Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick Essay Example for Free

Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick Essay In the story of â€Å"Ragged Dick†, Horatio Alger tells an inspirational story portraying a hero, Dick, to be the embodiment of individual opportunity in American culture. Dick gains mobility up the socio ­economic ladder through his good virtue and dedication to higher education. Dick is an honest young â€Å"black ­boot† with a second ­rate shared apartment and low vernacular. However, Dick is generous and industrious, while keeping a frugal stance as to know the value of a dollar. while en route of finding new work, a young boy falls into the east river, and the father swears great rewards to the rescuer. Dick, an excellent swimmer, dives off a ferry and saves the boy, without hearing of any reward. The father, a wealthy industrialist himself, rewards Dick by giving him a well ­paying job as a clerk at his office. Dick, now realizing his potential, has allowed himself a new name with his new career, signifying his upward climb on the ladder claiming that he is finally, â€Å"cut off from the old vagabond life which he hoped never to resume† and sealing his grip upon the American Dream. Alger’s â€Å"rags to riches† story contains valuable tools that can be used to motivate a person’s social psychology, it’s myths can be unrealistic which can lead a person to believe a dream that could be impossible to obtain. The example of valor, hard work, and initiative are concrete tools for one’s toolbox, whereas relying only on gallantry can only go so far in our socio ­economic world. First, you could just take a look into the professions throughout our economy. Art, literature, and education are thrown on the back burner as business degrees are the #1 funded, and sought after, sectors.

My Unforgettable Days in my Life

My Unforgettable Days in my Life The days which I cant forget in life are my school days. The School in which I studied was SSV East Tambaram. The days were sweet and pleasant and I used to wish that night should not come through my life, because I wanted to stay in school but the nature didnt allow me. I studied there till I entered my graduation course. Let me share some of my sweet memories. One fine Morning, my parents took me into the school campus while I was holding their hands tightly as if I was about to go into a lions mouth. I still remember that I was screaming like anything when my parents left me in the hands of my teacher. I was made to sit along with other children and they too were crying loudly by seeing them I cried even more. Like that the whole day went on with full of tears all around the classroom. After one week I was used to it and I made my first friends. All my kinder garden classes were finished with some of the basics in my mind which is still helping me around my life. When I was in class 3 a boy came into our class, and there were some boys who were bullies of the class at that time. When he came those boys went over him and they teased him to the core and I went over and scolded them, from that time the class admired me, those boys went to their places and we both became friends and I had no idea why I scolded those boys in favour of the new comer. But some magic went through our hearts and we are still friends including those boys who teased him. My school campus had a very small area for playing, I am sure that no other campus will provide their students like ours. Our playground had an area about 2000sq.ft.In that 500sq.ft was used by the drivers for parking. There was only one hour in a week for playing, on that occasion also there were 2 to 3 other classes of children used to come and occupy the ground. Even though the number was large for playing we used to play all the games including cricket and football. The greatest thing while playing was if we hit the ball slightly above in the air means it will go into the next house. So, we had to ask them and get the ball. In the mean time the master will come and say your time is over get back to your classes. Many a times we go back to class at a speed in which we came. Even though it had a small area we used to enjoy the hour and will be eagerly waiting for next week to come. Till class 5th I used to write in pencils it was very difficult for me to use that because every time when we do mistakes we have rub it off and if the pencil was not sharp we had to use sharpeners, I hated using them. Then, at last came my day when we entered into class 6th I was given the permission to use pen. It was much better to use, the words were clear and the things which I wrote were catchy and added beauty to the words. Then after two years came another surprise it was all of us came into the school wearing trousers and girls came in churidar. That day was exciting and wonderful because before we used wear shorts which was funny, because some boys will be bulky that it wont suit them. But each and every year apart from birthdays everyone in campus will be allowed to wear causals on November 14th on behalf of Jawaharlal Nehrus birthday. The campus looked colourful and all faces will be glittering like stars as if we have achieved some great thing. On that occasion the class es will be decorated with flowers, colour papers and balloons all around and will have no classes on that single day. All the students will be engaged in some plays and rest will be enjoying watching the programmes. The days were moving in a rocket speed, and the day came when we were about to get separated. In our school there was a procedure followed when the students came to 9th.They used to shuffle all the students based upon the results of 8th .On that day all the students will have to stay in the auditorium and they will call out the names and accordingly we move to our respective classes. All the students will be sad and the faces look dull because the friends with whom we were up to 8th are getting separated. I too was feeling sad for a week and then I became normal. After completing 9th all the students became serious and studious than before because we were in class 10th.Usually all other schools during these periods use to keep special classes and will conduct regular test to make them strong to face the board exam, but my school didnt do such things. We were let free and no special classes were there and had a midterm test for a month. But the students in my class were busy in studies. But I didnt take it much seriously I was what I was before. The days passed on and my first board exam came my way. Our school belonged to Shankaracharya who is famous in the Hindu religion. They used to give blessings before we take our exams. I dont know how much it worked on me. I was very nervous during study holidays, and they too passed on and the day came for me to take my exams. On the first exam I was nervous, after that I was normal, took the exams very easily than the exams taken in the school. After my exams were over I was on a long leave for about 3months, it was the longest leave that I had got in my school days. Our school used to give the groups before the results came on the basis of the performance in the school exams. I got the group before the exam results. Then came the result and it was ok. I was not bothering about the result because I got the group which I needed. The real world of happiness came to me when I entered into my 11th.After three months of gap I was into the campus and when I entered into the class all of them were new faces hardly 3boys were known to me. It was the class where all the studious guys were placed, I was shocked why I have been to this class and tears were there in my eyes by seeing them. All used to talk about studies and I used to watch their mouths. Like that one week went on, and then one teacher came to our class and said that this class has more students when compared to the other class of similar groups. She told that 3 of them should go to next class, I quickly stood up and told I was willing and thank god I was out of that class finally .When I went to the next class I saw all my friends and I mingled with them and there from my happiness started. In every school they used to say that 11th is used for enjoying since we have been working hard for last one year and to work hard for the coming year. It was a year to relax and to enjoy the school days. Each and every day my enjoyment kept on increasing. I made new friends and formed a team of 12 members from various groups. Every morning we use to