A Moveable Feast By Ernest Hemingway - 1420 Words

While reading A Moveable Feast, I felt immersed into Ernest Hemingway’s world and developed a better understanding of him with a human experience. This novel provides an inside look on both, Hemingway’s time in Paris in the 1920s and the time at the end of his life leading up to his premature death. If one is familiar with his life, and especially his later years, A Moveable Feast gives insight into his life at the time of writing his memoir. The text itself is about Paris, but the reflection comes from an older Hemingway who was sentimental, longing and nostalgic. Regardless of the comments from family, friends and academics, interpreting the text itself in A Moveable Feast is the best way to learn about Hemingway and his mindset during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Unlike many great books, there are two versions of A Moveable Feast which were released by individuals separated by two generations. First, there is the 1964 version which offers the completed and unified memoir on Hemingway’s early years in Paris. It is important to understand that Hemingway never completed the memoir and his fourth wife, Mary Hemingway, performed much of the editing and final touches. In contrast, the 2009 version is believed by most to be more accurate to Hemingway’s original manuscripts, but it does not offer a unified story. Even though these versions are very different from one another they both offer valuable insight on Hemingway as a person. Since A Moveable Feast was left unfinished,Show MoreRelatedA Moveable Feast By Ernest Hemingway863 Words   |  4 PagesErnest Hemingway was an exemplary writer who tragically took his own life July of 1961, 3 years before the publication of his last writing, a memoir titled A Moveable Feast in 1964. His memoir was published posthumously by his wife and widow, Mary Hemingway through editing his manuscripts and notes. His book is a collection of reflections of his experiences and observations in 1920’s Paris which he wrote 40 years later. In this writing he provides information such as cafe names and specific bookstoresRead More Ernest Hemingway and Fitzgerald on the Expatriate Experiance1402 Words   |  6 PagesHemingway and Fitzgerald on the Expatriate Experiance Youre an expatriate. Youve lost touch with the soil. You get precious. Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed with sex. You spend all your time talking, not working. You are an expatriate, see? (Sun Also Rises, 115)1 Paris in the 1920s was a place that seemed to embody dynamic artistic achievement. Many of the great artists of modernist movements were either there or had passedRead MoreAnalysis of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas and A Moveable Feast1305 Words   |  5 Pagesauthor. The tendency to take liberty with the truth is often exacerbated when the author of such works has an affinity (or perhaps gift) for the written language, such as is the case with both Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, who produced fairly unconventional autobiographical works entitled A Moveable Feast and The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, respectively. The proclivity to glorify ones own actions and deeds in effect to make oneself appear cool is often an irresistible temptation, especiallyRead MoreEssay about Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast623 Words   |  3 PagesErnest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast In Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast he tells the tale of his early career and life in Paris. He tells of his meetings with famous writers, poets, and the times that they had. He spoke especially of Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. He did have a tendency to portray them a little bit unfairly. He was a little critical of them because of the fact that he shared so much time with them. Usually when people spend lots of time with each otherRead More Hemingway and Fitzgerald Essay1423 Words   |  6 PagesHemingway and Fitzgerald Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the parties of one of the most famously infamous relationships in literary history met for the first time in late April 1925 at The Dingo Bar, a Paris hangout for the bohemian set. In his novel A Moveable Feast (published posthumously) Hemingway describes his first impressions of Fitzgerald: â€Å"The first time I ever met Scott Fitzgerald a very strange thing happened. Many strange things happened with Scott, but thisRead MoreThe Largest Feast May Not Cure Hunger1465 Words   |  6 PagesThe Largest Feast May Not Cure Hunger Ernest Hemingway discusses the theme of hunger throughout A moveable feast by exploring and describing the different types of hunger that he felt. He aims to explore this theme in the passage where he strolls with Hadley, and they stop to eat at the restaurant Michaud’s. Through repetition and use of unconventional detail and word choice, Hemingway shows that he has more than one type of hunger, and needs to differentiate between them. Hemingway strives toRead MoreAn Analysis of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast2139 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor from another; whether it be their use of dialogue, their complex descriptions, their syntax, or their tone. When reading an excerpt of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast one could easily dissect the work, pick apart each significant moment from Hemingway’s life and analyze it in order to form their own idea of the author’s voice, of his identity. Ernest Hemingway’s writing immediately comes across as rather fami liar in one sense. His vocabulary is not all that complicated, his layout is rather straightforwardRead MoreA Clean Well Lighted Place Summary1203 Words   |  5 PagesPart I: The Lost Generation â€Å"The Lost Generation† Article Questions The authors included in the Lost Generation are, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, Sherwood Anderson, Kay Boyle, Hart Crane, Ford Maddox, and Zelda Fitzgerald. The common elements and themes that these authors pursued in their personal lives as well as their writing were brutal war experiences, their youthful and impractical actions such as love affairs and drinking, feeling lost and hopeless in societyRead MoreTaking a Look at Ernest Hemingway1167 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway Research Paper Ernest Hemingway was an extraordinary individual. There was a lot more to his life than most readers know about. His writing was influenced by the lifestyle that he led. Hemingway was an adventurous person that liked to live life to its fullest. Just like everyone, he made decisions that were both good and bad, and his decisions and actions shaped his writing style. Hemmingway found a great deal of success and his career was topped off with him being awarded theRead MoreArt And The Modern Era And Impact The 20th Century1522 Words   |  7 Pagesand Ernest Hemingway are those two names, which they don’t need to identification. They are well-known personality from lifetime works on their own respected fields. Pablo Picasso and Hemingway are most well-known in the 20th century and still popular in art and literature. Both artists created valuable paintings, stories and novels from their imagination and express beautifully that reader and viewer can inspired by them. That why t hey are always be our inspiration and idol. How did Ernest Hemingway

The Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic...

CHAPTER 1 THE CHANGING ROLE OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING IN A DYNAMIC BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Learning Objectives 1. Define managerial accounting and describe its role in the management process. 2. Explain four fundamental management processes that help organizations attain their goals. 3. List and describe five objectives of managerial accounting activity. 4. Explain the major differences between managerial and financial accounting. 5. Explain where managerial accountants are located in an organization, in terms of formal organization, deployment in cross-functional teams, and physical location. 6. Describe the roles of an organizations chief financial officer (CFO) or controller, treasurer, and internal auditor. 7.†¦show more content†¦Ã¢Å¾ ¢ Decision making—the process of choosing among available alternatives âž ¢ Planning—developing a detailed financial and operational description of anticipated operations âž ¢ Directing operational activities—running the organization on a day-to-day basis âž ¢ Controlling—ensuring that the organization operates in the intended manner to achieve its goals 2. HOW MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING ADDS VALUE Provides managers with information (e.g., product costs, budgets, cash flows). The information includes financial and nonfinancial data to help managers with strategic planning and decision making. Assists in directing and controlling (analyzing and comparing actual performance to budgeted plans; attention-directing to highlight successful or problem areas). Motivates managers to achieve the organizations goals by communicating the plans, providing a measurement of how well the plan was achieved, and prompting an explanation of deviations from plans. âž ¢ Motivation is achieved, in part, through employee empowerment—the concept of encouraging and authorizing workers to improve operations, reduce costs, and improve product quality and customer service. 1. Measures performance not only for the entire organization, as in financial accounting, but also for many subunits (divisions, departments, managers). †¢Show MoreRelatedChapter01.the Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment4441 Words   |  18 Pagesabout managerial accountants is false? A. Managerial accountants more and more are considered business partners. B. Managerial accountants often are part of cross-functional teams. C. An increasing number of organizations are segregating managerial accountants in separate managerial-accounting departments. D. In a number of companies, managerial accountants make significant business decisions and resolve operating problems. E. The role of managerialRead MoreEvolution of Performance Measurement Models in Management Accounting1594 Words   |  7 PagesManagement Accounting Name Grade course Tutor’s name 2nd October 2010 Abstract Changes in management accounting have gone by unnoticed in the recent years. This article tries to explain by how much management accounting has altered through the years, since the 1950s to date, and the reasons that led to the changes. This work also focuses on various performance evaluation models, their applications and their effectiveness. Introduction There was little advancement in accounting in theRead MoreWhat Is Strategic Management1189 Words   |  5 Pagesmanagement, marketing, finance/accounting, production/operations, research and development, and computer information systems to achieve organizational success but strategy must be closely aligned with purpose. Is this the process of specifying an organization s objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives, and allocating resources so as to implement the plans. It is the highest level of managerial activity. It is not a task, but a rather a set of managerial skills that ought to beRead MoreCase Workbrain1709 Words   |  7 Pagesbut the coming expansion will require more extensive infrastructure. The external environment can be characterized by building pressure from investors, clients, and the marketplace—all driven by the innovative characteristics of their product and industry. Workbrain management currently prefers generalists rather than specialized employees. A key resource for Workbrain is the technical, industrial, and managerial experience possessed by the executives. Traditionally companies require five basicRead MoreAccounting Theory and Practice Essay2225 Words   |  9 Pagesvoluntary activities? Although there is no consensus being reached about what perspective theories should be used to explain the Social and Environmental Accounting, and moreover critique voices are from the works of Marx or by the deep-green or feminist literatures (Deegan, 2002), to some extent, systems-oriented theory and Positive Accounting Theory can list some hints. This essay will seek to explain the reasons why firms voluntary disclosure information by referring to Legitimacy theory, StakeholderRead MoreThe Importance Of A Cultural Framework That Is Suitable For The Modern Dynamic Business Environment1222 Words   |  5 Pages1.0 INTRODUCTION Budgets are very important part of business environment. They are considered to be essential key drivers and evaluators for planning and control as well as managerial performance since 1920 (Reka et al., 2014). This report aims to investigate how to promote a cultural framework that is suitable for the modern dynamic business environment. Firstly, it will explain the concept of budgetary control, It will then point out advantages and disadvantages of the current traditional systemRead MoreMis Foundation Concepts2338 Words   |  10 PagesSYSTEMS Foundation Concepts: Information Systems in Business Introduction 1. Information systems and technologies are a vital component of successful businesses and organizations. 2. it is just as important to have a basic understanding of information systems as it is to understand any other functional area in business. 3. Information technologies, including Internet-based information systems, are playing a vital and expanding role in business. Information technology can help all kinds of businessesRead MorePSYC310 Portfolio Project Rollins Essay1575 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ A Psychological Approach to Working in the Accounting Field Sarah Rollins Bryant and Stratton College PSYC310: Organizational Psychology Professor Achim June 18, 2014 The United States Census Report from 1870 indicated â€Å"the occupations of females, an analysis of the numbers reported†¦ shows a curious, though probably not significant, rate of progression† (Walker, 1870, para. 7). Little did the United States Government realize that less than a century later women in the workforce wouldRead MoreHilton Ppt Chapter 1 Answer Key6698 Words   |  27 PagesChapter 01 The Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment Chapter 01 The Changing Role of Managerial Accounting in a Dynamic Business Environment Answer Key    True / False Questions    1.  Controlling involves the coordination of daily business functions within an organization.   FALSE    AACSB: Reflective Thinking AICPA BB: Industry AICPA FN: Decision Making Bloom s: RC Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 01-02 Explain four fundamental managementRead MoreRole and Practices in Management Accounting Today3208 Words   |  13 Pages|ACC601: Managerial Accounting | | | | | |Role and Practices in Management Accounting Today | | | |

