role of non-governmental organizations in assuring an Example of the Topic Health Essays by

What is the role of non-governmental organizations in assuring the health of the public The current condition of the World is not very good. Though the World has advanced technologically but with every aspect and development there is a negative impact also. This negative impact has taken the World in to some serious problems. Including these problems are the conditions of the third world countries and the countries that are going through the state of war. These countries have no where to turn for help and need to be provided help in these worse conditions where so many lives are at stake. To help the people of these countries some organizations have been formed by the civilians present in different parts of the world belonging to developed or developing countries (Ahmed and Potter, 2006). Need essay sample on "What is the role of non-governmental organizations in assuring the health of the public" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed These organizations basically known as Non Government Organizations or NGOs have been working very hard to improve the health conditions of people that are living in the areas where living standards are lower than standards in which an average human can survive. One of the most famous NGO operating around the globe that has contributed the most in improving health conditions of the people in problems is The Red Cross. The Red Cross has contributed very much during the war against terrorism in helping innocent people of Afghanistan and Iraq. Apart from these efforts The Red Cross is also helping out Palestinians that have been the target of a severe long war going on between Israel and Palestine. All these efforts and hard work has helped save lives of many innocent humans that have no association with the wars that have been going around the World (Bebbington, Hickey and Mitlin, 2008). Bibliography Ahmed S., Potter D. (2006) NGOs in International Politics, Kumarian Press Bebbington A., Hickey S., Mitlin D. C. (2008) Can NGOs Make a Difference?: The Challenge of Development Alternatives, Zed Books

Capital structure for Diageo

Capital structure for Diageo Introduction and BackgroundDiageo was formed in 1997 through the merger of two consumer product companies Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc under the strategy of reducing costs through marketing synergies, cutting overhead expenses and increasing production and purchasing efficiencies. The new merger wanted to concentrate solely on the beverage alcohol business, so it sold its packaged foods (Pillsbury) and fast food (Burger King) businesses. While the mandate for Managing for Value came from the highest levels of Diageo, the treasury team was given the task of establishing the cost of capital for each of the different areas the company operated. The team had to create a simulation model which should consider new finance approaches, treasury functions to focus on, what the firm's risk footprints will be, how to calculate cost of capital and finally how to optimally structure capital.How has Diageo managed its capital structure?Both Grand Metropolitan and Guinness had little deb t prior to the merger, which allowed them to benefit from relatively high ratings on their bonds (AA and A respectively).English: Guinness for strenghtStraight after the merger, Diageo's management announced it would maintain similar policies to the ones adopted by the two previous companies. This decision took the form of an implicit promise not to get into a debt level that would lead to a reduction in the credit rating of the company, which was aiming at an interest coverage between 5 and 8. A second target was set to keep EBITDA/Total Debt at 30%-35% level. This tranquilized investors and financial markets and as a consequence the company was given an A+ rating by credit agencies.Table 1 presents some key financial indicators extracted from the case. As it can be observed, Diageo's debt level is low (market gearing level is around 25%), which together with the favorable...

Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Example for Free

Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Automobile industry (27) , Suzuki (5) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Following India’s growing openness, the arrival of new and existing models, easy availability of finance at relatively low rate of interest and price discounts offered by the dealers and manufacturers all have stirred the demand for vehicles and a strong growth of the Indian automobile industry. The data obtained from ministry of commerce and industry, shows high growth obtained since 2001- 02 in automobile production continuing in the first three quarters of the 2004-05. Annual growth was 16. 0 per cent in April-December, 2004; the growth rate in 2003-04 was 15. 1 per cent The automobile industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent between 1992 and 1997. With investment exceeding Rs. 50,000 crore, the turnover of the automobile industry exceeded Rs. 59,518 crore in 2002-03. Including turnover of the auto-component sector, the automotive industry’s turnover, which was above Rs. 84,000 crore in 2002-03, is estimated to have exceeded Rs. 1,00,000 crore ( USD 22. 74 billion) in 2003-04. Automobile Dealers Network in India In terms of Car dealer networks and authorized service stations, Maruti leads the pack with Dealer networks and workshops across the country. The other leading automobile manufactures are also trying to cope up and are opening their service stations and dealer workshops in all the metros and major cities of the country. Dealers offer varying kind of discount of finances who in tern pass it on to the customers in the form of reduced interest rates. Major Manufacturers in Automobile Industry Maruti Udyog Ltd. General Motors India Ford India Ltd. Eicher Motors Bajaj Auto Daewoo Motors India Hero Motors Hindustan Motors Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Royal Enfield Motors Telco TVS Motors DC Designs Swaraj Mazda Ltd Government has liberalized the norms for foreign investment and import of technology and that appears to have benefited the automobile sector. The production of total vehicles increased from 4. 2 million in 1998- 99 to 7. 3 million in 2003-04. It is likely that the production of such vehicles will exceed 10 million in the next couple of years. The industry has adopted the global standards and this was manifested in the increasing exports of the sector. After a temporary slump during 1998- 99 and 1999-00, such exports registered robust growth rates of well over 50 per cent in 2002-03 and 2003-04 each to exceed two and- a-half times the export figure for 2001-02. Automobile Export Numbers Category1998-991998-99Passenger Car25468121478Multi Utility Vehicles26543892Commercial Vehicles1010819931Two Wheelers100002256765Three Wheelers2113851535Percentage Growth-16. 632. 8 THE KEY FACTORS BEHIND THIS UPSWING Sales incentives, introduction of new models as well as variants coupled with easy availability of low cost finance with comfortable repayment options continued to drive demand and sales of automobiles during the first two quarters of the current year. The risk of an increase in the interest rates, the impact of delayed monsoons on rural demand, and increase in the costs of inputs such as steel are the key concerns for the players in the industry. As the players continue to introduce new models and variants, the competition may intensify further. The ability of the players to contain costs and focus on exports will be critical for the performance of their respective companies. The auto component sector has also posted significant growth of 20 per cent in 2003-04, to achieve a sales turnover of Rs. 30,640 crore (US$ 6. 7 billion). Further, there is a potential for higher growth due to outsourcing activities by global automobiles giants. Today, this sector has emerged as another sunrise sector. EVEN GROWTH Opposing the belief that the growth in automobile industry has catered only to the top income-stratum of society, Growth of exports of 32. 8 % in the first three quarters of 2004-05, the fastest growth in volumes has come from commercial vehicles as against passenger cars. Between 1998-99 and 2003-04, output of commercial vehicles has grown 2. 8 times compared to the 2. 2 times increase in passenger cars. Furthermore, two-wheeler output continues to dominate the volume statistics of the sector. In 2003-04, for every passenger car turned out by the sector, there were 7 two-wheelers produced. In the two wheeler segment, there is a greater preference for motorcycles followed by scooters, with both production and domestic sales of motorcycles increasing at faster rates than for scooters in the current and previous years. However, mopeds have registered low or negative growth. Export growth rates have been high both for motorcycles and scooters. Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry. (2017, Feb 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night - Essay Example Viola realized that her year of mourning would also be spent hidden. Olivia would not take her. "O that I served that lady and might not be delivered to the world" (Viola,I,ii). She then proceeds to ask the capitain to dress her as a "eunuch" to the duke. Olivier was in a "monastery " and Viola lived as a "eunuch" Viola as the center of the play showed the importance of how boys dressed as women to perform. Shakespeare took it one step further to show her strength of a girl dressed as a boy who had to sway another girl to fall in love. At one point, the play takes another turn. Olivia and Viola started as a one of the many dualities. Both as they stood behind their veils were strong willed and intelligent. The Duke took a liking to Cesario. Viola had fallen in love with the Duke. Some say he understood that she was a young woman. In Scene IV, Viola describes her first love as though it was the Duke. As early as Scene V in the first Act, Viola comments on Olivias beauty but takes it as a gift from the devil. She goes back and forth from being Cesario and Viola. "If I did love you in my masters flame, with such a suffering, such a deadly life, in your denial I would find no sense†¦."(Viola,I,v) She is putting herself in Olivias shoes as she has lost her brother and has fallen in love with the Duke. "Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. "(Olivia,III,i) As she speaks to Cesario, let me love you first, it is not bad as it is truer love. Viola talks of female love being stronger than male love." But died thy sister of her love, my boy" (Orsino,II,iv) "I am all the daughter of my fathers house†¦.."(Viola,II,iv) One has to ask if Orsino knows at this time the love "Cesario" has for him. As Shakespeare was writing these plays, the Elizabethan "golden world" of privilege and prestige--and idleness--enjoyed by royalty and the nobility was beginning to lean in favor of an empowered middle class (merchants and manufacturers) who

