Temple of Doom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Temple of Doom - Essay Example and only growing only as much crops as necessary to feed the people, the surrounding vegetation was preserved and even maintained even when constantly growing crops (Thomas and Kelly 186). Following the collapse of the large civilizations into smaller tribes or groups as the result of people leaving and forming smaller communities, because these people were able to live and cultivate land without affecting the surrounding natural vegetation and untouched forests, it became possible for these tribes to produce food enough to feed the communities while keeping the rainforests intact. Wars or uprisings within the Amazon civilizations often happen as the result of powerful influences of persons of authority such as priests or members of royalty. What makes these people influential is because of their strong ties to the supernatural, wherein priests or religious shamans invoke the power of spirits to cast boon or bane, while members of the royal family claim to be descendants of the gods (Thomas and Kelly 35). Due to such claims cults or large groups of followers affect political or economic influence by making people believe that they are in the winning or the upright side, and making them act in accordance to the wishes of the cult leaders. This was also shown in the story of the Temple of Doom, when the Thuggee cult members were persuaded by the high priest to perform human sacrifices and use children to dig mines in finding rocks that can help them conquer the world (â€Å"Temple of Doom†). The strong influence of the divine and the belief in the superna tural helps convince cult followers to blindly follow what the leaders ask, even going to wars solely to serve their â€Å"divine leaders†. It also affects how people see their leaders, wherein those who have strong claims of supernatural or divine descent were given more special treatment over those who do not have these claims, in which those that have supernatural or divine claims can influence more people than

Write a brief humorous essay on the director Essay Example for Free

Write a brief humorous essay on the director Essay Write a brief humorous essay on the directors take of a modern production of a chosen scene in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5 No, no, no and NO! I was beginning to get exasperated. The actors I had selected for my production of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet were, how should I put it kindly? , dim and untalented. We were rehearsing one of the most important scenes of the play, the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet. The scene where they fall in love, the whole play revolved around this scene, and this bunch of amateurs was ruining it. Look Megan, I said to my Juliet, you have to put some feeling into this, acting is about much more than just reciting the lines. You have to imagine that YOU are Juliet. You are a fourteen-year-old girl being approached by a handsome boy. You have to SHOW the audience that you arent sure how to react to his advances. Be coy, sweet and innocent. But you also have to be witty. Do you understand, darling? I felt as if I was talking to a toddler. I think so, said Megan. Okay, lets try it one more time. Places everyone! Act 1, scene 5, Action! I yelled. We tried it again, Megans tone had improved, but I suspected that she didnt have a clue what any of what she was saying meant, and her movements were awful. Whilst Mark, my Romeo, was actually doing okay. I guess miracles do happen. Yes that was much better, sweeties! I screamed But, Mark, darling, you arent confident enough, you have to be a smooth operator, youre a charmer, and you know that sooner or later this young lady will fall for your charm and wit. What charm and wit? This boy couldnt charm a teapot, let alone a young girl! I thought to myself. Once more! Action! My throat was getting sore from yelling so much. Being a director isnt easy, you know, its not all about doing lunch, and all that. But I love it, so I persisted. That was dreadful, simply dreadful! Juliet when you say I grabbed the nearest script Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hands too much, its meant to be witty. By this remark you show us that you are intelligent and that youve caught onto Romeos metaphor. But you still arent sure about him, you are flattered to be approached, but still wary of this guy you know nothing about. You are quite happy touching his hand, but dont want to go further, so you play hard to get! And Romeo, you have to be persistent, even a little aggressive. You touch her hand, but Megan, you pull away, but Mark you go for her hand again, and even try to kiss her after: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? so Megan, you dodge his kiss and quickly make up an excuse. Are we clear? Okay, again. Action! They were doing better, but still not good enough. I was beginning to get a headache. Juliet, when Romeo touches your hand you turn away, but Romeo as I said before, you persist. My headache was getting worse, it is pure torture seeing a Shakespeare masterpiece being acted as they were acting it. Last time. And get it right, please. Action! They were getting worse and worse, but Id had enough for the day. Oh well, maybe we still had time to recast.

Architectural Study at Cal Poly :: Architecture

Architectural Study at Cal Poly Lost in the hills of Poly Canyon lies a land filled with bizarre structure built by past students that make up the architectural study area. This chunk of land is designated for architectural students to build their senior projects on. In the true Cal Poly spirit of learn by doing, students have been building inventive structures as senior projects. However, before 1963, most of these projects were torn down after completion. So the Dean of the college of architecture at the time, asked for land just for the students to build on. After being denied several times, he finally went to the boss for land and got it. After the campus president, heard of this, he gave nine acres of land in poly canyon for the students to build on. The first of eighteen student built structures is an enormous stone arch that marks the entrance. Here there is a map showing all of the projects and their locations. Past the arch is a rock wall where the faces of the creators are engraved in the stone. This wall marks a path leading to Techtite Bridge which was another student project. The next project on the path is the flower. While visiting I was fortunate enough to meet one of the creators. Because the original project is currently falling apart, he funded a group of students this year to rebuild a new one. The project is finished and it was rededicated October sixteenth of this year. Behind the flower, lies the Geodesic Dome. This dome is made of aluminum pipes and is fifty feet in diameter. When I first came across this dome, it looked to me like something I used to play on at the park as a kid. As I walked closer I saw that it was about thirty feet high and that it was no toy. Across from the dome is the sundial which, unfortunately, is no longer standing.

Analysis of the General Environment Factors

Market Size and growth rate: Market size of the industry is 40 billon and the industry has been growing at the rate 20% during the period 2000-08. The industry is currently in the rapid growth and takeoff phase since many innovations are coming up and the industry is being attracted by many big corporate to enter in. Number of rivals: The industry is divided into two sub segments: routine tests and specialised tests. In routine test segment, the industry is fragmented into many small companies at the local and regional level. In specialised test segment, the industry is dominated by few large companies such as Piramal, SRL Ranbaxy, etc. Since there is low cost associated with setting up labs at local level and the industry has bright future prospects so it is attracting large number of local companies and also big corporate to enter the market. Scope of competitive rivalry: Most companies in this industry compete at local geographic area since there is less cost associated with setting up the labs in local areas and hence it is easy for local players to enter in the market. Moreover, routine market comprises of 61% of the total market share which includes large number of small players and hence the competition is fierce at local level. Also, companies present globally have competitive advantage in terms of high end technology since it requires large investments which is not afforded by small players. Therefore looking at the long term perspective, globalisation is conducive for the increase in bottom line. Number of buyers: There are two types of buyers: doctors and patients. But most patients visit diagnostic centres only on the recommendation of doctors. Therefore referring doctors enjoy discretionary power to refer the patients to any diagnostic centre. Also the number of local diagnostic centres are many and doctors refer the patients where they have tie up and one which provide them better incentives. Therefore doctors enjoy high bargaining power. But specialized test centres are very few so they have significant bargaining power. Degree of product differentiation: Routine segment is characterized by low product differentiation because routine tests include simple tests like blood test, sugar test, etc. hich does not need much technical competency. And since there are large number of players in this segment and there is low product differentiation, this has led to intense competition and low profitability. Whereas, specialized segment is characterized by presence of economies of scale so there is high product differentiation in terms of technology, modus operandi. Also, this segment is capital intensive therefore it has fewer numb er of players. Product innovation: The industry is characterized by rapid product innovation, for example, introduction of genome studies, molecular diagnostics and so on. As the methods of diagnosis are becoming more sensitive and specific, it is leading to rapid obsolescence of old technology. Also there are opportunities to overtake rivals by being first to market with next generation products like Tele-Radiology, Tele Pathology. Supply/demand conditions: Also as there are large number of players in routine segment, there is intense rivalry at local level. This rivalry has resulted in price wars. In specialized segment, which comprises of national players, there is moderate rivalry since players compete in same markets and market potential is high. Pace of technological change: As mentioned earlier, industry is marked with rapid change in technology and, methods of diagnosis. Rapidly advancement of technology in the methods of diagnosis and equipments is leading to rapid obsolescence of old technology. Most diagnostic centres need new technology with a need to replace equipments every six months which is not financially viable for most of the centres. Vertical integration: Most competitors operate only in one segment that is diagnosis. But some competitors like Piramal operate in multiple stages, for example it operates through B2C (Business to customer), D2C (Doctor to customer), B2B (Business to Business) modes. Economies of Scale: The industry is characterized by economies of scale. But in routine segment, despite of the presence of economies of scale, none of the players has able to achieve high end volumes, due to intense competition and absence of government policies for restricting the entry of newer players, in order to gain substantial cost advantage. Specialized segment is also characterized by significant economies of scale.