Importance of ERP Systems in Business-Free-Samples for Student

Question: Discuss about the Importance of ERP Systems in Business. Answer: Introduction Any type of business needs to have different departments for maintaining the various functions that goes in a business. It is impossible to perform all the business functionalities for a single person or department. For example, a finance department is required that handles all the financial transactions that is performed within the organisation. An IT team can be needed that will be responsible for the development and maintenance of all the technologies that are required for the business operations (Weibach 2013). A grievance management team or more popularly human resource management team will be required that will receive grievances regarding any matter related to clients or employees of the organisation. A management team will be necessary that will look after and manage all the operations that are going on in a business. More departments are necessary for maintaining the functionality of other business operations that depends on the type of business (Weibach 2013). The various departments in an organisation require to maintain communication among each other as each of the departments are interlinked in their functionalities for the business to work properly. An organisation incorporates many technologies that help to maintain a proper link among the various hierarchies in the organisation (Ver?i?, Ver?i?, and Sriramesh 2012). The report introduces a system known as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that is a type of information system, which is implemented in organisations to help the organisation to manage and integrate the important parts of the business like planning, inventory management, purchasing, sales, marketing, human resource and finance. The purpose of the report is to explain in detail the role and advantage of an ERP system in an organisation (Ver?i?, Ver?i?, and Sriramesh 2012) Definition of Business Process A business process is defined as a collection of tasks or activities that are interlinked and the process ends with the completion of delivery of a service or a product to the client. The completion of the task by the organisation helps the organisation to complete its goal. A business process is required to involve well-defined inputs and a single output (Dumas et al. 2013). The inputs should comprise of all the factors that has contributed both directly and indirectly to the completion and delivery of a service or product. These aspects can be segmented into operational processes, supporting processes and management processes (Weske 2012). Management process is responsible for governing the activity of a particular companys system of operation. The operational process looks after the core business functionalities. The role of the supporting business process is clear from its name as it supports the operational process in performing its activities (Jeston and Nelis 2014). Supporting processes are generally managed by the human resource management and finance department of an organisation. A process requires various steps of activities to achieve an objective. Processes are considered simple or complex depending on the number and complexity of each step, and the quantity of systems involved for the completion of the process (Van Der Aalst 2013). A process can be short or long depending on the complexity level of the process. The longer a process is the more dependencies it tends to have and a greater requirement of documentation arises. The figure provided below shows a generalised business process model that is adopted by most organisations (Laguna and Marklund 2013). Figure 1: General Business Process Model (Source: Weske 2012 ) Definition of Business Requirements Business requirement in general is defined as a statement that explains the functionality of a system rather than the process by which the operation is executed. A business requirement consists of instructions that describe the functions that are required to be provided by the system and the characteristics of the resulting solutions (Robertson and Robertson 2012). It helps a business to identify its functionalities that it requires to perform to achieve its goal. The figure provided below shows the position of a business requirement among the steps of a business process (Wiegers and Beatty 2013). Figure 2: Business Requirement in a Business Process. (Source: Robertson and Robertson 2012) Objective of Business Requirements The purpose of a business requirement is as given below: Documentation and clarification of the needs of the stakeholders. Setting, clarifying and managing the expectations regarding the delivery detail of the service or product to the client. It helps an organisation to analyse, understand their requirement of resources for the performance and completion of their activities, and provide an outline to them that will aid them to make an informed purchase decision. It helps to maintain the scope of an IT development or purchase. A mechanism is provided that helps to establish communication with a service provider of technology regarding the functionality of the solution that will meet the requirements of the business. Helps to make cost and product pricing decisions. Provide an opportunity to examine the functionality of a product. Lastly, it allows comparing various products during purchasing done by an organisation (Bryman and Bell 2015). Steps Involved in a Business Requirement A business requirement involves five steps as shown below that can be useful for any organisation while creating a business requirement analysis (Falge, Otto and Osterle 2012). Figure 3: Steps involved in Business Requirement Analysis. (Source: Falge, Otto and Osterle 2012) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System ERP is a type of information system that is required for the management and integration of essential aspects of an organisation. It is a term used in industries that is coined for explaining a large variety of operations that allow an organisation to manage its business. An ERP system performs a vital function of integrating back office processes performed by a business and allows smooth data flow within the organisation so that the business personnel can take proper decisions (Hall 2014). ERP system software is designed to gather and manage information from different levels of an organisation and link the activities of each department of the organisation with each other. A well-planned incorporation of ERP can facilitate a company to automate and standardise its business process and help the efficiency of the operations for further improvement (Romney and Steinbart 2009). An integrated approach to manage business processes not only saves time and money but also ensures that all the departments are performing their functions in relevance to the same data and is able to view the same KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). The need for the implementation of an ERP system arises in an organisation when the business systems start to outgrow, especially when business systems are composed of a wide range of applications that has been gathered by the organisation over time (Gelinas and Dull 2008). The ERP system becomes necessary when the gap between the capability of the business software and the need of the business processes widens creating a pain issue for the organisation. The ERP system does not have a generalised model or method of implementation, rather it varies from organisation to organisation that implements the system as per the mode of their operation (Richardson, Chang and Smith 2014). Types of ERP system Most organisations that use ERP systems implement a homogeneous, complex and large on board legacy systems. These systems are very costly for implementation due to the intensive requirement of the huge legacy infrastructure within the organisation premises. The maintenance of such systems is also very difficult due to its complex structure and the company using such system needs to recruit additional personnel for the maintenance of such systems. Moreover, the essential data stored aboard the legacy ERP system always runs the risk of being damaged or stolen due to any human or non-human activity (Powell, Riezebos and Strandhagen 2013). The latest type of ERP system uses cloud-based services instead of the bulky and complicated legacy systems. The process of conversion of the legacy ERP systems to cloud-based ERP systems is very difficult as the legacy systems do not easily convert to the cloud-based ERP version (Romney and Steinbart 2012). Moreover, conversion of an ERP system from one type to another requires considerable change in the business process model, training to the employees regarding the new ERP system features and operations, rear support for integration of database and analysis of data. Nowadays, the ERP vendors are providing ERP system software that has cloud-based compatibility as many organisations have started to adopt cloud compatible ERP systems (Zach and Erik Munkvold 2012). Cloud-based ERP systems are easy to deploy and requires less cost for deployment. A company that uses cloud-based ERP systems do not have to worry about the maintenance of the infrastructure nor do they have to deploy any e xpert within premises to operate and manage the system. Another advantage of deploying cloud-based ERP system software is that the mission critical information of the organisation is stored in the cloud at multiple remote locations secured with latest security tools (Staehr, Shanks and Seddon 2012). Therefore, the chance of data damage due to any human or non-human activities is minimised to negligible amount. The organisation pays for the cloud-based services and the cloud service providers look after all the operations, from maintenance to the security of the system along with complete infrastructure necessary for the ERP system to perform its required task (Clegg and Wan 2013). Some organisations adopt a hybrid approach to the implementation of the ERP system. In this kind of approach, part of the system is hosted in the cloud server and the rest is deployed on premises. The mission critical information that is required by the organisation for its business operations are generally stored in the cloud-server whereas the hardware part is implemented in the organisation (Elragral and El Kommos 2012). Multi-tiered ERP System General deployment of ERP system to an organisation includes a standard monolithic system from a single vendor. These vendors generally provide service with huge legacy systems. However, many organisations are recently adopting the process of running multiple ERP systems within a single environment. This model of deployment is known as multi-tiered ERP system deployment (Bradford 2015). The reason for this mode of deployment of the ERP system is due to the complexity of geographical differences between an organisation with its various departments or company mergers for which various systems are required to be integrated within a single environment. This type of ERP system generally involves the deployment of a centralised huge Tier-1 ERP, which is installed across the organisation. The Tier-1 ERP system performs all the mission critical activities for the organisation. One or more additional ERP system known as Tier-2 ERP system are deployed, which perform department specific less critical functions (Al-Johani and Youssef 2013). ERP System Requirements The system requirement for an ERP system varies among different organisations that depend solely on the type of business the organisation is in and the business area, which the organisation seeks to improve. The organisations that are in the business of selling products adopt an ERP system that manages the functions related to manufacturing, distribution and supply chain management. The organisations that provide service to other companies deploy ERP systems that provide support regarding field services, service level agreements and sales operations (Matende and Ogao 2013). Useful ERP software has loosely coupled software modules that integrate easily with other information systems that are pre-installed in an organisation. Some of the main components that are included in most ERP software are as follows: Human Resource Management is tasked to accumulate information and form reports regarding recruitment of employees, training and professional development of employees, and review of performance, exit interviews and mediation. Finance has the responsibility to accumulate information regarding finance and creates reports like overall balance sheets, ledgers, quarterly financial statements and trail balance information. Supply Chain Management has the duty to gather information and form reports regarding information, finance and materials that is involved in the process that starts from a supplier and ends with the delivery to the customer. Inventory Management performs the task of acquiring and accumulating information and generating reports related to stock items and non-capitalised assets (Matende and Ogao 2013). Vendors of ERP System Software Many ERP vendors are there who provide a wide variety of functions depending on the requirement of the organisation with both the choice of cloud or on-board deployment. Microsoft Dynamics, SAP