My passion for Cooking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My passion for Cooking - Essay Example Cooking has been my passion since time immemorial; I have seen my mother cooking, and have always wished I was in her place. Cooking to me has come as second nature. I believe I have a unique skill set as far as cooking is concerned, not because I can cook everything, but because whatever I cook is always appreciated and liked by others. I may not be the jack of all trades, but surely I am the master of cooking. I love cooking for myself and for everyone else. So when it’s a friend’s party or a family dinner I am always approached for the right menu and right meals. I consider myself as a master in this field because I believe I know the right mix of ingredients even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the recipe. I have an intuitive power when it comes to cooking, I can figure out my way and determine the right approach to cooking without any rational thinking. Part of the reason behind my success in this field, is my curiosity and urge to find out more about cooki ng all the time. I spend several hours searching for tips on the web and exploring recipes of well-known experts round the globe. My favorite dish as far as cooking is concerned is the Italian Pizza. Many people find it difficult to bake the crust of the pizza and often do not end up getting the right crispiness (MacKenzie). Either the crust turns out to be too fluffy or too thin. However, my crust somehow is always appropriately baked; it is never burnt. Pizza is something I like cooking the most because it is something that I love the most whenever I’m hungry I know the pizza is just a few hours away.

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Example for Free

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Schools are in business to promote learning; amongst both adults and pupils. But do they as organisations learn? Is it in fact possible for an organisation as a whole to learn? Even if there is evidence that individuals within organisations are learning, this does not automatically add up to collective learning: There are many cases in which organisations know less than their members. There are even cases in which the organisations cannot seem to learn what every member knows. (Argyris and Schà ¶n 2000:309) How schools learn to implement complex and multiple change successfully has always been of central concern to those interested in school improvement: making the link between organisational learning and school improvement is not a new idea. Roland Barth claims that school improvements main task is all about learning: School improvement is an effort to determine and provide, from without and within, conditions under which the adults and youngsters who inhabit schools will promote and sustain learning among themselves. (Barth 1999:45) In England especially, schools are under pressure to accommodate and manage change and are constantly dealing with public scrutiny of their effectiveness. Issues they are required to deal with include: a revised National Curriculum, performance management, revised criteria for OFSTED inspections, school self-evaluation, standards for head teachers and subject leaders, as well as the ongoing requirement to improve attainment for all pupils. All the activities that constitute learning are a fundamental contribution not just to improvement and performance, but also to an ethos and spirit of community in a school.( Stoll, 2005, 62-69)   We outline the importance of organisational learning to school improvement, and highlight the role of feedback, suggesting ways in which its role could be developed. The five questions we ask are:   1 What is organisational learning?   2 Why is it important to school improvement?   3 What are the processes that influence organisational learning?   4 What is the contribution of feedback?   5 How could its role in organisational learning be enhanced? What Is Organisational Learning? A definition of a learning organisation as it relates to education is: â€Å"A group of people pursuing common purposes (and individual purposes as well) with a collective commitment to regularly weighing the value of those purposes, modifying them when that makes sense, and continuously developing more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing those purposes.† (Leithwood and Aitken 2003:41) This definition suggests certain basic activities need to happen for organisational learning to be able to occur: the pursuit, review and modification of common aims; and opportunities to identify, articulate and design more effective, efficient ways of accomplishing these purposes. It can be easy for a school to lose sight of its primary purpose of fostering and encouraging learning, particularly in times of increased complexity and requirement to respond to external demands for improvement. As a recent participant on one of our courses put it: the core beliefs and goals about learning in my school †¦ have been forgotten in the mass of pressures we are under at the moment. School improvement research distinguishes more effective and more rapidly improving schools by the ability of practitioners to stay in touch with the schools core values, beliefs and goals and take charge of externally driven change rather than being controlled by it (Senge 1999; Rosenholtz 2000; Stoll and Fink 1999; Gray et al. 2003, 141-53). This is, in Senges words, because they are constantly enhancing their capacity to create their own future and know that it is in their hands. This mind-set is a cornerstone of effective improvement efforts. Organisational learning has been described as a dynamic and complex phenomenon best understood by considering learning processes and effects as influencing each other in a reciprocal way (Cousins 1998:220-1). Through collective inquiry, school staff and their communities engage in processing of internal or external information that challenges them to reflect on and adapt assumptions underpinning their practice. It also helps them to understand how they can influence their own destiny and create the necessary knowledge. In this sense, the basic meaning of a learning organisation is one that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future (Senge 1999:14). The Processes That Influence Organisational Learning Our own work suggests four particular processes that can crucially influence the organisational learning of schools. Where these can be deliberately and strategically developed, this facilitates the appropriate conditions and climate within which school improvement can operate. These four processes are: working actively with the context; processing, creating and using strategic knowledge; developing learning-oriented cultural norms; and systems thinking. (Leithwood, K. and Louis, 1998, 119-23) Working Actively With The Context The articulation of goals that are shared by all stakeholders in a school, including pupils, is not enough in a rapidly changing and demanding context. More than twenty years ago, Argyris and Schà ¶n (2000) argued that the key challenge is not to help an organisation become more effective at performing a stable task in the light of stable purposes, but to help an organisation restructure its purposes and redefine its task in the face of a changing environment (p. 320). To do this, schools need to connect more effectively with the world beyond them: Schools cannot shut their gates and leave the outside world on the doorstep, they can no longer pretend that their walls will keep the outside world at bay.   (Hargreaves and Fullan 1998:7) Being able to read the context is a critical skill in effective school improvement. Schools, as other systems, must have the capacity to sense, monitor and scan significant aspects of their environment (Morgan 1999:87). Intelligent schools know their survival can depend on their sensitive response and adaptation to the environment of which they are a part. This contextual intelligence has been defined as one of nine key intelligences a school needs to have (MacGilchrist et al. 2002). Working to develop and adapt school goals in the light of contextual messages is a crucial purpose for the organisational learning that schools continually need to address. (MacBeath, 1998, 311-22) Currently, insufficient notice is being paid to the limited opportunity and power schools feel they have to attend to this basic process. Indeed, the predominant emphasis on the delivery of the external reform agenda paradoxically distracts many schools from initiating their own learning and this results in a loss of both collective self-esteem and of feeling in charge of change (Learmonth and Reed 2000). Processing, Creating And Using Strategic Knowledge The importance of strategic thinking, planning and action in school improvement together constitute a particular knowledge base required for organisational learning. Louis (1998) argues that what distinguishes organisational learning processes from the notion of acquisition, storage and retrieval inherent in some definitions of individual learning, is an additional step of collective knowledge creation: Schools cannot learn until there is explicit or implicit agreement about what they know about their students, teaching and learning, and about how to change. (p. 1086) She describes three sources from which this knowledge is drawn: teachers individual knowledge about the curriculum and their own pedagogical practice; knowledge created when their practice is systematically examined; and knowledge that comes from others, advisers, colleagues, inspectors. Through a combination of dialogue and deliberation, this information is explored, interpreted and distributed among the school community creating collective knowledge and helping powerful learning systems in a school to develop. (Cousins, 2000, 305-33) The process is complex but can also increase the potential for organisational learning in a range of ways. Five assertions have recently been made about the contribution that a strategic approach can make to school improvement (Reed 2000). These are: 1 A strategic approach is underpinned by an explicit commitment to fundamental values and goals in a school.   