Curley’s wife Essay

Of Mice and Men was written in 1937 by John Steinbeck. It was set whilst we was in the great depression. Referring to how during the great depression women were oppressed and treated less equally to men. Steinbeck may have portrayed women in this light to allow the reader to recognize the inferior role of women at that time. The lack of name demotes Curley’s wife to insignificant status. Her lack of identity implied she is not woman but rather a possession of her husband. This character develops, we find that she is not in fact the unimportant, nameless character we first perceive her as, but rather she is a relatively complex and interesting character. Steinbeck presents her in many ways throughout the story changing the reader opinion of her all the time. In section 2, Curley’s Wife is first presented to us through the dialogue of ranch-hand Candy, when he describes her to George, the reader begin to create an image in our head of what Curley’s wife looks like. Curley’s wife has no respect from the other men at the ranch. Candy uses expressions such as ‘she got the eye’ and goes on to describe her as looking at other men, before eventually calling her a ‘tart’. Through Candy’s words, we develop an initial perception of Curley’s Wife as flirtatious ‘tramp’ and even immoral. The word ‘tart’ suggests she presents herself in a flamboyant manner, which portrays her desperation to be noticed. Steinbeck enables the reader to see Curley’s Wife through Candy’s eyes on their first encounter with her. Further into section two we get a better understanding of Curley’s wife appearance. This reinforces the reader’s thoughts about her. Steinbeck uses the colour red which supports candy’s idea of her being a tart. The colour red is sexualised. Steinbeck repeats the word red many times throughout the passage of her Characterizations. He states her having â€Å"full rouged lips† and â€Å"her finger nails were red† red is a bright colour this suggest that curley’s wife wants attention from the other men on the ranch. † She has red mules† and â€Å"red ostrich feathers† these are expensive so she is trying to impress the men and ostriches are exotic animals, which could her influence her wild side. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful. Steinbeck describes her to wear a â€Å"cotton dress† which is everyday clothing, this juxtaposes against all the red. A cotton dress is more practical to wear at a ranch, so the reader are hesitant, but there is more affirmation to support her being a tart. Steinbeck’s explanation of Curley’s wife plays with the reader’s opinion on her personality. Steinbeck says â€Å"her voice had a nasal, brittle quality† which means it hard but liable to break. This indicates that she may look tough on the outside but Curley’s wife can easily be hurt. Steinbeck then describes her to be sneaky and that she is then dishonest to Curley as when she reaches the barn with the Lennie, Candy and Crooks â€Å"she breathed strongly as tough she had been running† She is sly and want to get away from Curley so then she can go and talk to other men as she does not get that attention from curley this could suggest that their marriage is not true and curley just uses her to feel good about him sly and impress other guys on the ranch wear as the men are not bothered about her. We get across that she can be lonely as Curley does not give her the amount of attention as she desires as Curley’s wife â€Å"think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? † this is where we get to see her innocent side and the reader start to feel sympathy for her as there is no other women she can speck to just men and curley. When she is alone in the barn with Lonnie she expresses more about her being lonely she is repeating this regularly throughout the scene â€Å"why can’t I talk to you? Dhe will talk to the man that hurt her husband’s hand which reinforces that she is desperate to talk to anyone. â€Å"I get awful lonely†, â€Å"I get lonely† trying to get Lennie sympathy. Steinbeck shows that she is flirtatious and describes her being flirtation a lot. Curley’s wife uses her flirtatious action to get attention â€Å" she moved closer to him and she spoke soothingly† which will relax Lennie and then he will be more attract to Curley’s wife. After Curley’s wife is dead the writer uses a simile to describe what she looks like whilst she is dead â€Å"her body flopped like a fish† which signifies that she is lifeless and fish is not a nice thing to be described as this proves she is not an important member on the ranch and hat she is not cared and has affection from other characters. After her death Steinbeck describes her appearance so that she would like she did want attention â€Å"the meanness and the planning and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face† which could suggest that her death had proven that she was just a person In need of some comfort. We then as the reader mainly fill sympathy for her. When we are hearing Curley’s wife actions in candy perception we get a negative impression of her and she is not a loyal newlywed as candy said â€Å"I seen her give the slim the eye. Curley never seen it. An’ I seen her give Carlson the eye. † Which implies that she can’t just live with the attention from just Curley but she need it from other mum to fell her need and as Curley has never seen it suggest that she has sneaky action and going behind his back to eye up other men.

Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments The WritePass Journal

Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments Introduction Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments ). Today, however, NITEL is no longer there and the number of mobile phone lines has increased to over 100 million (Ogunlesi 2012). A pyramid survey also projected that the mobile subscriptions in Nigeria will more likely surpass 129 million by the year 2014, making Nigeria Africas largest telecom market (Pyramid research 2010) More recently, the Nigerian government has undertaken a major project which involves the distribution of over 10 million mobile phones to farmers in rural Nigeria (Ebriku 2012). This project is intended at providing farmers access to market information. This will help enhance rural development and make the countrys agricultural sector more tech-friendly; thereby eliminating various challenges facing farmers on a daily basis such as the delay in information dispersion (Ebriku 2012). This massive project which is meant to enhance agricultural and rural development is scheduled for completion by 2013. The Nigerian government has also launched the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme which is expected to provide fertilizer and seed support to farmers through their mobile devices (NADS report 2011). This new scheme is expected to liberalize policies on fertilizers and seed distribution and to shift direction to value chain development (NADS report 2011). That is, the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme will help develop a value chain system that supports distribution of farm inputs, particularly seeds and fertilizers to farmers (NADS report 2011). Among several other initiatives which have been developed by Nigerias Ministry of Agriculture to streamline the complex distribution of farm inputs is the Integrated Cassava Project (UNDP report 2012). This initiative enables cassava growers to access market information via their mobile phones. It uses Agri-Business Information Points and trade agents to disseminate market information (UNDP report 2012). Services provided by this initiative include: prices, offers, trainings, trade assistance, technical messages and SMS alerts among many others (UNDP report 2012). Undeniably, the diffusion of mobile phones in rural Nigeria has enhanced communication between farmers, extension agents, agricultural research institutes, input dealers and transporters. Farmers of today are better placed to receive accurate market information than before.   They no longer have to accept the first price but rather can negotiate for a better deal. Mobile phones have also enabled them ease of communication with other farmers, making it feasible to put in place cooperatives that can help them explore new markets. Additionally, mobile phones have enhanced rural connectivity in Nigeria as farmers can easily communicate with friends, families, and other rural inhabitants without the need to travel. Challenges facing the use of mobile phones in agricultural and rural developments in Nigeria. There are, however, a number of challenges inhibiting effective mobile phone usage in the rural areas. One major challenge is the lack of infrastructural facilities. It is a widely accepted fact that insufficient infrastructure impedes all aspects of the economy. In Nigeria, infrastructural inadequacies across the telecom industries have been suggested to result in poor connectivity and limited network coverage in the rural sector (Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012). Despite the increase in mobile phones usage in the rural areas of Nigeria, there remains a huge connectivity and infrastructure divide between the rural and urban areas. The rural sectors in Nigeria lag in terms of roads, portable water, electricity and fixed-line communications (Pyramid research 2009). A large proportion of the Nigerian population, however, continues to live in the rural areas hence making it a sizable addressable market for mobile services (Pyramid research 2009). Another challenge that impedes mobile application in the rural parts of Nigeria is language barrier and illiteracy. Nigeria is Africas most populous country with a linguistically diverse population comprising of more than 140 million people (Ofulue 2011). This populous country has about 510 spoken languages and 66% literacy rate (Ofulue 2011). Given this multilingual society and the relatively low level of literacy rate, it becomes particularly challenging for mobile phone users especially in rural Nigeria to communicate and access market information through these electronic gadgets. Other factors which have been suggested inhibit the use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments include: the constant interruption of power supply, unaffordable tariff rates and lack of wider network coverage (Pyramid research 2009). In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian government is collaborating with mobile operators and international institutions to bridge the connectivity gaps. Infrastructure sharing and a multitude of initiatives have been developed to help these efforts (Pyramid research 2009). The Federal government is also looking to invest in improving literacy levels in order to spur greater use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments (Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012). Conclusion There is no doubt that mobile phones have become the clear choice of communication with most of the Nigerian population using this technology to send and receive information. Not only does this mode of communication facilitate effective interaction and exchange of vital information among the rural and urban dwellers, but it also holds a significant potential for advancing agricultural and rural development in Nigeria. Yet, despite the increase in mobile phones usage in the rural areas of Nigeria, there exists a huge connectivity and infrastructure divide between the rural and urban areas. Moreover, Nigeria is home to a linguistically diverse population with a relatively low level of literacy. In addition, factors such as unaffordable tariff rates and poor network coverage have made it challenging to communicate and access market information through these electronic gadgets. In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian government is collaborating with mobile operators and international institutions to bridge the connectivity gaps. Infrastructure sharing and a multitude of initiatives have been developed to help these efforts. The Federal government is also looking to invest in improving literacy levels in order to spur greater use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments. Reference Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012. ‘Ownership and use of mobile phones for agricultural transactions by traders’.   Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Vol.4 (10), pp. 305-317 Donovan, K., 2011. Overview of ICT in Agriculture: opportunities, access and cross-cutting themes. InfoDev Ebriku, J.F., 2012. Nigerian government to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers. [viewed on 16th December 2012] available from communicationsafrica.com/mobile/nigerian-government-to-distribute-10-million-mobile-phones-to-farmers Nigeria Agro-Dealer Support (NADS) report, 2011. Growing Africas agriculture. IFDC Ofulue, C.I., 2011. ‘Literacy at a distance in multilingual contexts: issues and challenges’. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, vol.12 (6) Ogunlesi, T., 2012. Seven ways mobile phones have changed lives in Africa. CNNInside Africa. [Viewed on 16th December 2012] available from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/africa/mobile-phones-change-africa/index.html Pyramid research, 2010. The impact of mobile services in Nigeria: how mobile technologies are transforming economic and social activities. UNDP report 2012. The importance of ICTs in the provision of information for improving agricultural productivity and rural incomes in Africa. International Food Policy Research Institute, Addis Ababa. World Bank report, 2011. Mobile applications for agriculture and rural development. Washington, D.C.