and Oracle are the popular legacy platforms that have multiple functional ERP systems and both the option of on-board and cloud deployment. Many small, medium and large organisations are their clients (Ajit, Donker and Patnaik 2014). Provided below is a list of other top vendors that also facilitate multirole ERP systems: Infor Sage Software Inc. Epicor Software Corp. IFS World SYSPRO USA QAD Inc. IQMS The top ERP cloud vendors are as follows: Plex NetSuite Inc. Acumatica Inc. Kenandy Inc. Small vendors providing ERP software support often specialise to help in business processes like financials, research and development, supply chain management, engineering and HR. They also provide expert solutions on particular business sectors retail, healthcare, manufacturing or public sector (Ajit, Donker and Patnaik 2014). Support Provided by ERP Vendor The vendors who provide ERP software system to various organisations offer a variety of support models for the ERP systems that depends on the licensing contracts made with clients. The responsibility of support service includes various levels of functionality. An organisation needs to maintain voice support and consultation module for its customers. Other services like solving incidents, fixing bugs, assistance regarding patches, updates and upgrades are also provided by these ERP vendors (Ajit, Donker and Patnaik 2014). However, some organisations provide support as third-party vendor for the management of the ERP system that is provided by another vendor. Method of Successful ERP Selection for Organisation ERP solution providers are easy to find and employ who claim to provide the best in market service. However, it is difficult to choose the right vendor who will help to provide a perfect solution necessary for the improvement of the organisation (Ajit, Donker and Patnaik 2014). The process of choosing and investing on the correct ERP solution is an important process that needs the involvement of individuals from various levels and departments of the organisation to determine that the implementation of the new ERP system will improve the productivity of the organisations, reduce the cost of operation, increase efficiency, increase the profit count and such (Ajit, Donker and Patnaik 2014). The nine steps provided below will ensure an organisation to discover and adopt an optimum ERP solution for the improvement of the same. Assessment of Need of an ERP System in Business The initial requirement before commencing the operation of choosing a new ERP system or changing an existing one is to analyse and determine the need to deploy an ERP system in the organisation. It is better to create a list of all basic as well as specific requirements that is expected from the ERP service provider. It is also necessary to create a list of expectations regarding the improvement of business like evaluation of strategy, cost saving and control, better tools for reporting, growth and compliance (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Appointing a Selection Team and Following an Organised Selection Process Once the necessity of the ERP solution is determined in relevance to the requirements in the organisation, a selection team is required to be organised that will be responsible for the management of the whole process of the ERP system implementation from the beginning until the end (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). The selection team should comprise of relevant staffs from the various organisational departments, senior management and corporate personnel, so that the new ERP system succeeds to mitigate all the existing organisational issues. The team should be handled by someone who is adequate knowledge regarding the existing organisational system and its issues (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Assessment of Business Requirements and Resource Limitations The selection team will be tasked to analyse the existing organisational system and assess the operations the organisation performs. It will then examine the drawbacks within the organisation that is hindering it in its improvement and create a list of the issues (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). A list is also necessary that will provide the required amendments needed to be present in the new ERP system that will seal the loopholes of the company and aid in its improvement. The functionality, responsiveness and adaptability of the system should also be taken into consideration to help avoid high consultation cost (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Communicating With Top Vendors The communication with vendors regarding the implementation of a new ERP system to the organisation or changing an existing one should include certain questionnaire that is required to be clarified from the vendor. These questions will help the selection team to understand that whether the ERP system provided by the vendor will help to solve all the requirements of the organisation (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Some of the questions that may be asked that will help to achieve the objective of the organisation mentioned above are provided below. Which application area is covered by the vendor? How many existing clients of the vendor are there at present? Does the vendor facilitate with structured implementation methodology? Does the vendor provide local customer support in different countries? Determining the Selection Criteria of ERP Features It is necessary to measure and grade the ERP features. Some selection criteria are necessary to be determined during the selection process of an ERP system that matches all the business requirements of the organisation. A scorecard is also necessary to be generated that will provide a score-based report to the ERP vendor, which will help the vendor to understand the level of service that is being provided to the organisation. The table given below will help in the selection criteria (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). ERP FEATURES (Selection Criteria) ERP Vendor Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5 Annual Cost Mobility Scalability Core Modules Business Intelligence and Reporting Security and Encryption Integration Workflow Automation Extensibility Table 1: Selection Criteria of ERP Features (Source: Sun, Ni and Lam 2015) SCORE CARD Description Score Exceeds beyond requirement expectation 4 Meets the requirements 3 May not meet the requirement 2 Does not meet the requirement 1 Do not apply 0 Table 2: Score Card to Compare the ERP systems (Source: Sun, Ni and Lam 2015) Determining the ERP Vendor Selection Criteria and Finding the Correct Vendor To deploy ERP system software that meets the requirement of the organisation it is necessary to analyse the different ERP vendors that is available to the organisation and compare their services to find the vendor whose services are compatible to the requirements of the organisation. To achieve the above-mentioned objective it is necessary to consider more than one vendor, preferable five to ten vendors whose services can be compared and graded. The rest of the process is same as that in the previous step. The table provided below will help the selection team to grade and compare various vendors that will aid in the selection of the compatible vendor (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Selection Criteria ERP Vendor Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5 Technical Requirements Financial Strength of Vendor Business Assessment Licensing Cost Future Product Development Roadmap of the Vendor Training Costs Corporate Value of Vendor Customer Support Table 3: ERP Vendor Selection Criteria (Source: Sun, Ni and Lam 2015) SCORE CARD Description Score Expectation exceeds beyond the requirement 4 Meets the requirements 3 May Not Meet the Requirement 2 Does Not Meet the Requirement 1 Do Not Apply 0 Table 4: Score Card to Compare the Vendors (Source: Sun, Ni and Lam 2015) Filling the Score Cards and Comparing the ERP Vendors based on Total Score The scores received in the steps 5.5 and 5.6 are required to be summed and the top two to three vendors needs to be shortlisted for the processes that is described in the next steps (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Short listing of the Vendors and Demo Proposal The top two to three ERP vendors are shortlisted according to the scorecard result and then they are told to provide demo solutions with their ERP system that will solve some of the issues of the organisation (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Final Selection of the Compatible ERP Vendor and Forming the Project Plan for the New ERP System Implementation The ERP vendor who succeeds to provide the best ERP solution in the step 5.8 will be chosen for the initiation of a client-vendor relationship and starting the process of implementation. The process stated above begins with the finalising of the service contract, licensing and maintenance agreement between the client organisation and the ERP vendor (Sun, Ni and Lam 2015). Conclusion The report concludes with the fact that an ERP/AIS system is necessary in every organisation for achieving flawless performance in business. The implementation of a good and new ERP software system requires involvement from every level and department of the organisation who have to complete a number of complex steps to examine and find the correct ERP solution that is compatible to the critical requirements of the organisation References Ajit, D., Donker, H. and Patnaik, S., 2014. ERP system implementation announcements: does the market cheer or jeer the adopters and vendors?. International Journal of Accounting Information Management, 22(4), pp.339-356. Al-Johani, A.A. and Youssef, A.E., 2013. A framework for ERP systems in SME based on cloud computing technology. International Journal on Cloud Computing: Services and Architecture, 3(3), pp.1-14. Bradford, M., 2015. Modern ERP: select, implement, and use today's advanced business systems. Lulu. com. Bryman, A. and Bell, E., 2015. Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA. Clegg, B. and Wan, Y., 2013. Managing enterprises and ERP systems: a contingency model for the enterprization of operations. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 33(11/12), pp.1458-1489. Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J. and Reijers, H.A., 2013. Introduction to business process management. In Fundamentals of Business Process Management (pp. 1-31). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Elragal, A. and El Kommos, M., 2012. In-house versus in-cloud ERP systems: A comparative study. Journal of Enterprise Resource Planning Studies, 2012, p.1. Falge, C., Otto, B. and sterle, H., 2012, January. Data quality requirements of collaborative business processes. In System Science (HICSS), 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 4316-4325). IEEE. Gelinas, U.J. and Dull, R.B. 2008. Accounting Information Systems, 8th edition, South-western Cengage Learning. Hall, James A. 2014 Accounting Information Systems, 9th edition, South-western Cengage Learning. Jeston, J. and Nelis, J., 2014. Business process management. Routledge. Laguna, M. and Marklund, J., 2013. Business process modeling, simulation and design. CRC Press. Matende, S. and Ogao, P., 2013. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation: a case for user participation. Procedia Technology, 9, pp.518-526. Powell, D., Riezebos, J. and Strandhagen, J.O., 2013. Lean production and ERP systems in small-and medium-sized enterprises: ERP support for pull production. International Journal of Production Research, 51(2), pp.395-409. Richardson V.J., Chang C.J., Smith R. 2014. Accounting Information Systems McGraw Hill ISBN:0078025494 Robertson, S. and Robertson, J., 2012. Mastering the requirements process: Getting requirements right. Addison-wesley. Romney, M.B. and Steinbart, P.J. 2009. Accounting Information Systems, 11th edition, Prentice Hall. Romney, M.B. and Steinbart, P.J., 2012. Accounting information systems. Boston: Pearson. Staehr, L., Shanks, G. and Seddon, P.B., 2012. An explanatory framework for achieving business benefits from ERP systems. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13(6), p.424. Sun, H., Ni, W. and Lam, R., 2015. A step-by-step performance assessment and improvement method for ERP implementation: Action case studies in Chinese companies. Computers in Industry, 68, pp.40-52. Van Der Aalst, W.M., 2013. Business process management: a comprehensive survey. ISRN Software Engineering, 2013. Ver?i?, A.T., Ver?i?, D. and Sriramesh, K., 2012. Internal communication: Definition, parameters, and the future. Public relations review, 38(2), pp.223-230. Weibach, R., 2013. How business departments manage the requirements engineering process in information systems projects in small and medium enterprises. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 10. Weske, M., 2012. Business process management architectures. In Business Process Management (pp. 333-371). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Wiegers, K. and Beatty, J., 2013. Software requirements. Pearson Education. Zach, O. and Erik Munkvold, B., 2012. Identifying reasons for ERP system customization in SMEs: a multiple case study. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 25(5), pp.462-478

