximizing customer satisfaction by providing high quality products, has believed in the following marketing strategy: â€Å"Think Global, Act Local†. In Malaysia for instance, Pizza Hut targeting both urban adults as well as families with pre-teens and teenage children by offering a delicious mix of nutritious Itlaian-Amercian cuisine which includes world’s favorite pan pizza. Pizza Hut Malaysia at the same time offers a cozy, friendly ambience in which to relax and have a great time with family or friends. Pizza Hut Malaysia’s success has been due to imaginative and innovative thinking in continuously developing, marketing and promoting new pizza products with unique and distinctive flavor, taste, style and appeal. In order to target the entire family experience, Pizza Hut launched a Hand Tossed Pizza which was pizza hut’s first step in traditional stuffed crust segment. It offers not-to-thin and not-to-thick crust on which the entire family agrees. To tap the market for young single in-hurry office goers looking for â€Å"fast lunch†, Pizza hut came up with â€Å"personal pan pizza for one†. The Personal Pan Pizza ® revolutionized lunch and became the perfect solution to satisfy pizza cravings in a hurry. Pizza Hut introduced America to the perfect pizza for on-the-go back in 1983. Today, we can find Personal Pan Pizzas ® in airports, college cafeterias and even sports arenas. To satisfy the New York pizza lovers, Pizza Hut introduced a â€Å"The big New Yorker Pizza†. This pizza was 30% larger than pizza hut’s largest pizza. It is New York style pizza at un-New York price introduced in 1999. In some countries, to capture the interest of â€Å"Echo Boomer generation† which the ultimate cheese loving population, Pizza Hut launched â€Å"The Ultimate Cheese† to give them the ultimate pizza experience. As Pizza Hut is the world’s largest Pizza manufacturing company believing in strategy of â€Å"Think Global, Act Local†, somewhere in USA pizza hut introduced variants with extra cheese or large in size, at the same time, when pizza hut to grow in international waters as Asia, it diversified to adapt their cultures and provide their favorite flavors. In order to tap huge spices lovers’ population in India, Pizza Hut recently has launched â€Å"The Great Indian Treat† which is rich in Indian spices and garlic. In order to tap market segment less than 18 years, pizza hut introduced â€Å"Stuff! Under 18 only† in United Kingdom, to tap the kids segment, various â€Å"Value combos† are introduced comprising of a Pizza, Chicken wedges, Fruit drink and ice cream. Whereas to tap the teenage market, Pizza hut introduced different flavors of pizza along with fruit beer was offered. At the same time, Teenagers were lured by promotional schemes as â€Å"DUBIT CARD† which will allow them to take discounts at various entertainment places including pizza hut. In an attempt to target, the people who are young and romantic at heart, whether it is an 18 year old boy friend or 50 year husband, on the occasion of â€Å"Valentine’s Day†, Pizza Hut launched a limited edition â€Å"Sweetheart Pizza† in the shape of heart. In nutshell, Pizza Hut tried to target each and every diverse population segment either on the scale of age (kids, teenage, office goers, senior citizens) or on basis of lifestyle (singles or couples) or special interest groups (celebrations, parties, festivals). Pizza Hut: An Overview of the â€Å"Product Strategy† â€Å"Product Strategies specify a market needs that may be served by different products offerings†. * Product Positioning Strategy: Pizza Hut has always followed â€Å"Single brand positioning† strategy wherein it has positioned only its pizzas. Although the positioning statement has been different in different countries but it has always hovered around its â€Å"PIZZAS†. For instance, in Canada, its positioning statement is â€Å"The best tasting pizzas under one roof† which reflects a great variety of pizza being served , in China it has positioned on â€Å"Dine-in restaurants†, in Australia, it is â€Å"made fresh, served hot and on time† which reflects that best of ingredients are used and pizza is delivered on time. Similarly, in India, pizza hut’s positioning has been â€Å"Good times, Great pizza. * Product-Scope strategy: Pizza Hut follows a â€Å"multiple product strategy† as pizza hut not only sells pizzas, but also deals in a variety of other products as Product-Scope Strategy Soups and Desserts Salads & Pastas Appetizers Pizzas Although all the product offerings in pizza hut are not as fast moving as its pizza, but they usually complement each other. For instance, a family coming for a dinner usually starts with some soup and garlic breads and then moves on to pizzas along with some diet salads. In this way, pizza hut caters to different people with different needs and tastes and preferences. This helps in increasing sales, profitability, market share and above all â€Å"Customer’s Mind Share† * Product-Design Strategy: Pizza Hut follows the strategy of selling Standardized Products with modifications. Pizza Hut mainly sells 4 types of pizzas: Pan Pizza, hand-tossed pizza, stuffed crust pizza and Thin N Crispy pizza. Pizza Hut serves these standard style pizzas everywhere in the world but at the same time, it offers its customers to choose different toppings as extra mushrooms or extra capsicum and onions with extra cheese or chicken toppings like toppings of meat, bacon, fish, ham, beef topping, pork toppings etc. Secondly it offers what is known as â€Å"Value meal combos† wherein it offers a combination of pizzas, appetizers, beverages etc at lower prices. For instance, Pizza hut