9 Powerful Ways to Market Your Book

9 Powerful Ways to Market Your Book If youve recently joined the ranks of self-published authors, it doesnt take long to realize the most important rule in the game: learn to market your book and learn it well. But in a literary world thats constantly evolving- especially with digital sales on the rise- knowing how and where to market your book can be a challenge. Thats why weve gathered nine of the most effective ways to market your work and build on your success as an author.Find your reader personaIn the marketing world, this step is one of the first ones taken before putting together a plan to market a service or product. Finding your reader persona involves creating a composite sketch of who your most likely audience will be. Will it be male or female (or both)? Is there an age group your book will appeal to most? Are they in college? Working professionals? What other types of media are they most likely to consume (besides your book, hopefully)?Just as marketers use a consumer persona to help them find the best wa ys to market a clients business or product, self-published authors should have a good idea of the most likely audience their book will attract. This not only helps determine the best marketing tactics to use- it helps you narrow those tactics to direct them toward a niche market that is most likely to buy your book.Look at whats sellingAs a self-published author, you obviously want a coveted spot on Amazons bestseller list. And Amazon makes it easy to conduct your own market research by browsing through their Amazon Best Sellers, which is updated hourly.On the left side of this page, youll notice several categories you can select (travel, history, childrens books, etc.) to see the bestsellers within those categories. You can then drill down even further within those categories to find the one that most closely matches your book. For example, in the category of childrens books, youll find Action Adventure; Activities, Crafts Games; Animals; Arts, Music Photography; Childrens Cookb ooks; etc.So why do this? First, youll be able to see if theres already a book that similar to yours on the bestseller list. If so, you might need to consider ways to set it apart from the book thats already a bestseller- either in its description or in the sample chapter you provide. Also, youll be able to select smart categories for your own book, which well discuss in the next tip.Select smart categoriesIn his article How to Choose the Best Book Categories, Kindlepreneurs Dave Chesson offers detailed instructions on choosing categories for your self-published book that will help boost its sales. The process he explains involves finding categories that would fit your book but might not be as competitive as others.According to Chesson, Amazon assigns the ABSR of a book based on how many sales or downloads it has had over a certain period of time as compared to all other books on the Amazon market. A lower number means that the book is selling better than others, and a higher number means it isnt. If your book has the LOWEST ABSR of all books in a category, then you are the #1 best seller in that category. It is that simple. And of course- getting onto a bestseller list (even if its a niche category) will boost your books sales exponentially based on increased exposure on Amazon.For example, lets consider a current nonfiction Amazon bestseller by Brenà © Brown called Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Youll notice that the book has been placed in several categories and is in a different spot within each. Below are the books current rank in three categories, including:#2 in Books Health, Fitness Dieting Psychology Counseling Social Psychology Interactions#2 in Books Business Money Management Leadership Leadership#3 in Books Self-Help Personal TransformationMake your sample chapter amazingWhen a potential buyer sees your book online and is debating whether to purchase it, your sample chapter could be that final push they n eed to add it to their cart. On your Amazon page, this is what theyll see when they click Look Inside and this is your opportunity to really sell your writing.While it might seem logical to put your first chapter as your sample, keep in mind that this is your opportunity to really show off as a writer. The first chapter, which is often exposition and getting to know the main character, might not be the best sample to offer.Make your author bio shineYour author bio is another great way to market your book, particularly if you have written a novel in a nonfiction category. Most readers want to know a little about the person they are taking advice from, especially if its related to their career or hobbies. For nonfiction author bios, you should include your experience related to the subject, including any degrees, certifications, or training you might have had that would make you an expert on the topic. You should also list any relevant travel or speaking experience that has shaped you r worldview as an author.For fiction, something shorter and to the point is generally the best choice. If youve achieved any awards for your writing or have been published in any compilations, be sure to include those, as well as brief information about where you live and what you enjoy doing most. This article is a great resource for how to write your author bio and provides a lot of examples to look through when creating your own.Build an email list through lead magnetsLead magnets are incentives to sign up for something, most often an email list. This email list can then be used to keep in contact with your most likely readers and let them know about special events (such as book signings), sales, or new books coming out. Its also a way to bond with your readership and make them feel like they are an important part of what you do (because they are!).A lead magnet is your best bet to encourage as many people as possible to sign up for email from you. This incentive can be as simple as an additional free sample chapter, a free download that isnt available without first signing up, a poem, advice, or a link to a YouTube video where you address an important question that might arise about your writing. This article is a great resource for various types of lead magnets you can use. The possibilities are practically endless!Identify your influencersWhether its your family and friends, or a small social media following, your biggest fans will play a large role in helping you market your book. They can share information on their own social media accounts and tell others about how much they enjoyed your book. In fact, consider giving free copies to those who will influence others to buy your book. Its a marketing tactic that could pay off surprisingly well for you if the right influencer really likes what youve written.Create an author websiteHaving an online presence is not only important- its essential if you want to market your book and build an audience. Your aut hor website will be the primary means to do this and should offer both current readers and potential readers an opportunity to get to know you and your writing.However, make sure your author website is professional and easy to navigate on multiple devices. People are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets to access information online, so ensuring that your site is optimized for such viewing will help increase your audience exponentially.Get your book reviewedIf youve ever bought anything online- say, Amazon, for example- you know how much reviews influenced your decision. Retail marketers understand this and put a lot of effort into curating good reviews online.In addition to multiple services available for getting your book reviewed (this one, for example) you can also ask for reviews from your core fanbase (even if its just your friends and family). These reviews will go a long way in influencing others to buy your book.

How to Write a Reflective Essay †It’s Personal. BestEssay.Education

How to Write a Reflective Essay – It’s Personal. How to Write a Reflective Essay – It’s Personal Reflective essay assignments are common assignments in certain classes. Suppose you have just completed a major community service project as a field experience for an upper level sociology course. You have worked at a community center in one of the poorest neighborhoods, assisting with after-school activities for children. Now that your experience is over you must complete the project report by writing a reflective essay on your experience. You have never written such an essay, so obviously you are a bit stressed. This post should help you produce a reflective essay that will meet the expectations of your professor. Understanding the Purpose A reflective essay should include the following components: What were your beliefs or attitudes before this experience? How did you grow personally through the experience How have your beliefs or attitudes been changed as a result of this experience? Structure and Process Before you begin your essay, answer the questions above. This will help you develop your thesis statement, as well as give you the ideas you need for your body paragraphs – in fact, the answers to each one of those questions can easily be body paragraphs. Prepare a brief informal outline of how you will cover each point in your essay. Write the body paragraphs. As you write them, be certain to add a lot of detail. If, for example, you came to better understand the struggles of children in poverty, what examples can you provide? Is there an anecdote that really brought you to this understanding? Remember, this essay is personal. Write the Introduction: Part of learning how to write a good reflective essay means that you understand what information your introduction should include. You want to keep it relatively short. You will introduce the experience you had – a field experience, a play you saw, a trip to see a specific exhibit at the art museum – the topic of your reflective essay, in other words. You will also want to make a general statement that will be your thesis. For example, you might say, â€Å"The chance to view this exhibit of post-modern art has changed my original negative attitude toward this period.† The other tip here is to begin that introduction with something pretty compelling. â€Å"When I was introduced to Johnny, he just looked up at me and scowled. My work was obviously cut out for me!† Your Conclusion: Here is where you are going to sum up your overall response to your experience, how it impacted and/or changed you and what you will carry with you from that experience. Some Additional Tips If your experience was more negative than positive, you should be honest. If viewing the exhibit of post-modern art did not change your opinion of it, say so, and be certain to say why. Confirmation of a previously held belief or attitude is just as important as having your attitude change. You can be more informal in this essay, because it will be written from the first person. But don’t be too informal, using slang, etc., unless you are providing a direct quote. If you find yourself really struggling on this one, you can always contact us and simply say, â€Å"Write an essay for me.† We’ll have someone in touch with your immediately.

