Stephen Crane s American Dream - 1264 Words

Stephen Crane’s American Dream The American Dream was first defined In 1931 by James Truslow Adams. He described it by writing, â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement,† in his book entitled Epic of America. He continues to describe, â€Å"that it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.† Stephen Crane’s novel, The Red Badge of Courage, deal†¦show more content†¦Another example of this is after Henry fled one of the battles and hid until it was over, â€Å"Thoughts of his comrades came to him. The brittle blue line had withstood the blows and won. He grew bitter over it. It seemed that the blind ignorance and stupidity of those little pieces had betrayed him. He had been overturned and crushed by their lack of sense in holding the position when intelligent deliberation would have convinced them that it was impossible. He, the enlightened man who looks afar in the dark, had fled because of his superior perceptions and knowledge. He felt a great anger against his comrades. He knew it could be proved that they had been fools.† Henry currently sees the situation as himself against not only the enemy, but also his very own allies, and maybe even himself. Henry does not truly think this of his comrades, he most likely thinks the exact opposite and is envious of their courage, but he is ashamed in his action. He would do anything to convince himself that he was in the right, and to do that the others had to be in the wrong. This is the point in the novel where Crane represents Henry as being at the farthest point away from t he american dream. He cannot get any closer to the it until Henry gets over his fear and sees his allies for what they are, and stops putting a wall between himself and them. Before Henry is truly able to become a part of the team he must first seeShow MoreRelatedEssay on The American Dream1459 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream in Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby, and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Millions of immigrants come to America each year to seek their American Dream. Many people believe that rising social mobility and success is possibleRead MoreHenry Flemming and Then Red Badge of Courage1725 Words   |  7 Pagesdistress, nervousness; all emotions of a young, naà ¯ve soldier entering war for the first time. To the reader, this is exactly what Henry Fleming represents. Because Crane never tells us what he looks like, just how old he is, or exactly where he comes from, and us ually refers to him as the youth (Crane, 12) or the young soldier (Crane, 14), Henry could be any young many experiencing war for the first time. Throughout the novel The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming goes through many psychologicalRead More A Walk Through Reality With Stephen Crane Essay1839 Words   |  8 PagesA Walk Through Reality With Stephen Crane      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seeking and expressing the bare truth is often more difficult than writing stories of fiction.   This truth can be harsher to the reader than works of fiction;   it can make an authors desire to reveal the essence of society through characters the reader relates to risky and unpopular.   Stephen Crane wrote of ordinary people who face difficult circumstances that his readers could relate to (Seaman 148).   Crane sought to debunk the ideas thatRead More Comparing Symbols and Symbolism in Blue Hotel, Black Cat, Night, Alfred Prufrock, Red Wheelbarrow1620 Words   |  7 Pagesof colors is evident in much of literature. The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane, The Black Cat of Edgar Allan Poe, Night by William Blake, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot, and The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams encompass examples of color symbolism from both the prose and the poetry of literature. When drawing from various modes of psychology, interpretat ions of various colors, with emphasis to dream psychology, an analysis of the colors themselves and then theirRead MoreAmerican Architecture : Constructing An Identity1434 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Architecture: Constructing an Identity Throughout American history, people have been categorized based on what gender they are, and what their race is. In order to explore these ideas and come to terms with their importances many musicians, film makers, and authors have described the inner-workings of this societal construct. Indeed, both racial and female identities have been at the epicenter of many works of art throughout American culture as can be seen in: Maggie: A Girl of the StreetsRead MoreLovely English in The Red Badge of Courage by Henry Flemming1356 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"So it came to pass that as he trudged from the place of blood and wrath his soul changed† (Crane 139). The Red Badge of Courage is a great American classic, and this wonderful quote sums up the entire novel from start to finish. The novel is a novel about a solider in the civil war who deals with the difficulties of being in war. The novel follows and