Christinas World by Andrew Wyeth Personal Statement

Christinas World by Andrew Wyeth - Personal Statement Example We can see that she seems to be gazing at an old farmhouse from afar. An old barn stands not far from the farm house and what looks like remnants of old picket posts can be seen near the farm house. Given that the dominant colours are tertiary and that there is visible lighting or shadowing in the painting, it can be said that the painter definitely did not apply the colours flat on his canvas and that mixing of colours was done. The light is coming from the upper right front of the painting, sensibly coming from the horizon. The noticeable shadows in the painting are shadows of the farmhouse, the barn, the little outhouse, the Christina's arms, hair and lower body. The shadows of the objects consistently fall on the lower left of the object; this coincides with the source of light coming from the upper right portion of the painting. There is a wide range of tonal contrast for this painting. Very light highlights can be seen on the grass details and the dark shadows are seen on the shadows of the farmhouse, barn and the details of the Christina's body. The painting definitely looks still and peaceful. The artist achieved this stillness by making the painting almost barren except for the girl and the structures afar. The only hint of movement in the painting is the wisps of the girl's hair which seem to be moving because of a soft breeze. In addition, the girl seems to be moving her body because her left hand looks like it's about to touch the ground What is the centre of interest in the composition How does the artist draw your attention to it The center of interest in the composition is not the scenery of the landscape but the frail girl. The artist has drawn the attention to the girl by making the presence of other objects almost unnoticed. Christina stood out in her pale pink dress in the midst of an almost repetitive color of the fields. He placed the girl in the center of the composition and the way the girl is positioned is not natural. It appears as though she is having a hard time moving her body because of the disheveled hair. The girl's frailty is very noticeable in her bony arms and shin. Mood/Emotion: What do you

Genetically organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically organism Essay Everyone in the world competes in his/her way to maintain standards through which he/she can feed themselves and their loved ones with food. It is the basic necessity every human being requires daily from birth until death. Today in the modern days different forms of many foods have evolved ranging from organic foods to genetically modified foods. Since the genetically modified foods have taken over the market they are known to be greater in resistance to pesticides and viruses, provide higher nutritional value and have a longer expiration date. Lastly, these foods are sold at cheaper prices in comparison to the organic foods. However, the potential risks of these foods are still being debated all over the world. The three reasons why the genetically engineered food should be labeled separately are the health hazards, religious ethical concerns, and economic concerns involved. The reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately from organic foods are the health hazards involved in the production. The major health hazard involved in the non-labeling of genetic foods is that people all over the world have allergies to particular types of ingredients used in the manufacturing of the foods. The genetically modified foods include soybean, maize, chicory, potato, squash, oilseed rape (canola), pineapples, and strawberries. [1] Genetically modified foods can cause health diseases such as cancers, a newly discovered disease Morgellons, and other allergies. Without any specific labeling, the rate at which these diseases can occur doubles because people allergic to certain genes used in these foods, and there is no other way to determines these foods contain these genes or not. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. (Raab, Grobe; 2009) [2] The quoted article above examines the differences between the Rats that fed on organic produce of potatoes and the ones’ that fed on the GM potatoes. The rats that fed on GM foods developed precancerous cell growth in their digestive tracts, inhibited developments of their brains, livers, and testicles. They also faced enlarged pancreas and intestines, and suffered immune system damage. The quote also demonstrates the possibility of the harmful side effects that GM foods can cause to future human generations. The possible solution to minimize these side effects is that Extensive testing of GM foods should be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance. Before buying a certain GM product, people will be able to determine if they are allergic to its ingredients or not. Another reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately from organic foods is the religious ethical concerns involved in the production. Different religious groups prohibit themselves from eating certain types of animal products. For example, Muslims do not eat any type of enzymes extracted from Pork. [3] Thus, using genes to create traces of genetic material from pork in GM foods and plants without labeling them could cause a stir in the Muslim sect. Another ethical concern is that Animal rights can harmfully be affected by excessive manufacturing of Genetic Foods. For example, Sheep given more powerful hormones could suffer problems relating to growth and problems in digestive systems. Without specific labeling on foods, animals being tested cannot be identified, and this could lead to further malpractices by large corporations. Ethical and religious concerns include the belief that the technology involved is unnatural, and preoccupations regarding the consumption of religiously forbidden ingredients from certain animals. These new technologies, it is argued, violate religious freedom by placing a burden on those who follow strict religious dietary laws. The government is not constitutionally obligated to make accommodations in favor of religious groups that are incidentally affected by neutral rules. Accordingly, the neutral decision of not labeling genetically modified foods met this constitutional standard and was not subjected to a more rigorous constitutional adjudication test. (Lietz, 2000) [4]. The quoted excerpt above from the Harvard law review emphasizes the importance of the labeling on genetically modified foods because without explanation of how these foods are manufactured, it is unethical and unfavorable to religious and cultural groups that restrict themselves from practices in consumption of certain ingredients included in these foods. In other words, the use of these technologies is harming the religion freedom of people. [4] The government of United States protects the non-labeling by not passing laws that require rigorous tests on GM foods because it is believed that there are already laws that protect religious groups. The third reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately is the economic concerns involved in the production. The main economic concern is that the world food market could be monopolized by large multinational corporations that control the production and distribution of genetically manufactured seeds. If this happens, they would be able manipulate governments to pass laws that don’t require companies to label their GM foods. [5] Monopolization will increase prices of seeds and eliminate small level farming. GMOs are the products of large corporations and considered intellectual property. Thus, they are protected by patents and copyrights. This means that if farmers want to use genetically modified crops, they must buy it from a corporation. If the world relies solely on GMOs, this means that these corporations will control the worlds food supply, leading to the monopolization of food. The use of GMOs is driving out the need for small farmers. These small farmers are forced to switch to GMOs in order to compete with other GMO farmers, but in the process, they are subjugated to the control of the corporation that produced the GMOs. (Barton, 2002) [6] The above passage was taken from a research about non labeling consequences published in the Harvard Law Review that extrapolates the consequences if the food industry is monopolized. It explains that if this happens, the patents and copyrights will increase prices of foods massively and abolish the system of low scale farming. Each and every farmer will need to rely on large corporations to grow crops, and GM foods will be seasonal that means in every season the seeds will expire and costs of storage and harvesting will sky rocket. All in all, the corporations will completely take over the food sourcing misleading people in what they produce for the sole purpose of profits. Thus, it will be considered legal and ethical. Regulations should be passed by governments all around the world that strictly insist on the labeling of genetically manufactured foods. Without labeling on the Genetically Modified Foods the health hazards, religious ethical concerns, and economical concerns will increase over time. Therefore, instead of looking at the future from the eyes of the economic benefit, the world should look at the consequences this evolution could lead. Works Cited Page 1. Genetically Modified Food. Crowdsourcing Questions Answers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 May 2011. http://lockergnome. net/questions/48354/genetically-modified-food 2. [6]Barton. GMF Labeling Issues. Harvard Law Review, Winter 2002. Web. 18 May 2011. http://leda. law. harvard. edu/leda/data/438/MelendezJuarbeRiveraTorres. html. 3. Daneil, Genetically Modified Foods | Better Health Channel. Home | Better Health Channel. Deakin University. Web. 18 May 2011. http://www. betterhealth. vic. gov. au/bhcv2/bhcarticles. nsf/pages/genetically_modified_foods? open. 4. [2]Grobe, and Raab. Genetically Modified Foods | Better Health Channel. Home | Better Health Channel. Deakin University. Web. 18 May 2011. http://www. betterhealth. vic. gov. au/bhcv2/bhcarticles. nsf/pages/genetically_modified_foods? open. 5. [4] Lietz, supra note 11, at 416; Julie Teel, Regulating Genetically Modified Products and Processes: An Overview of Approaches, 8 N. Y. U. ENVTL. L. J. 649, 660-61 (2000) 6. Genetically Modified Food. Crowdsourcing Questions Answers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 May 2011. http://lockergnome. net/questions/48354/genetically-modified-food.

Examining Juliets Response in Act 3, Scene 5 :: Papers

Examining Juliet's Response in Act 3, Scene 5 Juliet is very sad, extremely worried, by the time she is with her parents again. Romeo is going to leave Juliet after spending their wedding night together. This thought is unbearable for Juliet. Romeo has to go before day comes because otherwise, he will get caught by Juliet's kinsman and might be killed. Romeo uses a contrast and very direct simple language to explain his situation to Juliet 'I must be gone and live, or stay and die.' The stress and emotional anxiety caused by this deep situation impacts on Juliet's response to her parents. She is worried and scared. She is crying when her lady Capulet comes in. Lady Capulet comes in and sees Juliet is crying and thinks she is crying for her loss of cousin, Tyblat. 'Evermore weeping for your cousin's death?' then Juliet responds 'yet let me weep for such feeling loss.' Her mother assumes Juliet's loss is Tybalt, because she does not know she is completely in love with Romeo. This use of dramatic irony because the audiences know that Juliet's loss means Romeo but Lady Capulet thinks her loss is Tybalt. Juliet is misleads her mother by answering her questions in a tricky way. Shakespeare uses it to shows she is intelligent and artful. She also says to her mother 'indeed I never shall be satisfied with Romeo, till I behold him - dead, notice when she speaks this sentence there is a pause before she says dead. This means she does not want Romeo dead. The reason that she says that is to mislead her mother. She answers her mother's question skilfully, and she is playing on words. When Lady Capulet tells Juliet that they have arranged her marriage for her with Paris, She refuses to marry him. She says 'I will not marry yet. And when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris.' At this point Shakespeare uses another effective dramatic irony. She does not want to marry Paris because she

Hrm587 “Classics” Supplemental Articles List

HRM587 â€Å"Classics† Supplemental Articles List (Available in DeVry University/Keller Online Library) The articles listed below have all been acknowledged as contributing in significant ways to our understanding about change. We refer to them as â€Å"classics. † Many have been cited extensively in the literature and either share the foundations of the theories and practices discussed in our course or amplify them.They are presented here in the hopes that students will have an interest in digging deeper in their research for the final project and/or that they will refer back to them in their ongoing development as leaders. All have been searched in our EBSCO database and we include ISSN Numbers here for your ease of retrieval. We hope they contribute to your learning about Change Management and Leadership. Beer, M. & Nohria, N. (May/June 2000). Cracking the Code of Change. Harvard Business review, 78(3), 133-141 ISSN 00178012 Christensen, C. Overdorf, M. (March/April 2000). Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change. Harvard Business Review, 78 (2), 66-76. ISSN 00178012 Beer, M. Eisenstat, R. & Spector, B. (November/December 1990). Why Change Programs Don’t Produce Change. Harvard Business Review, 68 (6), 158-166. ISSN 00178012 Mintzberg, H. (July/August 1987). Crafting Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 65 (4), 66-75. ISSN 00178012 Collins, J. C. & Porras, J. I. (1996, September/October). Building your company’s vision. Harvard Business Review, 74(5), 65-78.ISSN 00178012 Nadler, D. & Tushman, M. (August, 1987). Organizational Frame Bending: Principles for Managing Reorientation. Academy of Management Executive, 3 (3), 194-204. ISSN 08963789 Peiperl, M. & Baruch, Y. (Spring, 1997) Back to Square Zero: The Post-Corporate Career Organizational Dynamics, 25 (4), 6-22. ISSN 00902616 Orlikowski, W. & Hufman, D. (Winter 1997) An Improvisational Model for Change Management: the Case of Groupware Technologies. Sloan Management Review, 38 ( 2), 11-21. ISSN 0019848X