Public Examination Should Not Be Abolished free essay sample

While several states are implementing some form of standards-based reform, there is very little empirical evidence to prove that standards, assessment, and high-stakes accountability programs are effective in improving public schools. In many states, such as California, attempts to implement standards-based reform are inconsistently or carelessly aligned with quality research. The following are some of the shortcomings of standards-based reform. 1. Recent reports on the standards-based reform movement in New York suggest that in many schools the careless implementation of standards and assessment may have negative consequences for students. Vague and unclear standards in several subject areas in several states complicate matters and do not serve as concrete standards defining what students should know and be able to do. 3. Top-down standards imposed by the federal or state government are also problematic. They impose content specifications without taking into account the different needs, opportunities to learn, and skills that may be appropriate for specific districts or regions. We will write a custom essay sample on Public Examination Should Not Be Abolished or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Table 1: Advantages of SBA compared with external examinations Point Characteristics of SBA Characteristics of Exams Scope Extends the range and diversity of assessment collection opportunities, task types and assessors Much narrower range of assessment opportunities: less diverse assessment; one exam per year Authenticity Assessment done by students own teacher; less possibility of cheating as teacher knows student capabilities; assessments more likely to be realistic Removes assessment entirely from teaching and learning; stressful conditions may lead to students not demonstrating real capacities Validity Improves validity through assessing factors that cannot be included in public exam settings Limits validity by limiting scope of assessment, e. g. difficult to assess interaction skills in exam environment Reliability Improves reliability by having more than one assessment by a teacher who is familiar with the student; allows for multiple opportunities for assessor reflection/standardisation Even with double marking, examiners judgments can be affected by various factors (task difficulty, topic, interest level, tiredness, etc); little opportunity for assessor reflection / review Fairness Fairness is achieved by following commonly-agreed processes, outcomes and standards; teacher assumptions about students and their oral language levels is made explicit through collaborative sharing and discussion with other teachers Fairness can only be achieved by treating everyone the same, i. e. setting the same task at the same time for all students. Feedback Students can receive constructive feedback immediately after the assessment has finished, hence improving learning The only feedback is usually a grade at the end of the course; no opportunities for interaction with assessor; no chance to ask how to improve Positive washback (beneficial influence on teaching and learning) Ongoing assessment encourages students to work consistently; provides important data for evaluation of teaching and assessment practices in general Examination is purely summative, and does not serve any teaching-related purpose; effects on teaching and learning may even be negative; may encourage teaching to the test and a focus on exam technique, rather than outcomes. Teacher and student empowerment Teachers and students become part of the assessment process; collaboration and sharing of expertise take place within and across schools Teachers play little to no role in assessment of their students and have no opportunity to share their expertise or knowledge of their students; students treated as numbers Professional development Builds teacher assessment skills, which can be transferred to other areas of the curriculum Teachers have no opportunity to build their assessment skills; get little or no feedback on how to improve as teachers