captures his journey using many literary elements. Crane’s use of style , plot, setting, and characters help enhance the story. The use of these literaryRead MoreThe Luck Of Roaring Camp2062 Words   |  9 Pagesin the camp. These men were mostly all fugitives or criminals so, Bret Harte developed his first theme, the strongest love can be shown by even the roughest of people. Axel Nissen wrote in â€Å"The Feminization of Roaring Camp: Bret Harte and The American Woman s Home, â€Å"A Chicago Times reviewer wrote on May 4 1870 that Harte has taken even the lowest phases of this life, and, with a human sympathy and artistic directness that do him equal credit, he has proved that the best of poetry can be made ofRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage1797 Words   |  8 PagesAnalysis of The Red Badge of Courage: Idealization of War Homer once said, Beware the toils of war ... the mesh of the huge dragnet sweeping up the world (War Quotes III). This quote, taken from Homer s famous work, the Iliad, demonstrates the idea that war can be seen in a skewed fashion. Realistic mindsets are the key for soldiers in understanding the truth about war. War is often idealized and viewed in an unrealistic light based on heroic stories and courageous stories of battle. The classicRead MoreTaking a Look at Naturalism1496 Words   |  6 Pages Naturalism The style of naturalism, naturalistic writers writers, and naturalistic works were very influential during the1880’s to 1940’s. Naturalism began as a literary movement that used some what of a detailed realism of things to prove that social conditions and environment had shaped the human race. This form of literature was a way of explaining the ways and beauty of everyday reality.Unlike Romanticism, the use of romance to influence the reader, or Surrealism, the use of artworks and writingsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Red Badge Of Courage4842 Words   |  20 Pagesalready been written. Describe what was fresh in Crane s approach to writing about war. Stephen Crane wanted to change peoples mind about the reality of war when he was writing The Red Badge of Courage. His novel shows the differences between the reality of the situations Harry is in and the glorious way other books would portray it. Harry thinks he will receive a sendoff from the town and be looked at as a hero. His mother instead says The Lord s will be done and continues milking the cow. The

The Mexican President Porfirio Diaz - 1348 Words

It is said that those who don’t know their history are bound repeat itself and it is the case of present day Mexico. Mexico is a wonderful country with so much potential: rich in minerals, full of culture and traditions, with beautiful sceneries and landscapes perfect for tourism. However, it has not seen peace or stability in the last century. Currently there is a war in Mexico between several parties including the government and several drug cartels. Everyone involved is hungry for money and power. Similarly in 1910 the Mexican revolution which began because the country was filled with violence and suffering causing many people to flee the country in search for a safer place. All of this is due to poor leadership, corruption, and poverty. In 1910 the Mexican President Porfirio Diaz was taking advantage of his power and taking all he could away from the indigenous people of the country. Diaz acted like a dictator during his term; he would take away the land of the poor and ga ve it away to wealthier Mexican citizens. That way Diaz helped the wealthy Mexicans become wealthier and the poor became poorer. This abuse of power enraged the people and as a result Francisco Madero, Emiliano Zapata, and Pancho Villa started a revolution with the goal of taking the presidency from Diaz. This became the start of the Mexican revolution that developed into a civil war between the government and the revolutionaries. The war had many casualties and most of the country lived in fear.Show MoreRelatedDictatorship, Conspiracies, And Uprisings1615 Words   |  7 Pagesconspiracies, and uprisings are what led to the Mexican Revolution. The long battle among various sectors and changing alliances resulted in the victory of ending the thirty-year dictatorship in Mexico as well as the development of a constitutional republic. The Mexican Revolution was the first revolution of modern times that focused on the needs and dreams of the Mexican people. In the following discussio n, we will dissect the history of the Mexican Revolution and how it has shaped an essentialRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution By Porfirio Diaz887 Words   |  4 PagesVerdin, Ramon Khan, Kamal Santillan, Karen Research Paper The Mexican Revolution was brought on by tremendous disagreement among the Mexican people over the dictatorship of President Porfirio I. Dà ­az. Diaz stayed in office for 34 years. During that time, power was in the hands of only a few people. The people had no power to express their opinions or select their public officials. Wealth was also in the hands of a few people. Porfirio pushed peasants off of their lands and had business men take theirRead MorePorfirio Diaz s Impact On The