Education and Sustainable Development

Environmental education is a process of learning and teaching of environmental concepts and practices which increases people’s awareness about the environment. It mainly focuses on creation of knowledge and understanding of the environment and its challenges. It also focuses on creation of skills to mitigate environmental problems which are arising day by day and provides a forum for existing environmental knowledge to be exercised. Its objectives are creation of awareness and helping people to develop a positive attitude towards environmental education.Status of environmental education in Kenya In Kenya today, environmental education has enabled learners to play a big role in environmental conservation measures. An example is the Green Belt Movement which has over 600 community networks across Kenya which along with other networks have participated in planting more than 30 million trees on private and public land, protected reserves, sites with cultural significance and urban centers.This has resulted in the transformation of many landscapes (forests, sleep slopes and other degraded areas) and protection and restoration of habitats for local biodiversity (plants and animals). Many communities work with the Green Belt Movement to conserve and harvest water more effectively through construction of dams made of sand. That harvested water is used for household needs, food crops and tree nurseries. A related program with the Green Belt Movement Kenya improves food security i. e. he capacity of families to feed themselves, by promoting planting of fruit trees and indigenous foods including yams, cassava and arrowroots. In Kenya today, many groundbreaking initiatives including environmental education have been launched so that people could identify the sources of their problems including poor use and management of their environment and poor governance at local and national levels. They then identify solutions to those problems hence helping in maintaining a st able environmental state.Environmental education has been a reliable advocate for environmental and human rights by challenging abusive or ill-conceived actions by the previous Kenyan governments and rallying Kenyans to the cause. Through its advocacy and civic education campaigns, environmental education has been instrumental in bringing environmental issues to the Kenyan policy makers’ attention and has enjoyed significant success most notably the protection from wanton destruction of Uhuru Park and Karura Forest, both in Nairobi. This has been achieved through the Green Belt Movement.Environmental education should examine major issues locally and internationally. Currently in Kenya, a certain aspect of environmental education, The Green Belt Movement, has opened the Lang’ata Learning Center in Nairobi which continues to offer environmental education through exchange programs that expose participating groups to community biodiversity issues through discussions with l ocal leaders and excursions to selected areas around the country. Through its Pan African Green Belt Network, the Green Belt Movement has trained representatives from 15 African countries.As a result, several tree planting initiatives have been established in East and Central Africa and in the west. Environmental education in Kenya today has promoted cooperation among very many people. Different people come together in joint initiatives to plant trees or build dams. They also partake in attending and holding seminars and workshops to discuss diverse environmental issues. In this way, people are able to listen to each other’s ideas and suggestions hence enabling exchange of knowledge and skills. They also get a chance to inspire and help each other as they offer a listening ear.Today, environmental education is increasingly becoming a continuous process with so many environmental conservation measures been born and exercised. There thus arises the need to educate people on car rying out these practices. It is also being made continuous by the increasing environmental degradation in our society. People are cutting down trees carelessly and polluting the environment at a very fast rate. As a result, environmental education is being carried out continuously to combat these ill habits. This is being done through initiatives such as the Green Belt Movement.Environmental education has taken a big consideration in development and government plans in Kenya today. The government has planned to build many industries, medical facilities, petroleum refineries and electronic manufacturers. All these will generate hazardous wastes to the environment. Various movements to conserve the environment have recently sensitized the government on the need to institute both incentives and command and control measures to ensure that industries that generate hazardous waste dispose them off responsibly. Opportunities of environmental educationSince environmental education should e nable learners to actively play a role in environmental conservation, it should have a hand in encouraging research and propagation of drought-resistant crops such as cassava, millet and sorghum in order to assure food security. This is particularly important given that climate change is likely to occasion an increasingly higher incidence of crop failure. Environmental education should also have an emphasis on encouraging propagation of indigenous tree species. Although these enrich tree species and are better able to withstand environmental shocks, they are considerably under-utilized in agroforestry.It should discourage illegal logging of trees to meet timber and charcoal needs. This will be done by encouraging the formation of Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in line with the stipulations of the Forests Act and empower them to engage in sustainable forest management. CFAs should be representative of the communities that live adjacent to the forests and include women and margi nalized communities and have strict rules and procedures that prevent their appropriation by the local dominant groups. Environmental education should consider environmental aspects in major development and government plans.It therefore has the opportunity to sensitize the initiation of a range of energy sector reforms that will impel investment in clean and affordable sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind and biogas and therein eases the enormous pressure exerted on the country’s diminishing forests and woodlands for wood fuel. Challenges of environmental education Environmental education has suffered from the lack of participation among social groups and individuals. Studies have shown that most people formally educated make little efforts in ensuring that they take responsibility of the environment.This leads to knowledge gained from environmental education being stifled and may not get implemented and spread to other persons. Groups may find it unnecessary due t o lack of incentives to participate in environmental education. The lack of comprehensive strategies is another challenge facing environmental education in Kenya. Kenya has not focused much on inter-linkages between the environment and sustainable development. The environment has been mostly viewed in a great detail from the biophysical view but with less emphasis on the economic and social perspective.This has led to less participatory approaches to environmental education hence hindering its development. There exists a negative attitude among some individuals towards environmental education. Some people are suspicious about environmental education as they fear it may affect their day to day living by e. g. preventing them from logging, use of chemicals on crops e. t. c. This brings a bad image on environmental education especially on less educated individuals. The relevant government authorities are mostly underfunded in their attempts to bring environmental education to the foref ront.The government allocates more funds to other ministries and departments that are seen to bring instant returns to the economy such as agriculture and tourism and thus undermines ministries such as environment. This makes it unable to fund sensitization projects based on environmental education. There is lack of enough manpower to undertake projects concerning environmental education. People mostly in rural areas may end up not getting the relevant information concerning their environment whereas they are the people directly in contact with natural resources such as rivers, forests e. . c. This greatly undermines the spread of environmental education in the country and is a huge challenge. In certain cases, there might be inadequate information on the threats that the environment faces to the people. Theoretical teachings may not be sufficient to convince individuals on why they need to undertake certain measures to prevent environmental degradation and promote sustainable devel opment. Practical case studies may have to be carried out to convince learners adequately on threats on the environment.

Testing for Honesty

Testing for Honesty According to the Salvation Army, "charity begins at home." The Salvation Army realized that it had a problem with theft among its kettle workers, the people who collect money for the Army during Christmas season. Apparently, some of the kettlers were helping themselves to the Army's money before the organization had a chance to give it out. To put a stop to this problem the Salvation Army along with other business organizations implemented the use of honesty tests for prospective employers, which would aim at flushing out potential troublemakers.Honesty tests also measure an applicant's tendency toward drug use and violence. All three categories: honesty, drugs, and violence play are key role in companies' losses according to the makers of these tests. A company's loss can be huge when taking into consideration compound problems, such as the cost of employee drug use in terms of absenteeism, lost initiative, inattentiveness, accidents, diminished productivity, and employee violence c osts companies millions of dollars in damage, lost productivity and law suites.Newman, CA Army Reserve Training Center 2 October ...Honesty-test makers say that the only way to deal with these problems is before workers are hired, not after. Therefore, prospective employees should be subject to a pre-employment psychological test that will identify those prospective employees who will be likely to steal, who have a history of violence or emotional instability, or who have used illegal drugs in the past on a regular basis. It is believe that dishonest job applicants are clever enough to fool potential employees at a job interview. They have a way of conducting themselves that is probably superior to the low-risk person because they have learned what it takes to be accepted and how to overcome the normal interview strategy. Therefore, the high-risk dishonest person will get the job unless there is someway to screen them,

Who Invented Memorial Day and How Do People Celebrate It

Who Invented Memorial Day and How Do People Celebrate It Memorial Day On May 1, 1865, slaves who were freed gathered in Charleston having an aim of commemoration the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. In 1868, an order was issued, which proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day. On this day, people decorated the graves of those ones who had died protecting their country. In those years, there was the political reunion of the nation, but it was still divided culturally, and the Memorial Day observations also differed in many states. In the northern part of the USA, national cemeteries were created for people who died during the war, and this day became an official observation in the 1870s. In the southern part of the country, in April-June, women wore white dresses and honored the fallen Confederate leaders. By the beginning of the 20th century, Memorial Day turned into a national holiday. As the USA pays obeisance to the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, people should revisit the origins of this observance among freed slaves in Charlesto n. Those freed people honored the ones who struggled for their liberation; it was not just a day of triumph and celebration for freed slaves, but a difficult process, which led to the death of big amount of former slaves. While freedpeople honored the overwhelming amount of Union soldiers who lost their lives during the war, only some of them have noticed the ways in which war and liberation led to the extremely impressive mortality of huge amount of former slaves. They emancipated themselves from slavery and entered into the socium plagued by horrible diseases, such as dysentery and cholera, which could not be treated at those times, and from which thousands of people suffered and died. People often forget that the major amount of soldiers died from illnesses, not from combat wounds or battle. During their fight for freedom, slaves often lacked food, clothing, and shelter. In such conditions, they were unprotected and a smallpox epidemic exploded between 1863 and 1865. Eventually, this epidemic took the lives of more than 60,000 ex-slaves, and other diseases raised their deaths to well over a million. There was no chance to back to life for ex-slaves who died during the war and after it. South is a place where an incredible amount of black people died not from battle, but from illnesses and sicknesses. To recognize the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, we must keep in our minds that there were freed black people who created Memorial Day. We must know and realize that their prayers were not only for soldiers on the first Memorial Day but for their families as well, who died during the horrible war that was meant to make them free.