assemble, enjoy cracking silly jokes which still remain in my heart. During those days I was involved in many sports activities. Our school was famous for a game named kho-kho in our zone. The students of our school were recognised by this game from the day our school was started. I was very much attached to that game and I enjoyed it a lot. We used to practice in the evening after the school hours. Our past passed out school seniors will come daily and we used to play and practice daily for the interschool competition. But this game is not internationally recognised, but its a game where one can gain stamina and improve his speed. The duration of the game was about 30 minutes but each and every second was interesting. We use to win all the games in our zone and we were the champions for many years. Our School had many cultural programmes and I used to participate every year. We used to form a group of members and used to do some innovative things. I still remember we did a mime program with paint all over our body and were standing like statues in different positions and it was the best show ever done in our school days and we use to dance in some functions. In most of the functions we used to do mischief and get scolding from our principal. After every function gets over the next working day our principal will make our group to stand in the auditorium for the whole day but they will allow us in the break to have lunch. It was very interesting to stand in front of all others. Everyone who passes will laugh at us and we loved those moments. In every year we will be waiting for the sports day to come because during those days we will be practicing march-past with group captains of every house leading in the front. And during my 11th I was the sports secretary for my school. I used to light the lamp. That time I was on the top of the world. During sports Day everyone used to wear school uniform but I used to wear jerseys and will instruct all the students. Everyone will be looking at me and they will announce in the mike that so and so student has achieved in the field of sports. Like that I was enjoying each and every moment in my higher secondary. My experience in 12th was also very interesting as I was thinking of college. During those days many test were conducted and we were not allowed to play any sports. We were made to concentrate on our studies. Usually our school used to get the top rank among other schools in our zone. In my batch one student bagged the top mark among all other schools. The staffs who took our subjects were fabulous and they thought us in such a way that we were able to implement in our college studies also. That year too went on nicely but the only thing which I didnt experience was farewell, due to our seniors misbehaviour. But that was not a problem for we used to enjoy every day with full spirit and had no hard feelings for not having it. Finally the date came when we were about to take our exams which was going to decide our career and on other side was going to miss our friends who I loved more than anything. As days past the exam also came to an end, and the last exam was maths and still remember I was very emotional when all of us finished our exams and went back home. Thus, the school days of my life still remains like a scar in my heart which is not going to die till years. I feel that everyone will be happy enjoying the school days more than any other event that comes through their life.

the performance of Dubai Islamic Bank

the performance of Dubai Islamic Bank Dubai Islamic bank is a bank that offers services related to Islamic sharia. In the year 2009 the total revenue gained by the bank was 5,133 (million AED) as compared to the report of FY 2008 the net revenue had decreased by 2.6%, and the total profit earned by the bank was 1,207.49 (million AED) a net decrease of 22.31% as compared to the FY 2008, with the total assets of AED 90.14 billion in the year 2010, the bank stands among one of the largest Islamic banks in the world, currently the bank has a customer base of 1.2 billion which is quite appraisable customer base when compared with other banks. The share price of DIB is computed to 2.22 AED (per share) updated latest to 31st march, 2011, the net value of the market cap is evaluated to 8,429 (million AED), the enterprise value is evaluated to 7,450 (million AED), and the net shares outstanding is evaluated to 3,797 (million AED). The net capital base of Dubai Islamic bank counts up to AED 10.53 billion as of December 2010, which is 17.2% higher than the previous year? B. Strategic posture 1. Mission the Dubai Islamic bank is currently providing services like retail banking, private banking, johara banking, corporate banking, mobile banking, phone banking, online banking, sharia board services, structure trade finance, treasury and investment, project financing, syndication services, wealth management services, business banking, investment banking, contracting finance services, and real estate finance. The DIB is incorporated in all these services because they want to expand their scope in terms of banking and investment services in almost every field, so as to compete with other players in the business. 2. Objectives The companys main objective is to setup its market all across the world and to expand them as much as possible, and to increase its customer base so as to increase their revenues and popularity in the global market. 3. Strategies The main objective of DIB is to diversify and manage organic growth, as growth in any sector is a must for a company especially a banking corporation where the opportunities are endless for any corporation DIB is focusing majorly on the diversifying of its business, and this strategy is very much consistent with the missions that is stated by the bank. The other strategies of DIB includes expansion of its branches and the increase in its overall customer base, this strategy of DIB helps DIB to expand its trade in other countries of the world too. The increase in overall customer base is an obvious strategy of any banking corporation as the profit and revenues earned by any banking firm is dependent on the issue that more the customers the bank has the more is its profit earned. 4. Policies The major policies of DIB includes conversions of key Islamic economic policies into firm practices for the need of mankind and to welfare them with the Islamic policies, the policies of the DIB is consistent with the mission, objectives and strategies of the corporation as the end user of any firm is the consumer itself, and if the consumer is not happy with the companys policies and services then every strategy of that company is vain, and also the companys policies are consistent with every external and internal environmental features. The companys major strategy includes the expansion of branches and the addition of new customers to the companys customer base; these policies reflect the companys international and global trading strategy. 2. Corporate governance A. The board of governance The board of governance of the corporation consists of H.E. Mohammad Ibrahim abdulrahman alshaibani as the chairman, H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin zayed al nehayan as the vice chairman, ahmad Mohammad saeed bin humaidan as the director, saeed Mubarak Abdulla Mohammad al muhairi as the director, abdulrahman hareb Rashed alhareb as the director, tariq humaid matar mohammad al tayer as the director. They all are the external employees of the corporation i.e. they are non-executive members of the corporation i.e. they dont take part in any decision making processes of the corporation. This group of executives consists of the top management of the company. The internal or the senior management members of the coporation consist mainly of Abdulla ali al hamli as the chief executive officer, ahmed fathy al-gebali as the chief financial officer of the corporation. These persons are the part of the senior management i.e. they have influence in all the decisions making and strategy making discussions and processes. These executives comprise of the internal management or the senior management of the company and involved in major decision making processes of the corporation. All the internal and the external members of the corporation that is discussed above especially the non-executive members hold significant part in the stocks. The stocks are publically held by some of the major acquisitions are held by many other peoples and companies, also the