introduced â€Å"Meal for 2† which offers a medium pan/freshizza pizza, garlic bread sticks with 2 glasses of pepsi. Similarly pizza hut also offered â€Å"Meals for 4† where it offered 2 medium pan pizzas, with one plate of garlic bread and one portion of wedges with 4 glasses of Pepsi/Soup. Pizza Hut by offering standard products seeks economies of scale and by offering modification options enhances customer satisfaction which adds to brand equity of Pizza Hut. * Product innovation strategy: Pizza Hut has been constantly involved in innovating new products. It started as Pizza chain in 1958. On one hand, it offers traditional Italian pizzas while on other hand, it innovated several new varieties as pan pizza, thin n crispy, stuffed crust, the big New Yorker pizza, hand tossed pizza, the edge pizza along with the Sicilian Pizza. Pizza Hut spends extensively on research and development of its innovative products. At the same time, customer’s feedback also plays an important role in preparing new pizzas. For example, The Big New Yorker Pizza. Pizza Hut continued to make innovations as it followed â€Å"International marketing strategy†. In India, Pizza Hut launched international style pizza in localized Indian flavors like Tandori pizza range with Punjabi flavors, vegetarian tama-tam, Murgh Mazedar Pizza etc. Similarly, in China along with traditional pizzas, it served â€Å"Sangria† and â€Å"Escargot†. Along with pizzas, Pizza Hut also innovated beverages and drinks to satisfy the tastes of consumers. For e. g. Pizza Hut in Oman has added a refreshing splash of tropics to their menu with the launch of Monin, a new line of flavored drinks. Value Marketing Strategy: Pizza Hut as far as value marketing is concerned follows Quality strategy Customer- service strategy. Time-based strategy Pizza Hut promises its customers to give them best quality product by using best quality ingredients. Time and again it re-emphasizes on this fact through its advertisement campaigns. Pizza Hut main motive is to enhance its customer’s satisfaction by providing them best quality products at affordable prices. At the same time, pizza hut always tries to deliver on time. Although Pizza Hut’s competitor Domino’s differentiates on basis of timely delivery in 30 minutes, however, Pizza Hut through its innovative technology is also trying to reduce its delivery time to 30 minutes and fight back Domino’s. PRICING STRATEGIES OF PIZZA HUT IN THE PRODUCTS’ LIFE CYCLE STAGES Their pricing strategy usually changes as the product passes through its life cycle. As Pizza Hut chooses the market- skimming pricing strategy by setting a high price for their pizzas at the initial stage to skim maximum revenues layer by layer from segments (high society people, exclusive outlets) willing to pay the high price, their introductory stages were especially challenging. Here example given for Bangladeshi Context. Pricing strategies: Product Development Stage. This stage begins when the parent company (Transcom Group) finds an idea to purchase the franchise of selling pizza at a particular area. During this stage the sales are zero and their investment cost mounts. Pricing strategies: Introduction Stage Introduction stage starts when the Pizza Hut was launched their basic product first at Gulshan in Dhaka. In designing their pricing strategy they face the following factors: 1. Their opening cost was very high because they organize a grand party and use heavy sales promotion to entice trial. 2. At the initial time their sales were comparatively low. 3. High cost per customer for creating superior image was increasing. 4. Their profit was positive. 5. The customers are the innovators of the new flavors pizzas with an attractive presentation style. 6. They charge the higher price with the justified quality. 7. They build only two exclusive distribution outlets. 8. Build mass advertising in newspaper, bill boards etc. 9. They compete with few competitors. Pricing Strategies: Growth Stage In this stage their sales are rising. The customers are properly known about the brands and the goods. 1. High cost per customer reduces and become the average cost. 2. During this stage profits are rising. 3. They maximize their market share. 4. They use product line extension by adding new flavors, ingredients, sizes such as family size, single pan pizza etc. 5. Their competitors are growing. 6. Develop new marketing plan to make the product superior from the competitors. 7. They also organize birthday party, marriage day party and so many occasions for a payment. By these they enhance their brand image. Pricing strategies: Maturity Stage Pizza Hut is now passing through the maturity stage. Their profits are at the peak. This stage normally lasts longer than the previous stages, and poses formidable challenges to marketing management. 1. Product modification by modifying the products’ quality improvements, feature improvements and style improvements. 2. Stable number of competitors is beginning to rise. 3. They change the price to match or best competitors’. 4. Pizza Hut is building a new outlet at Dhanmondi to meet the increasing demand of customers. 