Country s Material Prosperity And Pulled Mexico Out Of It s Declining State1733 Words   |  7 PagesI argue that Porfirio Diaz made contributions towards his country’s material prosperity and pulled Mexico out of it’s declining state. Porfirio Dà ­az is often remembered as a period of social degradation and oppression of freedoms in Mexico. His 35-year dictatorship brought about an immense amount of hardship for the lower classes and an unfair system of wealth distribution. The image of Porfirio Dà ­az as a ruthless tyrant is one almost everyone has of him post-revolutionary Mexico. However, with thatRead More The Mexican Revolution Essay1160 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mexican Revolution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was a huge revolution in the country of Mexico that started in the year 1910, led by Porfirio Diaz, the president of Mexico in 1910. In the 1860’s Diaz was important to Mexican politics and then was elected president in 1877. Diaz said that he would only be president for one year and then would resign, but after four years he was re-elected as the President of Mexico. Porfirio Diaz and the Mexican revolution had a huge impact on the country of Mexico that isRead MoreMexico Post Colonial1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe history of Post colonial Mexico included many successful and influential leaders: Porfirio Diaz, Francisco Madero, Francisco (Pancho) Villa, and Emiliano Zapata. Disparities in classification of the revolution arise from the numerous factions and ideological assumptions advocated for the overthrow of Diaz’s rule, hence one can argue that it was a political, social, or economical revolution. A social revolution advocates a complete t ransformation of all characteristic aspects of society, encompassingRead MoreTaking a Look at the Mexican Revolution982 Words   |  4 Pagessuccess didn’t included â€Å"all† Mexicans which its majority were lower class citizens, on this equation the majority of people were never the ones to gain; wealth and land inequalities and abuse of power will part of the daily struggle, as result of this Mexican revolution will began. In 1908, after a publication of an interview of Porfirio Diaz by James Creelman, sentiments of Revolution began to spark in Mexico, but it wouldn’t be until November 1910 when the Mexican Revolution started. The revolutionaryRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution was the culmination of a mass of political, economic, and social tension that accompanied the regime of the dictator Porfirio Diaz. The Revolution began with the aims to overthrow Diaz, but the Revolution had a pronounced effect on the organization of Mexicos government, economy, and society. Porfirio Diaz was the president of Mexico when the Revolution broke out. He was elected in 1877, and although he swore to step down in 1880, he continuedRead MoreEconomic, Social, and Political Causes of the Mexican Revolution1734 Words   |  7 PagesPolitical causes of The Mexican Revolution 1840-1910 The Mexican Revolution is one of the most significant historical events in Mexican history. Without the revolution Mexico would not be the democratic country that it is today. â€Å"The Mexican Revolution is often seen as a standard bearer through which other subsequent Latin American revolutions are interpreted.†(Darity) There were several significant events spanning several years that led up to the unrest of the Mexican people resulting in aRead MoreIndependence During The War For Independence1512 Words   |  7 Pagesstayed the same. The changes that happen were led by the reformation of a rural police force in Mexico and also the rise/reign of Porfirio Diaz that brought about supporters with a long rule. The bandits and police had many roles in Mexican society after the War for Independence. The bandit’s roles are somewhat unique because bandits took on my characters in Mexican society. Bandits were made up of mostly peasants, but it comprised of temporary bandits from all parts of society that included; unemployedRead MoreModern Mexican Society And Its Culture1616 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand modern Mexican society and its culture we have to analyze its social, economic and political development through the early stages of industrialization and the conditions under which this development took place. Following the Marxist theory of Historical Materialism, we will look at the rise of capitalism during the Porfiriato (time period in which General Porfirio Diaz governed Mexico), the class conflicts arising during this time period that produced the Mexican Revolution of 1910,

Math Ib Ia Sl Free Essays