stock is traded in the market, with some of the board members acquiring major shares of the corporation. Some board members are the permanent board members of the corporation and they are in the non-executive group of the corporation and thereby they are the permanent members of the company, but the senior management members are not-permanent members of the corporation, the chief financial officer of the corporation is the newest member on the board of directors as he had joined the company in the year 2011 itself. The top management consists of chairman itself and the other directors of the company, though the non-executive members dont take part in some decisions but in major decisions like acquisitions and budget related discussions their involvement is must. B. Top management The top management of the company comprise of H.E. mohammad Ibrahim as the chairman, H.E. sheikh khaled bin zayed al nehayan as the vice chairman, ahmed mohammad saeed bin humaidan as the director, saeed Mubarak Abdulla Mohammad al muhairi as the director, abdulrahman hareb Rashed alhareb as the director, they all are part of the non-executive board. But the major part in the decision making policies are taken by the senior management group or the top management group i.e. the CEO and the CFO of the corporation. The board members of the corporation have a significant knowledge of the international market and of market policies and as the key peoples are experienced enough therefore they contribute a significant amount of knowledge to the corporation and thereby taking the corporation to the next level. The companys senior management is highly skilled and are capable of taking the company to a new height, the CFO for ex. had joined the corporation in the year 2011 itself, the CFOs profile shows that he has a very good managerial base, he had worked for boubyan bank as a CFO and various other investment houses, thereby he had gained enough experience and he had served for many companies therefore his skills must be remarkable. The companys senior management had developed a systematic strategy to be implied, some of them are global acquisitions and expansion of business. The companys senior management interacts with the lower level managers and the board of directors quite frequently as they are keen to make new strategies and decisions for the company and they believe in including everyone in the process of decision making. The companys decisions are quite ethical as the companys main motive is to use the teaching of Islam for the welfare of mankind in economic terms. The top management is highly skilled and is expected to survive the company in future and to cope up with any problem affecting the corporation. 3. External environment: opportunities and threats A. natural physical environment Apart from banking the bank is also engaged in products and services like textile products, aluminum fixtures, motor vehicles. Products like Aluminum fixtures and textiles depend on the sustainability of the environment i.e. textiles are made from cotton and other natural products and aluminum are obtained through mining therefore the climate of the place plays a very important role in the development of products of DIB. Apart from the climate one more natural force that affects the manufacturing of DIBs products is availability of water in adequate quantity, and natural disasters. The opportunities for DIB in these sectors are limitless but the only thing that matters is that how they could implement their strategies into their products and services. All these forces have different affects in different countries of the world for ex. climatic and weather conditions are different in different countries of world, for ex. in Africa and Asia where climate are suitable for the growth of cotton and jute products, moreover natural disasters and calamities also depends on the location of the manufacturing plants of DIB for ex. in countries like Japan, and Hawaii where earthquake and volcanoes are frequent. Solar winds and sun spots also affect the crop as it destroys the crop. B. societal environment The major factors that are affecting the product manufacturing are economical forces, technological forces, political forces, and socio-cultural forces. The economic forces are the force that defines a corporations power in the market in terms of revenues and share price, therefore economic forces are also very important forces that influence the manufacturing of products and services. The technological forces are also one of the most important forces which affect a companys manufacturing of products and other technological processes. The other forces that affects a companys manufacturing of products and services are political forces, these are the forces which comes into play when the company had to make major political decisions about its company when trading in own country or in other country. The socio cultural forces are the forces that define the environment that surrounds the company, i.e. in UAE the socio cultural environment are different whereas if DIB will setup its branches in other countries of world like India, or USA then they have to face a total different environment and that will affect the bank. All these forces varies at other places of the world as the technological advancement of one country can be very good and DIB can take the best use of that, and the political forces also depends on the type of country they are dealing with for ex. whether the country is an democracy, monarchy, anarchy etc. all these forces plays a very vital role in the development of a company in any country, especially for DIB it is a very important factor and the strategies of DIB should include techniques to tackle with political situations in other countries. Socio-cultural is by far the most important aspect for DIB as DIB is based on the teachings of Quran and believes in its principles, therefore there may exist a line between them and customers when the bank operates in non-Muslim country. C. task environment There are six major forces that drive a companys industry competition these are: Threat of new entrants: these forces vary from country to country, these forces are of high risks because there have been chances always that new entrants enters the market, and if the quality of products and services provided by them are proved to be good then obviously the older players has to suffer, more or less. Bargaining power of buyers: the bargaining power of buyers depends from country to country and according to situation, this force is rated as a medium force as not many buyers bargain on products i.e. good in quality. Threat of substitute products and services: the threat of substitute products and services are always high as any company can come up with an idea of better substituted product, and if that product is better than the companys product then the company has to suffer. Bargaining power of suppliers: bargaining power of suppliers is high as the supplier is the person whose quality of raw material decides the overall quality of product. Rivalry among competing firms: the rivalry among competing firms is of medium type as the rivalry depends on the number of competitors in the market and the quality of products they manufacture. Relative power of unions, governments, special interest groups, etc. have a high affect on the company as the companys trade at any place is subjected to the fact that they have good or not so good relations with the government of that country. D. Summary of external factors Socio-economic and task environment are the most important for the company and to the industry in which it is currently competing. Sustainability issues will be important for the company in the future. 