5. They create significance brand differences from competitors and take the advantages. Pricing strategies: Decline Stage This is the product life cycle stage in which a product’s sales decline. Pizza Hut doesn’t reach in this stage at present. Pizza Hut: An Overview of Franchise Model â€Å"Franchising† involves a contractual arrangement between a franchisor (a manufacturer, a wholesaler, or a service sponsor) and a retail franchisee, which allows the franchisee to conduct a given form of business under an established name and according to a given pattern of business. Pizza Hut after its incorporation in 1958 opened its first franchise unit in Topeka, Kansas. Followed by a Pizza Hut restaurant built in just 5 days by franchisees in Oklahoma State Fair. In 1968, Pizza Hut made a global entry by entering in Canada. Then it made a strong foot holding in Australia, Japan, England, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi. By 1989, Pizza Hut was already serving 54 countries. In 1996, Pizza Hut entered India with the first dine-in restaurant in Bangalore. While entering in the international arena, Pizza Hut used the â€Å"Franchising Route† as the entry strategy. In Bangladesh Pizza Hut enter Franchising with â€Å"Transcrom group†. Reasons why Pizza Hut adopted â€Å"Franchising† as the entry strategy: * The best method to establish operations without risk of operations in an unfamiliar country. * Franchising root helps in learning the buyer behaviour, consumer preferences, market realities etc. * Franchising helped Pizza Hut in building a brand name and creating efficient distribution system. * In certain socialist countries as China, Russia etc, direct foreign investment is not allowed, so pertaining to the local legal framework of these countries, Franchising is an easier route to enter into these countries. Pizza Hut: An Overview of the Global Strategy Pizza Hut before entering into any new country conducts a comprehensive market survey of that country to learn about the culture that prevails in that country, the state of government and politics, the legal framework (product quality laws, packaging laws) , commercial practices (business structure, patterns of competition). Strategy Adopted by Pizza Hut for Global marketing programs: Localized strategy: Pizza Hut follows the strategy of â€Å"Think Global, Act Local†. For e. g. in India, the 1st Pizza Hut which was launched in Bangalore served complete vegetarian meals. Similarly, in China, along with serving Pizzas, Pizza Hut also serves â€Å"Sangria† and â€Å"Escargot†. Similarly, in India, to match the spicy tastes of Indian consumers, Pizza Hut launched â€Å"Tandoori Treat†, â€Å"The Great Indian Treat†. For the cheese lovers in the United States, Pizza Hut launched Cheesy Bites Pizza and Stuffed Crust Pizza. In South Asian Muslim Country (like Bangladesh) Pizz Hut giver special Offer during Ramadan like â€Å"eat as much as You can† in iftar. International Marketing Coordination: Pizza Hut’s international marketing activities though dispersed in different countries are properly coordinated to gain competitive advantage as * All marketing activities as market research, advertisements, and restaurant interiors are done using a similar method. * Marketing know-how and skills are transferred from one country to another. For e. g. the â€Å"franchising model† is used successfully in all the countries by Pizza Hut. Scanning the Environment: S. W. O. T Analysis Strengths * Name Recognition * First-Mover Advantage (pioneer advantage) * Competitive advantage as pizza hut has he largest network of full service restaurants and delivery services. * Broad selection of products to target different segments. * Strong Franchisee network. | Weakness * High overhead costs due to large number of restaurants * High price pizza which leads to loss of customers. * Internal conflicts among franchisees. | Opportunity * Increase revenue through more and more innovative pizzas. * Increase in brand loyalty through good customer service. * Pizza hut has tremendous scope of expansion through its new online ordering system. * Pizza Hut home delivery network and entry in to new markets. | Threats * Main threat is from competitors. Out of these threat from Domino’s is main concern. * The differentiation strategy followed by any pizza chain is sooner or later adopted by all pizza industry players. New and newer methods to lure the customers must be found out. * Any competitor offering the same quality and diverse flavours might be a real threat to Pizza Hut. | Pizza Hut: An overview of â€Å"Promotion Strategies† Pizza Hut uses a wide assortment of promotion tools to achieve the following: * Increase the market share * Increase the sales volume * To increase repeat purchase * To induce the non buyers to buy the product. The Promotion mix which it uses is as follows: Sales Promotion Advertising Promotion Mix Personal Selling â€Å"Advertising†: Maximum used Medium of Pizza Hut Promotion Strategy The main objective behind every campaign is either to increase sales by encouraging potential purchasers or inducing repeat purchases or prompting immediate purchase by offering special schemes or to create awareness about a new product offering by highlighting a new flavor or announcing price changes or demonstrating the product in use by depicting an experience. For instance, to launch a new flavor in India named â€Å"The Great Indian Treat†, Pizza Hut signed a Javed Jaffrey for its new TV commercial. Similarly to inform the customers about Rs. 50 pan pizza, Pizza hut showed Zayed Khan as a young teenager boy friend who has to treat his large number of girl friends with something trendy and affordable. Pizza Hut also launched certain ad campaigns to counter attack its competitors promotions. For instance, in 2005 Pizza Hut launched â€Å"Freshizza† ad campaign featuring Malika Arora Khan and counter attacked Domino’s campaign showing Anupam Kher and Paresh Raval. At the same time, Pizza Hut brings about local flavor in its ad campaigns. In different countries, it uses models, situations, positioning clearly related to that particular country.