Millennium Pest control Service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Millennium Pest control Service - Assignment Example The firm specialises in controlling pests that affect wheat and as a marketing manager, I will discuss the marketing plan that will be used by the firm in order to ensure it achieve its organisational goals on controlling pests that affect wheat. In any business venture, marketing research is an importance task that ought to be carried out first. The main aim of market research is to carry out an investigation the market in order to find out what others who are in business are offering in your industry. For this case, a marketing research will be crucial in order to know what businesses in pest control services are offering to the market. By carrying out market research, Millennium Pest Control Services will be in a position of understanding the behaviours, preferences and whims of wheat farmers in the market. During the market research, we will examine business environment at large. We will not only carry out the financial analysis of companies but will examine the government regulations, the competitors, economic treads, market structure and technological advances. We will use a number of marketing research methods and types while carrying out a marketing research for our firm. Understanding the consumer behaviour is essential as it brings t... This knowledge would be very essential as Millennium Pest Control Services will be in a position of understanding the behaviours of wheat farmers in order to understand how they, when they buy and why they buy the firm's pesticides. Since the firm specialises on manufacturing and retailing pests that affect wheat, we should identify our group which we will target and for this case, wheat farmers will be our potential customers. We need to understand their behaviour so as to respond to them using marketing strategies that are appropriate in satisfying the different preferences of the wheat farmers. The above strategy improves marketing effectiveness and as a result, there is increased customer satisfaction. This also makes advertising effective since the target group is already known hence advertising results are improved. Our target market for wheat pesticides will be defined geographically since in our targeting strategy, we have identified our customers which we will service and these are the wheat farmers. On the other hand, since we manufacture our products in large quantities, we can also use other small scale retailers that deal with sale of seedlings. We will have a number of products to offer to farmers depending on the kind of pest they want to control. The distinct characteristics that are unique with the Millennium Pest Control Services that will make their products prevail in the market are enhanced customer care, distribution of their products to the grass-root level, free consultant services to their clients, visit of field officer to clients farms and loan facilities it gives to firms. These unique services are rare among the competitors in the industry and this will

Strategy Implementation - Smart Water Research Paper

Strategy Implementation - Smart Water - Research Paper Example This brand is targeted to replace carbonated soft drinks, which are believed to have high calorie intake (Griffin & Moorhead 321). Smart Water is designed to address the needs of the customers who are concerned with their health status. This â€Å"Nutrient enhanced water† has imposed strong competition, not only against other bottled water, but also against other carbonated soft drinks, of which it acts as a perfect substitute (Griffin & Moorhead 322). The Smart Water packaging is designed to conform to the company’s policies and practices. The packaging is made out of sustainable and recyclable materials, which is consistence with the company’s sustainable packaging policy. Key performance indicators are often used to monitor sustainable packaging (Griffin & Moorhead 323). One of the company’s policies is to disclose the use of recycled materials in its products: a strategy that was successfully implemented in the production and packaging of Smart Water. Some of the company’s policies and practices that relate to the packaged water include; water recycling initiatives, water efficiency targets, water efficiency process, disclosed water conserved, reveal water use at Non-US Facilities, disclose normalized water use, policies to improve the efficiency of water use, and climate change policies that address water conservation and use (Griffin & Moorhead

Financial Reporting Theory Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Reporting Theory Practice - Essay Example This essay describes the strategic management guidelines of the Morrisons company that have been developed with regard to analysing and writing up this essay. The goal of an essay's analysis is to determine the value of a company as expressed through its choices of strategy and structure. Firstly, the researcher states that such case analysis of a company is critical that it be systematic. The place of financial information is critical in the analysis and presentation of a case study analysis. Awareness of a company’s financial position at a given point in time represents the tangible outcomes of the company’s business strategies and structure. In summary, although Morrisons operated at a profit loss at the mid-way of the financial year for 2006, debt was down, team-work had been enhanced amongst the company, and International Standards for Financial Reporting had been adopted. The massive changes during the financial year, have tapped into environmental opportunities t o be exploited. It is anticipated that revues will increase over the forthcoming year, and future financial terms. It is recommended by the researcher of the essay that Morrisons focus on its alternative fuel sources supply of ethanol. As this leading company sets the standard for other manufacturers it would be in the interest of Morrisons to cultivate its ethanol to increase profits. Also, continued innovation in CSR will ensure Morrisons positive brand image, as well as cut costs in terms of time, money and employee, and of course, environmental impact.

Main Problems in Rocky Road School District Essay

Main Problems in Rocky Road School District - Essay Example Arriving into a new school district that is disastrous and full of problems and be stressful and overwhelming for a Superintendent but things can always be turned around. The first initial step is to take control of the situation immediately and figure out which issues need to be addressed first. When reviewing the Rocky Road School District, a few of the issues include but are not limited to; lawsuits from past parents and teachers, teacher contract negotiations, low test scores and a disconnect between parents and school because of bad communication. Each of these issues will need a plan of action to ensure that issues are handled in a timely fashion. When these issues are handled the Superintendent can work on rebuilding the school district. After determining how to go about the lawsuits and any important information that might help, we will then focus on increasing our test scores, student achievement and teacher and principal readiness. Staff in each school need to understand th e importance of teamwork and how we can all work together to increase and better student achievement because the change starts with staff first. Included in this staff are teachers, principals, students, specialists and more. Everyone in the building brings something special to the team and we can all learn something from each other.

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material Essay

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material - Essay Example Apart from the food wastes, materials like plastics, broken glasses, aluminum utensils and cardboards are often produced in the hotel industries. Some of these materials when disposed into the environment are harmful to biotic life and eventually result into health problems. The surrounding of the hotel will not be very pleasant and this alone is necessary to drive away clients into other competing hotels. The costs of proper disposal of the waste are also high in some instances causing the overall production cost to be high. A better approach to manage the disposal of waste in order to reduce the overall production cost by the hotel and other industries is through recycling of the waste products. Recycling is the process where by the waste materials from an industry are collected and channeled back as raw materials for the production of new products (Townsend, 1993, p10). These materials would otherwise be buried or burnt as a means of disposal. The recycling process has three main steps. The first is to collect the materials that can be reused. There are those materials that seem to be too won out that do not need to be recycled. The next step is to process the materials into a form that can be reused and the last step is to obtain and use the recycled materials. These are basically the processes involved in recycling in hotels (Townsend, 1993, p10). A point of concern is then to consider how recycling of materials can be effectively adopted by the hotels and how this adoption helps them in maximizing their returns. This is the major issue addressed in the paper. 2. Literature Review The cost of production in barely all sectors of the economy has increased posing economic challenges to organizations in various industries. The cost of raw materials as well as that of transportation has increased in the recent past largely contributing to this increase in the cost of production. Various industries produce wastes which are discharged to the environment posing he alth problems. The supposed consumers of the products of a given company will develop a negative image of the company if it has a filthy surrounding. It is then required that the industries adopt a system of disposal of waste that does have adverse effect on the environment. Unfortunately, the modern means of waste disposal is not always cheap resulting into yet another increase in the cost of production. Besides, some of the materials that are often discharged by companies can be still processed and used for the similar or other purposes by the company or the surrounding community (Townsend, 1993). Recycling of materials in industries is one of the strategic approaches to ensuring sustainability in the organization. The materials that would otherwise be wasted can be put back to the same or different use after some reprocessing. The process has several advantages not only to the organization but also to the community in which the organization is established (Townsend, 1993). Materi als like cardboard, plastic, glass, and aluminum are often produced in hotels and can be recycled. This will yield some saving to the hotels management. The management will liaise with some company that offers the recycling services which will in turn supply the hotel with the recycled products at a reduced cost. Alternatively, the waste products can be sold to the recycling companies providing yet another source of revenue. The recycling of mate

Capital Punishment - Arbitrary by Nature Dissertation

Capital Punishment - Arbitrary by Nature - Dissertation Example As the paper declares the charge that death penalty sentences are arbitrary is certainly nothing new. That phrase was undoubtedly used most notably by Justice Douglas in writing the majority opinion for Furman v. Georgia, the famous 1972 Supreme Court decision that outlawed (temporarily) all federal and state executions. Justice White also focused on the arbitrariness of the application of capital punishment, including the appearance of racial bias against black defendants. The court also called executions capricious. It seems incomprehensible that implementation of the ultimate punishment could be administered in a way that is impulsive, unpredictable, or erratic. This dicussion stresses that Former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart compared the arbitrariness of the death penalty to the freakishness of being struck by lightning. Ironically, that appraisal has proven eerily accurate since, in the last five years, an average of 78 people have been executed in the United States annually; while, in one recent year, 76 Americans were struck by lightning. Despite these strong legal views regarding the death penalty, the moratorium put in place by the Supreme Court in 1972 ended in 1977 with the execution of Gary Gilmore. It has been widely assumed by the general public that the rationale for pursuing the death penalty in cases - and an execution being ordered - is based primarily on the brutality of the crime or number of victims. If that were true, the death penalty would seem far less arbitrary.

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material Essay

How can hotels be more profitable by using recycling material - Essay Example Apart from the food wastes, materials like plastics, broken glasses, aluminum utensils and cardboards are often produced in the hotel industries. Some of these materials when disposed into the environment are harmful to biotic life and eventually result into health problems. The surrounding of the hotel will not be very pleasant and this alone is necessary to drive away clients into other competing hotels. The costs of proper disposal of the waste are also high in some instances causing the overall production cost to be high. A better approach to manage the disposal of waste in order to reduce the overall production cost by the hotel and other industries is through recycling of the waste products. Recycling is the process where by the waste materials from an industry are collected and channeled back as raw materials for the production of new products (Townsend, 1993, p10). These materials would otherwise be buried or burnt as a means of disposal. The recycling process has three main steps. The first is to collect the materials that can be reused. There are those materials that seem to be too won out that do not need to be recycled. The next step is to process the materials into a form that can be reused and the last step is to obtain and use the recycled materials. These are basically the processes involved in recycling in hotels (Townsend, 1993, p10). A point of concern is then to consider how recycling of materials can be effectively adopted by the hotels and how this adoption helps them in maximizing their returns. This is the major issue addressed in the paper. 2. Literature Review The cost of production in barely all sectors of the economy has increased posing economic challenges to organizations in various industries. The cost of raw materials as well as that of transportation has increased in the recent past largely contributing to this increase in the cost of production. Various industries produce wastes which are discharged to the environment posing he alth problems. The supposed consumers of the products of a given company will develop a negative image of the company if it has a filthy surrounding. It is then required that the industries adopt a system of disposal of waste that does have adverse effect on the environment. Unfortunately, the modern means of waste disposal is not always cheap resulting into yet another increase in the cost of production. Besides, some of the materials that are often discharged by companies can be still processed and used for the similar or other purposes by the company or the surrounding community (Townsend, 1993). Recycling of materials in industries is one of the strategic approaches to ensuring sustainability in the organization. The materials that would otherwise be wasted can be put back to the same or different use after some reprocessing. The process has several advantages not only to the organization but also to the community in which the organization is established (Townsend, 1993). Materi als like cardboard, plastic, glass, and aluminum are often produced in hotels and can be recycled. This will yield some saving to the hotels management. The management will liaise with some company that offers the recycling services which will in turn supply the hotel with the recycled products at a reduced cost. Alternatively, the waste products can be sold to the recycling companies providing yet another source of revenue. The recycling of mate