Jonghyun Choe March 25 2011 Math IB SL Internal Assessment – LASCAP’S Fraction The goal of this task is to consider a set of fractions which are presented in a symmetrical, recurring sequence, and to find a general statement for the pattern. The presented pattern is: Row 1 1 1 Row 2 1 32 1 Row 3 1 64 64 1 Row 4 1 107 106 107 1 Row 5 1 1511 159 159 1511 1 Step 1: This pattern is known as Lascap’s Fractions. En(r) will be used to represent the values involved in the pattern. We will write a custom essay sample on Math Ib Ia Sl or any similar topic only for you Order Now represents the element number, starting at r=0, and n represents the row number starting at n=1. So for instance, E52=159, the second element on the fifth row. Additionally, N will represent the value of the numerator and D value of the denominator. To begin with, it is clear that in order to obtain a general statement for the pattern, two different statements will be needed to combine to form one final statement. This means that there will be two different statements, one that illustrates the numerators and another the denominators, which will be come together to find the general statement. To start the initial pattern, the pattern is split into two different patterns; one demonstrating the numerators and another denominators. Step 2: This pattern demonstrates the pattern of the numerators. It is clear that all of the numerators in the nth row are equal. For example all numerators in row 3 are 6. 1 1 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15 15 15 Row number (n)| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| Numerator (N)| 1| 3| 6| 10| 15| N(n+1) – Nn| N/A| 2| 3| 4| 5| Table 1: The increasing value of the numerators in relations to the row number. From the table above, we can see that there is a downward pattern, in which the numerator increases proportionally as the row number increases. It can be found that the value of N(n+1) – Nn increases proportionally as the sequence continues. The relationship between the row number and the numerator is graphically plotted and a quadratic fit determined, using loggerpro. Figure 1: The equation of the quadratic fit is the relationship between the numerator and the row number. The equation for the fit is: N= 0. 5n2+0. 5n or n2+n2, n0 Equation 1 In this equation, N refers to the numerator. Therefore, N= 0. 5n2+0. 5n or n2+n2, n0 is a statement that represents step 2 and also step 1. Step 3: In relation to table 1 and step 2, a pattern can be drawn. The difference between the numerators of two consecutive rows is one more than the difference between the previous numerators of two consecutive rows. This can be expressed in a formula N(n+1) – N(n) = N(n) – N(n-1) + 1. For instance, N(3+1) – N(3) = N(3) – N(2) +1. Using this method, numerator of 6th and 7th row can be determined. To find the 6th row’s value, n should be plugged in as 5 so that N(6) can be found. As for the 7th row’s numerator, n should be plugged in as 6. 6th row numerator is therefore: N(5+1) – N(5) = N(5) – N(4)+1 N(6) – 15 = 15 – 10+1 N(6) = 15+6 N(6) = 21 7th row numerator is therefore: N(6+1) – N(6) = N(6) – N(5)+1 N(7) – 21 = 21 – 15 +1 N(6) = 42 – 15 + 1 N(6) = 28 Not only by this method, but from the equation found in step 2, figure 1, 6th and 7th row numerator can be found also. 6th row numerator: N(6)=0. 5? 62+0. 5? 6 N(6)=0. 5? 36+3 N(6)=21 th row numerator: N(7)=0. 5? 72+0. 5? 7 N(7)=0. 5? 49+3. 5 N(7)=28 Consequently, these are the values of numerators up to the 7th row. 1 1 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15 15 15 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 Using the method in step 3 and equation 1 in figure 1, it is evident that the numerator in the 6th row is 21. Since both equations have brought same values, it can be concluded that equation 1 is a valid statement that demonstrates the pattern of the numerator. Equation 1 will be used later also, in order to form a general statement of the pattern of whole LACSAP Fractions. Step 4: When examining the denominators in the LASCAP’S Fractions, their values are the highest in the beginning, decreases, and then increases again. For example, the denominators in row 5 are; 15 11 9 9 11 15. From this pattern, we can easily see that the equation for finding the denominator would be in a parabola form. Element | 0| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| Denominator | 15| 11| 9| 9| 11| 15| The relationship between the denominator and the element number is graphically plotted and a quadratic fit determined, using loggerpro. Figure 2: This parabola describes the relationship between the denominator and element number. The equation for the fit is : D = r2 – nr+r0 . In this equation, r refers to the element number starting from 0, and r0 being the first denominator value in the row. n refers to the row number starting from 1. To see if this equation work, the 3rd denominator value in the 3rd row was measured. D = 22 – 3 ? 2+6 D = 4 – 6 +6 D = 4 With this equation, it is evident that the 6th and 7th row denominator values can be found. We already know the first and last denominators from when numerators were found; which are 21 and 28. 6th row second and sixth denominator: D = 12 – 6 ? 1+21 D = 1- 6+21 D = 16 6th row third and fifth denominator: D = 22 – 6 ? 2+21 D = 4- 12+21 D = 13 th row fourth denominator: D = 32 – 6 ? 3+21 D = 9- 18+21 D = 12 7th row second and seventh denominator: D = 12 – 7 ? 1+28 D = 1- 7+28 D = 22 7th row third and sixth denominator: D = 22 – 7 ? +28 D = 4- 14+28 D = 18 7th row fourth and fifth denominator: D = 32 – 7 ? 