The Feminist Movement in America free essay sample

The feminist movement in America of 60’s Maintenance: Introdaction The reasons of occurrence of the second wave of feminism in the beginning of 60’s Prominent features and differences of feminism of a new wave » Movement for the rights of women and female liberation movement Legal victories Timeline of key events View on Popular Culture The conclusion Literature Introduction. Feminism (fr. Feminisme, from an armour. Femina woman) in wide sense aspiration to equality of women with men in all spheres of a life of a society, in narrow sense – a womens movement which purpose is elimination of discrimination of women and equality of their rights with men. It is possible to name a synonym the term â€Å"emancipation of women†. Emancipation (lat. -emancipatio) Romans were designated by clearing from under the fatherly power. From here there was a general value-clearing from dependence and restriction. Feminist movement has long history which can be divided into two basic periods. We will write a custom essay sample on The Feminist Movement in America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first is a so-called feminism of the first wave or old feminism (end Ð ¥VIII – first third Ð ¥Ã ¥ centuries). At the heart of its ideology liberal doctrine about equality of the rights of citizens lay, the basic direction was sufragism– struggle for political equality of women. It has stopped the existence after its basic mission, and in the majority of the developed countries of the woman has been executed have received a vote on parliamentary elections. The second wave of feminism, neofeminism, has risen on a wave of the left movements of the end of 1960th. Owing to it in neofeminism except the liberal direction continuing traditions of old feminism, the strong radical current is allocated. This feminism proclaims unity of interests of all women and necessity of their incorporated struggle against mans domination not only in sphere public, but also sphere of a private life. Some researchers allocate also the third wave of feminism (from the beginning 1990th) which is characterized by attention strengthening to theoretical questions, carrying over of the analysis of problems from a social and economic plane on philosophical level. Now the feminism remains the considerable social movement which has reached of the greatest successes in the field of culture. In the centre of attention of feminism in its forms there is a remaining gender inequality of women. 1. The reasons of occurrence of the second wave of feminism in the beginning of 60’s The success of sufragism has for a while suspended the general development female political movement, which was four decades subsequent almost in a hibernation condition. But, despite all achievements of feminism, still in all spheres of a life, men predominated. It has appeared that equality on a paper insufficiently, it was necessary to change the relation to the woman and in consciousness of people. Awakening or â€Å"female revival† has begun in 60’s years. Its epicenter of a steel of the USA, where exactly these years observed activisation of the democratic processes directed on liquidation of various forms of discrimination, and first of all racism. The womens movement has found new, frequently radical forms, that has found reflexion in its name – â€Å"female liberation movement† (Women’s liberation). The phrase Women’s Liberation was first used in the United States in 1964 and first appeared in print in 1966. By 1968, although the term Women’s Liberation Front appeared in the magazine Ramparts, it was starting to refer to the whole women’s movement. The new wave of struggle for emancipation has been caused by structural changes in society and, first of all, substantial growth of a share of female work in a social production. So, to 1960, in the USA women made more than one third of manpower of the country, thus 54 % of workers of women were married, and 33 % had children that testifies to the business factors inducing women to join in a public industrial practice. With acquisition of experience of women’s political activity it was steel and more self-assured, in the forces. The impression is made that modern movement for clearing of women went a similar way. At its initial stage struggle for success the same specific goals – such as the right to abortion, the divorce right, legal prosecution of tyrants and the men beating the wives was developed. Option was a keyword: women aspired to dispose of their own life and, first of all – own body. The labour market became one more important field of activity of a womens movement at the present stage. Here struggle of women is conducted for the right to work reception, equality an advancement of possibilities on the career steps, equal paymen t for equal work. Thus, the feminism causes essential and irreversible changes in a life of the woman in all that concerns its social status, its sexual functioning, its place in a society. These processes make considerable impact on consciousness growth, both women, and men. 2. Prominent features and differences of feminism of a new wave » Feminist movement of 60’s and the beginnings of 70’s has received a little extravagant colouring, being shown in causing, even shocking traditionally adjusted the public by unusual slogans, forms of expression of the protest. Aspiring to awakening female consciousness, to clearing of public opinion of inertia patriarch the focused moral installations, feminists used, for example, receptions of the vulgar theatre†. In leaflets arisen in 1968Ð ³. To the American organisation under the scandalous name Witch it was told: â€Å"Everything that is repressive, has exclusively mans orientation, enviously, is noted by Puritanism and authoritativeness, should become a target of your criticism. Your weapon – your boundless fine imagination. Your force proceeds from you as from women, and it repeatedly amplifies from teamwork with your sisters. Your debt – to release your brothers (they want it or not) and from stereotypes of sexual roles†. The feminism, as well as any other political movement, could not avoid radicalism, leftism as some kind of illnesses of growth. Time, that sends a maturity of estimations, moderation and suspension of actions, at last, theoretical validity Was required. It was promoted substantially by creation of a network of so-called female researches (women’s studies), called simultaneously to conduct educational work and to bring the scientific base under movement for clearing of women. Female researches became an integral part of curriculums of many universities, there were many specialised research centres. 3. Movement for the rights of women and female liberation movement The second branch of movement –  «radical, left, often socialist feminism which denied idea of equality with men. In its frameworks was considered that political reforms never will release women, the main accent should be made on women, instead of on the state. The movement purpose – to change a way of thought and action, to overestimate a female essence, instead of to adapt the woman for ans values » Participants of this movement considered that women as group have the specific interests, which they should struggle together, irrespective of social or a racial accessory. Personal changes became the basic arena of struggle. This branch of movement operated more at local level. According to its participants, change of a society of the woman should begin with itself. This branch w ith-stood from set of groups (so-called  «groups of awakening of consciousness »), in which were not the leader and accurate structure. A little later, within the limits of it direction, the crisis centers for victims of rape, shelters for the wives suffering violence in a family, medical clinics, the female centers, the public co-operative societies, the centers for rendering of legal services, services on employment, female cafes and restaurants, female theatrical groups, art galleries,  «emancipating schools », bookshops, shops on sale of craft products and a network of female researches » have been created. The new womens movement has affected programs of almost all parties in the western countries. Left parties have appeared the most susceptible to feministic ideas. Many members of feminist movement became members of the left and green parties. Besides, in the majority of the countries the institutes which are taking up the problems of women (committees of the equal status, the ministry of affairs of women, etc. ) have been created. Though the majority of feminists and today specify in remaining problems and the discrimination facts, position of women in the West is real has changed very strongly. Women actively participate in various social movements and institutes; the female political representation has sharply increased in 1980th, especially in the Scandinavian countries where women have received to one third of places in parliament. 4. Legal victories Amongst the most significant legal victories of the movement after the formation of NOW were a 1967 Executive Order extending full Affirmative Action rights to women, Title IX and the Womens Educational Equity Act (1972 and 1975, educational equality), Title X (1970, health and family planning), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, the illegalization of marital rape and the legalization of no-fault divorce in all states, a 1975 law requiring the U. S. Military Academies to admit women, and many Supreme Court cases, perhaps most notably, Reed v. Reed of 1971 and Roe v. Wade of 1973. However, the changing of the social attitudes towards women are usually considered the greatest success of the womens movement. _5. Timeline of key events_ The rise of the second-wave 1953 The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1949) translated from French to English Late 1950s Awareness rises that many women are disgruntled by their status in society and their inability to hold successful careers or achieve equality. 1960 The Food and Drug Administration approves combined oral contraceptive pills. They are made available in 1961. 1961 President Kennedy makes womens rights a key issue of the New Frontier, and names women (such as Esther Peterson) to many high-ranking posts in his administration. 50,000 women in 60 cities, mobilized by Women Strike for Peace, protest above ground testing of nuclear bombs and tainted milk. Helen Gurley Brown writes Sex and the Single Girl. 1963 The Commissions report finds discrimination against women in every aspect of American life and outlines plans to achieve equality. Specific recommendations for women in the workplace include fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable childcare. Twenty years after it is first proposed, the Equal Pay Act establishes equality of pay for men and women performing equal work. However, it does not cover domestics, agricultural workers, executives, administrators or professionals. Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique is published, becomes a best-seller, and lays the groundwork for the feminist movement. Alice Rossi presents Equality Between the Sexes: An Immodest Proposal at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences conference. 964 Title XII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars employment discrimination on account of sex, race, etc. by private employers, employment agencies, and unions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is established; in its first five years, 50,000 complaints of gender discrimination are received. 1965 Casey Hayden and Mary King circulate a memo about sexism in Civil Rights Movement. The Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut strikes down the only remaining state law banning the use of contraceptives by married couples. The case Weeks v. Southern Belle marks a major triumph in the fight against restrictive labor laws and company regulations on the hours and conditions of women’s work, opening many previously male-only jobs to women. The Woman Question is raised for the first time at a Students for Democratic Society (SDS) conference. EEOC commissioners are appointed to enforce the Civil Rights Act. Among them there is only one woman, Aileen Hernandez, a future president of NOW. The Time Is NOW 1966 Twenty-eight women, among them Betty Friedan, found the National Organization for Women (NOW) to function as a civil rights organization for women. Betty Friedan becomes its first president. The group is the largest womens group in the U. S. and pursues its goals through extensive legislative lobbying, litigation, and public demonstrations. 1967 Executive Order 11375 expands President Johnsons 1965 affirmative action policy to cover discrimination based on sex, resulting in federal agencies and contractors taking active measures to ensure that all women as well as minorities have access to educational and employment opportunities equal to white males. Women’s liberation groups begin springing up all over the nation. NOW begins petitioning the EEOC to end sex-segregated want ads and adopts a Bill of Rights for Women. Senator Eugene McCarthy introduces the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the US Senate. New York Radical Women is formed by Shulamith Firestone and Pam Allen. Anne Koedt organizes consciousness raising groups. The National Welfare Rights Organization is formed. From Miss America protests to revolution 1968 Robin Morgan leads members of New York Radical Women to protest the Miss America Pageant of 1968, which they decried as sexist and racist. The first national womens liberation conference is held in Lake Villa, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) is founded by Betty Friedan and others. Coretta Scott King assumes leadership of the African-American Civil Rights Movement following the death of her husband, and expands the movements platform to include womens rights. Shirley Chisholm is elected to the United States Congress that same year, the first black congresswoman. The EEOC rules sex-segregated help wanted ads in newspapers illegal, a ruling which is upheld in 1973 by the Supreme Court. Women now are able to apply for higher-paying jobs previously opened only to men. New York feminists bury a dummy of Traditional Womanhood at the all-womens Jeanette Rankin Brigade demonstration against the Vietnam War in Washington, D. C. For the first time, feminists use the slogan Sisterhood is Powerful. The first public speakout against abortion laws is held in New York City. Notes from the First Year, a womens liberation theoretical journal, is published by the New York Radical Women. NOW celebrates Mothers Day with the slogan Rights, Not Roses. Mary Daly, professor of theology at Boston College, publishes a scathing criticism of the Catholic Churchs view and treatment of women entitled The Church and the Second Sex. 1969 The radical organization, Redstockings, organizes. Members of Redstockings disrupt a hearing on abortion laws of the New York Legislature when the panel of witnesses turns out to be 14 men and a nun. The groups demands repeal, not reform, of abortion laws. Redstockings popularizes slogans such as Sisterhood is Powerful, and The Personal is Political which become buzzwords of the feminist movement. California adopts a no fault divorce law which allows couples to divorce by mutual consent. It is the first state to do so; by 1985 every state has adopted a similar law. Legislation is also passed regarding equal division of common property. _6. _View on Popular Culture This wave of feminism helped to educate women and allowed them to see their personal lives as politicized and reflective of the sexist structure of power seen throughout society. â€Å"One project of second wave feminism was to create ‘positive’ images of women, to act as a counterweight to the dominant images circulating in popular culture and to raise women’s consciousness of their oppressions. Feminists during the movement viewed popular culture as just another example of gender equalities that tried to prove the idea that woman are classified into false images of how they should act and the roles they should play. They believed that the mass media was influencing women to act in certain ways. Artist Helen Reddy’s song â€Å"I Am Woman† played a large role in popular culture and became the feminist anthem; Reddy came to be known as a feminist poster girl or a feminist icon. Throughout second wave feminism other organizations started to form, such as the NOW and different black organizations emerged. {draw:frame} The conclusion Influence of political, economic, social changes on position of women was very inconsistent. Traditionally the woman erected to a pedestal, saw its role mainly in creation and preservation of the family centre, in education of children. But it did not prevent to use female work on a laborious work and to shut eyes to an inequality in wages of men and women. When the requirement for a labour has increased, women have recruited ranks of hired workers. And it besides that long time the married woman could not own the property, sign contracts on its own behalf and even to dispose of own wages. Centuries before in the developed countries of Europe and America the equal rights of citizens irrespective of a floor (in the USA – in 1920Ð ³ have been proclaimed were required. ). The society began to depart gradually from a rigid binding of those or other economic and behavioural norms on the basis of a floor, from traditional concepts about constructed on the gender factor of division of house, parental duties and labour activity out of door. Feministic ideas, in my opinion, and keep today the urgency. Let women have already achieved much, but original equality in a society is not carried out yet. Still in the politician and economy men predominate, with doubt concern progressive, business women. On a paper laws proclaim equality, and in practice old, patriarchal foundations in a family prevail, the man still considers itself as the owner in the house and in a society.