Gray Wolf Facts

Gray Wolf Facts The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest member of the Canidae (dog) family, with a range extending through Alaska and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming. Gray wolves share their ancestry with domestic dogs, coyotes, and wild dogs such as dingoes. Scientists consider the gray wolf to be the species from which most other wolf subspecies evolved. The gray wolf is classified as part of the kingdom Animalia, order Carnivora, family Canidae,  and the subfamily Caninae. Fast Facts: Gray Wolves Scientific Name: Canis lupusCommon Name(s): Gray wolf, timber wolf, wolfBasic Animal Group:  Mammal  Ã‚  Size: 36 to 63 inches; tail: 13 to 20 inchesWeight: 40–175 poundsLifespan: 8–13 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat:  Alaska, northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, western Montana, northern Idaho, northeast Oregon, and the  Yellowstone  area of WyomingPopulation:  17,000 in the United StatesConservation  Status:  Least Concern Description Gray wolves look very much like large German shepherd dogs, with pointed ears and long, bushy, black-tipped tails. Wolf coat colors vary from white to gray to brown to black; most have a mix of colors with tan facial markings and undersides. Northern wolves are often larger than southern wolves, and males are usually larger than females. Jim Cumming/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Gray wolves were once found in large numbers throughout the Northern Hemisphere- in Europe, Asia, and North America. At one time or another, gray wolves have ranged across nearly every type of environment found north of the equator from deserts to tundra, but they were hunted to near extinction wherever they were found. In the ecosystems they inhabit, wolves are a keystone species: They have a large influence on their environment despite their low abundance. Gray wolves exert control on their prey species, changing the numbers and behavior of large herbivores like deer (which is now overabundant in many places), thus ultimately affecting even the vegetation. Because of that important role, wolves hold a central place in  rewilding projects. The gray wolf is an extremely adaptable species and is one of those animal species that survived the last ice age. The gray wolfs physical characteristics enabled it to adapt quickly to the harsh conditions of the ice age, and its cunning and adaptation helped it survive in the changing environment. Diet Gray wolves typically prey on large ungulates (mammals with hooves) such as deer, elk, moose, and caribou. Gray wolves also eat smaller mammals such as hares and beavers as well as fish, birds, lizards, snakes, and fruit. Wolves are also scavengers and will eat the flesh of animals killed by other predators, by motor vehicles, and so on. When wolves find ample food or hunt successfully, they eat their fill. A single wolf may consume as much as 20 pounds of meat in a single feeding. Behavior Gray wolves are social animals. They usually live and hunt in packs of six to 10 members and often range over long distances- up to 12 miles or more- in a single day. Typically, several members of a wolf pack will hunt together, cooperating to pursue and bring down large prey. Wolf packs follow a strict hierarchy with a dominant male and female at the top. The Alpha male and female are usually the only two wolves in the pack that breed. All of the adult wolves in the pack help to care for the pups by bringing them food, instructing them, and keeping them from harm. Gray wolves have a complex system of communication that includes a wide range of barks, whines, growls, and howls. Their iconic and legendary howl is one way that gray wolves communicate with each other. A lone wolf may howl to attract the attention of his pack while wolves in the same pack may howl together to establish their territory and declare it to other wolf packs. Howling may also be confrontational or may simply be an answering call to the howls of other wolves nearby. Andyworks/Getty Images Reproduction and Offspring Most wolves mate for life, breeding once a year between January and March (or earlier in the south). The gestation period is about 63 days; wolves usually give birth to between four and six pups. Wolf mothers give birth in a den (typically a burrow or cave), where they can oversee the welfare of tiny pups which are born blind and weigh only about one pound. She will move the pups several times during the first few months of their lives. To feed their young, wolves regurgitate their food until the pups are old enough to manage meat on their own. Young wolves stay with their natal pack until they are about three years old. At that point, they make the decision to either stay with their pack or strike out on their own. Enn Li  Photography/Getty Images   Conservation Status Gray wolves have a conservation status of Least Concern, meaning that there is a large and stable population. Wolves were successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and parts of Idaho in 1995. They have been naturally recolonizing parts of their former range, moving into Washington and Oregon. In 2011, a lone male wolf made it to California. There is now a resident pack there. In the Great Lakes region, gray wolves are now thriving in Minnesota, Michigan, and now Wisconsin. One of the challenges of expanding gray wolf populations is that people continue to fear wolves, many farmers and ranchers consider gray wolves a menace to livestock, and hunters want the government to declare open season on gray wolves to stop them preying on game animals such as deer, moose, and elk. By the mid-1930s, most gray wolves in the United States had been killed. Today, the gray wolfs North American range has been reduced to Canada and parts of Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Mexican wolves, a gray wolf subspecies, are found in New Mexico and Arizona. Gray Wolves and Humans Wolves and human beings have a long adversarial history. Although wolves rarely attack humans, both wolves and humans are predators at the top of the food chain. As a result, they are often in conflict as habitats decline and wolves become more likely to attack livestock. Negative feelings toward wolves have been nurtured over the centuries through popular culture. Fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood represent wolves as vicious predators; these negative representations make it very difficult to present wolves as a species to be protected. Despite negative interactions, wolves are also seen as symbols of strength and icons of the wilderness. This may be one reason why there is an increased interest in keeping wolves or wolf/dog hybrids as pets- a practice which is rarely successful for the animal or its owner. Sources Booker, Emily. â€Å"Ten Interesting Facts about Gray Wolves.†Ã‚  WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 21 July 2011, www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/ten-interesting-facts-about-gray-wolves.â€Å"Gray Wolf.†Ã‚  National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Gray-Wolf.Sartore, Joel. â€Å"Wolf | National Geographic.†Ã‚  Wolf | National Geographic, 7 Mar. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/g/gray-wolf/.

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Health care - Essay Example Statistics provided by the AFL-CIO (â€Å"What’s Wrong With America, par. 2) reveal that 47 million Americans are without health insurance. Hacker (â€Å"Health Care for America†, par. 2) averred that â€Å"health insecurity is not confined to one part of the population. It is experienced by all Americans: those without insurance as well as those who risk losing coverage; those who are impoverished as well as those with higher incomes who experience catastrophic costs; those who are sick or injured as well as those who are just one sickness or injury away from financial calamity†. It is the objective of this essay to determine if a universal health care system is the solution to America’s health care crisis. According to a report by the World Health Organization (â€Å"WHO Assesses the World Health Systems†, par. 3) â€Å"the U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance†. But the report stated that in terms of responsiveness, the United States ranks first due to availability of the country’s resources to immediately respond to health care needs. In terms of health expenditure per capita, the USA ranked first but ranked 72 on level of health and on the overall health system performance, it ranked 37 (World Health Report 2000) out of 191 member nations included in the study. The health care in the United States are administered by private health institutions. There are no public hospitals owned by the government. Health insurance can be availed through a working individual’s employer or through a spouse’s or parents’ employers. Insurance can also be purchased individually. For the uninsured, a study conducted by Hadley and Holalan (â€Å"Covering the Uninsured†, par. 44) revealed that â€Å"a substantial amount is already being spent on care received by uninsured people. Much of this money flows through an elaborate and often

Business structures and competitiveness of Canada Analysis using Essay

Business structures and competitiveness of Canada Analysis using Michael Porters Diamond Model of International Competitiveness - Essay Example Factor conditions 7 4.2 Demand conditions 8 4.3 Supplier industries in Canada 8 4.4 Business establishment, management and rivalry in the domestic market 9 5. Conclusions - Recommendations 10 6. References 12 7. Appendix 13 Executive Summary A series of criteria tends to be used for evaluating the performance of economies in the global market. Usually, the ability of countries to cover their debts and to respond to the needs of local population is considered as indication of economic strength. In practice, it has been proved that the competitiveness of countries refers to a variety of requirements; these requirements need to be met in order for a country to be characterized as highly competitive. The particular issue has been explored in the literature, due to its critical importance. The most common framework for evaluating the competitiveness of countries is the Diamond model of national competitiveness. This model promotes the view that national competitiveness can be related most ly to four elements (Figure 1, Appendix). The Porter’s Diamond model has been used in this paper in order to evaluate the competitiveness of Canada. Using the model for developing the above task a contradiction has been revealed: Canada seems to perform high in two of the model’s elements while its performance in the rest two elements is low (Figure 5, Appendix). This contradiction could be explained as follows: Canadian economy is quite strong and the development of business activity is highly promoted by the government. However, the measures taken are not adequate and gaps are unavoidable. Therefore, the competitiveness of the country seems to be high or low depending on the elements of the economy on which each part of the Diamond model is based. 1.0 Introduction The competitiveness of countries in the context of the international market is difficult to be measured, especially due to the instability in economies and the strong social conflicts worldwide. Porter has introduced a model that can be used as the basis for measuring and evaluating the national competitiveness; this is the Diamond model. The value of this model is high since no similar theoretical frameworks are available in the literature. At the same time, the effectiveness of the specific model has been already tested in practice leading to credible findings in regard to national competitiveness. A key advantage of Porter’s Diamond model is the following one: the model can be used for evaluating the competitiveness of countries with various cultural and social characteristics. Porter’s Diamond model has been used in this paper for measuring the national competitiveness of Canada, a country with a quite strong economy, at least as compared with other western countries. Porter’s Diamond model has verified the strength and the prospects of the Canadian economy; however, there are certain practices of the country’s government that should be alternated, a ne ed that has been revealed through Porter’s Diamond model. 2.0 National competitiveness – characteristics When referring to the competitiveness of a nation it is difficult to choose the criteria that would be most appropriate for taking a relevant decision (Porter 1990). Most commonly, national competitiveness is related to issues such as ‘exchange rates, interest rates and government deficits’ (Porter 1990, p.76), being related to macro-economy. The view that national competitiveness can be related mostly to the natural resources of a country has not been widely accepted (Porter 1990) as it could not respond to the following question: how countries such as Germany and Italy that

Disaster Relief Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Disaster Relief - Research Paper Example When the government relief operations machine hums efficiently, we see our government at work and conclude that its disaster relief policies are working. But how are these public policies on disaster relief formulated? What happens behind the great doors of congress that makes the policy as it is? What happens at the oval office that makes a difference in the public policies of the United States government? However, the most critical is the last question: What happens outside of these government offices that affect the outcome of our public policies? In this paper, I shall attempt to evaluate the different roles performed by different agencies in the formulation of our public policy on disaster relief, including the dynamics between and among these entities. Public policy is defined simply as â€Å"whatever governments choose to do or not to do.†2 In other words, every action by the government’s three branches – the executive, legislative and judicial – is governed by a pre-determined course of action. It necessarily includes the decision not to do anything about a certain issue. Interestingly, this interpretation also works in reverse wherein government action and inaction results in public policy. That is, in the form of lessons learned from its previous mistakes. There have been identified distinct stages in the policymaking process. These are problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, policy legitimation, policy implementation, and policy evaluation.3 For each of the aforementioned stage, a different group of actors is involved and a different dynamics between these concurring and opposing interest occur. Each actor is espousing a specific opinion or direction for the policy being formulated, each trying to promote its interests. It is the democratic process’ hopeful expectation that when different groups try to put into the policy their