3+28 D = 9- 21+28 D = 16 Now, since the denominators in the 6th and 7th row are found, the sixth and seventh rows can be drawn and added in the LACSAP’S Fractions. Consequently, these are the fractions up to the 7th row. 1 1 32 1 1 64 64 1 1 107 106 107 1 1 1511 159 159 1511 1 1 2116 2113 2112 2113 2116 1 1 2822 2818 2816 2816 2818 2822 1 Now that the patterns for the LASCAP’S Fractions are found, all fractions can be expressed in the form En (r) when it is the (r+1)th element in the nth row, starting with r=0. The general statement of the pattern is clearly found when using the equations for the nominator and the denominator. Therefore, the general statement for En r will be En (r) = 0. 5n2+0. 5n r2 – nr+r0 In order to see if the equation works correctly, we can plug in number and figure out if the general statement works out. For example, E7 (3) = 2816 = 0. 5n2+0. 5n r2 – nr+r0 = 0. 5 ? (7)2+0. 5 ? (7) 32 – 7? 3+28 = 2816 . Here, it is clear that the formula is applicable. In order to make sure that the general statement is valid, finding the additional rows of the recurring sequence of fractions by using the general statement above would be useful. Here, I chose to settle on 2 additional rows which are the 8th and 9th rows in the pattern. 8th row numerator: N(8)=0. 5? 82+0. 5? 8 N(8)=0. 5? 64+4 N8=36 9th row numerator: N(9)=0. 5? 92+0. 5? 9 N(9)=0. 5? 81+4. 5 N9=45 8th row second and eighth denominator: D = 12 – 8 ? 1+36 D = 1- 8+36 D = 29 8th row third and seventh denominator: D = 22 – 8 ? 2+36 D = 4- 16+36 D = 24 8th row fourth and sixth denominator: D = 32 – 8 ? 3+36 D = 9- 24+36 D = 21 8th row fifth denominator: D = 42 – 8 ? 4+36 D = 16- 24+36 D = 28 9th row second and ninth denominator: D = 12 – 9 ? 1+45 D = 1- 9+45 D = 37 9th row third and eighth denominator: D = 22 – 9 ? +45 D = 4- 18+45 D = 31 9th row fourth and seventh denominator: D = 32 – 9 ? 3+45 D = 9- 27+45 D = 27 9th row fifth and sixth denominator: D = 42 – 9 ? 4+45 D = 16- 36+45 D = 25 Thus, these are the fractions up to the 9th row. 1 1 1 32 1 64 64 1 1 107 106 107 1 1 1511 159 159 1511 1 1 2116 2113 2112 2113 2116 1 1 2822 2818 2816 2816 2818 2822 1 1 3629 3624 3621 3628 3621 3624 3629 1 1 4537 4531 4527 4525 4525 4527 4531 4537 1 This shows that the general statement for the symmetrical, recurring sequence of fractions is valid and will continue to work. 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Human Resource Management International Digest †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Human Resource Management International Digest. Answer: Introduction This paper analyzes the strategic challenge of maintaining and improving innovation and unique technologies in Apple. Innovation has been the driver of Apples continuous and fast rise and success since the company was started by Steve Jobs more than 30 years ago. The culture of the company has been built upon the idea of uniqueness and innovation. The company has however been facing challenges in the market due to increased competition in the market from different companies such as Microsoft, Samsung and Google. These companies have come up with very innovative products that rival Apple in the market. It is therefore very vital for Apple to design a strategy that will help it to remain competitive and maintain its position in the market as the leading premium consumer electronic company (Dormehl 2012). ,Some of the products developed by the company include; Iphone, Ipad tablet, mac personal computer, Apple TV, Ipod media player as well as the Apple Smartphone. The software designed b y the company include OS, Mac OS, Itines media player, iTunes safari browser and the iLife and iWork software(Appannaiah et al. 2009). The strategic challenge of increasing innovations and increased product differentiation will help the company to become more competitive in the market. The major issues in this strategic challenge is identifying customer needs in order to produce and design products that customers need rather than just what the company wants to sell. Creativity and innovation have been at the core of the growth of Apple company. The strategy of innovation is one of the core values of the organization and it has played a very significant role in the development of Apple. Innovation is very important especially in this industry. The consumer electronic industry is very progressive in terms of technological advancement. In the recent years, the competition has become stiffer with the entry of companies like Microsoft in the Smartphone market which is the main rival of Apples` iPhone. Companies like Samsung have also taken up a huge chunk of the mobile telephones market share. Innovation and product differentiation has helped the company challenging the market position of Apple as the premium mobile phone company with its Samsung s series. Another reason why innovation is a strategic challenged for Apple is because of the desire of the company to maintain its market position and improve its market share. Competitor data on market share in the industry Period Samsung Apple Huawei OPPO vivo Others 2015Q4 20.4% 18.7% 8.2% 3.6% 3.0% 46.2% 2016Q1 23.7% 15.4% 8.4% 5.9% 4.4% 42.2% 2016Q2 22.8% 11.7% 9.3% 6.6% 4.8% 44.9% 2016Q3 21% 12.5% 9.3% 7.1% 5.9% 44.2% SWOT analysis Apple has been successful mainly due