4. Internal environment: strength and weakness A. corporate structure The decision making authority is centralized around one group of person which are known as the top management of the company. The corporation is organized on the basis of all these factors like functions, projects, and geography. The structure of the organization is pretty much clear as there is only one major group of decision makers and that is constituted under the top management of the company. The companys current structure consists of highly skilled international level CEOs and CFOs and as the companys main objective and strategy are consistent with the expansion of the company, therefore the present structure of the company is consistent with the firms international operations. This type of structure can be seen in similar organizations as every company has a top level of management that decides all the strategies and procedures for any company. B. corporate culture The culture of DIB is well emerged culture and is composed of shared beliefs, expectations and values. The current culture of DIB is very much consistent with the corporations current objectives, strategies, policies and programs as the major objective of the corporation is to expand their business. Environmental stability means a lot to DIB as some of their products are related to environment and other natural factors their work culture is defined by the environmental objectives. The corporation is well known for its banking basics and current position in the world, the bank is one of the top banks in this world to offer banking services related to Islamic sharia. The bank is internationalizing itself i.e. it is expanding their trade in other countries of the world. The culture is somewhat not very consistent with the employees background i.e. they will prefer those peoples who believes in Islamic sharia principles and according to them who have Islamic ethics. Thus much diversity in background is not encountered in the bank. The bank usually acts in Muslim based countries like UAE, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq etc. therefore it does not have much problems in this countries, but if we have to consider other countries that is not Muslim oriented then the corporation might find some problem in coping up the culture of that country. C. corporate resources 1. Marketing A. the current marketing objective of the company is to expand their market all over the world, and to increase the number of customers. Strategies that DIB is applying to complete this objective are clear and are consistent with the objectives and strategies of the company and are not implied just for mere implications. The 4ps i.e. product, price, place, promotion are the fields where the bank is doing exceptionally well, however there have been an ir-regulation performance of the bank for ex. the net income of the bank is 2,696 (AED m) in 2005, 4,577 (AED m) in 2006, 6,083 (AED m) in 2007, 5,270 (AED m) in 2008, and 5,133 (AED m) in 2009. The market of the bank is not very big in the current scenario but it is doing very good in Muslim countries and considered as one of the best muslim banks in the world. The bank is gaining its market in the muslim countries and loosing it in non- muslim countries. A high percentage of revenue were collected from the developed region as the number of wealthy customers who can take benefit of the services provided by DIB is more in developed regions. The bank is not consistent considering the revenue generated by it in the five year period from 2005-2009. The current and past performance of the corporation is the base for its future performance; the bank has to make strategies to increase their performance. Companys marketing performance is very good though they are facing a competition from leading banks like abu dhabi commercial bank, emirates NBD bank. Though the DIB operates on Islamic principles but the managers of DIB is still using traditional marketing techniques in terms of product lifecycle, market segmentation, market research etc. Usually DIB dont have to face different culture therefore it is not very difficult for them to market them in other regions or countries. Marketing manager considers all the major aspects of environmental sustainability when making decisions, a marketing managers role is very crucial in strategic making process as he has to suggest marketing policies when trading in some other country. 2. Finance The corporations current financial objective is to increase their net revenue collected, all the financial strategies, objectives, and policies are based on this fact. These facts are clearly stated and implied just not for the sake of show off but performing as well. These financial strategies if implied will be proved to be beneficial for the company. The companys efficiency ratio increased to .43 according to the stats of sep-2010, the debt to capital ratio increased by a ratio of 9.91 according to the data of sep-2010, the earning per share of the company increased by a ratio of 0.07 according to the data of sep-2010. The earnings per share increased by a ratio of 0.32. the operating cost of the company went up by 33.88% of sales. The investors expect that the price of the shares will go up in the current fiscal year. The trend in the companys financial stability is unstable i.e. it was never been consistent. No significant difference was reported when statements were calculated in constant versus reported dollars. The past trends will surely affect the future performance of the company as the new CFO will develop strategy that will cope up the net loss. The finance of the company is by far considered good but the company can very well utilize their resources to increase the financial stability. The company is facing challenge from some of Dubais lead Muslim banks in terms of finance, the financial managers are nowadays using traditional finance concepts and techniques to solve their finance related problems. The financial situation of the company is different in different parts of the world depending on the economy of that place for ex. developed and developing regions. Financial managers role is very crucial in the strategic management process, as finance is the most important section in a banking sector. 3. Research and development The corporation besides concentrating on its banking services is also indulged in core sectors like textiles, and aluminum fixtures. These strategies are meant to increase the products and services of the company and to increase their business. These strategies are consistent with the corporations mission, objectives, strategies and policies. The technology that they use to implement their policies plays a great role in manufacturing processes. The RD of the companys new services gives the company a competitive advantage, the return from the new products and services is not much because it is the newest field in the companys yard. The RD of the company depends on the environmental and climatic conditions of that country, companys technological discontinuity plays a vital role because the technology plays the most vital role in the manufacturing processes. The RD manager plays a very role in the companys strategic management process. 4. Operations and logistics The companys current manufacturing/service objectives, strategies and policies are clearly implemented and implied from performance and budget, the companys policies and strategies are in accordance with the companys main policies, strategy, and objectives. The company has to face problems in the external and internal environment regarding logistics and operations. The corporation deals with their products with suppliers who provide them with the raw materials, international export of materials is done in products and services. The company is currently engaged in flexible manufacturing, equipments are of new technology. Transportation facilities are available in most of the parts. The manufacturing and logistics of the company is affected by the various factors like natural disasters and climatic conditions. Operations manager are using new technology and services to evaluate and improve current technology. 5. Human resource management The corporations current HRM practice is to utilize their human resource to expand the companys business and to increase the customer base, along with introducing and developing new products. The net income per employee is 175,151 AED of the DIB, it is considered a descent income therefore it is clear that the company is very conserve towards their employees and do good care of them. The HRM of the company has the capability to increase their net profit and to affect other factors positively. The corporation is paying the employees heavily and they are giving them other incentives too, but other competitors are also conserved related to their employees. The HRM manager is utilizing the resources to the highest and often created strategies to do well in future like engaging their human resources in other products and services, and introduction of new posts. The company doesnt seems to have a diversify workforce from all over the world, but whatever they have with them they are managing them quite efficiently. Outsourcing plays a very important role in HR planning, as outsourcing provides manpower to complete objectives and tasks related to the company. Moreover the HR manager plays a very important role in the strategic management process, as every strategy requires manpower and the best use of human resources. 