Investigate the provision for Special Educational Needs (SEN) in a Essay

Investigate the provision for Special Educational Needs (SEN) in a primary school. Consider how this provision promotes educational equality of opportunity - Essay Example The code also promotes an effective approach in meeting children’s needs and puts the rights of children at the heart of the process hence allowing them to take part in decisions concerning their education (Cumming 2012, p. 52). The code of practice also sets out effective school based support with little paperwork for teachers and mainly emphasizes on monitoring the progress of children with special needs to reach the identified goals. Special education needs provision has been categorized into four broad areas of need that include communication and interaction, social, mental and emotional health and sensory (Hallet F & Hallet G 2010, p. 78). Communication and interaction is impaired when a child has difficulty in talking and expressing ideas and also got difficult to understand what is been said to them and still this makes them to have difficulties in social interaction with others. Cognition and learning is impaired when anindividual learns at a slower pace than the peers do (Atchinson & Dirette 2007, p. 52). Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties are manifested when a person becomes withdrawn or isolated and displaying disruptive and disturbing behavior. In order to promote special education, a committee was set up in 1993 which its main aim was to make recommendations for identification of children with special needs and for future advancement of special education services, special schools and classes according to the child’s need (Butler 1994, p. 145). Guidelines were put in place which even to date promote the provision of special education. These include, all children with special needs have right to proper education, and in provision of education to a special child, the needs of a specific child should be the paramount consideration. Active participation of parents with children who require special education and their wishes should be taken into consideration also, provision of adequate resources by the state is important to

The Knee Joint Paper Essay Example for Free

The Knee Joint Paper Essay Of the joints in the human body, the knee joint is the most susceptible to injuries. Because this joint carries much of the body weight, and beside the fact that it was designed to do much of the human activities, the knee joint accounts for the most common joint injuries. Its two primary motions are flexion and extension, and a little rotational and lateral motion. â€Å"It is also because of this design that the knee is so vulnerable to injury.† (M. Mullin and K. Stone)   The knee has basically five major parts: the bones, the muscles, ligaments, cartilage and tendons. It is the function of the bones to support the knee and give the joint a rigid structure. There are four bones that make up the knee: first, the femur, which is also referred to as the thighbone or the upper leg bone. (University of Utah, Heath Sciences Center, 2003) This large bone is attached by the ligaments and a capsule to another bone the tibia. Tibia is the larger bone of the knee which is called the shin bone. Parallel to the tibia is another bone called the fibula located below the tibia. The knee cap or the patella is another bone that consists the knee which â€Å"rides on the joint as the knee bends.† (Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, 1999)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the function of the muscles to move the joint. The knee joint consists of two kinds of muscles: the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The quadriceps muscles straighten the legs, and are situated at the front of the thighs. The hamstring muscles, which are located at the back of the thighs, are the ones bending the legs at the knee. All groups of muscles are connected to the knee bones by â€Å"thick fibrous cords† called the tendons. (Mayo Clinic, 2006) Patellar tendons connect the quadriceps muscles to the tibia, which are the ones prone to knee joint problems called, â€Å"tendonitis†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The bones of the knee are connected by ligaments, which functions are basically to stabilize and hold the joint together. These elastic tissues also provide protection to the joint by limiting the backward and forward movement of the knee. At the center of the joint are the cruciate ligaments called the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), which is attached to the depression in front of the tibia and â€Å"passes upward, backward and lateral ward and fixed into the medial and back part of the lateral condoyle of the femur.† (H. Gray, 1918) It is considered the key guide wire in the knee joint and is crucial for guiding the tibia in a normal path along the end of the femur. (Mullin and Stone) The Posterior Cruciate ligaments (PCL) protect the joint by preventing the femur from sliding forward on the tibia, and the tibia from sliding backwards n the femur. The media Collateral ligament (MCL) provides protection to the inner part of the knee and the lateral Collateral ligament (CLC) on the outer part. The C-shaped tissue called the meniscus or the menisci cartilage allows the bones to freely slide on each other. They serve as shock absorbers and bone protector. Around the knee joint are little fluid sacs called bursa. These sacs â€Å"help the muscles and the tendons to freely slide as the knee moves.† (Center for Orthopaedics) There are five medial bursas and four lateral bursas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The knee is prone to injuries and especially those who are engaged in activities that enable the knee to be overused. These people, most often athletes experience different kinds of pain in the knee joint as a result of injury, stress and wear of the joint. Common to athletes are the ligament injuries called sprain or the injury to the cruciate ligaments. This injury happens when the â€Å"ACL is stretch or torn by sudden twisting motion†, as when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another. (Healthlink 2005)   Football players often experience a PCL injury during a football tackle. Contact sports like hockey and football cause injury to the MCL and the CCL, where the said ligament is torn and stretch at the inner side of the knee due to a sudden blow to the outer side of the knee called a contact trauma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tendonitis or the jumper’s knee is caused by an overuse of the tendon. As the term implies, this injury is experienced by athletes who are engaged in sports like basketball, which require jumping and running causing a strain in the tendon. Dancers, cyclists, skiers and runners are as victims of this injury. With these activities, the tendon is stretched to the pint that it becomes like a worn-out rubber band and when this happens, it will swell. Muscle contraction happens after a jump or fall, and that repeated force causes strain to the tendons. What is worse is that such contraction, as when trying to break a fall, may tear the quadriceps muscles above and below the patella. Tendonitis causes a person to feel pain during running and jumping or even when in a hurried walking. Bending, extending and lifting the leg will also be difficult.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A pain arising between the patella and the femur is called Chondromalacia, which is characterized by the softening of the articular cartilage of the knee cap. (Mayo Clinic) With this injury, the knee cap rubs against the thigh bone which makes the cartilage rough. As a result, the person will feel pain in front of the knee when climbing the stairs or when sitting for a long period. This injury is common to skiers, soccer players and cyclists who, among other athletes are prone to having a blow in the knee cap resulting to a tear of the cartilage. Such contacts can also tear off a large fragment of the cartilage containing a piece of bone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Injury to the meniscus typically results from â€Å"a twist or torque to the knee while the foot stays still.† (Mullin and Stone) A tear in the meniscus may cause the joint to lock especially when there is a flap of the torn cartilage. When there is only a small tear, mild pain and moderate swelling of the knee lasts up to 48 hours; however large lengthwise tear causes the joint to lock making hard for the person to straighten the knee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Distance runners are prone to Illiotibial Band Syndrome which happens when the ligament in the illiotibial band becomes tight enabling it to rub against the outer portion of the femur. Pains caused by this injury are felt when waking and when going up and down the stairs. Also associated with running activities is the Osgood-Schatter Disease, where an inflammation of the patellar tendon is involved.   This injury happens when the tendon is stretch too much causing it to tear away from the tibia and in some cases takes a bone fragment. A pain just below the knee is experienced with this injury, and is however treated just with a rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having the fact that the knee joint is susceptible to many injuries, experts advice that a person must always maintain strong and flexible muscles. The cartilage and ligaments must always be kept smooth and strong. Good diet and proper exercise are always on the list of preventive measures. Lastly, let us remember that anything that goes below and beyond normal causes problems, not only to the knee, but the body as a whole WORKS CITED    Gray, Henry 1918. â€Å"Anatomy of the Human Body† Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.bartleby.com/107/93.htm Mullin, Michael and Kevin Stone. â€Å"Athletic Injuries of the Knee and Shoulder† Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.stoneclinic.com/injuries.htm The Center for orthopeadics and Sports Medicine. â€Å"Knee Joint-Anatomy and Function† Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp05001.htm The Mayo Clinic Staff. â€Å"Knee Pain† Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS00555/DSECTIoN2 The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. â€Å"Knee Injuries and Problems: Symptoms Diagnosis and Treatment† May 01, 2001. Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://healthlink.mew.edu/article/92605352.html University of Utah Health Sciences Center â€Å"Knee Pains and Problems† November 2001. Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://uuhsc.utah.edu/healthinfo/adult/orthpaedics/kneepain.htm