2 A strategic approach is not just about putting a particular plan into operation. It is a way of working with different levels, goals and expectations at the same time.   3 A strategic approach involves a complex combination of skills thinking, planning, doing, analysing, judging, reflecting and giving and receiving feedback.   4 A strategic approach is more than a way of achieving coherence. It is a social process that needs to take account of how those involved are feeling and experiencing life in a school as well as supporting them in investing in their own learning.   5 A strategic approach builds knowledge and interest about what is happening as it goes along so that everyone can learn about the process and work together to achieve the agreed goals. Developing Learning-Oriented Cultural Norms Once schools have identified key aspects of their environment, they must be able to relate this information to the operating norms that guide their current behaviour. Norms are the unspoken rules for what is regarded as customary or acceptable behaviour and action within the school. They are also a window into the deeply held beliefs and values of the school: its culture (Stoll 2003). Leithwood, Jantzi and Steinbach (1998) found that school culture appeared to be the dominant influence on collective learning, more so than vision and mission, structure, strategies, and policy and resources. Rait (2003) explains: An organizations culture embodies an informal structure and normative system that influence information flow and other organizational processes. Culture may implicitly or explicitly delineate the boundaries of what is considered proper and improper action. (p. 83) Norms are critical because Life within a given culture flows smoothly only insofar as ones behaviour conforms with unwritten codes. Disrupt these norms and the ordered reality of life inevitably breaks down (Morgan 2002:139). Norms, therefore, shape reactions to internally or externally proposed or imposed improvements and, indeed, to organisational learning. Cultivating learning-oriented norms is, therefore, essential because the acceptance of changes by a school depends on the fit between the norms embedded in the changes and those within the schools own culture (Sarason 1999). Knowledge needs to have a socially constructed, shared basis for organisational learning to occur (Louis 2004). If norms of individualism and self-reliance exist, and collaboration is not valued, the necessary team learning is at risk. Similarly, schools with norms of contentment, avoidance of change, goal diffusion, top-down leadership, conformity, nostalgia, blame, congeniality rather than collegiality, and denial (Stoll and Fink 1998), are less likely to engage in organisational learning. Stoll and Fink (1999) identify ten norms that appeared to underpin the work of improving schools: shared goals; responsibility for success; collegiality; continuous improvement; lifelong learning; risk taking; support; mutual respect; openness; celebration and humour. They highlight the human and cultural dimension of change. Two of these merit further discussion for organisational learning. The first, collegiality, involves mutual sharing and assistance, an orientation towards the school as a whole. It is spontaneous, voluntary, development-oriented, unscheduled, and unpredictable. Little (1999) identifies four types of collegial relations. She views three as weaker forms: scanning and story telling, general help and assistance, and sharing. The fourth form, joint work, is most likely to lead to improvement and, we would argue, organisational learning. It covers team teaching, mentoring, action research, peer coaching, planning and mutual observation and feedback. These activities create greater interdependence, collective commitment, shared responsibility, and, perhaps most important, greater readiness to participate in the difficult business of review and critiques (Fullan and Hargreaves 2000, xii). The second norm, risk taking, is also critical for organisational learning. Time for experimentation, trial and error and handling failure are essential parts of learning. They symbolise a willingness to try something different, to consider new approaches, and to move into uncharted territory. The other norms support, mutual respect, openness, and celebration and humour set the important climate that enables risk taking to occur without danger. School improvement depends on the use of different mental maps of a school and the creative pursuit of understanding how the whole (the system) and the constituent parts (the subsystems) are relating to each other. Organisational learning occurs where the interdependency of parts and whole, systems and subsystems can be enhanced to enable collective activity to be more effective and satisfying for everyone involved. Systems thinking has been described as a discipline for seeing wholes (Senge 1999:68). It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than linear cause-effect chains, for seeing patterns and processes of change rather than a static snapshot. The capacity to see patterns and discern connections between seemingly unconnected events emerges as a key feature of organisational learning from both our experience and the literature: A systems approach at least helps an investigator understand that the problem is to discover the underlying connections and interdependencies (Vaill 1999:108). It is also a crucial tool for improvement efforts, a basis for taking charge of change and feeling more in control. Systems thinking enables a school to analyse more deeply the causal factors that underlie their concerns and difficulties especially where linear deductions of causality fail to get at the root issues. In short, it means it is more important to focus on circles of influence rather than straight lines (Senge 1999). We now take up this point in relation to the role of feedback. One way we have come to understand the contribution of feedback to organisational learning is to take as a starting point Senges (1999) definition of feedback. He uses the discourse of learning and feedback described as loops. Feedback as it used here, is different to positive feedback meaning making encouraging remarks or negative feedback meaning potential bad news. It is a broader concept, meaning any reciprocal flow of influence (p. 75) encompassing the notion that every influence is both cause and effect. Indeed, Senge argues that the practice of systems thinking and organisational learning starts with understanding feedback. We want to present a view of feedback as an organisational process that itself can be learned about and used as well as having the other, more dialogue-based functions that feedback can have in the school community. OConnor and McDermott (2002) describe feedback as thinking in circles; hence the notion of feedback loops: the consequences of our actions coming back to us and so influencing what happens next. This concept of feedback challenges immediately any notion that organisational learning can be achieved by either linear or mechanistic means: it needs processing and use of information. Feedback, then, in this sense is the return of information to influence the next step (OConnor and McDermott 2002:26). Two basic types of feedback loop have been identified. The first is reinforcing feedback. This describes a situation where change continues to change and grow: a response to something happening makes it happen more frequently. An example from school life could be a response to a high number of exclusions. (Goldstein, 2000, 313-15) The school puts in place a procedure for sanctions and rewards, and this results in further exclusions. The feedback from this situation, then, suggests that the procedure for sanctions and rewards itself needs tightening up which, again, unexpectedly causes more exclusions to occur. The second is balancing feedback, which reduces change and restores balance. A balancing feedback loop is where the response to something happening makes it happen less (Johnstone 2004:12-13). An example would be a primary school that on analysing its KS1 results finds that the poor quality of spelling is contributing to low attainment. A plan implemented across the Key Stage for addressing spelling more systematically with pupils and their parents enhances their capability, reduces their errors and significantly raises attainment. Schools as systems are experiencing feedback loops in this way all the time, and to the extent that they are aware of and working with reinforcing and balancing loops, and are learning how to manage them, they will be in the process of genuinely becoming a learning organisation. (Anderson, 2003, 235-58) Currently, a focus on the analysis of attainment data and making causal links to practice in the classroom can provide good examples of use of feedback. Significant connections are being made from one part of the school (the data) to another (the learning and teaching programme), and in the process organisational learning can occur. Morgan (2002) and others have reminded us of a key element in organisational learning processes which may influence the direction a reinforcing cycle takes towards growth or decline. Organisations may display adaptive learning which solves problems at an operational level: they scan the environment, compare against the operating targets, and initiate appropriate action. In so doing, they show the ability to detect and correct deviations from the norm. Many organisations are quite proficient at this including bureaucratic, fragmented organisations where employees are not encouraged to think for themselves and interest in what the organisation is doing is marginal. However, single loop learning may keep an organisation focused on the wrong goals and prevent success in a changing environment. Effective organisations require double loop learning in which the crucial extra ingredient is to question whether the operating targets are relevant and whether the norms are appropriate. (Chaston,   2001, 139-51) This is generative learning which solves fundamental problems in a creative way and facilitates survival in periods of change. Morgan suggests that when people are unable or not prepared to challenge underlying assumptions, The existence of single-loop learning systems, especially when used as controls over employees, may prevent double-loop learning from occurring (2002:90). The capacity in a school to reflect on its own learning while it is using the information provided by feedback is crucial. Ertmer and Newby (1999, 1-24) outline the characteristics of an expert learner, which include the capacity to regulate ones own learning, to self-monitor. It is possible to see that this capacity in a school, to use and reflect on feedback processes, is a key capability in a learning organisation. The following example illustrates the value of questioning while using feedback. A school joined one of our school improvement projects with the view that a group of Key Stage 2 pupils were, in the staffs description, restless and lacking concentration in their lessons because they had poor listening skills. It was to be the focus for their project. These were not pupils with any obvious learning difficulties. The teachers stated clearly that they wanted to improve the listening skills of these pupils. We cautioned them not to jump to conclusions before they had carried out a careful systemic audit and analysis of the context in which this problem was manifesting itself. (Fiol, 2002, 803-13) They reluctantly agreed. What emerged from the audit was a very different kind of causal picture. The process of gathering information showed that this group were actually very good listeners in settings that sufficiently caught their attention and enabled them to access the curriculum in ways that made sense to them. Through examining the wider system that the pupils were part of, it seemed that this group of pupils were signalling through their lack of engagement that schemes of work and teaching processes were inadequately differentiated for them. (Huber, 2000, 88-115)   Improving this practice was the focus of a very successful project in the school. The teachers learnt to look at their whole situation in a more sophisticated way instead of jumping too quickly to conclusions based in their minds on a linear and more simplistic model of the relationship between learning, teaching and achievement. The situation these teachers found themselves in is a very good example of reinforcing feedback. The more the pupils had a learning diet that did not meet their needs, the more they did not listen. When the school gave them a more carefully designed programme of activities the listening skills of the pupils were shown to be perfectly satisfactory. The balancing feedback process had produced the results that they wanted and staff had learnt a great deal about those pupils, their needs and most importantly about the impact of their teaching.( Kim, 2003, 37-50) It has been claimed that school improvement is an inquiry not a formula and that the successful structure for school improvement will have the nature of a clinical science, where communities of educators treat their best ideas as stepping stones to better ones (Joyce et al. 2003:2). The Making Belfast Work, Raising School Standards (MBW RSS) initiative can be seen as exemplifying such a process. Individual schools involved in the initiative engaged in self-evaluation and review as an integral part of the initiative. (Learmonth, 1998, 78-85) The fourteen schools also worked together during the three years on the project sharing experiences and approaches, creating a wider learning community outside the individual school. The LEAs engagement in the process was threefold; manager, participant and an evaluator of the change process. (Mumford, 2000, 24-31) The external evaluation, however, provided the LEA with an objective framework within which to consider organisational learning at a range of levels. Managing educational change and the resultant organisational learning is [a] multivariate business that requires us to think of and address more than one factor at a time. While theory and practice of successful educational change do make sense, and do point to clear guidelines for action, it is always the case that particular actions in particular situations require integrating the more general knowledge of change with detailed knowledge of the politics, personalities and history peculiar to the setting in question. (Fullan 2000: xii) In evaluating the MBW RSS initiative it is important to acknowledge the context of civil unrest which for over a generation has been an everyday fact of life for people living in the city. Recent political initiatives to move forward the peace process have been welcomed by all who are concerned about the quality of life in Belfast although uncertainty about the future remains evident. The term feedback, in education, is perhaps most commonly used in classroom and school contexts. (Sadler, 2003, 877-909)   It can, however, be used across the education system to promote organisational and institutional learning. We focus on the role of the external evaluation as a method of providing feedback to   †¢ increase understanding of the various impacts of an educational improvement initiative; improve awareness of the processes of implementation at school and LEA level; and provide the basis for analysis of planning, implementation of future initiatives, enhancing the capacity of the LEA to evaluate its own organisational learning with regard to future initiatives involving clusters or individual schools. The extent to which an organisation can learn from feedback from an outside evaluation depends on a number of factors. The very act of commissioning shows a willingness to be scrutinised and a desire to learn from an experience. In the MBW RSS there was a climate within both the LEA and schools which suggested that they could effect change and raise standards. Participants were willing to ask difficult questions and challenge practice. A high degree of co-operation among participants and an honest willingness to talk about strengths and weaknesses were important prerequisites for organisational learning. (Prange, 2003, 23-43) However, many school improvement initiatives have fallen short of their stated objectives because managers have tried to change too much, too quickly. If learning is to take place there must be a tacit understanding that this will not happen for all participants at the same time. Finally there was an acceptance by participants that if this initiative was not going to be just another one of many, which would have little impact beyond set funding, plans and systems had to be put in place which would sustain learning. (Nicolini, 2003, 727-47) LEAs are charged with the duty of managing and monitoring school improvement in their schools. There are many ways in which an LEA might approach this function. Areas for improvement could be identified in Educational Development Plan (EDPs) and targeted through programmes for continual professional development (CDP). Perhaps the most common mechanism used to stimulate school improvement by an LEA is the formulation and management of school improvement initiatives. (Gray,   2002, 27-34) The recent implementation of national initiatives in England (e.g. the National Literacy and Strategy and Numeracy Hour in primary schools) has not stopped LEAs from continuing to develop locally targeted projects aimed at raising school standards. Most recently, inspection has been one route by which the performance of school improvement initiatives has been monitored (the programme began in January 1998). The Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) underlines the important contribution an LEA can make in delivering school improvement by calling its framework for LEA inspection LEA support for school improvement, picking out school improvement as an LEAs key function (OFSTED 2003:6). However, the Chief Inspector of schools in his annual report (1998/2003) claimed that some LEAs gave ineffective support to schools and could spawn a plethora of ineffective and often unwelcome initiatives which, more often than not, waste money and confuse and irritate schools (p. 20). The extent to which OFSTED can give detailed feedback on initiatives, sufficient to ensure organisational learning, is limited because inspections use a national framework and thus do not focus on the aims of different LEA