Marketing Plan for Kindle Fire Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Plan for Kindle Fire - Assignment Example The main characteristic features of this device are, book reading, blogs, newspapers and all important documents, it mostly supports the portable document format (P.D.F) along with various other formats. Different models have been introduced since the beginning starting from the earlier one, followed by DX in 2009, and now the most recent one being the Kindle Fire. With less than couple of years in market it has made a lot of progress and at the same time it needs to address certain issues, and since after the launch many factors have come to forefront therefore this paper looks at the marketing perspective of Kindle Fire. Kindle fire is seen as a beginning of new era in the world of e-book device from Amazon since its considered as the rival to the Apple’s already in market I-pad .With Fire edition, it was the first time since Amazon introduced colored screens in their e book readers.. It provides access to thousands of movies, over a million books. With help of Premier membership access to lots of free stream material becomes possible. It is being stated as the insurgent that has blown I-pad out of the water. It is being dubbed as I-pad killer and with such a formidable package and features it is certainly going to present a challenge to the existing players in the game.The fire edition would serve as outsider force in the industry since it is totally revamped and a new look to the previous versions of Kindle. It is built on Android operating system and hence a complete infrastructure based kernel running the application programs. It runs on Android 2.3 version of the O.S. It provides a batte ry time of as long as eight hours and supports all three variants of Wi-Fi, that are, b/n/g. It has a dual core processor with clock speed of 1 G-hertz. (McNulty, S. 2011). Financial Statistics: in the category of tablets Apple is the chart leader, but Kindle is not

Ground Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ground Engineering - Essay Example Pile foundations are chosen for the situations where structures transmit huge loads and suitable soil layer capable of supporting these loads are available only at greater depths. The piles are long and slender members capable of transmitting the loads of the structure into the hard soil layer or the rocks successfully even if very poor or soft soils that are considered to be inferior to meet this purpose is present in the upper layers. Based on the load carrying function piles are classified as end bearing pile, friction pile or combination pile that undertakes both the functions appropriately. The friction piles are suitable for the locations where granular soil is present and frictional resistance between the pile and the soil could be utilised in the resistance. While the end bearing piles helps to transmit the entire load a hard stratum through the tip resistance. A sketch of the load action on the end bearing pile and friction pile are shown in the figure 1. The basic structura l components of any pile are pile cap and the body of the pile. And (iii) All piles carry only vertical force. ... Figure 1(a) : End bearing pile Figure 1 (b) : Friction pile (Abebe and Smith, 2005) (Abebe and Smith, 2005) Pile load computation Following assumptions are incorporated in the load estimation on piles (i)All piles are considered as rigid (ii) The pile is pinned at the top and bottom And (iii) All piles carry only vertical force. The different loads that the pile need to carry would be direct loads from the columns and any other imposed loads on the structure. The direct loads from the columns to the pile are already given in the problem. The other loads are the load from the glass facades and the imposed loads. The glass faade load is the load along the edges of the floor and it could be computed by multiplying the unit load of the faade by the distance between the columns. The details of computation is as follows Glass faade load between the columns 1 & 8 Distance between the columns 1 and 8 = 20 metre Unit load of facde between the column 1 and 8 = 35 KN/m The load from the faade is assumed to be transferred equally to both the columns . So the loads are computed as 35 20 / 2 = 350 KN So the columns 1 and 8 would carry load of 350 KN each from the glass facades. Glass faade load between the columns 4 & 5 Distance between the columns 4 and 5 = 20 metre Unit load of facde between the column 4 and 5 = 35 KN/m The load from the faade is assumed to be transferred equally to both the columns . So the loads are computed as 35 20 / 2 = 350 KN So the columns 4 and 5 would carry load of 350 KN each from the glass facades placed between the columns 4 and 5. Glass faade load between the columns 1 and 4 The columns in this span are 1,2,3

Individual Research Repor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual Research Repor - Essay Example It achieves that by various cost cutting strategies that hinders the human resource practices in Wal-Mart. It tries to builds its low cost on the employment policies by achieving extraordinarily low costs on the employment. In order to maintain its competitive advantage Wal-Mart incorporates various low cost HR practices. It has tried to cut down cost right from the time of hiring by recruiting large number of employees and not only that by violating cheap child labour and the minors. The cheap price of acquiring such labours give them more of cost competitiveness than its competitors. Wal-Mart has even been seen showing discrimination towards employees who has certain disabilities, though such people may have the appropriate skills but they would be more costly for the firm. Wal-Mart has set high demand standards which have forced the workers to work beyond their normal working hours. They even show discrimination towards women working in their organization by denying them promotion s, and at times even paying them less compared to men. They are even demoted if they complain just for the reason that Wal-Mart has to maintain cost reduction than its competitor. There is not an effective pay and reward model followed by Wal-Mart that would in turn help the employees to remain motivated. Wal-Mart follows its low cost strategy by cutting down the cost on wages every year. It pays very less wages to its Chinese labours. Wal-Mart maintains very low employee relation by not even providing them with proper healthcare facilities. The works have to pay 36% of the premium cost for the health insurance as the company does not bear any additional cost in order to follow its low cost strategy. Wal-Mart has down the line exploited its workers which in turn will reduce the dedication and loyalty of these employees towards the company. A less satisfied employee will not perform above the mark to deliver appropriate profits for the company. As Wal-Mart is on

Ground Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ground Engineering - Essay Example Pile foundations are chosen for the situations where structures transmit huge loads and suitable soil layer capable of supporting these loads are available only at greater depths. The piles are long and slender members capable of transmitting the loads of the structure into the hard soil layer or the rocks successfully even if very poor or soft soils that are considered to be inferior to meet this purpose is present in the upper layers. Based on the load carrying function piles are classified as end bearing pile, friction pile or combination pile that undertakes both the functions appropriately. The friction piles are suitable for the locations where granular soil is present and frictional resistance between the pile and the soil could be utilised in the resistance. While the end bearing piles helps to transmit the entire load a hard stratum through the tip resistance. A sketch of the load action on the end bearing pile and friction pile are shown in the figure 1. The basic structura l components of any pile are pile cap and the body of the pile. And (iii) All piles carry only vertical force. ... Figure 1(a) : End bearing pile Figure 1 (b) : Friction pile (Abebe and Smith, 2005) (Abebe and Smith, 2005) Pile load computation Following assumptions are incorporated in the load estimation on piles (i)All piles are considered as rigid (ii) The pile is pinned at the top and bottom And (iii) All piles carry only vertical force. The different loads that the pile need to carry would be direct loads from the columns and any other imposed loads on the structure. The direct loads from the columns to the pile are already given in the problem. The other loads are the load from the glass facades and the imposed loads. The glass faade load is the load along the edges of the floor and it could be computed by multiplying the unit load of the faade by the distance between the columns. The details of computation is as follows Glass faade load between the columns 1 & 8 Distance between the columns 1 and 8 = 20 metre Unit load of facde between the column 1 and 8 = 35 KN/m The load from the faade is assumed to be transferred equally to both the columns . So the loads are computed as 35 20 / 2 = 350 KN So the columns 1 and 8 would carry load of 350 KN each from the glass facades. Glass faade load between the columns 4 & 5 Distance between the columns 4 and 5 = 20 metre Unit load of facde between the column 4 and 5 = 35 KN/m The load from the faade is assumed to be transferred equally to both the columns . So the loads are computed as 35 20 / 2 = 350 KN So the columns 4 and 5 would carry load of 350 KN each from the glass facades placed between the columns 4 and 5. Glass faade load between the columns 1 and 4 The columns in this span are 1,2,3

BUDGET ISSUES IN NEW YORK STATE Speech or Presentation

BUDGET ISSUES IN NEW YORK STATE - Speech or Presentation Example One of the major issues that had an impact on the New York Budget was the reforms done on the sales tax in 2010. According to the New York State Senate Committee on Budget and Tax Reforms, the sales tax was not effective in keeping pace with the technological changes as well as economic development. One of the notable aspects of the sales tax was that there was large amount of uncollected revenue thus affecting the state budget in terms of increased deficit. For example, according to Scott Peterson a member of the streamlined sales tax governing board, in 2011 New York budget experienced a deficit of $1,518 million based on the uncollected sales tax amounting to $1,415.3million. This resulted to the establishment of public roundtable that was aimed at discussing the sales tax. Thus the sales budget collection process was streamlined leading to reduction in the budget deficit. According to the Senate Select Committee that was formed by the Senate, the sales tax legislation that was pa ssed in 1965, was being affected by the technological, political and economical trends. For example, the committee indicated that the economy was changing to service from industrial based economy. Additionally, there has been an increase in the tax credits as well as sales tax exemption over the years. Thus, there has been no significant growth on the revenue thus affecting the government expenditure. Another notable issue on the sales tax bill that was passed by then governor Nelson Rockefeller was that internet services as well as mail order were major areas where sales tax remained uncollected. This had a negative impact on the state budget in the sense that despite the increased government expenditure, there were no effective mechanisms of tax collection. Based on the impact of the trends in the technology, economy and politics in the form of undermining the fiscal position of the state of New York, Krueger, the leader of the Select Committee, arranged for a meeting with other s takeholders to discuss on how the fiscal stability of the state would be enhanced by establishing a proper sales tax policy which was more rational and economical. This included modernizing the sales tax system. After the meeting to improve the collection and use of the sales tax for improvement of public activities, the committee recommended the use of Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA). This entailed rules that the government authorities would adopt during the collection of sales tax from the urban and local sellers. One of the key aspects that led to the success of the roundtable meeting to solve the sales tax crises that was held in Albany, was the involvement of various stakeholders. For example, the committee took into consideration the ideas from eleven tax experts from various industries. Thus, the experts provided resourceful technical contributions to the select committee thus making the whole process a success. Fixation of New York broken budget process The s econd issues that affected the budgeting process were the reforms that were initiated by Senator Krueger to fix the New York broken budget process in 2010. Krueger aim was to make comprehensive reforms

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Essay At lunch, Scout rubs Walter’s nose in the dirt for getting her in trouble, but Jem intervenes and invites Walter to lunch (in the novel, as in certain regions of the country, the midday meal is called â€Å"dinner†). At the Finch house, Walter and Atticus discuss farm conditions â€Å"like two men,† and Walter puts molasses all over his meat and vegetables, to Scout’s horror. When she criticizes Walter, however, Calpurnia calls her into the kitchen to scold her and slaps her as she returns to the dining room, telling her to be a better hostess. Back at school, Miss Caroline becomes terrified when a tiny bug, or â€Å"cootie,† crawls out of a boy’s hair. The boy is Burris Ewell, a member of the Ewell clan, which is even poorer and less respectable than the Cunningham clan. In fact, Burris only comes to school the first day of every school year, making a token appearance to avoid trouble with the law. He leaves the classroom, making enough vicious remarks to cause the teacher to cry. At home, Atticus follows Scout outside to ask her if something is wrong, to which she responds that she is not feeling well. She tells him that she does not think she will go to school anymore and suggests that he could teach her himself. Atticus replies that the law demands that she go to school, but he promises to keep reading to her, as long as she does not tell her teacher about it.