6. Information technology The organizations current IT objectives, strategies and policies includes modernization of all technologies in the context of IT, and this strategy is very well in accordance with the modern era in which the company is operating. The company has a proper database management system and analyst who can make changes in the database whenever required. After the use of modernized technologies it is very much predictable that the company will do well in the future regarding the advantages of the softwares used. All the leading banks in Dubai is using IT as a tool for performing processes and for services therefore DIB is facing a cut-throat competition in this field and must have to look upon for new technological services and tools. DIB has got a place in the worlds internet database and the information is very well conveyed regarding the company on the internet. IT manager is playing a very important role in developing the companys strategies as, many processes in the corporation is dependent on IT. D. Summary of internal factors Marketing, human resource and financing are the core-competencies for the company at present. The distinctive competencies of the corporation is its IT and logistics and operations. Finance, marketing and human resource are the most important factors that the company are engaged in presently. Human resource is the functions that are most suitable for outsourcing. 5. Analysis of strategic factors A. situational analysis The main analysis that affects the companys present and future performance are the finance performance, marketing, human resource and the sustainability issues. B. review of mission and objectives The current mission and objectives are appropriate for the companys progress but to some extent because the net profit, revenue generated and the share prices of the company is decreasing, therefore they need to have a look at its finance and marketing areas. If the finance and marketing sections are thoroughly reviewed an corrected then the corporation will grow larger momentum in the future. 6. Strategic alternatives and recommended strategies A. Strategic alternatives The current strategies if revise will prove to be very beneficial for the company. The recommended strategies will surely help the company to improve their performance. The recommended corporate strategies are stability, growth, and retrenchment. The recommended business strategies are cost leadership and differentiation. The corporate strategies will help the company to maintain the stability, but the corporation would have only static growth i.e. growth at a slow rate. The business strategies are however suggested taken into account the cost cutting and utilizing methods, they will surely help the financing section of the company, but however risk could not be taken if we implement these strategies. B. recommended strategies The main strategic options that the company has are: To utilize and to execrate most of their strength. To outwit their weakness. To make the most of their opportunities. And to manage their threats in the business. These strategies should be first implemented on ground level first and if prove to be affective they could be used further and prove to be of great use for the company for both long term and short term. 7. Implementation Instituting TQM would help the company to maintain better account of their services and processes. Software professional who has got a little idea about financing, marketing and system analysis can develop this software. As this is a high level program therefore the CEO should be the in charge of this program. The programs are financially feasible as it would not cost much, instead it will help the company in various cost-reduction processes. And also help maintaining their database and accounts. The software should be in beta phase first and then new inclusions will be made depending on the requirements. 8. Evaluation and control The company has an updated information system that helps them to track every activity in the corporation and also provide sufficient feedback on implementation activities and performance. The tools that the company uses can give accurate information about everything about the profit, loss, share prices etc. The information i.e. conveyed is timely and is very well implemented. The corporation is using benchmarking techniques to evaluate its functions and activities. Appropriate standards and measures are being taken while conformance of the recommended strategic plans. Reward system is a bonus for any employee in an organization therefore appropriate rewarding system is taken into account in the corporation.

War of 1812 Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction With the ongoing battles between England and France in the early 19th century, the newly formed United States found itself thrust in the middle of this struggle. In the early part of the century Napoleon was on a mission to once again establish a mighty French empire of early years. But with the build up of the royal British Navy the English were trying fiercely to hold Napoleon in check. The United States was determined to stay neutral and continue its trading with both nations. However several mandates passed by both France and England made this very difficult. With England’s naval blockade and the repeated search and seizure of American trade vessels, the United States, led by an aggressive group of leaders in congress known as the Young War Hawks, took a very aggressive approach to Britain and its royal navy. However, the War Hawks and President Madison also had plans of expansion in mind, to extend its boarders to the North Pole, home to royal colonies of the now hated Great Britain. With this plan and the negative feeling toward Britain, the war was just around the corner. And in June of 1812, a full-fledged war was upon them. The war, which lasted approximately two years, was a very bloody and costly battle to both the United States and Britain. Systematic Analysis To begin to look at this war we must take a look at the system the world was in at the time. The world was dominated by a bi-polar system, with France and England being the two poles. However you also had another player in the system, Russia. Although not quite as powerful as either of the top two, but if thrown in the mix could tip the scales toward one side or the other. The United States at this time preferred to practice a policy of isolationism, and stay out of the turbulent affairs of Europe. The constant struggle between the French and the British dominated the world scene. The French who were led by Napoleon were trying to establish an empire and dominate all of Eur ope. This struggle had been raging since the turn of the century. The British as in any bi-polar system were dead set on preventing this from happening. With the United States only a minor player in the international system at the time there was nothing the United States could do in this affair except continue its policy of neutrality, and isolationism. With a bi-polar international system, you are always i... ...ithout the other. When looking at the system as a whole you provide ample proof that the bi-polar system is very unstable and susceptible to conflict at anytime, especially when the two powers are countries that have been at each other since their creation. Each country is trying to gain dominance over the other. Napoleon would not stop his process until he accomplished his goal or was defeated. The state level also ties into the system, as the states goal was dominance or defeat. The United States tried to invade modern day Canada to increase it national territory and fought many bloody, deadly battles in order to accomplish this goal. Which they eventually failed and did not gain any territory but did not lose any either, the British also attempted to capture key cities and failed as well. Individual level you see how countrymen will rally in support of their country and this is plain and simply human nature. That is why when you look at the three levels they all are interlocke d and must have one, in this war, to have the other. So in a war that was a defeat for France and a draw for the United States and Britain, each level was very prominent and a necessity in The War of 1812.