initiatives. An alternative to inspection would be to use outside consultants to evaluate a specific programme. If an LEA is to make use of an evaluation to improve its services, the evaluators feedback can identify areas in which the LEA can learn and should indicate how that learning can be transferred to other initiatives. In evaluating the Making Belfast Work Raising Schools Standards initiative, the ISEIC team were specifically asked to investigate the impact of the overall project and to identify the factors which facilitated improvements and any barriers to success. The BELB, which has a history of innovative projects, wished to consider the implications of the evaluation with a mind to examining other school improvement projects and its part within these. The idea for the initiative stemmed from thinking in the Department of Education: Northern Ireland (DENI) which approached Making Belfast Work as funders. The initiative intended to help schools address significant disadvantage and under-achievement among their pupils. The project was intended to target a small number of secondary schools and their main contributory primary schools. Additional funding of  £3m, over a three-year period was to be allocated. We cannot report on all aspects of the evaluation covered in the main evaluation report (Sammons et al. 1998; Taggart and Sammons 2003) but will focus on ways in which the evaluations final report was able to feed back key learning points to the LEA, relevant to its management of future school improvement initiatives and the extent to which the initiative had an impact in term of its stated aims. The feedback was couched in terms that were intended to enable BELBs personnel to engage with their own learning and thus better understand their crucial role in initiating and managing initiatives. By doing this, the evaluators sought to help the Board improve its capacity to learn and thus enrich the service it offered to schools in the crucial area of raising school standards. Outsiders offering schools critical friendship as a basis for dialogue can be invaluable to developing organisational learning capacity. Schools need an external perspective to observe what is not immediately apparent to those working on the inside. These individuals and groups can watch and listen, ask thought-provoking questions about formal and informal data that help those in schools sort out their thinking, make sound decisions and determine appropriate strategies. This relationship, however, is more likely to work when it is based on trust and support, where critical friends bring an open mind and a commitment to mutual exchange, rather than their own vested interests. Consequently, when the feedback critical friends convey contains difficult messages, these are more likely to be heard and taken on board. A longer-term outcome of effective critical friendship appears to be the ability to help a school become its own critical friend. References    Anderson, V. Skinner, D. (2003). Organisational learning in practice: How do small businesses learn to operate internationally? Human Resource Development International, 2(3), 235-258. Argyris, C. and Schà ¶n, D. A. (2000) Organizational Learning: a theory of action perspective, Reading MA: Addison-Wesley.   309-20 Barth, R. (1999) Improving Schools from Within: teachers, parents and principals can make the difference, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.   44-46 Chaston, I., Badger, B., Sadler-Smith, E. (2001). Organisational learning: An empirical assessment of process in small U.K. manufacturing firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 39(2), 139-151. Cousins, J. B. (1998) Intellectual roots of organizational learning, in K. Leithwood and K. S. Louis (eds) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   220-21   Cousins, J. B. and Leithwood, K. (2000) Enhancing knowledge utilization as a strategy for school improvement, Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization 14: 3, 305-333. Ertmer P. A. and Newby T. J. (1999) The expert learner: strategic, self regulated and reflective, Instructional Science 24: 1, 1-24. Fiol, C.M. Lyles, M.A. (2002). Organisational learning. Academy of Management Review, 10(4), 803-813.   Fullan, M. and Hargreaves, A. (2000) Whats Worth Fighting for in Your School?, Buckingham: Open University Press.   p.xii   Goldstein H. (2000) Editorial: statistical information and the measurement of education outcomes, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A 155:3, 313-315. Gray, C. Gonsalves, E. (2002). Organisational learning and entrepreneurial strategy. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 3(1), 27-34. Gray, J., Hopkins, D., Reynolds, D., Wilcox, B., Farrell, S. and Jesson, D. (2003) Improving Schools: performance and potential, Buckingham: Open University Press.   141-53   Hargreaves, A. and Fullan, M. (1998) Whats Worth Fighting for in Education?, Buckingham: Open University Press.   p.7 Huber, G.P. (2000). Organisational learning: The contributing processes and the literatures. Organisation Science, 2(1), 88-115.   Johnstone, C. (2004) The Lens of Deep Ecology, London: IDEE. Kim, D.H. (2003). The link between individual and organisational learning. Sloan Management Review, Fall, 37-50.   Learmonth, J. and Lowers, K. (1998) A trouble shooter calls: the role of the independent consultant, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty, London: Falmer Press.   78-85   Learmonth, J. and Reed, J. (2000) Revitalising Teachers Accountability: learning about learning as a renewed focus for school improvement, paper presented at the Thirteenth International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Hong Kong, January.   Leithwood, K. and Aitken, R. (2003) Making Schools Smarter, Thousand Oaks CA: Corwin.   Leithwood, K. and Louis, K.S. (eds) (1998) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   119-23   Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D. and Steinbach, R. (1998) Leadership and other conditions which foster organizational learning in schools, in K. Leithwood and K. S. Louis (eds) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   Little, J. W. (1999) The persistence of privacy: autonomy and initiative in teachers professional relations, Teachers College Record 91:4, 509-536.   Louis, K. S. (2004) Beyond managed change, School Effectiveness and School Improvement 5:1, 2-25.   Louis, K. S. (1998) Reconnecting knowledge utilization and school improvement, in A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan and D. Hopkins (eds) International Handbook of Educational Change. Part 2, Dordrecht: Kluwer.   MacBeath, J. (1998) I didnt know he was ill: the role and value of the critical friend, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty London: Falmer Press.   311-22   MacGilchrist, B., Myers, K. and Reed, J. (2002) The Intelligent School, London: Paul Chapman. Morgan, G. (1999) Images of Organizations, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.   Morgan, G. (2002) Images of Organization (2nd edn), London: Sage. Mumford, A. (2000). Individual and organisational learningthe pursuit of change. Industrial and Commercial Training, 23(6), 24-31. Nicolini, D. Mesnar, M.B. (2003). The social construction of organisational learning: Conceptual and practical issues in the field. Human Relations, 48(7), 727-747.   OConnor, J. and McDermott, I. (2002) The Art of Systems Thinking, London: Thorsons. Prange, C. (2003). Organisational learningDesperately seeking theory? In M. Easterby-Smith, J. Burgoyne, L. Araujo (Eds), Organizational learning and the learning organization (pp. 23-43). London: Sage Publications.   Rait, E. (2003) Against the current: organizational learning in schools, in S. B. Bacharach and B. Mundell (eds) Images of Schools: structures and roles in organizational behavior, London: Sage.   Reed J. E. (2000) Strategic thinking in the Malawi school support system project, unpublished materials developed for Ministry of Education, Malawi.   Rosenholtz, S. J. (2000) Teachers Workplace: the social organization of schools, New York: Longman Sadler-Smith, E., Chaston, I., Spicer, D.E (2003). Organisational learning in smaller firms: An empirical perspective. In M. Easterby-Smith, L. Araujo, J. Burgoyne (Eds), Proceedings of the 3rd International Organisational Learning Conference (pp. 877-909). Department of Management Learning, Lancaster University.   Sarason, S. B. (1999) Revisiting The Culture of the School and the Problem of Change, New York: Teachers College Press.   Senge, P. M. (1999) The Fifth Discipline: the art and practice of the learning organisation, London: Century Business.   Stoll, L. (2003) School culture: black hole or fertile garden for improvement, in J. Prosser (ed.) School Culture, London: Paul Chapman.   Stoll, L. A. and Fink, D. (1999) Changing Our Schools: linking school effectiveness and school improvement, Buckingham: Open University Press.   Stoll, L. and Fink, D. (1998) The cruising school: the unidentified ineffective school, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty, London: Falmer Press.   Stoll, L., MacBeath, J., Smith, I. and Robertson, P. (2005) The change equation: capacity for improvement, in improving school effectiveness, in J. MacBeath and P. Mortimore (eds) Improving School Effectiveness, Buckingham: Open University Press. 62-69   Vaill, P. B. (1999) Learning As a Way of Being: strategies for survival in a world of permanent white water, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rebel W/out A Cause Essay -- essays research papers