Research Paper on Gold Rush

Research Paper on Gold Rush Gold in California was accidental discovered near an American river that would change the young growing state. All across America, young men made the decision to go to California. People came from Europe, Asia, and South America in search of instant wealth. The new American dream was to get rich, and to make a fortune quickly.( Miller 151) In 1839, one of the wealthiest people in California came over as an immigrant from Sweden; his name was John Sutter. His purpose of coming to California was to build his own private agricultural empire. In late 1847, James Marshall and about twenty other men were sent to a river by Sutter to build a sawmill. In order to supply enough lumber needed for Sutter’s ranch. On January 24, 1848 the sawmill was almost complete when something caught Marshall’s eye. Marshall picked up what he assumed to be gold, and while studying the gold he saw another piece. After making one of the greatest discovers in the history of the west, Marshall and his worker went back to work, but it wasn’t before long that they kept on finding more gold.( Glass 45-47 ) Even though Marshall was sure that he had found gold, he needed more proof, so Marshall to back some gold to Sutter. In order to test the gold Sutter used an encyclopedia that gave him clues about gold. Sutter made the conclusio n that it was gold, but neither Sutter nor Marshall was happy. The reason why was because Sutter thought that gold seekers might bring competition to his empire. Marshall had to finish building a sawmill and knew that gold seekers would just get in his way. The two men thought the way to prevent this from happening was to take an oath to keep the discovery of gold a secret. However it wasn’t long before the stories of gold discovered in California leaked out into the neighboring states. Unusually there wasn’t a rush to California, because the news of gold was just another tale to unlikely to really happen.( Internet A) Sam Brannan was a San Francisco merchant that would become the richest person in California even though he never mined for gold. Brannan’s plan was to run though the streets of San Francisco shouting the story about Marshall’s discovery of gold, and a proof to the people that there was really gold, Brannan held up a bottle of gold dust. Brannan’s plan worked and sparked the rush for gold. Another part of Brannan’s plan was to use the method of supply and demand. Brannan had bought every pickaxe, pan and shovel in the state. A metal pan that would have sold for twenty cents just a couple of days ago, Brannan now sold it for fifteen dollars. In nine weeks Brannan had made thirty-six thousand dollars .( Internet B) Most of the world’s gold is deep underground and embedded in hard rock. Unlike anywhere else in the world, gold in California was easy to get and free for anyone with a few tools. However, not only people that mined got rich there were a few people that got luck and didn’t have to mine for gold. One man was Levi Strauss who in 1853, stitched a pair of pants out of canvas. These long lasting pants later became very popular with the miners. These pants were so well made and popular that they are still around today.( Canine 34) The California gold rush not only brought Americans to California but foreigners such as the Chinese, Mexicans, Irish, Germans, French, and Turks. The foreigners had no intention of staying in California, their only reason for going there was to get gold and go home. However brining gold out of the country was hard because of bandits. As the amount of gold became less, the hatred towards foreigners became more. So the California legislature passed the Foreign Miners Tax in 1850. Which was twenty dollars per month that had to be paid by foreign miners. Once this law was passed many foreigners refused to pay the tax and left the country. African Americans that were brought over to California, as slaves were latter freed because in 1850, California was a free state. As gold became harder to get, so California had to undergo changes. By the early 1850s, a single worker could no longer work his area alone, so he needed help and technology to find more gold. To begin with miners would work together to dam rivers and reroute water to make the gold more visible. Soon after this happened the group of workers were taken over by corporations. The new corporation developed new ideas for mining gold that would destroy the rivers. One thing that miners would use was mercury. Miners would line their pan with mercury to create a type of magnet for gold. Unfortunetly, miners didn’t know the long term effects of using mercury, because mercury would be washed into the rivers and pollute the rivers as well as any animals that were living in the rivers. The most common way to safely mine gold was to use shallow metal pans, and mix soil from the riverbeds. Then by making circular motions with the pan, the lighter soil washed away, leaving only the gold. A m ore complex way of mining was the waterwheel that was introduced by the Chinese. The water would move the wheel, thus powering various mining machines.( Internet B) However the worst was yet to come when in 1853, the technique of hydraulic mining was introduced. Hydraulic mining used strong jets of water that tore apart the walls of the riverbeds. These jets of water were so powerful, that it could kill a man who was standing two hundred feet away. Miners would divert streams sending smaller stream off to each side of a river, thus leaving river beds exposed and easier to see gold. Water that was diverted from these jets onto dry land created a boggy mud that destroyed habitats for animals, and flooded the land that farmers used, that lived down stream of the miming. By the 1860s it was becoming aware to the people that hydraulic mining was destroying the landscape. However, little was done to try and stop hydraulic mining because still the only thing people in California thought ab out was themselves and getting rich. It took over thirty years to ban hydraulic mining. The rivers of northern California would never return to their original shape. Then again no part of California would ever be the same after the gold rush was finally over with. San Francisco was once a tiny little town within California. Only a few hundred people lived there in the 1840s, but because of the gold rush, it brought a huge population growth. San Francisco soon averaged thirty new houses and two murders each day. A piece of land in San Francisco coasted sixteen dollars in 1847, was then sold for forty five thousand dollars just eighteen months later. In less than two years the city of San Francisco burned to the ground six times. Of coarse there was always enough money to rebuild a bigger and better city. (Glass 48) Gold was similar to a magnet that brought people from all over the world. San Francisco quickly turned into a city that interested many types of people. California also became a melting pot of cultures due to the fact that so many foreigners came to California during the gold rush.

Consulting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consulting - Assignment Example There is an expectation for the company to lead to economies of scale in storage, as well as the opening of a bigger market for the soft candies due to the merger. The level of IT of the company is crucial to make estimation on the efficiency it has on the Company. The assets of the merger companies are necessary to estimate the equity of the companies and also the physical conditions of the company so as to capitalize upon each asset jointly (Florzak, 2010). The main objectives for the consulting project are to give the company a sneak recommendation on the procedure to follow. This is in the acquisition of the company because some assets do not fit their uses including the refrigerator. This would help the company to expand on its marketing channels as well as their branding strategy (Maguire, 2007). There should be the development of an understanding of the requirement of customers from a print which is favorable and suppliers who are reprographic. This is in terms of service products as well as the products that the business makes. There is the identification of the major competitors that the company faces. As a result of the of the various strategies, the company will be able to define the range of the products as well as services that are on offer by the company so as to increase the company’s level of competition. It is also able to initiate a campaign that focuses on the gaining of new customers in the sector as well as to maintain the current customers. The approach in use gives an emphasis on the reasons for getting information which is reliable to the IT team, the manufacturing department, and marketing department from the two companies, as well as the distribution department. Use of secondary marketing research is in use for the establishment of an image of the dynamics surrounding the reprographic and printing market as well as the competitive situation. For the investigation of the

Baha'i - distinct, universal religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Baha'i - distinct, universal religion - Essay Example In accordance to Bahaullah, God had set historical forces which were collapsing conventional and customary barricade of ethnic group, rank, article of faith and nation which would help to give rise to universal civilization. The main challenge confronted by the humanity is to recognize and acknowledge unification and to assist in its promotion. Bahaullah gave particular emphasis on the issue of bias and partiality. The heart of his message was to call for communal harmony and companionship among different and diverse states, cultures and people (Perkins & Hainworth, 30). Three primary teachings constitute the foundations for Bahai teaching and doctrine which are the oneness of God, unification of religion and unification of entire humanity. God’s message is revived and revitalized in humanity through the use of several people. These people have the wisdom and guidance to improve the morality of human beings. Religion is an evolutionary process according to the Bahai faith as the requirements of the different ages stress the need for moral schemes. The Bahai faith describes God as beyond understanding and considered to be a great entity. The Creator is Greatest and the creation cannot know about Him because there is something that surpasses the grasp of human mind. To assist human beings so that they learn about God’s nature, manifestations are sent to them (Miller, 65). The Bahai faith incorporates the belief that God send these manifestations to instruct and alert humanity. The Bahai writings in particular recognize Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Zoroaster, Buddha, etc as manifestations (Miller, 84). Bahai Faith claims that God is the creator of the world and everything present within it is His reflection and attribution. The Bahai scriptures define the human soul as eternal and have characteristics of all God’s qualities but these qualities live only potentially until and unless they are developed.