Embryonic Wars Essay -- essays research papers

The specific objective of this major essay is to clarify and summarise the controversial debate concerning the ethical decency of embryonic cloning for therapeutic purposes. This is the form of cloning that is supposedly beneficial to a barrage of medical applications. We will identify the key opposing ethical perspectives such as those of the justification of embryonic research based on the normative theory of consequentialism. This paper will also probe into the relatively brief history of the debate while gauging the particular stumbling blocks of disagreement which bioethicists have arrived at. The topical aspects of therapeutic cloning will be closely studied by weighing the pros and cons and gaining a greater understanding of the present scenario. Formally speaking, embryonic cloning is a technique used by researchers and animal breeders to split a single embryo into two or more embryos that will all have the same genetic information. Some more extreme forms of Embryonic or Therapeutic cloning involve the deliberate creation of an identical twin to be destroyed before implantation in order to make replacement tissues. However, these identical twins are usually only six day old embryos, a minuscule collection of cells without a nervous system. Therapeutically, the notion of cloning is medically significant because cloned individuals at the embryonic stage "share the same immune characteristics as each other" (Harris 26). The possibility of cloning an individual at the embryo stage allows one clone to be used as a cell tissue and organ bank for the other. Embryonic cloning has a history of significant developments and discoveries that have occurred only in the past ten or twenty years. In the nineteen eighties and early nineteen nineties, sophisticated foetal and embryological research was banned by the United States’ Reagan and Bush administrations due to pressure from pro-life factions of the Republican party. However, these regulations against research into the controversial field were relaxed considerably with the inception of the more pro-choice Clinton administration. In October 1994, Robert J. Stillman shocked the world with the news of his successful "cloning of seventeen flawed human embryos at George Washington Medical Center" (Dyson & Harris 276) in the United States. Events such as this have continued to spark furiou... ...ead the developed nations to gain a proficient understanding of the realistic positive and negative possibilities of therapeutic cloning in the near future. This will, in time, generate the global legislations giving much needed ethical and humane boundaries to a field which is yet to be conquered. Works Referenced & Consulted Dyson, A. & Harris J. Eds. "Experiments on embryos" London, New York: Routledge, 1990. Harris, J. Chapter 1: "The Art of the Possible", in Clones, Genes and Immortality, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Hyde, Margaret O. & Hyde, Lawrence E. "Cloning and the new genetics" Hillside, N.J., U.S.A.: Enslow Publishers, 1984. Lord, B. I., Potten, C. S., Cole, R. J. "Stem cells and tissue homeostasis", Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Nicholls, Mark, "MATCH, (Movement Against The Cloning of Humans)", in The Tide is Turning, http://www.match.inweb.co.uk/, July 9th, 1999. Pence, Gregory E. "Who's afraid of human cloning?", Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, c1998. Preston, Noel. "Understanding ethics", Leichhardt, N.S.W.: Federation Press, 1996.

The Peregrine Falcon :: essays research papers

The Peregrine Falcon The peregrine falcon belongs to a group of birds called the Falconiformes. This group includes vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, and falcons. Other than vultures, all of these birds hunt and kill other animals for food. Falconiformes are equipped with hooked beaks and strong talons, making them excellent predators. All Falconiformes are daytime hunters. The peregrine falcon is the best-known of the fifty-eight birds in the falcon family. The word Peregrine comes from a word that means, "one who wanders." This falcon has definitely earned its name. For example, some of Canada's tundra peregrines fly to Brazil each winter. Peregrine falcons are found in every single part of the world except Antarctica. They were once trained by kings to hunt and bring back kills. This sport, called Falconry, is still popular. However, in the 1960s the American falcon came close to extinction. Most of the damage was done by poisons that farmers used to kill insects. The worst poison was DDT. By the time naturalists learned of DDT's effect on wildlife, it was almost too late. The American peregrine's scientific name is Falco peregrinus anatum. At one time, people called this falcon a duck hawk. That was a poor name, since falcons aren't hawks and they rarely kill ducks. The American peregrine was once found all across the eastern United States and southern Canada. In the west, the species was found from Mexico to California. DDT poisoning hit this subspecies the hardest. Even today, naturalists are still working hard to save the American peregrine from extinction. The smaller tundra peregrine (Falco peregrinus tundrius) lives farther north. Tundra peregrines range across the treeless regions of Alaska and Canada. They are also found in Greenland. Peale's peregrine (Falco peregrinus pealei) is the third North American subspecies. This western bird ranges from Oregon northward to Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Peale's peregrine is the largest of the three subspecies. The tundra and Peale's peregrines have escaped the worst effects of DDT poisoning. Most peregrines are slate blue on the back and wings. The top of its head is black. Black feathers around the eyes reduce glare and improve the bird's vision. The white underside of a Peregrine's wings, tail, and chest show more bands of dark feathers. A peregrine falcon is a medium-sized bird about the size of a crow. Female peregrines are larger and heavier than the males. An average female (called a falcon) weighs a little over two pounds. The female is eighteen inches in length from beak to square tail. Her long,

On Time Package Delivery Essay

The report should discuss in detail the solutions to the several issues that are being faced by OTPD. Based on the conversations Wayne had with Dan Gunther (District manager-Boston), Carol Klein (Key account manager-Phil), Mike Wagner (Sales representative -DC) and Carmella Stringer (Director of Admin services- Strawn, Night and Squires), one of the few major issues seems to be the lack of follow up training on the new service –(Express delivery). It looks like the sales staff needs more information and follow-up trainings to get their message across to their customers and to make them understand about the new service effectively. The sales staff should be invited to discuss the issues being faced while selling this new service and should be provided with the answers to the questions, issues frequently brought up by the customers. Sales force should also be asked to take few quick tests/quizzes when such new services are introduced so that they can know how much they actually retain after the trainings. This should help sales reps to understand the service better and hence sell it effectively to the new as well as existing customers. Another issue seems to be with the research data. Looks like there is no process set up to provide details or easy access to the data on the products offered by the competition. Until the sales force understands the differences between their product and competitions product, they will not be able to sell their services effectively, as they will not be able to defend their weaknesses or highlight the corresponding benefits of their own services. A solution to this problem could be to set up an internal online repository with all the details about competitor’s products, and where sales people could go and search or compare different products in order to understand their differences, weaknesses and benefits against each other. This should help them add tools to their armor before approaching/convincing a customer to use their product. Additionally, there needs to be a proper analysis on the requests as well as complaints made by the customers and in case the complaints are due to unreasonable requests; there should be proper process to approach, discuss and resolve the issues. Looks like in the current scenario, sales force is least bothered about the complaints and assumes that most of the complaints are due to unreasonable  demands by the customers. Also, employees should be allowed some flexible working hours, like the ones who are not able to maintain a work life balance and in turn impact their personal and professional life. Employees should be properly coached on such issues and should be asked to take some time off to recharge and regain their energy. Incentive has always been a key driver of performance and so there should be better linkages between the performance and the bonuses. Feedbacks and complaints from the customers should also play a role in the salary of the salespeople. Thus to conclude, proper trainings, performance linked incentives and coaching should help OTPD to improve the sales numbers.