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rebel Without A Cause is a movie about three troubled, identity-seeking teenagers alienated from the world of their parents (Jim Stark, Judy, and Plato). Each of the movie’s main characters is searching for understanding, companionship, and a sense of belonging, much like most of the teenagers today. Even thought the movie is dated, it depicts the main problems and concerns that teens currently face. This film offers no answers. It merely presents the problems and the viewer is left to ponder how they'll turn out. I could identify with this movie on many levels. And I think that much of the young audiences out there could as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie seems to tell the audience that just because teenagers do some bad things, doesn’t mean they’re bad at heart. I agree. In the movie, Jim is pressured into participating in a chickie run with a local gang leader named Buzz. A chickie run is where two guys race in a car towards a cliff. The first one to jump out from his car is a chicken. Jim feels he has something to prove. He doesn’t want to race, but he feels he has to show everyone he’s tough. Usually most teenagers today don’t want to get into trouble, but if it is necessary to put their lives on the line they will, simply to maintain their reputation. This is primarily associated to a phenomenon that teens encounter every day of thei...

Caap History

Philippines'  Civil Aviation Authority  formerly  Air Transportation Office, abbreviated as  CAAP, is an agency of thePhilippine government  under the  Department of Transportation and Communications  responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel. [2]  The agency also investigates aviation accidents. [3]  The agency's main office is in  Pasay City ————————————————- History Legislative Act No. 909 passed by the  Philippine Legislative  on November 20, 1931 created an Office under the Department of Commerce and Communications to handle aviation matters, particularly the enforcement of rules and regulations governing commercial aviation as well as private flying. It was amended by Act 3996 to include licensing of airmen and aircraft, inspection of aircraft concerning air traffic rules, schedule s and rates and enforcement of Aviation Laws. [5] From 1932 to 1936, there were no standard procedures as to the licensing of airmen, registration of aircraft and recording of various aeronautical activities connected with commercial aviation.There were attempts made to register planes and their owners without ascertaining their airworthiness and to record names of pilots, airplane mechanics and other details. [5] In 1933, the office of Technical Assistant of Aviation matters was enlarged into the Aeronautics Division under the Department of Commerce and Industry, the functions of which were embodied in Administrative Order No. 309, a joint Bulletin issued by the Department of Public Works and Communications and the Department of Finance. 5] In October 1934, Act 4033 was passed to require a franchise from the  Philippine government  in order to operate an air service and to regulate foreign aircraft operations. [5]On November 12, 1936, the  Philippine Legislative  passed Com monwealth Act No. 168, better known as the Civil Aviation Law of the  Philippines  which created the Bureau of Aeronautics. After the liberation of the  Philippines  in March 1945, the Bureau was reorganized and placed under the  Department of National Defense. Among its functions was to promulgate Civil Aviation Regulations. 5] On October 1947, Executive Order No. 94 which reorganized the government transferred Bureau of Aeronautics to the Newly created Department of Commerce and Industry and renamed Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). [5] On June 5, 1948,  Republic Act  224 created the National Airports Corporation which was charged with the management and operations of all national airports. [5] On June 20, 1952,  Republic Act  No. 776, otherwise known as the Civil Aeronautics Act of the  Philippines  reorganized the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Civil Aeronautics Administration.It defined the powers and duties of both agencies including the funds, per sonnel and the regulations of Civil Aviation. [5] On October 19, 1956, Executive Order No. 209 placed the Civil Aeronautics Administration under the administrative supervision and control of the Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications. [5] * Marcos Era On January 20, 1975, Letter of Instruction No. 244 transferred to the Department of Public Highways the responsibilities relative to airport plans, designs, construction, improvement, maintenance as well as site acquisition.The responsibilities related to location, planning design and funding were later returned to the CAA. [5] On July 23, 1979, Executive Order No. 546, the CAA was renamed the Bureau of Air Transportation (BAT) and placed under the  Ministry of Transportation and Communications. [6] * Cory Aquino Presidency On April 13, 1987, Executive Order No. 125-A renamed the Bureau of Air Transportation the Air Transportation Office headed by the Assistant Secretary of Air Transportation. [7] * Arroyo Admi nistration On December 3, 2007,  Senator  Edgardo J.Angara  filed senate bill number 1932, otherwise known as CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY ACT OF 2007, authorizing the appropriation of funds therefore, and for other purposes. [8]  The bill abolishes the Air Transportation Office (ATO) and in its stead creates the  Civil Aviation Authority  (CAA), which is mandated to set comprehensive, clear and impartial rules of the aviation industry. Under the new law, the CAA shall be an independent regulatory body with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative powers with corporate attributes and on March 4, 2008,  President  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo  sign into law.FAA and EU downgrades and other controversies On January 17, 2008, the  United States  Federal Aviation Administration  (FAA) downgraded the  Philippines' rating to Category 2 from Category 1, since its Air Transportation Office (Philippines) (ATO) did not fully satisfy international safety standards. Consequently,  Philippine Airlines  (PAL) president Jaime Bautista stated that its 2008 growth targets would be lowered. Just out of 8 years of  receivership  last year, the FAA decision prevented PAL from increasing US flights from 33 per week. 10]  Then President  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyodismissed acting Air Transportation Office chief Danilo Dimagiba after the downgrade and designated DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications] Secretary  Leandro Mendoza  as concurrent Officer in Charge of ATO. Also, the  Embassy of the United States in Manila  warned US citizens in the Philippines â€Å"to refrain from using Philippine-based carriers due to ‘serious concerns' about the ATO's alleged mishandling of the aviation industry.Dimagiba blamed lack of funds for the FAA downgrade, alleging that ATO needs Php 1 billion ($1 = Php 40), roughly around $25,000,000. [11] Effective April 1, 2010, the European Union, following the FAA's lead, banned Philippine carriers from f lying to Europe. Asia Times reported, â€Å"EU ambassador Alistair MacDonald said: ‘The commission considers that the supervisory authority is currently not able to implement and enforce the relevant safety standards, and decided therefore to ban from EU airspace all air carriers licensed in the Philippines until these deficiencies are corrected. â€Å"[12] On June 19, 2010, important navigation equipment at the Manila airport maintained by CAAP failed. The very high frequency omni-directional radio range (VOR) which helps planes land especially in bad weather stopped working due to heavy rain and there was no available replacement. One had to be brought from another airport. [13]