Collaborative Work in Social Care

Collaborative Work in Social Care Introduction The following essay proposes to consider the question of collaborative working in social care, looking in particular at the impact of collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines within the context of children and families. This represents an especially complex problem to attempt to tackle with the issues of both collaborative working and working with children families subject to an almost constant process of reform and change in the contemporary era. When, for instance, we pause to consider the way in which collaborative work has become such a central feature of contemporary social policy in western liberal democracies with the promulgation of the partnership approach to government dictating the pattern of a variety of social, cultural, economic and political initiatives, we can see that any discussion relating to multi-agency work must reside in some part within the realms of a constantly changing political ideology that seeks in the first instance to instil new parameters for social work practice (Quinney, 2006:5-21). Likewise, when we consider the changing nature of working with children and families in the contemporary era, we can see that a decidedly pervasive legislative and policy framework increasingly that seeks to infringe upon the practice of social work on both an individual and a collaborative level cannot help but impact upon our understanding of the nature and role of the social worker within the context of children and families (OLoughlin and Bywater, 2008:14-27). Thus, we need to observe from the outset the way in which the following essay constitutes an inherently subjective discussion where any conclusions garnered should be understood as open to further change and reinterpretation. For the purpose of perspective, we intend to adopt a dualistic approach to the problem at hand, looking firstly at the political, ideological and legal context in which social work with children and families currently takes place. In this way, we will be better able to demonstrate an effective understanding of the field of child and family work, the social work role and the multidiscipline system in relation to children in need and children in need of protection. Secondly, we will look at the implications of our own evidence-based research yielded from group dynamics involving a specific case study of children and families. In this way, we will be better able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice. Moreover, in this way, we will be better able to consider both the strengths and the weaknesses of the collaborative approach to social service provision at the dawn of the twenty first century. Before we can begin, though, we need to briefly consider the historical context in order to establish a conceptual framework in which the remainder of the discussion can take place. The political, ideological and legal context of working with children and families To understand the significance of the multi-agency, collaborative approaches to child protection we need to first mention some of the most profound cases of child cruelty, which have acted as a launch pad for reforms of social services. When, for instance, we pause to consider the case of Dennis ONeil who was starved and subsequently beaten to death by his foster father in 1945, we can see that instances of extreme abuse of looked after children directly contributed to reform of the child social services system. Maria Colwell was similarly abused and killed at the hands of her stepfather in spite of over fifty official visits to the family by social services, health visitors, police officers and housing officers before her death in 1973. As a result of the ensuing enquiry into Maria Colwells death, looked after children were assigned a guardian by the state. (Cocker and Allain, 2008:24) Likewise, public outrage, internal inquiries and institutional reform accompanied the murders of J asmine Beckford in 1984 and the uncovering of widespread sexual abuse amongst looked after children in Cleveland in 1987. In addition, the wrongful fostering of children on the Orkney Islands in 1991 after social workers mistakenly assumed that parents were part of a satanic cult triggered a reconfiguration of child protection policy, acting as a timely reminder as to the fallibility of decision making at an individual as well as an organisational level. Yet while it is true that childrens services have been influenced by individual historical cases of neglect, abuse and murder, it is also true that social work and childrens services are inherently tied to the dominant political ideology of the day. As we have already asserted, social work practice in the contemporary era is an inherently political issue with a pervasive neoliberal political ideology dictating the pattern of social policy and welfare reform over the course of the past two decades. Nowhere is this modernising neoliberal impetus more prominent than in the field of social work with children and families (Johns, 2009:39-54). Beginning with the Childrens Act of 1989 and continuing with the amended Childrens Act of 2004, the state has increasingly sought to make provisions for disadvantaged children and failing families in order to reduce the debilitating ill effects of marginalisation and social exclusion. These two Acts, in conjunction with a variety of other related social policies and statutory framework such as the Every Child Matters programme, constitute an ideological watershed with regards to the way in which the state legislatively copes with the numerous issues arising from children and families. Most obviously, these pieces of legislation and the broader emphasis upon social inclusion that they entail telegraph a new way of responding to issues arising from children and families by looking to target the causes (rather than the consequences) of neglect, exclusion, abuse and the ubiquitous problem of failing families. As a result, it is important to observe the way in which the reforms initiated over the closing decades of the twentieth century and the opening decade of the twenty first century represent a move away from the permissive social policies of the post-war years so as to incorporate a discernibly more preventative agenda for working with children and families (Morri s, Barnes and Mason, 2009:43-67). It is within this climate of preventative action that we must consider the genesis and subsequent evolution of collaborative social work practice with multi-agency work being intrinsically tied to the broader imperative of safeguarding children. The statutory framework of the Every Child Matters initiative, underpinned by the Childrens Act (2004) is, for instance, inherently tied to the partnership, collaborative approach to social service provision involving the active participation of professionals across all spectrums who work with children and young adults (Brammer, 2009:166). Understood in this way, the role of the social worker represents one part of a broader network of rights and responsibilities incorporating General Practitioners, psychologists, educational practitioners, housing association officers, National Health Service professionals, law enforcement agencies, government officials, local councillors, parents, family members and any number of related workers and associa tes who are able to help formulate an effective social agenda which places the child at the epicentre of all key decision-making. In this way, the social worker is better able to communicate with children who have suffered or are suffering from cases of neglect and abuse (Davies and Duckett, 2008:164-166). As a consequence, it is clear that partnership and collaboration should be understood as the ideological bedrock of the contemporary legal and political framework for dealing with children, families and young adults, constituting the single most important guiding principle for social workers operating in the highly complex, risk-orientated contemporary social sphere. Fuelled in some part by the high profile cases of internal failings contributing to childrens neglect where, most notably, the untimely death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 highlighted gross failures of the system (Laming, 2003:11-13), collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines is today understood as the most viable means of positively impacting upon the well being of both children and families (Brammer, 2009:182.) In response to the murder of Victoria Climbie and, more pertinently, as a result of the economic imperative to cut back on public sector spending, the New Labour government, followed by the present coalition government, has increasingly sought to further the multi-agency approach to social services. The Childrens Plan (2007), for example, constitutes an ideological extension of the collaborative methodology championed in the Every Child Matters campaign with the government, agencies and professionals all charged with improving childrens lives. (The Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:29) Safeguarding the well being of children is therefore no longer considered to be the sole responsibility of the state; rather, it is clear that promoting the welfare of children and families is increasingly dependent upon adopting an integrated approach with a variety of agencies, organisations and individuals sharing the responsibility for welfare while at the same time ensuring that the child remains the focus of proactive, preventative action (The Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:31-34). It is consequently important to underline the strengths of the multi-agency approach to social care provision, underscoring in particular the way in which focusing upon collaborative working with children and families offers a holistic approach to what is an essentially multi-faceted problem. However, while we are correct to acknowledge the modernising ideology that underpins modern social work practice, we also need to observe the way in which the day to day practice of social work with children and families has revealed a significant underlying chasm between, on the one hand, the preventative legal framework and, on the other hand, the deep-seated flaws in the multi-agency, inter-disciplinary approach to welfare provision in the modern day (Oko, 2008:16-39). In spite of the best efforts of policy makers and in spite of the preventative statutory framework enshrined in the Every Child Matters initiative, there remain deep-rooted structural and logistical problems pertaining to the multi-agency approach. For example, the horrific death of Baby P in 2007 which occurred after social services, National Health Service consultants, and police officers demonstrates that there remains a clear and identifiable problem with regards to communication between agencies, organisations and professions. Moreover, the harrowing case of Baby P serves to demonstrate that, even when extreme levels of abuse are being reported, there remains a problem regarding intervention. The multi-agency approach to social care provision in the contemporary should therefore be understood as being inherently flawed with the collaborative system beset by a variety of structural weaknesses and new ideological complexities (Milner and OByrne, 2009:19-23). Although we should not seek to overlook the strengths of multi-agency, collaborative working we must, as Eileen Munro attests, consider the way in which an exceedingly risk-orientated socio-political culture has created additional problems for social workers in the modern era with an increasingly bureaucratic, administrative understanding of social services hampering the attainment of a critical understanding of the underlying economic, cultural and political factors that create problems in the social sphere (Munro, 2008:58-76). An over-emphasis upon res earch and policy has not yet yielded a significant reduction in the chasm between theory and practice. Working in a Group: The Lessons for Working with Children and Families Hitherto, we have focused upon attempting to understand how the dominant political, ideological and legal framework looks to dictate the pattern of social services at the dawn of the twenty first century. We have also seen that while policies and frameworks seek to instil a fresh, collaborative approach to working with children and young families the practical reality of working in a multi-agency context still leads to significant problems pertaining to communication. This, in the final analysis, is an inevitable consequence of working with the dynamics of groups where there is little by way of direction and where, more importantly, different group members harbour different perspectives and different ambitions with regards to the nature, role and purpose of the project at hand. In the group that I worked in, there were six participants. Two were two white women one a young woman in her early twenties; the other a woman in her thirties who is the mother of two young children. There were also two black women in the group; both of these women were in their thirties and both had children. In addition, there were two black men present in the group. As soon as the group began to convene, it was immediately apparent that there was a significant problem with regards to when the group could meet. Family commitments, coupled with work placements, conspired to make agreeing on a time to meet extremely difficult. Furthermore, when work was assigned to particular individuals it was not completed on time. A lack of structure was therefore prevalent from the start. As time went by and the problems with communication within the group continued to grow, it became apparent that the two white women took it upon themselves to act as the leaders of the group, delegating work as if they had been assigned the role of the managers. The younger woman in her early twenties was observed to be especially aggressive and domineering. When confronted she failed to act in a professional manner, which placed further strain upon the dynamics of the group. Furthermore, as the two white women exerted increasing levels of managerial control, it became apparent that they were withholding important information from the rest of the group. This was either because they did not trust the other members of the group to work to their standards or because they wished to take sole responsibility for the project upon completion. Regardless of their true intentions, the lack of co-ordination and communication resulted in a disappointing final presentation that had been undermine d on account of a wholesale lack of rehearsal. The lack of cohesive, coordinated action within the group revealed a great deal about the inherent problems of inter-agency work with children and families. Most obviously, there was a clear and identifiable problem relating to a lack of leadership and direction in the group. Although there were only six members, every participant appeared to have their own specific agenda, which meant that the overall goal became lost in the resulting confusion of responsibilities. This, according to Michael Gasper, is a key problem in multi-agency working with children and young people where a convergence of interests creates fertile grounds for problems relating to management and leadership (Gasper, 2009:92-110). In such circumstances, it is often the agency or partner that adopts the most rigorously aggressive attitude which ends up assuming a leadership-type role largely against the best interests of the project in hand. This was certainly the case in the group we observed where the two white w omen assumed leadership roles although no such premise had been discussed and in spite of the fact that no such policy had been agreed. In this instance, of course, it is impossible to ignore the spectre of underlying race issues that may have consciously or subconsciously influenced the behaviour of the two white women within the group. Race issues are intrinsically tied to power issues; thus, the white women might have felt the need to assume control of a group dominated by black people. Again, the issue of power and the impact that this has upon inter-personal relationships within a multi-agency setting is an important factor for us to consider. As Damien Fitzgerald and Janet Kay underscore, power is an inexorably important factor that needs to be legislated for when teams come together in an interdisciplinary, multi-professional context. This is especially true during the early consultative stages of group work the storming stage where there may be fighting, power struggles, disputes and destructive criticism, which need to be managed effectively so as to minimise the impact upon the setting or the service. (Fi tzgerald and Kay, 2007:92) The relationships that emerge from the storming stage are subsequently normalised during the ensuing norming stage where the team starts to adopt its own identity. If, however, the relationships between the various agencies have not settled down into an egalitarian pattern by the norming stage of development, the power struggles and internal disputes will inevitably affect the performing stage of task management. Most notably, the creative process will be stifled and the focus that should be dedicated towards the completion of the task will be diverted towards the power struggles within the group (Cheminais, 2009:38-40). This was certainly the case in the group I worked in where problems in the storming stage were translated into more serious structural problems in the norming stage, both of which ultimately affected the final performing stage of the task. Thus, once more, we need to acknowledge the significant divide between theory and practice in collaborative working with children and families where, as Jayat suggests, policies can be well intentioned, yet are often poorly co-ordinated and, in practice, under-resourced. (Jayat, 2009:92) Furthermore, while acknowledging the problems that multi-agency, collaborative work entails, we also need to consider the way in which the infusion of children into the scenario creates further avenues for a lack of cohesive, co-ordinated action. If, as the evidence suggests, information sharing is negatively influenced by multi-agency, collaborative working with adults, then it stands to reason that there is bound to be much greater scope for withholding information when children and families are integrated into the procedure. If relationships at an agency level are strained then it stands to reason that, as Butler and Roberts attest, that social workers will find it even harder to maintain open and honest relationships with children and their parents in a social work context (Butler and Roberts, 2004:129-130). More importantly, it is clear that there is little time for power struggles and disputes when a childs welfare is at stake. In the final analysis, this kind of internal wrang ling runs contrary to the central tenet of the Every Child Matters and the Working to Safeguard Children campaigns, which look to make sure that the child remains the centre of task-centred, multi-agency focus (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010:32). We should, of course, be careful not to assume that all group dynamics follow the pattern of the group we observed. While evidence suggests that there remains a significant scope for problems of power, communication, authority and direction within multi-agency settings it is also true that, if handled in the appropriate manner, collaborative practice allows differences in values to surface and, if effectively minded, to be aired and resolved over time (Glenny and Roaf, 2008:111) In such circumstances, multi-agency work with children and families can serve to positively influence the health and well being of service users. As a consequence, it is important not to assume that the structural weaknesses of collaboration mean that there are no strengths to the multi-agency process. Conclusion Understanding the strengths and the weaknesses of collaborative working between agencies and professional disciplines is dependent upon first understanding the distance to be travelled between the theory of prevention and the practice of collaboration at a grass roots level. Looking to reduce the divide between theory and practice, between the political and ideological framework and the multi-agency, collaborative approach, consequently represents the most critical challenge facing social workers and social policy makers alike. This is especially true as far as childrens services are concerned. Ultimately, though, when looking to pass a judgement on the relative strengths and weakness of multi-agency working with children and families we need to recall that agencies involve individuals responding to crises in the social sphere. As Beckett attests, every individual participant in the child protection process, and every profession or agency, necessarily sees things from his, her or its own particular standpoint and has his, her or its own particular axes to grind. It is important to bear in mind that no one participant possesses the pure and unadulterated truth.' (Beckett, 2009:29) Social work is an inherently complex and subjective discipline where there is no right or wrong answer to the multitude of questions arising from the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. Collaborative work should consequently be understood as being inherently fallible. Only by concentrating upon improving the internal group dynamics of multi-agency functioning can the chasm between theory and practice begin to be reduced.