Romania - Ecotourism in Romania Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fascinating Romania   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the eastern edge of Europe, Romania is perhaps best known for its Black Sea resorts, such as Mamaia and the Greco-Byzantine port of Constanta, and the Danube delta, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its rich wetlands and abundant bird-life. The Transylvanian Alps occupy much of the northern half of the country, the waters of their many spa resorts having been appreciated for their healing properties since Roman times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Romania offers a rich tapestry tourist attractions and vacation experiences unique in Central-Eastern Europe: medieval towns in Transylvania, the world-famous Painted Monasteries in Bucovina, traditional villages in Maramures, the magnificent architecture of Bucharest, the romantic Danube Delta, fairy-tale castles, the Black Sea resorts, the majestic Carpathian Mountains, spas and much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Transylvania is also the legendary home of Bram Stoker's Dracula, based on an infamous medieval king 'Vlad the Impaler' whose spooky abode at Bran Castle may be visited. The northern half of the country is bisected by the great Carpathian Mountains, most of which are covered by pristine mountain forests which shelter one of Europe's last strongholds for large carnivore populations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Romania is a country with rich biodiversity (ecosystems, species and genetic diversity) and a high percentage of natural ecosystems 47% of the land area of the country is covered with natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The natural integrity of forest ecosystems is indicated by the presence of the full range of European forest fauna, including 60% and 40% of all European brown bears and wolves, respectively. Europe’s largest wetland, the Danube Delta, also lies predominantly in Romania. Major grasslands, caves, and an extensive network of rivers, add to the ecosystem richness. Important for Romania as well as for all Europe, is that the territory of Romania is a confluence point between biogeographic regions between arctic, alpine, west and central European, pannonic, balkanic, sub Mediterranean and even eastern colchic. The high level of geographic diversity in Romania and the consequence of its location as a biological confluence place have produced a fl oral diversity that includes over 3,70... ...rs and of local infrastructure. It also promotes the technological progress, environmental protection activities, and the financial sector reorganization. The development and restructuring of these fields are prerequisites for the increased traffic of local and international tourists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well known for a long time on international scale, the Romanian hospitality proved to be, over the years and quite often, not only a characteristic of the Romanian people but, using the touristic language, a promoting instrument of the national offer on the international market, too. The idea of developing the tourism in Romania is based on this characteristic of the Romanians, and on the beauty of the Romanian village and landscape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biography http://www.carpathians.org/l_rom.htm http://www.ce-review.org/99/2/lovatt2.html http://home.online.no/~romemb/tourism.htm http://www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/national/romania/robiodiv.htm http://www.responsibletravel.com/TripSearch/Europe/Country100204.htm http://aboutromania.com/photos.html http://www.factbook.ro/countryreports/ro/Ro_Tourism.htm http://www.factbook.net/index.html

Compare & Contrats: Lineman Terms

In the electrical construction business, power companies can choose whether to use contractors or their own workers to complete a job. They must consider the size of the job and time frame they have to complete the job. The work habits of contract linemen and Georgia Power Company linemen play a large part in the decision of which group will be the best to complete the job. Lineman use heavy equipment to complete their jobs. An aerial bucket is a truck that has a fiberglass boom, a long scissor like arm, with an isolated bucket attached so that linemen can use it to reach energized electrical lines. Some of these buckets have a special fiberglass arm at the end of the boom with a roller on it, called a jib, which uses a winch to lift heavy objects up to one thousand pounds, called material handlers. Contractors use a two man material handling bucket. Due to strict rules about working two conductors at the same time, Georgia Power lineman can’t work out of a two man bucket so they use a single man material handling truck. The next piece of equipment used by a lineman is a line truck. It has an auger attached to the boom that digs deep holes for the pole to be set. This truck also sets the pole and can lift heavy objects with its winch line, similar to how a crane works. The contractor’s truck has a center mounted boom, which has a seat mounted at the base on the boom. This truck can work the same strength from either side of the truck. Unlike the contractor’s truck, the Georgia Power lineman’s truck is a corner mounted boom, which is located on the rear passenger side of the truck. It has a farther reach off of the passenger side of the truck, but it is not as strong on the driver side of the truck. These trucks have to pull trailers behind them to haul poles around. A contract lineman uses a thirty foot pole trailer which is the standard size used to haul around a large number of poles. The company lineman uses a material trailer that is about fifteen foot long with boxes on the side to hold wire and materials. When they need to haul a pole, the tongue can be extended out to the length needed. This trailer can only haul about five poles at max. Although they use different trucks, the truck’s joysticks and levers all have the same functions. One of the major similarities between a contractor and a Georgia Power lineman is that they both have to follow rules and regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Electrical Safety Code standards. They both have to wear a harness when working out of the bucket, and wear a body belt, has two d-rings placed at the hips that you attach a strap to, when they are six feet off the ground on a pole or ladder. Both types of lineman must wear rubber gloves while working in the bucket that cover hand up to the elbow. A contractor wears class three rubber gloves. They are rated for thirty thousand volts. Working on the same line, a Georgia Power lineman can wear class two gloves that are rated for twenty thousand volts. The reason for the difference in standards is the amount of cover-up used, which is another way linemen stay protected while working on electrical wires. It is called this because they use it to cover the energized lines. Cover-up is orange colored so that the linemen can easily see it and it comes in many forms. The contract linemen and company linemen use hoses, blankets, and hoods to cover-up the power lines. A hose, sometimes called an eel, is six feet long and slides over the wire to cover around it. A blanket is a four foot square that is used to wrap around the pole, its arms, or insulators. A hood is pre-formed to fit insulators perfectly, but not all linemen use them because they take up too much space on the truck. A contactor does not use the same amount of cover-up as a Georgia Power lineman would. Company linemen have a four step cover-up procedure. First, they must cover the conductors in the order they come to them. Second, before uncovering an energized conductor, all paths to ground must be covered. A ground is anything that an electric current can use to get back to the earth from the wire. Third, before working on a grounded component, all energized conductors must be covered. Last, the cover-up must be removed in the order it was placed. It makes for a little more work for the company lineman, but it keeps them from having to wear rubber sleeves. Unlike the company lineman, a contractor must wear rubber sleeves which start at the top of the shoulder and covers down to the wrist because they don’t use the four rules of cover-up. When the trucks are in an area of energized lines, a contract lineman always has to ground their truck to the pole ground. The truck ground is a copper wire that ties the truck through the pole ground to the system neutral to protect from accidental electrical charge. A power company lineman only has to ground their truck when setting oles and only if there is a chance of an accidental contact to the truck due to a broken insulator or pole. Contractors must do a lot of traveling in order to keep their job; they don’t have a set location to work from. At the power company, a lineman stays at the same headquarters during his career. Since the lineman is at home, the company calls him to work for local power outages. When major hurricanes strike the coast lines, tornados blow away cities, or blizzards freeze a mountain town, both types of linemen can be asked to help restore power to these communities. When a contractor goes out of town, his crew will be the only ones that work together during the restoration. They will meet up with fellow contract lineman only for meals and meetings. As a Georgia Power lineman, you are sent out with your whole region. A caravan of trucks and vans leave the headquarters and travel to their destination together to help restore power to the area. There are also support members from inside the office that travel with the team. While away from home, contract linemen either sleep in a hotel or, on occasion, sleep inside their trucks. The power company linemen have a support team to make sure they get a good place to sleep every night while on the storm group. So the likelihood of having to sleep in their trucks is slim to none. The quality of work differs between the contract lineman and a Georgia Power lineman. A contract lineman bids on the job and gets paid per task they complete. Because speed equals money, a contract lineman tends to rush through work to finish faster. Because he is rushed, the maybe work is unsatisfactory to trained company lineman. Contractors have a saying, â€Å"It looks good to me. You can’t see it from my house. † A company lineman can take his time and do his job safely and this reflects in his work. He takes pride in his work because he can ride around his community and look at project he has worked on. I know firsthand the work habits of a contract lineman and a Georgia Power Company lineman. I worked for contractors for five years before I was hired by the power company. After many years of line experience, I have noticed that my work and safety habits improved after becoming a company lineman. Even though both types of linemen have the same profession, they approach the job in different ways to complete it. A power company chooses contractors over company linemen when it is necessary to stay devoted to a single job they are working on. Company linemen have the responsibility of responding to power outages, and this extends the time it takes to complete the job. The pros and cons of both types of linemen and the time it takes to complete the job are the two major factors that are taken into consideration by Georgia Power Company when deciding which group will be assigned to the job.