Internation Recruitment and Selection Essay

The world has been rapidly transforming due to the changes in technology, innovations, and the reduction of trade barriers into and out of countries which have permitted globalization. Due to globalization human resource management has been forced to take a more international approach, and has demonstrated that a more effective management of human resources internationally is imperative for the success of companies in international business (Shen). Therefore international organizations need to understand the roll that plays the international human resource management (IHRM) department, and the importance of adopting an effective recruiting, selecting, and training strategies that will enable the company to select the right talent for the right places. IHRM plays a very important and challenging roll in the international setting of organizations because â€Å"they must develop practices which will maintain congruence with the overall strategic plan of their respective multinational c orporations, while balancing the economic, social, political, and legal constraints of the host countries† (Caligiuri). Companies understand that the only way to develop strong and successful global leaders, which are keys to competitive advantage, is through an IHRM department that has a well develop competitive strategy in place. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) like Unilever and Huawei Technologies Co., a Chinese networking and telecommunications supplier, have understood the importance of a well develop IHRM department and have implemented strategies that are aligned with a global approach that support the business operation worldwide (Gartsdie). Based on Heenan and Perlmutter model there are four competitive strategies as well as different training alternatives for global assignees that MNCs can use to develop a successful IHRM approach. The recruitment and selection (staffing) policies which MNCs implement for their foreign subsidiaries will vary greatly for every company, and should be determine accordingly with the IHRM approach the organization is pursuing (Ball). MNCs can be divided in four types based on their management approach and corporate philosophy. The first approach a MNC may consider is the ethnocentric approach which is â€Å"characterized by low pressures for cost reduction and low pressures for local responsiveness† (Ball). Ethnocentric MNCs are not willing to give up the control over foreign subsidiaries, and prefer to place expatriates employees belonging to the home country of the firm, in all key management positions abroad. IHRMs departments that adopt this approach believe that expatriates are more capable than employees of the host country, and they expect that their expatriate managers transfer headquarters’ culture and philosophy to the host nationals (Caligiuri). This approach is normally used by MNCs with primarily international strategic orientations in the early stages of globalization. The advantage of an ethnocentric approach is that it expands the experience of expatriates and prepares them for high level management positions who execute strategic decisions from headquarters. Many expatriates adapt, learn the language, and perform effectively within the host country (Ball). However data suggest that there is a high turnover rate among expatriates because many of them do not have the special set of skills, characteristics, and abilities (e.g. tolerance of ambiguity, adjust quickly, empathy, actively manage social contacts) that are required to be successful in such position (Caligiuri). Because of the previous statement it is imperative that MNCs understand that facilitating proper training and development to the expatriate is a very important part of the IHRM department because it has a major impact on the effectiveness of the expatriate manager and â€Å"research has shown that cross-cultural training is an effective intervention to prevent expatriate failures† (Deller). However MNCs today face a big problem because studies show that only fifty percent of all expatriates receive adequate training (Deller). Another very important aspect to the IHRM department needs to consider when selecting the right candidate under this approach is to keep in mind the impact in the family of the expatriate. The family’s willingness and ability to adjust is of crucial importance for the assignee’s employer and it needs to be address during the staffing process as well. Another disadvantage for this approach is that is more costly for the corporation because it has to offer more incentives to the expatriate (Deller). In the selection process it is the responsibility of the IHRM department to evaluate the efficiency and cross-cultural proficiency of the candidates to ensure the success of this approach. The polycentric staffing policy is a second approach that can be implemented by IHRM departments of MNCs. Under this approach the human resource department will look for host country nationals (HNC) to manage subsidiaries in their own country with some coordination form headquarters (Ball). With this approach IHRM departments do not need to worry about looking for certain skills or characteristics for an international setting because the candidates are employed at the subsidiary level and they do not have language and culture barriers, labor turnover reduces, productivity increase, there are ideal information of industry, legal and political configuration, and the first cost of employing them is less expensive. Also using this approach makes the subsidiary looks less foreign (Caligiuri). However the problem with hiring HCNs is that they are not familiar with the home country of the international company and with its corporate culture, policies, and practices (Ball). The underlying crisis in communication and control between the headquarters and the subsidiary due to language barriers, conflicting national loyalties and differences in personal values may create an inconsistency in the strategic management process that will result in the subsidiary operating as a separate unit. Home country national’s lack of exposure to international assignments and lack of career mobility among HCNs are also some disadvantages of this approach and ultimately will affect the competitive advantage of the MNC (Padala). According to the article of Jie Shein, â€Å"HCNs are included in management development schemes only at the subsidiary level and HCN managers are rarely promoted to senior management positions† (663). When staffing under this approach IHRM departments can choose from hiring HCNs in the home country or HCNs in the host country. Many MNCs have experienced difficulties in hiring high caliber of HCNs managers because of the lack of long-term IHRM planning and training and ineffective international management development (Shen). When the polycentric staffing approach is not adequate the regiocentric staffing approach might be a better option. The regiocentric staffing approach can be used for companies with a regional strategic approach. In this approach employees are selected for key positions within the region the subsidiary is operating, employing a variety of HCNs and third country nationals, TCNs (Ball). From this perspective the communication and integration systems must be highly sophisticated for headquarters to maintain control over the regions however the host national are given the opportunity to manage their own subsidiaries. The likelihood of HNCs career advancement is greater within the region, but still limited in headquarters (Caligiuri). The training and development for this approach are the same as with the polycentric staffing approach. One of the biggest advantages of this approach is that it serves as a bridge for MNCs to gradually move to a geocentric staffing approach. The geocentric staffing approach is used in companies with a transnational strategic orientation. This staffing approach seeks the best people for key jobs throughout the organization, regardless of nationality, selecting the best person for the job, irrespective of nationality is most consistent with the underlying philosophy of a global corporation (Padala). This approach is ideal because the human resource strategy will be the same across all subsidiaries, using the best practices from wherever they might be found across the MNC worldwide networking of operations (Ball). However one of the drawbacks of this approach is that it can be expensive to implement because of increased training, compensations packages, and relocations costs, and it could require longer lead time (Padala). IHRM staffing approaches are very important but training and development also play a very important role in the international setting. International training and development is one of IHRM’s most crucial activities. While it is true that MNCs recognize the significance of international training and development for their employees there is knowledge that this corporation’s training strategies are weak and not effective. Current researches show that today the majority of companies have ineffective training and management policies that have resulted in frequently employee failure (Shen). In order to succeed in the global arena MNCs need to implement an effective international training and development program for expatriates, HCNs, and TCNs. Globalization has definitely created a very competitive business market in which international human resource management plays a crucial role for the success on multinational corporations. It is imperative that corporation carefully analyze every staffing approach available and implement the one that will help them select the right candidates for the right position, and provide the candidates with the appropriate training and development in order to create a competitive advantage. Works Cited Ball, A. Don, et al. International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. 13th. New York: McGraw-Hill. Print. Caligiuri, Paula M., Linda K. Stroh. Multinational corporation strategies and international human resources practices: bringing IHRM to the bottom line. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 6:3 September 1995. P.494-498. Deller, Juergen. International Human Resource Management And the Formation of Cross-Cultural Competence. Institute of Business Psychology, University of Lueneburg, Germany. International Management Review. Vol.2 No. 3. 2006. Gartside, David, Griccioli, Stefano, and Rustin Richburg. Different stokes: How to manage a global workforce. Issue No.2. 2011. Outlook. Accenture. . Padala, Shanmukha Rao Dr.; Dr. N.V.S. Suryanarayana. Approaches to International Human Resource Management. September 11, 2012. Articlebase.com. . Shen, Jie. International training and management development: theory and reality. Journal of Management Development. Vol 24 No. 7, 2005. November 2, 2012.

Visualize This

Visualize This (VT) is a small start-up company specializing in virtual reality and computer visualizations. Located in the research park of a major university, the company was founded by Isaac Trice, a university professor, and staffed with the brightest of his former students. By all accounts the technology is cutting edge. Facilities include a lab of 14 high-end computer workstations adjacent to a CAVE (computer-aided virtual environment) and a small office. A conference room and central lobby are shared with other tenants in the building. Originally the company had partnered with the Swedish firm Salvania to create virtual environments for medical and industrial design. Trice and his staff would develop the software for each application; create a visual database supported with engineering or medical data, and run design sessions for their clients in the CAVE. Salvania provided the capital, generated the clients, and handled the business end of the operations. In its first two years of business, VT completed four projects. With each project, VT advanced its skills in visualization and developed customized tools to help its clients design intricate products. The clients were pleased but did not anticipate repeating the intensive design process for several years. Unfortunately, Salvania was unable to remain solvent and dissolved its partnership with Visualize This. VT was able to keep its workstations (whose salvage value was low), but gave up its rights to the CAVE and furloughed all but three employees. To stay afloat, VT needed new clients and a steady stream of income. Trice hit the streets and came back with the following possibilities: †¢ Designing computer-based training sessions for bank tellers of an international finance institution †¢ Conducting software certification for the sales staff of a large software vendor †¢ Designing virtual reality tours through history for a major museum †¢ Developing Web-based virtual models for a women's clothing retailer †¢ Creating virtual catalogues in which a customer can enlarge, rotate, and dissect a product online. This isn't what I had in mind for my company,† Trice lamented as he shared the list with his employees. â€Å"I wanted to be developing the next generation of visualization tools in concert with the brightest minds in industry, not digitizing pictures of products and making them turn around, or teaching people to use software that's not even our own! †

Breast cancer- human diease- epidemiology Dissertation

Breast cancer- human diease- epidemiology - Dissertation Example The term ‘cancer’ refers to an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, which are known as malignant cells that proliferate until they form a tumour, which is an abnormal mass of tissue or can be described as a swelling. This causes the malignant cells to break away from the tumour and travel through blood or the lymphatic system to other organs such as the lungs, where the uncontrolled growth cycle repeats itself. The report of a working group to the Department of Health defines breast cancer as a â€Å"primary malignant neoplasm of the breast excluding those arising from connective tissue† (Breast Cancer: Report of a Working Group to the Department of Health, 2000). This being a major problem that affects a considerable percentage of the population, it gains significance as a public health issue and needs to be addressed from that perspective. In this context, the following data published by the NHS, National Institute for Clinical Excellence, appended below in ta bulated form, is relevant: Country No of Registrations (1998) Incidence: Crude Rate Per 100,000 (1998) No of Deaths (2000) Mortality: Crude Rate Per 100,000 (2000) England 32,908 131.0 10,609 41.9 Wales 1,914 128.05 731 48.7 (Guidance on Cancer Care Services: Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer, 2002). ... Thus, the data reveals that the problem of breast cancer, though it affects female population largely, has to be recognized as a serious public health problem. Detailed region-wise graphical data has been appended as Annexure-I to VI to this paper. The Information Centre for Health and Social Care of the NHS has published data relating to current status of breast screening programmes in heir publication titled, Breast Screening Programme, England 2009-10 as under: (Breast Screening Programme, England 2009-10, 2011) From the above it transpires that 76.9 women in England, who fall within the age group of 53-70, have undergone the screening process for checking breast cancer. On the other hand, the percentage in London shows a downward trend at 67%. Remaining regions also show the rates around 80. While this is a good percentage, considering the issue’s relevance as a major social problem, efforts need to be made to provide coverage to more women through such programmes. The rep ort further projects data for 2002-2010, with the breakup of women into three categories based on age, as under: (Breast Screening Programme, England 2009-10, 2011) From this data, it emerges that the coverage for women in the age group of 53-64 has varied by a mere 1.1% from 76.1 in 2002 to 77.2 in 2010, while that of women 65-70 has increased considerably by 44.5% from 31.7 in 2002 to 76.2 in 2010. The average coverage of both groups put together registers an increase of 16.4% from 63.5 in 2002 to 76.9 in 2010. Thus, the overall trend is encouraging while there is still scope for including more women in the purview of breast screening programmes. This growth of cancer is classified as metastatic spread as the cancer cells leave an area and form a tumour in another body

Reflection and Refraction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection and Refraction - Research Paper Example Also, it has aided in the understanding on what makes the objects visible. The law of reflection The rule of reflection holds â€Å"for specular reflection the angle at which the wave is incident on the surface equals the angle at which it is reflected† (Anonymous, 2010). Reflection occurs when the wave travels through one medium to another. This is referred to as refractive index of the media. I order to determine the refractive index of different media, the following formula is used; n=c/v whereby, â€Å"n is the refractive index of the material, c represents speed of light in vacuum and v is the speed of light in vacuum† (Reeves, 2008). According to the law of reflection, the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection falls on the same reflecting surface and are equal and on opposite sides of the normal line (Kosso, 1998). Also, there is an assumption of a normal line which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the plane mirror surface and is the central line bet ween incident and reflected lines (appendix 1). When reflection occurs on an even surface, it forms a mirror image which appears overturned from right to left. However, when specular reflection occurs at a curved surface, these forms magnified or de-magnified images. Causes of reflection The nature of reflection depends on the surface in which the waves come into contact with (Jacobs & Schulman, 2008). ... Diffuse reflection of light waves enables us to see the various objects after coming into contact with various objects. In some situations, the reflected waves return in the direction they came from. This is referred to as retroreflection hence this makes the object to appear brighter (Reeves, 2008). Also, it is possible for reflected waves to undergo further reflections after coming into contact with another surface. This is referred to as multiple reflections (appendix 2). For example, this is observed if two mirrors are placed opposite each other and then an image is placed between them. Infinite images are formed on each mirror due to the occurrence of multiple reflections. Application of Reflection Reflections of waves of energy have numerous uses in daily lives. For example, the reflection if light waves are used in x-rays whereby, the light waves are converged and focused at a point to generate immense energy appropriate for the activity (Jacobs & Schulman, 2008). Different ma terials have different refractive indices hence when energy wave moves from dense to less dense refractive index materials; the reflected wave is diverged away from the normal. On the other hand, a movement of energy wave from a material with a less dense to a material with denser refractive index, the reflected wave is deflected to the normal line. The knowledge of reflection has also been applied in radar to manage the operations of aircrafts at the airport (Kosso, 1998). The same knowledge is also applied in radio and television broadcasting among other areas. The characteristics of waves can be viewed in the water bodies or as electromagnetic waves such as visible light. Conclusion When waves come into contact with