Patrick Moore †Cofounder of Greenpeace Essay -- Biography Environment

Patrick Moore – Cofounder of Greenpeace After more than 15 years of co-founding and heading up Greenpeace, Patrick Moore switched sides and views. Instead of the radical environmental activism that Greenpeace encompasses, Moore now focuses on how we can benefit humans while remaining as environmentally safe as possible. Patrick Moore was born in 1947 and raised in Winter Harbour, British Columbia, a fishing and logging village on the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island often referred to as the Pacific rainforest. His father was a logger and the past president of the B.C. Truck Loggers Association, while his mother came from a family of fishermen. At the age of fourteen, Moore was sent to boarding school in Vancouver. Later, at the University of British Columbia he studied life sciences. Throughout his time at UBC, Moore discovered his love for ecology, because it gave him an understanding of the rainforest he lived in as a child (Moore, â€Å"Environmentalism† 1). In 1971, Moore started Greenpeace out of his hometown. The group was originally called the ‘Don’t Make a Wave Committee’ (Bate, par. 2). The committee went to Alaska to protest against US nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands. They set out on an old fishing boat from the Vancouver harbor to disrupt the tests, but were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard and arrested. Despite the arrest, the mission ended up being successful. President Nixon cancelled the remaining nuclear tests (Moore, â€Å"Environmentalism† 3). During his 15 years with Greenpeace, Moore was the scientific spokesperson. He served for nine years as president for Greenpeace Canada, and seven years as director for Greenpeace International Borders, par. 3). The organization campaign... ...y and improve health (Moore â€Å"Battle† par. 10-11). Moore currently lives in Vancouver and still works with the B.C. logging industry, writing articles, performing speeches, and appearing on television for them. Works Cited Bate, Roger. â€Å"Moore Wisdom Needed.† Economic Affairs 24.2 (June 2004): 72. Borders, Max. â€Å"The Reformers: Patrick Moore.† . â€Å"Greenpeace.† Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2005 . Moore, Patrick. â€Å"Battle for Biotech Progress.† The American Enterprise (March 2004). 3 April 2006 . ---. â€Å"Environmentalist for the Twenty-first Century.† IPA Review 52.3 (September 2000): pages 3-8. 3 April 2006 .