to innovation. The main reason why Apple has lasted for so long in the market, while still growing and improving its market share is because of its high level of innovation and product development. The company has produced new and unique products in design, hardware and software that have set the company apart from its competitors. Product differentiation is also one of the strengths of Apple. The company has a wide variety of products ranging from Smartphone, PC, software and music download services (Ansoff 2014). Having a large product portfolio the company to increase its revenue streams hence increasing profitability. Product differentiation also helps in spreading risk (Dormehl 2012) The focus on consumer needs has helped the company grow to a very great extent. Apple develops its entire product after it has conducted a thorough market research to identify gaps in the market and the needs of the consumers. Product positioning has been very crucial to the success of Apple. The company portrays itself as selling premium quality products that are long lasting and easy to use. The company only produces products that are very unique of high quality and high prices and therefore becoming the market leader among consumers with high levels of income.("Apple surpasses Microsoft as world's most valuable tech company" 2010) Another major reason why Apple triumphed in the market is that its products are easy to use compared to those of competitors. The founder and former CEO of the company Steve Jobs always emphasized the need to simplicity. Simplicity in user interface is the guide to both software and hardware engineers and therefore, the company has been able to produce products that are user friendly and therefore encouraging more consumers to buy the products. Weaknesses of Apple Despite the many strengths that the company has, there are also several weaknesses that exist in the company has. One of the major weaknesses of the company is inability to match the expectations of customers. Since the company holds a significant market share and customers pay a premium to buy its products, the customers expect so much from the company in terms of quality and uniqueness. Sometimes, the expectations are overwhelming for the company and it fails to meet the expectations of customers. This results to unhappy customers and this becomes a problem for the company since one of its core values is maximization of consumer needs. Another weakness for Apple is incompatibility. Most of the products manufactured by the company are incompatible with software and accessories from other manufactures. This becomes a problem for users at times since they may need to install a program in their device but since the product is not compatible, it may end up inconveniencing them. Apple has a very limited product portfolio. The product range of Apple consists of approximately eight products. When this is compared with the product range of its competitors like Google and Microsoft, it looks like Apple has a lot of catching up to do. Just like there are strengths and weaknesses that are in the company, there are also various opportunity available for the company that can be exploited. Exploitation of these opportunities results to better financial and economic performance of the organization (O'Grady 2009). The following are the opportunities available in the market and tin the industry for Apple. Since Apple is a leading company in technology, it has become increasingly important for the company to diversify. Apple has an opportunity to venture into the motor vehicle industry where the technology of self driven cars is applied. This technology should be put into commercial tests by the year 2020. 5Technological advancement - this is always an opportunity for companies in the consumer electronics industry. Apple should therefore stay on its toes and always ensure that it is continuously rolling out products that are exciting for consumers. Staying for long without offering consumers new products eventually erodes the sales volumes of products and the revenues for the company reduces. iwatch and Apple TV. The iWatch and Apple TV are products that are focused at the future and should be fully developed and ready for the market with the advancement of digital technology. Another opportunity that should be utilized by Apple is that of growing and expanding market. The current market of Apple for both the iPhone and the Macbook are underutilized. There lies a lot of demand for the companys products especially in the developing countries. This is informed by the fact that the level of income for people in these countries has been on the rise and therefore an increase in demand of luxurious goods. Threats in this case refer to factors that pose a challenge to the operations or products of Apple in the market. There are very few internal factors that pose a threat to Apple. Most of the threat for the companies` products results from outside forces such as competition. The following are the threats for Apple: Market penetration in the Smartphone market. The Android technology which is used in most Smart phones has posed a major competition for Apple. This has eaten into the