Netflix: A Case Analysis Essay

Netflix offers a variety of product services to its customers. The company offers traditional DVD rental by mail, instant streaming of DVD content through home PCS, and streaming on Netflix-ready devices that could be hooked up to one’s TV. Netflix has a subscription based model, which allows customers to utilize their products/services through a per month fee rather than a pay as you go rate. Although the company offers eight different subscription packages, it derives its largest revenues from its $8.99, $13.99, and $16.99 subscription plans that include unlimited DVDs per month, 1-3 titles out at one time, plus unlimited streaming of online content. The Netflix Strategy Netflix’s strategy so far has been to focus on not just one or two aspects of their customer base, but to focus themselves in a number of directions in order to build upon and capitalize on a growing subscriber base. Their main strategy has been to build and maintain the most comprehensive selection of DVD titles in the industry, and they have done so by creating mutually beneficial relationships with a number of entertainment video providers. Their second main strategy has been focused on product differentiation- not only how customers receive content and consume it, but also how customers choose what to watch. Netflix’s number one competitive advantage is their unique software that takes what a customer has seen or rated, and based upon that information builds a list of suggested titles similar to ones they have just watched. While other companies like Blockbuster had begun to leak into the rent-by-mail niche category that Netflix had started, no other company had cus tomer profiling software quite like Netflix. U.S. Movie, TV, & Video Game Rental Market (2006-2009) Consumer Movie Rental Market Revenue ($ million) 2006 2007 2008 2009 In-store Rentals $7,030 $6,215 $5,674 $5,118 Vending Machine Rentals 79 198 486 917 By Mail Rentals 1,291 1,797 1,949 2,114 VOD (cable, digital, & subscription) 993 1,077 1,365 1,684 Between 2006 and 2009, the film rental market underwent a major shift. The in-store rental market declined by nearly $2 million, while vending machine rentals increased tenfold and by-mail rentals nearly doubled. However, VOD services through cable, digital, and subscription also saw major increases. All of these changes meant companies like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery had to either reorganize and make a complete business model shift- or face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the increases in by-mail rentals and VOD subscription, two services that Netflix offered, meant that the number of Netflix subscribers more than doubled in that same time frame. Purchase decisions from customers were focused on convenient access, price, variety of DVD offerings, ease of return/return fees. Therefore, the key success factors within the U.S. DVD rental industry were quickly becoming: 1) A variety of distribution channels (mail, online streaming, streaming to TV, vending machine, etc) 2) Superior video libr aries (including new releases,  classics, hard to find) 3) Little to no fees associated with renting or returning DVDs 4) Ease of use (in terms of returning) 5) A strong network of entertainment video providers, i.e. suppliers Customers like variety; a video rental store that only stocks the newest releases will not appeal to all markets. Increasingly, customers are becoming more nostalgic in their movie preferences, searching for titles long past premiere. Customers have also become increasingly busy, often not having the time to go to a store to pick out a movie or remembering to return their rentals on time. We live in a world of instant gratification, where being able to click a few buttons and watch the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com or an old cult classic like Rocky Horror is extremely important. Customers also do not like fees. More and more companies today are offering free shipping/return shipping, and the same is true in the DVD rental industry. Five Forces Analysis of the Industry Rivalry among competing sellers: High. Buyer costs of switching brands is low and product offerings are weakly differentiated. The number of competitors is growing and rivals have diverse strategies for providing their services. Competitive pressure from buyer bargaining power: Medium to high. The cost of switching to competing products is low, as well as the level of convenience for switching. Products are for the most part undifferentiated. Competitive pressure from supplier bargaining power: Low to medium. There are a large number of suppliers within the industry and a variety of ways in with to gain access to the needed material. However, most sellers cannot self-manufacture these movie titles; whereas the suppliers could easily begin offering these services themselves. Competitive pressure from substitute products: Low. The cost per DVD to buy is greater than that to rent or stream a movie. Buyer demand for purchasing DVDs is decreasing due to the lack of disposable income creat ed by the financial crisis, as well as the practicality of owning a vast collection of physical DVDs. Potential of new entrants: High. The market is growing at an ever increasing pace and barriers to entry are low. Buyer demand continues to increase as well, and existing industry members are looking to expand their market reach. (See Appendix 1 for a visual representation). There are a number of drivers of  change affecting the movie retail industry. As mentioned previously, there has been a shift in consumer’s willingness to go out of their way for certain products or services. The consumer climate has shifted to an instant gratification model, in which if acquiring a movie to watch requires more effort than clicking a few buttons, then it is no longer worth the consumer’s time. This force is somewhat unfavorable in terms of competitive intensity because it will drives firms within the industry to compete in a never ending sprint to offer the most titles in the shortest amount of time, which will eventually hit its peak and taper off. However, this force will also positively impact future industry profitability since the more streamlined the process becomes, the more users and more uses the industry will gain. Another force driving change is the switch from buying physical DVDs and acquiring movie collections to accessing them online as needed. This saves consumers valuable time and money, and they no longer need to worry about keeping their DVDs in good condition. This force will positively affect future industry profitability because it will reduce the number of distribution plants needed to sustain video libraries, thus significantly reducing operating costs. Not having to stock multiple copies of millions of DVDS will mean that companies will no longer have to spend money on: Multiple large plants Staffing said plants with a large labor force Operating said plants in terms of rent, utilities, etc Postage (in terms of Netflix specifically) DVD maintenance Mailing and location software One more force that is affecting the movie rental industry is the introduction and proliferation of VOD services offered directly from cable networks and providers. Barriers to entry for these already existing firms is extremely low, and if all networks chose to offer these services, a large portion of profits would be cannibalized from outside companies such as Netflix or Hulu. This force will negatively affect competitive intensity, but positively affect future industry profitability. If the large supplier companies (cable networks & providers) all started offering their own VOD, competition from smaller independent renting firms would disappear. Yet  profitability would increase due to the ease of access to entire network libraries. Mapping the Movie Retail Industry The competitive characteristics that differentiate firms within the movie retail industry are as follows: Use of distribution channels Product line breadth Price Geographic coverage Ease of access/use In conducting my analysis of the strategic positioning of firms within this industry, I chose to focus on price and use of distribution channels (See Appendix 2). Netflix and VOD providers are positioned most favorably on the map because both offer moderately priced subscription packages for access to a comprehensive list of movie and TV show offerings using a variety of distribution channels. Netflix is positioned most favorably due to its relative low cost compared to the variety of products it offers access to. Redbox is priced well, but it only offers one method of distribution. Whereas Blockbuster is priced higher than average, but has begun to offer streaming and mail rental options in addition to in store rentals. A Financial Analysis of Netflix Overall, Netflix has fared fairly well over the past several years, even surviving the financial crisis. They continue to generate a profit, and their revenue has grown at a steady rate indicative of the growth of the mail rental & online streaming movie retail market. The company has been growing at an average rate of 20% over the last four years. However, from 2007 to 2008, Netflix only grew at a rate of 13.22%. This noticeable fluctuation in their growth rate can most likely be contributed to the financial crisis that swept the nation during that year. Aside from that dip, Netflix can be expected to continue to grow at a rate indicative of the continued growth of mail and digital movie rental industry. Product costs for Netflix have remained relatively stable over the last four years at over 60% of revenue, fluctuating only by 4% or less. This is  despite the fact that revenues for the company have been steadily increasing. This clearly shows an inability to control manufacturing & operating costs. As Netflix expands, so does its physical DVD inventory and size/number of distribution plants. Although one of their strategies is transition subscribers to streaming delivery as opposed to mail delivery, it is obvious that they have yet to be truly successful in that endeavor. Netflix’s ROA hit an all-time high of 17.05% in 2009, which is somewhat surprising given that the company is deriving most of its revenues from a nubile market. The mail and digital movie rental industry is still growing, so to have an ROA that high is quite an accomplishment. It is clear that the company’s investments in new assets are succeeding in generating returns. (See Appendix 3 for a complete financial analysis of Netflix from 2006-2009). SWOT Analysis of Netflix’s Standing within the Market Strengths Opportunities Netflix cornered the market on direct mail renting before anyone else offered it Has a wide geographic coverage and the fastest turnaround rate Known for its 1 month free trials The brand has a following across a wide variety of consumer segments Their strong relationship with a large network of entertainment video providers Top management realizes the importance/emergence of the digital environment and is trying to shift subscriber use accordingly Netflix has developed unique and comprehensive movie selection software that customizes the consumer experience by capitalizing on their movie tastes and making accurate suggestions Netflix offers the most detailed movie information including customer reviews, critic reviews, etc The increasing demand for digital streaming is clearly an opportunity The shift from by mail rental to digital streaming gives Netflix an opportunity to restructure its subscription packages and price them even more competitively The firm can look at joining forces with some of the networks that are beginning to offer VOD streaming Weaknesses Threats Netflix is a market leader in by mail rental, which has now capped off and started to become a declining category The company’s comprehensive DVD libraries and distribution centers are eating up a large chunk of their revenues Unlike other movie rental/streaming companies, Netflix does not offer access to newly released films Changing subscriber preference towards online streaming will affect Netflix’s current portfolio mix The increasing intensity of competition from other companies, such as Hulu with their Hulu Plus program will eat into Netflix’s consumer base Increasing number of networks that are beginning to offer free streaming of content on their websites For the moment, Netflix’s overall situation is fairly attractive. Being the first company to introduce a new niche in a market is a huge asset. A company cannot simply ‘buy’ cornering the market on a good or service. Since Netflix already offers unlimited direct streaming, that puts it ahead of some of its competitors. However, Netflix will need to restructure and reevaluate the profitability of its by mail rental service in the near future. Compared with Blockbuster and VOD Providers, Netflix has the highest level of competitive strength at 46 points. Netflix by far has the most comprehensive number of products and distribution channels, given that consumers can either rent DVDs by mail or stream them on their PC or TV. The number of distribution channels factors into the company’s ease of use, as does the fact that their DVDs come with prepaid return envelopes. VOD Providers are a similar ease of use to Netflix given that consumers can just click a few buttons on the TV and instantly be watching their chosen film. Blockbuster is ranked lowest in terms of price & fees because their prices are based on a per DVD cost, and when sales began to decrease, the company increased its prices. Not to mention that there are late fees associated with renting, whereas with Netflix you can keep a DVD for as long as you like without incurring fees. Blockbuster also scores lower in terms of the number of products because their l ibrary is limited by store space, whereas Netflix and VOD Providers can have a virtually unlimited library of titles spanning the entire duration of the movie industry. Performance Concerns Overall, Netflix’s performance is quite satisfactory. The company persevered through the financial crisis and has managed to hold on to market majority despite growing competition from rival firms. a) My main concern for Netflix is the amount of revenue that is currently being eaten up by product costs. Despite steadily increasing revenues, Netflix’s COGS continues to take up more than 60% of said revenue. In the coming years when the market shifts entirely to direct streaming, Netflix will be left with millions of  DVDs and operating costs associated with the large distribution centers required to house these DVDs. If the company takes too long to phase out this aspect of its product/service portfolio, it could lose out on major profits and potentially wind up in debt. b) A second issue I see for Netflix is that more and more companies are beginning to offer streaming of their own content either for free to the public, or free to subscribers of certain cable companie s. Since Netflix has a cost associated with it, its customer base could be cannibalized by these new entrants. Recommendations a) Given that by mail renting is on the decline, Netflix should work quickly to phase out this service from its current offerings. Right now there are still companies out there willing to take on extensive DVD libraries- five or so years from now, that may not be the case and Netflix will have lost out on an opportunity to avoid a significant loss. b) Netflix needs to look at restructuring and re-pricing their current subscription packages. The number of packages and their prices that the company offers are no longer relevant to demand. With more and more entrants into the market, Netflix is losing its competitive pricing advantage. In sum, in order to remain competitive Netflix needs to restructure both its product offerings and pricing strategy. The company should be looking ahead to see what the next big thing in movie rental/streaming will be and capitalize on that, while other firms are still entering the market and developing what Netflix already has.