Examine the different ways in which ‘good’ is used in meta-ethics Essay

a) â€Å"Examine the different ways in which ‘good’ is used in meta-ethics.† Meta-ethics is the study of the meaning of moral language. It describes presuppositions and language of morality. There are a number of different ethical theories for the meaning of good used in meta-ethics. The four main headings under which most acceptable theories can fit under in some shape or form. These are Ethical Naturalism (or Definism), Intuitionism, Emotivism and Presciptivism. Definism theory states that all ethical statements are similar to non-ethical statements and can, therefore, be approached in the same way. In the same way that we can verify a scientific fact, ethical naturalism theory states that we can verify an ethical statement. They are both prepositional. Definism states that ethical statements are just a type of short hand for more complex propositions. So therefore, in terms of Ethical Naturalism, if I were to use the term ‘good’ in a number of examples, it would just be a ‘summary’ word to sum up all the other words I wish to have incorporated into my sentence. For example, in the sentence: â€Å"I am good at football,† the word good is used to mean ‘skilled’ or ‘talented.’ This does not mean that ‘good’ means ‘skilled’ or ‘talented’, but simply that both of these words are incorporated in the single use of ‘good.’ In another sentence, ‘good’ could be used as a short hand for a completely different set of words. In the sentence, â€Å"It is good to see you,† ‘good’ is used to mean ‘pleasant’, ‘nice’ or ‘heart warming.’ Again this does not mean that ‘good’ means ‘pleasant’ or ‘nice’, but simply that both these words are incorporated in the single use of ‘good.’ A contradictory theory to Definism is Intuitionism. Intuitionism states that ‘good’ is indefinable. Intuitionism also holds that basic moral truths are objective and stand independently of what people my fell or think. Intuitionism holds that we should pick out our moral principles through what we think or feel. There is no definition of good that can always hold true. For example, if someone were to define good as ‘pleasing’, an Intuitionist would respond by pointing out that not all pleasing things are good. A similar theory to Intuitionism is Emotivism. An Emotivist believes that moral judgements simply express our feelings on a subject. If someone were to claim something was ‘good’, an Emotivist would see this as an emotional exclamation, not a truth claim, and would take it to mean that the person approves of the thing/action/person etc. Another fairly similar theory is Prescriptivism. Prescriptivists believe that in using moral language such as ‘good/bad’ or ‘right/wrong,’ we are simply prescribing our opinions. In other words were are saying, ‘do this, and let everyone do the same in the same situation.’ Therefore, if someone were to say ‘giving to charity is good,’ what he or she is really saying is ‘you ought to give to charity.’ This again, means that ‘good’ not used as a universal truth, but in this case it is used as a universal prescription. In summary: in Definism, the term ‘good’ is simply a ‘short hand’ for more complex propositions that apply to that particular example. In Intuitionism holds that good in indefinable and therefore has no universal meaning. Emotivists believe when we use the term ‘good or make other moral judgements, we are simply expressing our feelings. So, therefore, if I say something is ‘good,’ this is simply an exclamation and therefore cannot be true or false and cannot be reasoned upon. Lastly, Prescriptivism holds that when we say something is ‘good’ we are prescribing a particular opinion and making it known to other that we feel they should do the same. b) â€Å"Anything people approve of must be good. Discuss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The response to this question depends on how we define the term ‘good.’ Can we loosely define ‘good’ as moralistic? There is a common theory that believes that our morals our simply a product of our culture and background. Therefore, there will be different moral codes in different societies. If each individual society has equal validity, it must be agreed that there can be no universal moral code. This theory is called Cultural Relativism. Cultural Relativism therefore holds that ‘good’ means ‘socially approved.’ Therefore if we rearrange the above statement, replacing the word ‘good’ with the Cultural Relativist’s definition, we find ourselves looking at a slightly odd sentence which looks as follows: â€Å"Anything that people approve of must be socially approved†. Now there are two ways to interpret this sentence. The first would be to question the number of people included in the generalization of the word ‘people.’ If the sentence is intended to mean, â€Å"if anybody approves of something, it must be socially approved†, then the statement is not true. However, we can also take the sentence to mean, â€Å"If the majority of people within a society approve of something, then it is said to be socially approved.† If we swap ‘good’ back into the sentence we end up with a statement that looks like this: † if the majority of people within a society approve of something then it is good.† Thus we have formed the central principle of Cultural relativism. In terms of the other theories that define ‘good’, only one can be applied. Definism would argue that the statement is simply a short hand for more complex propositions. So in this case, ‘good’ is used to mean ‘beneficial’ or ‘correct.’ Since this is possibly true, Ethical naturalists would have a fairly strong argument here. Emotivism, Intuitionism or Prescriptivism cannot really apply here as they are all subjective and based on opinion and in this case good cannot be used an exclamation of opinion.

Restaurant Business Plan Essay

Chapter 1 Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will enter into a market with perfect competition. With perfect competition Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will have an infinite number of consumers with the willingness and ability to buy our products at a certain price. It would also have an infinite amount of producers with the willingness and ability to supply the products at a certain price. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge is a new fine dining restaurant and lounge located on LaGrange Road in Orland Park. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will target both fun-seeking as well as sophisticated diners looking for great food in a fascinating atmosphere. Our Rooftop will offer 360 degree views with a unique outdoor terrace. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will seek to earn 85% gross margins through an innovative and creative setting, a great menu, and the best service. Five Factors of Production: Start up costs and all financing of Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will be funded by the owner Kevin Lentz. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge would be situated on a busy intersection in Orland Park. This would be new construction: building Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge from the ground up. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge would first have to hire a construction company to build the establishment. Once the building was complete and up to code, Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge would hire its staff and purchase inventory. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge focuses on local and tourist active restaurant seekers, with special focus on young adults with a $20-30,000 a year income and a desire for good food with a fascinating atmosphere. According to Orland Park’s demographics from the United States Census Bureau we generally know the characteristics of our target market. Our personal crowd would consist of young adults (ages 20-29) and adults (ages 30-50), both male and female, usually at least one year of college if not already fully graduated. Our geographics include people from the local Orland Park area, people from neighboring cities, and tourists from other states and countries. Chapter 2 Restaurants rack up one of the most costly environmental bills in the retail world. Fortunately, there are ways restaurants can go green on more than just their menus. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will be a Certified Green Restaurant. Some Certified Green Restaurants save thousands of dollars by cutting energy, water, and waste. They appeal to environmentally concerned Americans and those who are health conscious. How will Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge be environmentally friendly and socially responsible? Walking into Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge you’ll find recycled wood panels, eco-friendly flooring, and zero use of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints. We will fill our facility with Energy Star qualified equipment and compact fluorescent lighting that produces 75 percent less energy and heat. Clients can also enjoy unique creations like crispy Thai trout tacos, original vegan Championburgers, or mango-guava fruit shakes. Rooftop restaurant and Lounge takes flavor seriously, backing up its meals and drinks with a 100% Taste Guarantee. If you don’t like your meal or drink they will happily whip you up something else or give you your money back. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge serves Certified Humane, hormone-free meat and prepares their meals with only 100 percent organic ingredients. A 100 percent organic menu also offers tempting sandwiches, desserts, beer, and wine. Rather than using cheaper ingredients, the company splurges a little to buy quality foods that are ta stier and more nutritious. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge also offsets 100 percent of their energy use by purchasing certificates for renewable wind power. Besides constructing their building out of recycled materials, Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge still bases its business on integrity. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge pays their employees fair wages and benefits. By going green, restaurants can often earn more green. Chapter 3 What is the intended form of ownership? Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge is a sole-proprietorship business owned in majority by its founder and president Kevin Lentz. The owner is also personally responsible for all debts and liabilities incurred by the business. A sole proprietor can own the business for any duration of time and sell it when he or she sees fit. As owner, a sole proprietor can even pass a business down to his or her heirs. A sole proprietor has complete control and decision-making power over the business. A sole proprietor has minimal start up legal fees and NO corporate tax payments. Sole proprietors receive all income generated by the business to keep or reinvest. The owner pays taxes on income from the business as part of his or her personal income tax payments. All responsibilities and business decisions fall on the shoulders of the sole proprietor. The sole proprietor of the business can be held personally liable for the debts and obligations of the business. Additionally, this risk extends to any liabilities incurred as a result of acts committed by employees of the company. Most sole proprietors rely on loans and personal assets to initially finance their business. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will choose to incorporate once the business has started to grow. Chapter 4 Assuming Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will have international operations: Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will have a second location in Cancun, Mexico located in the heart of Cancun’s Hotel Zone. At this location Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge will have exquisite Mexican decor and outstanding Mexican cuisine. There are multitude of different kinds of organizational structures in international business for instance, one particular structure may require a substantially different plan of coordinating the activities of any given individual or organization. Independent Agent: An independent agent can be defined as an international individual or company who works with an exporter to represent the organization in question best interests in an international destination. Often these agents will take on the roles of being a sales representative. They offer the exporters goods, obtain payments by the purchaser, and as well work to ensure that the exporter’s clients are absolutely satisfied with the goods received. These agents will often have a wide variety of clients or firms who often do not specialize in any specified product or market. For example, Levi Strauss employs agents all across the world specifically in small countries found within these continents, South America, Africa, and Asia. Licensing arrangement: A licensing arrangement can be defined as an agreement in which an owner of a particular good will allow another company to manufacture sell and or market this good or service for a fee and or royalty. These companies will often grant interested parties or businesses in foreign destination exclusive rights to produce and or supply their goods in that particular market. The exporter will receive royalties as well any associated fees. These royalties will usually be determined as a percentage of the licensee’s total revenues. Branch offices: A branch office can be defined as a place in which an exporting company will establish themselves within a foreign nation in order to offer their products more effectively to that foreign market. In most cases exporting firms will just employ current top managers within their organization and will send these managers over to this foreign destination to establish a new branch office. This branch office will act to provide this organization with a greater public image. It is believed that consumers will feel more confident about any particular company’s product or service. Strategic alliance: A strategic alliance is where a company in which two or more individuals or businesses will merge their resources together in order to tackle a specified, mutually beneficial project. Both parties will agree to participate equally in investing resources into this new venture thus forming the alliance. Out of all the International organizational structures to choose from, Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge in Cancun, Mexico will be a branch office. This business model is treated as an extension of its parent company which means that it should only conduct the activities performed by the main office in Orland Park, Illinois. Having a branch office provides several advantages to any foreign company including the ability to conduct business in Mexico, explore more business opportunities and directly interact with its local distributors and agents. While this business model has several advantages, foreign companies should realize that there are some arrangements and requirements that may not be beneficial on their part. For example, foreign companies do not enjoy limited liability which means that they are responsible for all the losses and debts of their branch office which is considered as their legal extension. Another disadvantage is that a branch office, being a non-resident business entity, is not eligible for local tax benefits and exemptions. Lastly, this business model is prohibited to engage in business activities that are not performed by its parent company. Chapter 5 Mission Statement: Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge is a business that envelopes fine dining of unique healthy taste and an excellent rooftop atmosphere. The mission is not only to have great tasting food, but have efficient and friendly service. Our dining environment is not only welcoming and sophisticated, it is unique in design, with glass ceilings and windows on almost all sides of the rooftop. After dining in, customers can enjoy the outdoor terrace and garden views. We concentrate on customer satisfaction and quality food that is always fresh and 100 percent organic. We want the Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge to be the place people can enjoy a tasty, healthy meal and meet new friends. It is our goal to provide a great work environment and treat employees with dignity and respect. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge wants to build lasting relationships with the guests, contribute positively to communities and our environment. Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge recognizes that profitability is key to our future success .