market share of the company with the Android having a 47.5% market share and Apple having 42% market share. This therefore means that since the Android technology is used by most or all Smartphone manufacturers and therefore competition can only increase in the future. Another threat for Apple that the laptop brand Macbook is facing is increased competition and the fact that its sales are dwindling. This competition is mostly from brands such as Dell, Sony and Lenovo. Therefore the company has to re-position the product in order to help it gain increased brand value in the market. Continuous marketing of the product is also required. The company has a lot of cash in banks estimated to be around $34.8 billion and this has generated to political heat with people calling for higher taxation. The company is also highly dependent on low cost manufacturing in China and therefore in case of political or social unrest in China, the company can suffer huge losses. The companies investment in music could lead to calls for the company to split up and be treated like two different businesses. Increased labor cost in China will affect the companies` competitive advantage in terms of cost. The incomes of middle level income earners is reducing and this may affect Apple sales. Shifting demand for Apples product with consumer spending expected to be highest in Africa in some few years time. There are ethical issues concerning the company manufacturing in China especially in the US market. This may affect the Apple brand position in the country. The competitors of Apple have successfully duplicated apples Products, services and business model and therefore putting a lot of pressure on Apple. The uniqueness of Apple`s products is taken away. The increasing demand for tablets and Smartphones has led to decrease in popularity of Apple. This means that the companies market share may reduce in future. Apple`s operating system limits the decision making by consumers since it is incompatible with most common applications. This inconveniences customers and they may opt to buy other brands. Concern for Apple is disposing off used electronic devices. Most of this devices have lithium batteries which are hazardous to the environment. The manufacturing activities of the company in China are raising concern due to the pollution that comes from the factories. The efforts of China to reduce greenhouse gases could lead to increase in cost of energy and this will increase the cost of the company. There is likely to be increased regulations for Apple since it entered the financial services industry. This will mean that the company will be under increased scrutiny from financial regulators. Apple is planning on entering the automobile industry with the manufacture of self driven cars which means that the legal restrictions of the company will be more stringent. The core strategic value analysis The core strategic value in the strategic challenge of innovation and product differentiation is that it is at the core of the companies` future growth. The Apple company past growth has been centered on development of unique and high level technology. The technology has been in form of both software products as well as hardware products. Apple company is vertically integrated which means that it produces raw materials and the final products. Vertical integration of the company ensures that the company has a complete value chain where it produces raw material, depends on its own software and also manufactures the final product. This has helped the company to maximize value for its products. The company has been able to integrate forward and backward through the emphasis on innovation and technological development. A good example is the IOS software that is used as the operating system in the iPhone (McGee 2014). This technology is unique and is only used in the manufacture of iPhones only. The future plans and strategies of Apple are also based on leveraging on technological advancement through research and innovation. Research and innovation will help Apple to develop new versions of iPhone such as iPhone 8, the Apple TV, Apple car, Apple jets. The company will also be able to develop software for both mobile phones and the Macbook brand which will help the company to become more competitive in the market. Developing of new computer operating system that is different from the one used in macbook will help the company to compete with Microsoft and Google effectively (Kaliannan Ponnusamy 2014). This will broaden the income streams of the company and therefore raise the revenues of the company. Through innovation, a company is able to increase its product portfolio. Increasing the range of products under the Apple brand is in line with the companys future growth plan and objectives. To achieve this, a lot needs to be done in mentoring and motivating employees to develop new products and technologies. These products should not be limited to the industry or the consumer electronics industry. By increasing the product range, Apple will be able to spread its risk among many markets and products and therefore failure in one product will have minimal effect on the company. This will