Does modernization theory adequately explain the levels of Assignment

Does modernization theory adequately explain the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world Support your answer with appropriate examples - Assignment Example tion theory thus takes into consideration the internal dynamics with a focus on cultural and social structures as well as adaptation of new and appropriate technology. This can be seen in the development of nations like china. Socio-economic growth on the other hand is the process of economic prosperity and social development in a society. It is a process that is elite-directed and concentrates power to produce growth trajectory in households’ living standards and culture. It is therefore measured by the indicators which include GDP, literacy, employment levels and life expectancy among others. Socio-economic growth can be impacted by changes that include: laws, ecological changes, new technology as well as changes that affect the physical environment (Baumgartner, Burns, & DeVille, 2014). Understanding these two terminologies, the essay thus holds the view that modernization theory adequately explains the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world. This essay will give an explanation as to why the above statement is correct supporting them with examples. It is correct to state that modernization theory adequately explains the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world. Let us decipher this, modernization theory focuses on internal factors within a country to be responsible for underdevelopment. These internal factors may include: literacy, the attitude of the populace, communication, infrastructure, agrarian structure, laws, among others. In this essay the listed internal factors will therefore be discussed one by one to understand their implication on socio-economic development of a country. In so doing, each of the factors will be evaluated in terms of their impact on the countries physical environment, ecological changes, technology and laws and subsequently their implication on a country’s GDP, literacy, employment levels and life expectancy among others. Modernization theory takes into consideration the internal dynamics with

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's Assignment

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's deformation - Assignment Example The example dwells on a mesh reflector. The mesh reflector is extensively used for apertures space aerial systems that are large due to their light weight and are packed easily and compactly. The reflector’s radio frequency exterior comprises of a mesh with reflective faces. It is bound from interlaced thin wires that are electrically conductive. This wires are made from molybdenum that are gold plated having diameters of 0.03mm. The mesh is extended over a net of cable that is made of composite filaments that are stiff and unidirectional, glued to a structure. The reflective exterior comprises of elements that due to their flexibility can be folded with ease. The accuracy mostly lies on the cable net’s shape. There are two major conceptual designs that can be spotted. The first design is based on partition of parabolic exterior in gores that get support from radial cables or radial ribs glued to an external ring. The second design is takes into consideration a separation of surfaces in facets that are flat formed by cable net tensioned using forces that are applied at each junction node. The concept has been borrowed from Miura who developed the concept of tension truss. Many large antennas that use this concept of tension truss have been launched and tested for instance Astromesh reflector and space radio telescope. The same concept has also been studied by a man called Tibert. He used the concept in designing an antenna that was based on tensegrity structure (Tibert 2002). Tension that is fairly uniform and isotropic in a reflective mesh makes sure that there is a good conductivity of electricity and RF reflectivity. The tension of the mesh should be adequate to withhold lateral accelerations that are greater than the ones having experience in orbit with no harsh distortion of the surface of the reflector. Tensions of mesh from 5N/m have been frequently used. Higher tension often

Early Design on the American Landscape- TOPIC- Effigy Mounds, Iowa Essay

Early Design on the American Landscape- TOPIC- Effigy Mounds, Iowa - Essay Example It has been realized that a number of these ancient landscape designs have been eroded by the time factors but, the altered cultural model has necessitated the preservation of some of these remaining historic sites. It is imperative to explore various preservation concepts that have been used over time to keep the ancient artifacts and scenic landscape to the present time. US have numerous sites of cultural heritage that is characterized by a wide range of architectural techniques. Various modes of preservation have been used to keep such historical pieces of art on land. It is equally important to establish some of the original structures that existed where a given feature currently occupy. Effigy mounts has been referred to a representation of some sort in the form of a picture or object that is easily identifiable by many. It may also mean a symbol that is used by different cultures to for the purposes of historical value or having a known significance to such community or groups of communities (Birmingham, Robert and Leslie, 66). In the modern times however, icons of places are mostly represented by beautiful architectural buildings. Though past icons such as monuments, statues and historical buildings are still recognized as icons of different places, there is a rapid change in the way icons are perceived and this has been brought about by the construction of amazing pieces of architecture. This paradigm shift has been driven by the demand for popularity and instant fame as well as for business purposes. Different regions are now in competition with one another in the construction of stunning architectural buildings. Most of Effigy Mounts features’ management is undertaken by Natural resources department of Iowa. It is just one among the many state owned tourist attraction sites in the US in co-operation with the museum agencies of the federal state. Effigy mounds are one of the greatest caretakers of various attractive sites in US. The attractive f eature is found in Iowa State; this state is one of the centers that showcase the master piece of art. The planning of this state was so planned in a way that it captures the need of the entire community at large. The location of the park is so strategic that it lies between the outskirts of the main town centre and the upcoming neighborhood. In the context of art as a perfect tool that actually symbolizes the creativity and the ultimate performance of the society, we shall consider its land mark park. The design and the infrastructural alignment in the city’s artistic work are such that administrative block being at the centre and residential environment forming an attractive settlement ring around it. About the Effigy mounts According to data from Effigy mounts, Iowa state city boasts of a well equipped schools of visual arts and monumental items where such beautiful artifacts are found. This state has various departments and these are divided into three main parts; one dea ls with filming affairs, another one repair and finally the department of artifacts. The library department is concerned with the management of the park’s arts records which they can produce at the demand or consent of the state’s authorities. There is a cultural heritage and museum department in the state which houses some of the finest artistic material in the region. Among them are some of the traditional items that were used

Character Analysis of Anne of The Thousand Days Essay Example for Free

Character Analysis of Anne of The Thousand Days Essay Thousand Days is a 1969 drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. In Anne of the Thousand Days, King Richard VIII plays the central role in the plot and progress of the play. As the king of England, Richard is the most prominent authority figure. It turns out that he is the main character and therefore the most important person in the play.Being the central character makes it easy for this character to progress the play. The main contribution to progress the play is King Richards urgent desire to have a son to take heir to his throne. This is what the entire play revolves around. There are several other contributions that he makes to move the play forward. Some of these include his infatuation with Anne Boleyn, manipulating his government to allow different women into his life, and Annes trial that leads to her eventual death. The playwright employed this character as the central story that the entire play is based upon. Being based on history, it seems to be a very interesting story about King Richard VIII and the playwright realized this. It only makes sense to make him the main character because the story is about him. This play absolutely could not have been made without the king.If I were cast into playing King Richard VIII, I would not change the central objectives of my role. Being that this play is mostly non-fiction, it does not make sense to try and alter history in a major way. In my opinion, retaining the true story as well as possible is the best way to tell a story that is heavily based on history. Bibliography Anne of the Thousand Days Tea at Trianon. 2008. 11 November 2008. http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2008/10/anne-of-thousand-days-1969.htmlAnne of the Thousand Days Wikipedia Encylopedia. 2008. 11 November 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_the_Thousand_Days