The Benefits of Live Performances over Recordings Research Paper

The Benefits of Live Performances over Recordings - Research Paper Example The sounds of today are not aimed at accuracy of sound. Due to their nature and the way they are made, there could never be a live equivalent of what is being played. The artist hears the music played through earphones, and then sings along to what they hear. Most of the music is dubbed over until perfection of the sound is as close as possible. While it may be extremely enjoyable to sit in your pajamas in bed listening to your favorite music or watching a live performance online, due to the technology involved, it’s not as realistic as an actual live performance. One of the greatest concerns of the music and performing industry today is piracy. We might be the only nation who doesn’t have terrestrial performance rights for sound recordings. Every time recordings are played, royalties are paid by the one broadcasting them. New legislation aimed at guaranteeing royalties for music and films downloaded from the internet, the Performance Rights Act in 2009, made it illegal to record, download, or copy music and videos intended for sale. In some ways this puts a damper on the home experience as many people are unaware of what constitutes piracy. It is the desire to experience the live event again, without paying twice, which fuels this situation. What happens when one listens to a live performance? It’s the whole ambiance of the situation that captivates live audiences. One must mentally prepare in order to fully appreciate their experience. It’s not enough to know about the music one expects to hear.... What a deal! (Recording History) The sounds of today are not aimed at accuracy of sound. Due to their nature and the way they are made, there could never be a live equivalent of what is being played. The artist hears the music played through earphones, and then sings along to what they hear. Most of the music is dubbed over until perfection of the sound is as close as possible. While it may be extremely enjoyable to sit in your pajamas in bed listening to your favorite music or watching a live performance online, due to the technology involved, it’s not as realistic as an actual live performance. (Recording History) One of the greatest concerns of the music and performing industry today is piracy. We might be the only nation who doesn’t have terrestrial performance rights for sound recordings. Every time recordings are played, royalties are paid by the one broadcasting them. New legislation aimed at guaranteeing royalties for music and films downloaded from the internet , the Performance Rights Act in 2009, made it illegal to record, download, or copy music and videos intended for sale. In some ways this puts a damper on the home experience as many people are unaware of what constitutes piracy. It is the desire to experience the live event again, without paying twice, which fuels this situation. (Future of Music Coalition) What happens when one listens to a live performance? It’s the whole ambiance of the situation that captivates live audiences. One must mentally prepare in order to fully appreciate their experience. It’s not enough to know about the music one expects to hear; all the details of the performers, their journeys along the human path are a vital part of the show as well. The experience begins when the line forms to buy tickets. Memories of

Establishing and adjusting the marketing mix

Establishing and adjusting the marketing mix Toyota Australia is the leading car manufacturer in Australia having a market share of 21% beating it competitors. The company has grown and developed from its establishment from Japan in 1937. Toyota Australia marketing mix followed the 4Ps in establishing a brand that is renowned for its quality, innovation and services. They offered a wide range of vehicles which targeted the 30s to 40s age bracket and attempting to break into the gen y market. There price reflected the services and quality of manufacturing the vehicles, and the also offered consumers choice to add features. They mainly promote their brand through television, newspapers and by being a sponsor of reality shows and sporting events. They are internationally recognised and have made their mark in the marketplace Introduction Scope The following is a marketing mix review and recommendations report on the worlds largest car manufacturer Toyota. The report will outline the fundamental elements of Toyotas marketing mix, and also recommendations will be made on how to improve on each marketing mix element of the organisation. Background Toyota Motor Corporation established in 1937, is the biggest car manufacturers in the world, with its factories spanning over various countries. It is one of the worlds most successful and most profitable car manufacturers. Australia has one of the smallest and oldest car industries in the world and has played an important role in the success and development of Toyota over the past 50 years. The first Toyota vehicles where imported to Australia in 1958 by a mining, construction and services company called Thiess, who imported 13 Landcruisers a model of 4WD, which they used for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme. They also began to sell the Landcruiser vehicles in 1959. In 1963 an assembling factory in Melbourne called Australian Motor Industries was established and produce the first lot of Toyota corolla and corona cars. They began to be commercially available in 1971 through Thiess Toyota who became commercial leaders in 1979. Then in 1988 the two companies merged to create the Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, which began a global competiveness and established an important export market. In 1994 the Toyota Altona Assembly Plant is opened and the Toyota corolla is the first car to be built in the plant. Vision Toyotas vision is to become the most respected and admired company, in the car industry Mission Their mission is to deliver high quality automotive products and services to their customers, and being actively involved with the community, partners and environment. Methodology Various methods were used to conduct the review of Toyotas marketing mix. One of the methods used was conducting a survey, to find out what the public had in mind when it came to Toyota. These were handed out to random people passing by, and were asked to complete the survey anonymously. They were basic questions that required a bit of thinking from each individual as how they perceive Toyota as a brand. The survey contained a perceptual map which each person was ask to plot where they think a certain car brand fits. The other methods that were used to gather research, was using online resources such as the Toyota website to get a better understanding of the companys direction and the range of products that they offered. The website was very insightful and was clear and easy to navigate, and was very informative. Also the Australian Bureau of Statistics was used to gather information on sales and market share of all the major car companies in comparison to Toyota. This provided factual statistics and information that was very relevant in determining how Toyota fits in to Australias car industry and market. Results Findings Untitled.jpg . Perceptual Map of Car brands comparisons on Reliability vs. Durability The sample result from the survey shows the perceptual map of how consumers compared Toyota and other brand of cars when it came to reliability and durability. The outcome of where Toyota is placed in the map is very high on its reliability and durability. Toyotas market strategy is to sell a top quality product that lasts. This grabs the consumers attention when their looking to buy a car that is reliable and durable. Marketplace Toyota Motor Corporation is the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. Toyota co-operates with 51 manufacturing companies in 26 nations, and sells its vehicles in over 170 countries under the Toyota, Lexus, Hino and Daihatsu brands. Toyota leads the automotive industry in environmental technologies with their new innovative hybrid technology in their Prius and Hybrid Camry vehicles. They are also looking into the development of Fuel cell technology for future vehicles. Toyota has in recent years dominant the Australian car market, with a market share around 21 percent (Fig.2) and is steadily rising with predictions that it might reach 25 percent by 2012. Toyota Australia has remained the number one brand for selling more vehicles than any other single car brand in the industry for more than 14 years. Toyotas Market Share Toyota has dealerships across Australia that sells their range of vehicles from cars, SUVs, trucks and hybrids. They have established a well know brand that people associated thing such as quality, durability, reliability, innovation, safety, and sustainability. There brand revolves around keeping a high standard to ensure that the customer receive the highest quality product and service which keep them loyal to the brand. Toyotas four core values: Customer first Respect for people International focus Continuous improvement and innovation. Target Audience Toyota covers a wide market sector that caters for families with its range of sedans to other vehicles such as four wheel drives, sports cars, luxury vehicles and small hatchbacks and buses. The age demographic that Toyota mainly targets are early 30s to mid 50 year old consumers. Toyota aims to target all possible sectors and just recently cracked into the large car market with their Toyota Aurion sedan. This was marketed to large families and was proved successful after taking the title of best large car of the year in 2009 by Australian consumers. Toyotas latest marketing attempt was to target the generation y sector with a new small car called Rukus, which Toyota calmed that it will appeal to the young consumers. Its boxy shape and edgy urban styling are anything but boring, so youll never blend in. As described in the Toyota website, claiming that to be different is an important factor when it comes to marketing to the gen y consumers. They are also targeting the environmental conscious consumers, who want to do their part in reducing their impact on the environment by limiting CO2 emissions. Toyota developed an advance hybrid technology which it has implemented in two of its vehicles the Prius and Camry. The hybrid technology combines fuel and electricity to power the engine. Toyota strives to become the leader in innovation of new vehicle technologies. Toyotas Marketing Mix Elements 4 Ps Toyotas marketing mix consists of the 4 Ps which make up the basis of Toyotas overall market strategy. The 4 Ps stand for; Product Price Promotion Place Product A good product can be self marketed when it benefits the consumer demand. When marketing a product, it must differentiate to what a competitor is offering by features, design packaging, services, warranties, safety and environmental impact. Toyota offers a wide range of products that meet the demands of the consumer while being different to the other car brands on the market. There product range is segmented into four areas each meeting the needs of what a consumer is looking for in a vehicle. Toyotas product market contains the following Passenger consisting of small, mid size, and large cars. Aurion, Camry, Corolla, Rukus, Tarago, Yaris. 4WD SUVs Kluger, Landcruiser 200, Prado, Rav4 Commercial Coaster, HiAce, HiLux, Landcruiser 70 Hybrid Camry, Prius Toyota offers with its products after sales services, such as Toyota Service Advantage which includes capped price servicing, specialist technicians, and genuine parts. They also offer financing at a low rate so that consumers are able to have the product sooner. Price The prices set for products plays a major role in its marketability. The pricing of vehicles in Toyota depends on what the consumer wants to include in their vehicle. They set a base price which then increases if a consumer wants to modify or add options such as metallic paint, wheels, body kits or extended service warranty. This gives the consumer more choice and flexibility as to how they want their vehicle to be when they purchase it. The price of vehicles in the range can start from $18,990 to a more premium price of $80,000 or more dependent on the make, model and add options. The pricing of Toyota vehicles are higher in some areas in comparison to its competitors, but its main selling point is that they sell you a top quality product with great service and parts, that is also reliable and has the highest safety standards. Promotion Promotion is way of communicate to consumers and grabbing their attention to make a sale. This usually involves three ways of effective promoting through advertising, public relations, and sales promotion. Toyota uses various methods when it comes to promotion, advertising through television, radio, internet, newspapers, billboards, yellow pages, flyers, brochures and word of mouth. They keep reiterating that they are a car company that provide quality, durability, reliability, innovation, safety, and sustainability. Toyota over the years uses catchy slogans to draw attention to their brand. When a person hears oh what a feeling! they directly associate it to the Toyota brand, and recall the television ad of a person jumping and freezing in mid air. This is the most recognised slogan in advertising which they have used since the 1980s in Australia. Toyota teamed up with a renovation show called The Block in promoting their new model Yaris. This is seen as a smart promotional strategy as they are sponsoring a popular show; in turn this extends Toyotas reach to their audience. They also offer a chance to win a new car which also makes the consumer want the product more by enticing them that they have a chance of winning. Place Distribution or place is a very crucial element of the marketing mix as the main thing that must be addressed is how we reach the consumers. Toyota sells its vehicles through its dealerships across Australia. Sales are mainly made to public consumers on a one on one basis with their selling staff. Toyota has also established distribution channels overseas with more than half the vehicle manufactured in Australia being export to regions such as the Middle East. The availability of Toyota vehicles has become very easy to all consumers in Australia and overseas. The internet has also opened a major channel as consumers are able to inspect, enquiry and purchase a vehicle without leaving their home. SWOT Analysis Strength Weakness Market leader with 21% market share Strong brand image Customer loyalty Car manufacturing leader Quality issues (due to recalls) Production capacity Pricing Opportunities Threats Producing more environmentally friendly vehicles Targeting the younger demographic Product recalls Rising oil prices Production costs Downturn in economy Limitations The report presented many limitations, which interrupt some of the methods such as the collection of data and research. The follow issues where faced while doing the report Information when it can to investigating Toyotas marketing strategies as a whole the information was limited and inaccessible. Interpretations had to be made based upon the limited information that was provided, and observation. Survey Surveys proved to be a challenge as people were not interested or willing to take part in the survey. Analysis as there was lack of marketing information available about Toyota, secondary sources of information had to be used which could prove to be inaccurate Recommendations The recommendations that Toyota may apply to improve their marketing mix can be drawn upon in the follow; Product When it comes to Toyotas product range they are missing key markets that other car brands have successfully achieved, such as introducing a wider range of large cars for large families, also target young consumers who are able to afford a Toyota vehicle they should start with mid 20s then work their way down the age bracket as teens might not find Toyota affordable which puts then off the brand. Toyota should also expand their hybrid technology to the smaller cars which has not been done yet. Price when it comes to affordability Toyota misses the mark, even though it thrives on quality and services the price seems to be inflated and is further inflated when a consumer wants to add a certain feature. I recommend that they offer a bundle or package deal such as free insurance for a year or free fuel to make the purchase seem worth it. Promotion Toyota should start advertising on social networks if it is to target the young age bracket. Also making ads that will appeal to the young generation but without losing all identity of Toyota. Coming up with a new catchy slogan to get the consumers involved. Offering more sales, discounts and offers that benefit the consumer, starting a loyalty program for the customers, keeping them informed. Place Toyota has positioned its self in the number one spot, to continue being a market leader they must improve their distribution channels such as the dealerships which are located in areas of low income earners, and retirees which decreases sales. Conclusion Drawing upon all the research and results, Toyota has built an industry which people associated quality, durability, reliability, innovation, safety, and sustainability. They have established themself as Australias leading car brand with their wide range of vehicles that suit any consumer. There pricing is somewhat high but its a reflection of the quality and service they provide. Toyota has become an internationally recognised brand that thrives on customer satisfaction and loyalty. The further development of becoming a sustainable car manufacturer, appeals to the public as they are showing their commitment in sustaining the global environment. They are yet to develop a successful marketing strategy when it comes to appealing to the younger consumers. Appendix Survey Structure Toyota Australia Survey Age: Gender: For each item identified below, circle the number to the right that best fits your judgment of its quality. Use the scale above to select the quality number. Description/Identification of Survey Item Scale Strongly Agree Neither Strongly Disagree Toyota is a brand that you can trust 1 2 3 4 Toyota is a brand that is reliable 1 2 3 4 Toyota is seen as innovative 1 2 3 4 Toyota products are affordable 1 2 3 4 Toyota cares about the environment (sustainability) 1 2 3 4 The offer a large range of vehicles 1 2 3 4 Easily identified from other brand 1 2 3 4 is appealing, fresh and vibrant 1 2 3 4 fulfils the consumers needs 1 2 3 4 makes you want to own a vehicle 1 2 3 4 offer flexibility and options 1 2 3 4 Toyota is customer focused 1 2 3 4