A Semiotic Approach on How Meaning Can Be Created in an Audience

A Semiotic Approach on How Meaning can Be Created In An Audience â€Å"Human intellectual and social life is based on the production, use, and exchange of signs† (Danesi, 2002) As Danesi (2002) states, signs are an integral part of society; from watching television, listening to music, reading, writing or talking, we are engaged in sign based behaviour. This engagement with signs is known as the study of semiotics.Dating back to 460-377BC, with the founder of Western medical science, Hippocrates, coining the term, then known as semeiotics, he described signs consisting of three dimensions; the physical dimension, known as the signifier, the referent, or signified, and the signification (Danesi, 2002). These dimensions only have meaning when â€Å"it has someone to mean to† (Williamson, 1978). In the 20th century, semiotic theory was developed by a group of semioticians, linguists, psychologists and cultural theorists, based on the saussurean-Piercean paradigm (Danesi, 2 002).First introduced to the public in the 1950’s by Roland Barthes, to describe our mediated culture, semiotics is essential when creating an advertisement. Among other things, semiotics plays a significant role in engaging the intended audience- the buyer. Whether it is the elderly, teens, children, men or women, the placement of colours, text, images and other signs, play a key role in the success of the advertisement (Scott, 1994).By taking a semiotic approach, this essay will demonstrate how meaning can be created in an audience, by the analysis of two advertisements, and discussing how codes and context are central in the ‘anchoring’ of meaning. First introduced by Roland Barthes (1977), the notion of anchorage, discusses the linguistic essentials that can help anchor, or constrain, how a reader interprets an image: â€Å"to fix the floating chain of signifieds† (Barthes, 1977). The advertisements chosen are from differing and contrasting magazines; the first from iconic fashion magazine Vogue and the other from a men’s magazine, Men’s Health.These differing genres have been chosen to illustrate how contexts and codes within specific social relations, groups, classes, institutions, structures and things (Thwaites, Davis and Mules, 2002) play an integral role in creating meaning (Scribd, 2012). Much of what we have come to understand about society, is learnt from the texts that are presented around us; through Hollywood blockbusters, to novels and magazines. Chandler concludes that â€Å"life is thus lived through texts and framed by texts to a greater extent than we are normally aware of† (Chandler, 2001).This means that advertisements not only refer to ‘real world’ concepts that we deal with day to day, but they also make reference to other texts. The level of this ‘intertextuality’ (Fiske, 1987) is what influences social beliefs and ideals in the world we live in. The advertiseme nt from Vogue (See ad 1) features a sepia- colour scheme, with an alluring female to the right, and a bottle of ‘j’adore Dior’ perfume, to the left. Many signifiers are present in this advertisement; the female (Charlize Theron), is dressed in an elegant gold beaded dress, with a high beaded neckline, drawing the viewers eye to her strong jaw-line and bronzed face.Her pose is that of elegance and power, the background light shining around her slim figure. The colour of the clothing, and overall image, compliment the golden-sepia tone of the bottle of perfume on the left. Chandeliers are placed around the perfume bottle, and out of focus behind the woman. The signifieds present are; the gold dress giving an impression of the woman being a high profile member of society of, chandeliers are present in homes of the wealthy and the sepia tones represent warmth. By using a female of celebrity status, the advertisements appeal rises with the wider female audience, due t o her known status.The key connotations featured in this advertisement are; the gold coloured dress connotes wealth, elegance and popularity. The powerful and elegant stance of the woman connotes power a female will gain when wearing this fragrance. Due to her celebrity status, the audience can also feel empowered, with a ‘celebrity’ status. The sepia tones connote warmth, and invite the viewer to become involved with the advertisement. Along with the bronzed body of the woman, the French writing j’adore (meaning I love) adds an essence of romance, and connotes desire, and sex appeal.As the ad connotes power, it is open for both upper and lower/middle class woman to interpret. Upper class woman could strive to maintain power, whilst lower class desire to gain power, by using the product. The way the creators of the ad have placed the female in this position, in these surroundings, to represent the product, has been done deliberately to target the desired audience ; woman have a desire to feel beautiful, powerful, and sexy, therefore the creator has appropriately placed the advertisement in a women’s very well known and popular fashion magazine, to gain maximum results from the targeted audience.Leiss (1990) states that â€Å"at the core of advertising’s purposes now is not the message itself as a communicator of meaning, but rather its relationship to the audience† (Leiss et al. , 1990). With the development of the theory of marketing segmentation, it is logical to therefore conclude that creators of advertisements don’t focus on the product, but the signs and codes that connate particular meanings of positivity that are related to a certain lifestyle, culture, or social group (Scribd, 2012).The connotations pervade media representations, and symbolise psychological or social themes and situations that are familiar and understandable to the audience (Danesi, 2002), in order to successfully sell the product. The ad vertisement from the Men’s Health (see ad 2), is selling ‘Tom Ford Perfume’. This somewhat controversial ad has many key signifiers. The male figure lying on a bed is the predominant focus, followed by a female hand with red nail polish touching the male’s chest. The object that is being advertised is only shown as a half.The basic colour scheme is black and white, with the exception of the red nail polish and orange cologne bottle. The signifieds present are; the male is an essential selling point of the advertisement, therefore he takes up the majority of the page. Sex appeal is what the advertiser is trying to convey, and the glimpse of a female hand can be seen as elegant and flirty. The key connotations are; the male figure as desirable and powerful- every woman would want an intimate connection with him. The red fingernails connote passion, desire, lust, and a thirst for action (Danesi, 2002).By using this cologne, the advertisement connotes that the user will become the ultimate object of desire, playing in to the male want