The Adobe Systems Incorporated Computer Science Essay

The Adobe Systems Incorporated Computer Science Essay This paper examines the multinational company, Adobe Systems Incorporated, its innovations, value added for its products, and competencies. The paper then examines the companys structure culture, leadership and strategy for deploying its products. Adobe Systems Incorporated Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American multinational computer software corporation founded in 1982 by former Xerox employees John Warnock and Charles Geschke; the current CEO is Shantanu Narayen, who acquired the position in 2005. Adobe is headquartered in San Jose, CA and is traded under the NASDAQ symbol ADBE. Adobes operates in many major cities in the United States; its international operations include China, India, Switzerland, Romania, Canada, and Germany. As of the third quarter of 2012, Adobe has a total revenue of $1.081 billion and a market capitalization of 16.88 billion. Adobe offers software products and services to users of operating systems and technological devices and is best known for Photoshop, Acrobat, and Flash. The companys business can be broken down into three segments: digital media, digital marketing, and digital publishing (Yahoo! Finance, 2012, Reuters, 2012) One of Adobes first product was PostScript, which is a programming language developed by Warnock and Geschke in 1982; at this time, Apple, Inc. was Adobes direct competitor. Adobe created Adobe Illustrator for the Macintosh computer in 1986 which helped to popularize PostScript; a version of Illustrator was later made for Windows in 1989. The company went public in 1986. Adobe introduced Acrobat (the PDF) in 1993, which is now the most widely used viewer and reader. The company has acquired many other companies during the early to late nineties and 2000s. Some of the well-known acquisitions include: Macromedia, Photoshop, Aldus, Omniture, and Efficient Frontier. Adobe competes directly with Apple, Microsoft, and Google (Adobe, 2012 Wikipedia, 2012). Sources and Types of Innovation A company can have one or many sources of innovation which can range from the companys culture, policies, practices, and creativity. I think in Adobes case, its sources of innovation come from creative talent, consumer and business needs, and acquisitions. Adobe started off with PostScript in 1982 invented by its two founders and it became popular because of laser printer in the 1990s (Wikipedia, 2012). The PDF file format, which evolved from PostScript, was invented by Warnock in the early 1990s. Even though there were several competing firms offering the same technology, Adobe was able to make the PDF a market standard because it made the PDF file format usable on the internet where the other competitors could not. As the internet started to boom in the 1990s the PDF became more and more popular (prepressure, 2011). Postscript and the PDF were developed for the print industry. Adobe Photoshop is well known today; thought this software was not directly developed by Adobe, the company saw an opportunity to market it. Photoshop was first developed by Thomas and John Knoll in 1987. John was unhappy with the graphics on the Macintosh computer at this time and he began writing his own code to make the Mac work they way he wanted it to, while Thomas was working on imagining process for his thesis. Both of the brothers started a collaboration and named their software Display. Unfortunately, when the brothers presented their software, now called ImagePro (then later change to Photoshop) to companies in 1988, it was rejected because many these companies were working on similar software or they just did not like the software. When the brothers presented the software to Adobe, the company was impressed with the program. The product was licensed and distributed by Adobe and the Knolls received royalties for this. Adobe added new features to the software with Thomas cod ing them; Adobe mass-marketed Photoshop in 1990 and the rest is history (computerarts, 2005). With these examples, Adobe was able to capture the need of the consumer and market and tweak the technology to make it better. The PDF and Photoshop may have been slow to take off, but Adobe came out the winner because it saw an opportunity to be successful. Adobe has acquired many companies since its inception in 1982 and the products of the former companies have made Adobe profitable. The most famous acquisition was Macromedia, the company that developed Flash and Dreamweaver for the web. Flash, which was first known as FutureSplash Animator, was developed Jonathan Gay in 1995. When Gay decided he wanted to partner with a bigger company, he approached Adobe with his software. Unfortunately, Adobe was not impressed and passed on it. Macromedia bought the program in 1996; fast forward to nine years later and the program would become Adobes own (Beach, n.d.). Adobe has made massive improvements to Flash since Macromedias acquisition in 2005, thus making the company profitable with this software as it is very widely known and used. Value Added for Adobes Products Adobe has added value to all of the products it has introduced to the market. The PDF for example offers many benefits for users. The look of a document is preserved when it is viewed on screen. PDF files can be shared easily among users and is easy and convenient to use. Users can view PDF files on all their electronic gadgets including smartphones and tablets. Not only is Adobe Acrobat easy to use, but it is also free to download. This format is used by individuals, companies and the government. Business and government websites uses this file format because it is easy to use, convenient, fast, and it makes documents easy to print. All of these factors adds value to Acrobat and for these reasons is a market standard internationally. Adobe Photoshop is internationally famous. When people hear or say the term photoshopped they are obviously referring to images that has been modified using Adobes program. Photoshop is used by millions of professional people internationally including fashion designers, photographers, architectures, graphic designers, animators, publishers, film and video pros, and web designers (photoshop.com, 2012). This software allows people to be creative and have freedom and control with their work. For example, marketers can use Photoshop to create an amazing ad seen worldwide. By using Photoshop, people create something that is valuable to them to share with others. Photoshop may have started off small, but the enhancements and features Adobe has added over the years to this software have made it very valuable to people. Adobe Flash may not have been an original idea of the company but like with Photoshop, the company has enhanced it and made it better. Flash is used in the gaming industry, advertisements, animation, and in web applications. This software is used on desktops and mobile devices, is convenient to users, and free of charge. Many web sites, including YouTube uses the Flash as this software has a large user base and it is easy to program (Wikipedia, 2012). Flash makes the internet come alive for many people and the user experience is enhanced when this product is downloaded. The software enhances the look of a webpage making it attractive to users. Adobe flash is slowly declining at the moment and many web developers are favoring HTML5 video. This new type of technology does not rely upon a plugin the way Flash does. Apple has been very critical of Flash because of its security issues and sluggishness and Microsoft did not support Flash in Windows 8. As a result of all these factors, Adobe will no longer improve the flash player on mobile devices and is favoring the HTML5 video (website design and creation, 2012). Even though Flash is declining, it still has a strong presence in the market as many still use this software. Adobe helps retailers, publishers, and marketers with digital solutions. These businesses use Adobe services and products to enhance their users experience to make it meaningful, personalized, and interactive. Most of these businesses communicate with their target audience through the web or on mobile or tablet devices. They are able to build their brand, manage and customize content, and gather customer intelligence. For example, Vanity Fair, uses Adobes Digital Publishing Suite to create a rich and interactive experience for its monthly digital publication on the iPad. American Eagle Outfitters uses Adobes Digital Marketing Suite, which includes Abobe Analytics to see where their customer traffic is coming from, to help the retailer understand what products their customers are looking at, and how their customers are responding to their market initiatives. The company uses these analytics to its advantage to make a difference for their customers online shopping experience. David Fin cher, the director for the film The Social Network, used Adobe Creative Suite during post production of the film (Adobe, 2012). Adobes software solutions and services have helped businesses all across the globe to become more efficient, productive and profitable, hence adding value to what it provides. Core and Distinctive Competencies Adobes core competencies include its software and its services. The company is able to provide distinctive products, services and solutions to its customers worldwide for their various needs. The products that Adobe delivers makes customer experiences fun and make their creative side thrive. The software that the company provides are some of the most used and recognized software in the world and cannot be imitated to work the same way or give users the same experience they would have when using Adobe software. Adobe has great talent as well including creative developers with their own core competencies and software engineers. The company is also very flexible as it dabbles in marketing, broadcasting, publishing, retail, financial services, and media and provides solutions and software for these trades. Adobes distinctive competency is its huge and impressive acquisition list, which is certainly a value-creation strategy for the firm. These acquisitions have helped Adobes businesses in publishing, marketing, and computing. As discussed before, Adobes acquisitions of Macromedia and Photoshop have made the company very profitable from the existing software of those two providers. Other examples include Omniture and Efficient Frontier Technology; both were acquired by Adobe in September 2009 and November 2011 (Wikipedia, 2012) respectively. Omniture is a web analytics company which helps clients measure users purchasing activities on the web (Hoovers, 2012). Adobe has incorporated Omnitures analytics software into its digital market business unit creating the Adobe Marketing Cloud (Adobe, 2012) Adobes marketing clients can use the software and solutions to help them track what their customers purchase or is viewing online in order to provide better services or have a better marketing c ampaign. Adobes acquisition of Efficient Frontier has also helped its digital marketing business by providing search engine marketing using the modern portfolio theory, and display and social media campaigns (crunchbase, 2012). Adobes clients can utilize the algorithms Efficient Frontier provides to increase their ad performance along with Adobe Dynamic Ad Targeting solution (adexchanger, 2011) to become more profitable. Adobes acquisitions is a smart move for the company because talent, resources, and capabilities are all pooled together making the company more valuable. With the existing software of the companies Adobe has acquired, costs are truncated because Adobe does not have to use its own resources to create these technologies; instead, the companies utilizes what it has acquired to make a better experience for its clients. These acquisitions have made the company evolve to make its brand name more valuable. Organizational Structure, Culture, and Leadership Fig 1.1 Adobes Organizational Chart Like many huge organizations in the business world, Adobe has a bureaucratic and centralized structure; it is a top down organization where the CEO is control and in charge of the companys strategic decisions. The levels of the organization and roles of the employees are clearly defined. According to Adobes website, employees are encouraged to be creative and to think outside the box. This would most likely be the slogan of any technology company because technology changes every day and becomes more complex as time passes; a person has to be creative when they work in this industry. Employees at this company often collaborate on huge projects, including the employees from Adobes acquisitions. The teams are inspiring and the individual talents are respected and recognized. Employees are encouraged to be ambitious where they can achieve their full potential. The growth within the company for an individual is endless. The company provides wellness and fitness program and good compensation and benefit plans. Adobe is committed to ethical and honest business practices and has a great deal of pride regarding corporate social responsibility and global corporate citizenship. Employees at Adobe participate in the local community and have a commitment to the environment. The c ompany value people as its greatest asset and the culture here is very open. Adobes CEO, Shantanu Narayen took his cue from Apple about leadership when he was employed by the company. He creates a common vision for the organization and challenges his employees by setting goals. He likes when employees use their creativity to come up with solutions to these goals. He believes that great work is motivating and leads to a great impact on the world. Narayen gives general managers at Adobe freedom to run their own business units the way they want. They are encouraged to grow and take risks and there is room for mistakes. The management team is encouraged to present ideas and discuss their insights into the business about what is working and what is not when there is the quarterly business is conducted; they are coached and guided by Narayen in the problem areas. The CEO thinks that managers being on top of the data is meaningless and wants to know more about what is keeping his managers up at night. Teams at Abobe are built by complementing peoples strengths by s urrounding them with people who can complement their areas of weakness. Narayen hires people who are highly intelligent, have a passion for what they do, and share the same values as Adobe as he believes these three qualities leads to success (Narayen, 2009). Strategy, Timing, and Deployment Since its inception in 1982, Adobe has always been where the action is. The desktop publishing era started at this time with laser printers, which used a program called InterPress developed by Xerox, however, this software was not very flexible. Warnock and Geschke developed PostScript at this time in a much simpler language and marketed it in 1984. When Apple developed its laser printer in 1985, it adopted Postscript to work with it. (Wikipedia, 2012). Adobes strategy here was to license and market its technology to OEMs such as IBM, Texas Instruments, and Apple. The strategy paid off because Postscript had become the standard for laser printers into the 1990s and it made Adobe very profitable. Postscript became a big hit with the publishing industry because it was extremely useful for professionals who were in the creative field (fundinguniverse, n.d.). Adobe acquired one of its major competitors in the desktop publishing industry, Aldus Corporation, the creator of desktop publishi ng software, in 1994 and now had rights to Alduss products with this acquisition (Wikipedia, 2012). Adobe was now a market leader in the industry due to its successful strategies. Adobe began to focus on creating new software when the internet began to boom in the mid-nineties. The company acquired Cencena Communications, Inc. in 1995 to strengthen its position in the market. Cencena developed communication and management tools for the world wide web and Adobe saw an opportunity. With Adobes creation of the PDF at this time and the web management tools of Cencena, the companies combined technologies helped to produce new solutions for customers and acquire a broader range of customers. Adobe was now able to integrate its software with companies such as Microsoft, Netscape, and ATT (The Free Library, 1995). When Adobe wanted to expand more rapidly into digital media, it acquired Macromedia in 2005, one of Adobes biggest competitors. Macromedia developed cutting edge software, such as Flash; once again with Macromedias and Adobes technology, Adobe was able to make its software evolve and capture new markets. Adobes current strategy involves focusing on digital media and digital marketing. The company is investing resources into HTML5 video and has acquired Nitobi, an open source software company (Adobe, 2012). When businesses and individuals need new and better solutions, Adobe steps in with its software and acquires companies that can help it evolve in the industry. Strategic partnership has always been this companys strategy and this is something Adobe does very well. Conclusion Adobe has done well as a corporation for the past thirty years. The company has developed amazing products during the past years which have had an impact on millions of people internationally and has added value to their lives and work. Adobe is able to understand what it customers needs and wants are and has catered to them with its excellent solutions and easy to use products; this has made the company become successful over the years. Adobes culture is open and encouraging and its leadership is supporting and inspiring. These factors are indicative for creativity in the company. Successful acquisitions have made the Adobe evolve with combined technologies and talent, which has led to new technologies and products for its customers. Adobes impact on the software industry has made it a powerful and well established corporation.