Pro Clean Case Essay

Pro Clean’s owner has more than 15 years of experience, has good reputation in Knoxville and has established a sustainable customer base. The company offers good service at considerable price, and maintains good relation with its past customers. Weaknesses: The Company has many problems in its marketing, management and accounting systems. It tries to reach out to customers from every segment, and probably exceeding its capacity. The company’s staff has very limited skills in sales, can only approach certain group of customers, and has ambiguous responsibility in day-to-day functions. Lastly, the company is financially weak, due to poor financial management. This is likely to be the problem to their higher operating cost and cash flow problem. Opportunities: Given the current environment, Pro Clean has certain opportunities to survive in Knoxville. There is clear market segmentation, which to allows Pro Clean to avoid direct competition with competitors from other strategic group. Threats: Pro Clean faces other competitors who offer similar or service at the same price, threatening its customer base. Also, a change in financial policy, such as an increase in interest rates, can threaten the survival of the company, given its current financial situation. (See Appendix C for the SWOT analysis table) Building Core Competency From our analysis in the previous segments, we advise Pro Clean to build its core competency in two dimensions: Customer Relationship in combination with an excellent cleaning service and a high quality. Valuable: By focusing and creating an unique relationship with its customers, Pro Clean can definitely be considered as a valuable company * Rare: Pro Clean will offer a wide range of extra services and supporting tools which aren’t offered by other cleaning companies * In-imitate: By providing innovative services, Pro Clean will enjoy a competitive advantage over its competitors. * Non-substitutable: Once become a member of the custom er base, customers will be offered an excellent service and loyalty programs. The better the relationship between Pro Clean and its customers, the higher the switching costs will be for the customers. Value Chain Analysis The following is a value chain analysis on what activities Pro Clean can do based on their core competencies, and also some of the other activities that they can improve on to give them a strategic competitive advantage: Primary Services: Currently, the service quality of Pro Clean is good and we feel that they can leverage on it, by adding on the hardwood floor cleaning service and improving their scheduling to suit the customers’. Sales & Marketing: To grow the business, Pro Clean should focus on market penetration and increasing their revenue stream from its existing customer base. Increase penetration: * Referral programmes can be initiated by offering discounts to customers who refer their neighbours. * Wilson should also take advantage of the on-site estimate service by rewarding employees who bring in more of such jobs. Doing so should increase the closing rate, and increase sales. * Sales can also be improved by â€Å"advertising† the other services that Pro Clean has to offer. They can also get employees to ask customers if they need other services while they are on-site. * Pro Clean should also explore the possibility of expanding into the commercial business, as it is currently a greatly underserved market. Increase average customer spending: * As a large part of sales is derived from people seeing Pro Clean’s van being driven around the neighbourhood, Pro Clean can get technicians to drive the van around the neighbourhood more often to increase their visibility. They can also come up with a bigger range of packaged services to cross sell to customers. Support Infrastructure: It was identified earlier that Wilson is pretty weak in managing the finances of the company. Hence we recommend that he should outsource this part of the business to an accountant. In addition, we think that he should also move his operations back to his home office to cut costs. HR management: This is an area that also needs to be worked on in order to successfully implemen t the other plans. We think that a new staffing plan is needed. We propose that Turner should be re-hired as a technician for the skills that he already has and keep Scott as the sales/marketing manager. A detailed portrayal of the new organization structure can be found in appendix D. Vision Our aim is to become a household name, associated with high service quality, in the cleaning services industry with 100% customer satisfaction. Mission Statement Our mission is to provide the highest quality cleaning service to our customers, within the shortest response time possible at the convenience of our customers.