Beethovens Fifth Symphony essays

Beethovens Fifth Symphony essays When listening to any piece by Beethoven, you receive the whole range of emotions, and the Fifth Symphony is no different. Just the first four notes, a simple da-da-da-dum, is enough to send shivers up your back. Packed with all the furious confidence of Beethoven, it suggests scarlet eruptions, heavenly processions and all the powers human drama. These four notes started the memorable first movement. This movement is like a Stephen King novel because it is so saturated with intensity and suspense. The pauses leaves the audience hanging and trying to guess where the unpredictable Beethoven will lead. The peaceful intervals of swaying melodies only added to the expectancy and tension, like the eye of the storm. It was played con brio, with a confident, agitato attack. Over and over, the four note theme was twisted, turned and thrown out with gusto. Melodies from brass, echoed by strings weave in and out throughout the movement. The second and third movements were more dolce and leggiero. The second movement started with lovely dynamic shapes with phrases dropping off into a dreamy pianissimo. Then they would crescendo almost stealthily to the climax. The melody ebbs and flows, now semplice, no con fuoco. The third movement is still dolce but is more playful than the second movement. The solos pass the melodies to each other and the dynamics deliberately chase each other. In this movement, the four note theme is used as a rhythm pattern, though not necessarily the same notes. The fourth and final movement becomes revitalized and majestic. The brass echoes the theme again. This movement is joyous, like a sun bursting boldly from the clouds, symbolizing hope for humankind. With all the triumph and joy, the final resounding chords pounded and hammered out with an immortal energy. Watching the video, the excitement, vigor and enthralling rapture of the conductor and the musicians, makes the powerful music even more dramatic a...

Daisy miler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Daisy miler - Essay Example She is only concerned in making herself the center of attention and the way she does it is by manipulating other men. It is difficult to argue on the question whether Daisy Miller is a ‘nice’ girl. Even though we get to see different sides of Daisy Miller in the story, it is still not possible to come to the definite conclusion about her character. Daisy is quite vulgar and we see examples of her immodesty when she is found late at night at coliseum with Mr. Giovanelli. However, it is not possible to judge Daisy based on such incidents since morality is a culturally conditioned response and the standards of morality are set based on the social convention of that area. Therefore, it is a fifty-fifty chance of Daisy actually being guilty of not innocent. Daisy acts on what she intends without giving any second thoughts to it. She represents the American flirt who does not obey or adhere to the rules of the European community in which she is currently in. This is the reason she frequently becomes a subject of gossip among her peers. Even after knowing about Daisy’s character, life and habits it is not possible to decide whether Daisy was innocent or not. Firstly, it is not possible to conclude whether Daisy knew all along about what people were saying behind him. She appears to be ‘too light and childish†¦ too uncultivated and unreasoning’. Perhaps, it is because of this attitude that she fails to notice what others thought. However, equally plausible may be that ‘she carried about in her elegant and irresponsible little organism a defiant, passionate, perfectly observant consciousness of the impression she produced.’ Therefore, it is simply inconclusive and impossible to decide whether Daisy Mil ler is too innocent to notice what others think about her character or whether she is so care-free and happy-go-lucky sort of person that she does not care one bit about what others

Liberal Democracy. Why are elections so important for liberal Essay

Liberal Democracy. Why are elections so important for liberal democracy - Essay Example Elections and democracy are complementary to each other. Free and fair elections are central to promoting liberal democracy. The cosmopolitan nature of the United Kingdom society has made people devise means of having organized electoral systems that are fully representative. The intention of the electorate is to consolidate their civil rights and freedoms. These electoral systems are established through either direct or indirect means of picking representatives into the House of Commons. The electoral system must avoid irregularities and guarantee the wishes of the majority while respecting the rights and the voice of the minority. The strength of the electoral process guards against unnecessary tensions (Robinson 2010). This is the essence of reviewing the parliamentary electoral system in the United Kingdom to make them representative and free. A liberal democracy like the United Kingdom thrives through democratic elections. A general election is a vital decision making process in which the people decide whom to entrust with power. Modern liberal democracies like the United Kingdom use elections to fill vacancies in the executive, parliament and the judiciary. The word election comes from a Latin word Legere meaning-choose. The essence of general elections is to change leadership and express the wishes of the citizens on key matters. Modern liberal democracies like the United Kingdom have the electoral systems which yield the best results. The most popular democratic systems are both presidential and parliamentary systems. The United Kingdom used the parliamentary system. The liberties include the freedom of speech, religion, right to private property and privacy. Liberal democracy has safeguard against majoritarianism which hurts the minority. In a liberal democracy, elections must be free and fair (Johnson 2001). The electorate must have a choice of political parties, which differ in policies and views. In a liberal democracy, voting is by secret ballot. T his ensures that voters do not feel pressured (Robinson 2010). Elections are crucial in liberal democracies because the parliament and the government are chosen by and accountable to the voters. Liberal democracies demand that elections be regular (Dunleavy & O'Leary 2000). This gives the electorate a chance to review their leaders and make changes during the election year. The government must call for a referendum on key issues that affect the lives of people directly (Williams 1998). In liberal democracies, election results must be respected since they represent the demands of the people (Diamond & Platter 2006). As a result, the power transitions must be peaceful, and this ensures economic stability. In the United Kingdom, the European court of human rights ensures that civil rights are enforced. Democratic elections guarantee equal opportunities and a fair justice system in liberal democracies (Williams 1998). The government must be limited and open to the public (Dunleavy & O'L eary 2000). Democratic elections give the people power to securitize the government in liberal democracies. The constitution gives the citizens the right to access state information if it does not compromise the security situation of the country (Robinson 2010). Democratic electoral process guarantees free media, which is not controlled by the state. This means that the media must give neutral coverage to all the political activities in the country, and at the same time criticize any the government freely (Diamond & Platter 2006). In the United Kingdom, the electoral system is free and fair. The law demands that balloting in the UK be secret, in addition to universal suffrage of, eighteen and over. The country has a number of political