of intimate connections with females. As the male figure has ‘sex appeal’ the advertisement encourages the partner of a male to purchase the fragrance, so she could have a ‘sexy’ male partner. The orange tone of the cologne bottle connotes warmth, stimulating the senses. When producers try to convey certain meanings, audiences may or may not assign the same meanings (Littlejohn, 1996).As mentioned in the first analysis, the advertisement is open to other audiences, whilst the male cologne ad is more closed, but it is up to the reader to decide whether or not they belong to the context or not. Signs are combined in to texts, but a text has no meaning on its own (Smagorinsky, 2001). It draws value from surrounding elements and from reader association, but also from what it is not (Littlejohn, 1998). The amalgamation of these creates the context in which the text functions; if you are n’t a wearer of perfume or cologne, you will have no interest in what it is trying to sell you, hence the importance of context.Thwaites and colleagues (2002) mention that â€Å"the social situations in which a sign is used may determine the appropriate content, type of sign and coding; signs contextual functions indicate the context in which it operates (Thwaites, Davis and Mules, 2002). Chandler explains that Stuart Hall pointed to the role of social positioning in the interpretation of mass media texts by different social groups (Chandler, 2001). Hall also suggested three hypothetical models of interpretive codes or positions for the reader of a text (Hall, 1980). But what Hall and also Chandler miss, is what happens when you don’t understand an advertisement at all?Because, as Griffin says; â€Å"like chameleons that take on the colouration of their environment, words take on their meaning of the context in which they are used† (Griffin, 2000). The opinion that the usefulness of semiotics decreases and is above all dependant on the skill of the interpreter is not new. Leiss (1990) argues that a key drawback for semiotics is that â€Å"it is heavily dependent upon the skill of the individual analyst† (Leiss, 1990). Less skilful analysts â€Å"can do little more than state the obvious in a complex and often pretentious manner† (Leiss, 1990).As Littlejohn (1996) states â€Å"meanings of a message are affected by events outside the message itself†, therefore the most successful advertisements focus on making sure the audience understands the content being conveyed (codes) and the content lays emphasis on certain meanings over others (context). In this perspective, the kind of magazine reflects how meanings are emphasised. Bignell (1997) even argues that â€Å"as well as being a collection of signs, the magazine is a sign in itself† (Bignell, 1997), the magazine is therefore a â€Å"powerful ideological forceâ €  (McRobbie, 2000) in society.Even though some postmodernists believe that texts are endlessly polysemic (Barthes 1977, Fiske 1987), meanings are still able to be communicated. Leiss (1990) argues that â€Å"for advertising to create meaning, the reader or viewer must do some ‘work’, because the meaning is not lying there on the page, one has to make an effort to grasp it† (Leiss et al, 1990). When analysing both of these advertisements, this statement is correct- the creators of the ad have given the reader ‘A and C’ but the reader must fill in the blank, or as it is known in this example, B.The application of semiotics in advertising varies significantly depending on the product being sold. Common themes almost always stay the same- the sense of freedom or excitement you get from purchasing a specific car or the feeling of popularity when you drink a certain type of alcohol (Messaris, 1997). This is done by using specific images, which resonate with the intended audience. For example, if there is an advertisement for a new Jeep, images of it going through all types of terrain will be shown, or alcoholic beverages are advertised at a party scene, all to make the audience want to buy the product (Messaris, 1997).As Chandler and Bignell suggest, signs and codes can be a medium itself, and described by Leiss (1990) â€Å"an ad is a mediator between creator and reader, standing at the confluence of the double symbolic process in the marketplace, where producers of goods try to attempt to construct one set of meanings, and where consumers use these meanings (along with meanings drawn from other sources) in the construction of their own lifestyles† (Leiss et al. , 1990).This is why semiotics is significant, even on a basic level, as it can show us how meanings have the ability to both construct and maintain particular social attitudes and ideals of a specific society. On a multifaceted level, the notion of intertextuality is intriguing and should be studied more widely as it exposes the many intricate ways in which contexts transfer from each other, showing how the contexts migrate from one another and portray the uncertainty of meaning. Appendix Ad 1. Ad 2. Bibliography Barthes, R. 1977, Image-Music-Text, London. Bignell, J. 1997, Media Semiotics: An Introduction, Manchester: Manchester University Press.Chandler, D (2001), â€Å"Semiotics, the basics†, Routledge. Culler, J. 1985, Saussure, London. Danesi, M. 2002, ‘An Outline of Semiotic Theory’, In Understanding Media Semiotics, London, pp 28-53. Dior, 2012, (‘Dior Advertisement’), Vogue Magazine, June 2012, pp. 1-2. Fiske, J. 1987, â€Å"Intertextuality† in Fiske, J, Television culture, Methuen Griffin, E. 2000, Communication; a first look at communication theory, McGraw-Hill. Hall, S, 1980, Encoding/decoding, In Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (Ed. ): Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cu ltural Studies, London. Leiss, W. Kline, S. & Jhally S. , 1990, Social Communication in Advertising: Persons, Products and Images of Well-Being, 2nd Edn, London. Littlejohn, S. 1996, Theories of Human Communication, 5th Edn, Wadsworth. McRobbie, A. 1995, Feminism and Youth Culture, 2nd edition, Macmillan Press, London. Messaris, P. 1997, Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising, Sage. Scott, M. 1994, ‘Images in Advertising: The need for a Theory of Visual Rhetoric, Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 252-273. Scribd 2012, Scribd, Date Accessed 25 May 2012, http://www. scribd. om/doc/22099314/Semiotic-analysis-of-two-ads? &lang=en_us&output=json&session-id=74ea6fd65172766fface3eec2d5bfb14. Smagorinsky, P. 2001,’ If meaning is constructed, what is it made from? Toward a cultural theory of reading’, Review of Educational Research, vol. 71, pp. 133-169. Tom Ford, 2010, (‘Tome Ford Advertisement’), Men’s Hea lth Magazine, March 2010, pp. 2. Thwaites, T. , Davis, L. & Mules, W. 2002, Introducing Cultural and Media Studies; a semiotic approach, New York. Williamson, J. 1978, Decoding Advertisements; Ideology and Meaning in Advertising, London.