also help the company to utilize its popular brand name since, its almost guaranteed that Apples` customers trust all the products originating from the company and will pay a premium to acquire such products. The strategy of innovation will also help to boast the image of the company further. Research indicates that a progressive and technologically advanced company is viewed more favorably by consumers compared a conservative organization. This is because, most customers like being in the first line when it comes to technology. This therefore means that if Apple keeps the high pace of technological advancement and improvement, its brand value will continue growing a nd becoming more popular: ("Inside Apple: how America's most admired--and secretive--company really works" 2012). It will be able to surpass Google which has become a major technological global force which has put companies such as Apple in a very risky position. Analysis of the competitive environment It is important to analyze the competitive environment in which Apple operates. This is very crucial in designing strategies for the company. Strategy formulation and implementation for an organization requires an in depth understanding of the environment in which an organization is operating so as to understand the strategies used by competitors. This section will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Apple`s major competitors. The major competitors of Apple include Microsoft and Google. Wide range of product. The company has more than 11 products consider its brand which generates revenue in excess of $1 billion per year. This helps the company to be diverse and have different sources of income. The windows phone has been successful in the market and this has helped the company to claim a share in the hardware mobile phone business. Another strength of Microsoft is that its windows product for PC has been very successful and dominated the pc software market (Scott 2008). The windows pc enjoys around 80% market share and this has been very important for the company. High level of innovation in the company has resulted to the company designing and producing very competitive products for the company. The search product for the company called Bing has not been able to compete well in the market. This has been mainly due to market dominance of Google. Bing features are also inferior compared to competitors and the search by Bing is very slow. Another significant weakness is the internet explorer .This product once held more than 80% of the market share of the internet access software(Rotha?rmel 2017).The company has however lost the market share to competitors over the years due to lack of product development which made it unappealing to customers. Google strengths The products of Google are highly diversified and differentiated. The company has more than 20 products in the market ranging from internet search engines to mobile software and operating system (White 2014). This helps to diversify and expand the revenue streams of the company. Another strength of Google is its dominance in the internet business. This has helped the company to gain a lot of revenue from advertisement which has helped the company to grow from strength to strength. The gmail by Google has been a very successful product in the market. The product has been able to overtake traditional giants such as Yahoo and it is the market leader in providing email servers to customers globally (Kaliannan Ponnusamy 2014). Android by Google is the driver of the Smartphone technology. This product is one of the most successful products by Google and has generated a lot of revenue from licensing out to mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Tecno. One of the weaknesses of Google is that it is over reliant on software. Most of the companies` products are software and the company has not ventured in the hardware manufacturing and design of smart phones despite being the patent holder of Android which is used by all Smartphone manufactures. This is a weakness because, in case of loss of market share in the internet business, the company may find its revenues highly affected by this change. Strategic position of Apple The strategic position of Apple is that of premium high quality goods and services which are highly differentiated. This strategy has helped the company to maintain a market leadership position in the mobile phone industry. The market position of Apple has been achieved to the ability of the company to innovate and develop unique products on a regular basis. The iPhone series of phones has been very successful with sales hitting billions of US dollars (Hitt et al. 2017). . The company has been able to develop unique products like iTunes which is provides music download services. The companies` products are exceptionally high and this helps the consumers to view the product as being superior to others in the market. Apples products are mostly viewed by consumers as a luxury good and people who own it are seen as of high class in the society. The high prices by the company have a positive impact on the position of the company since the company has retained the appeal as being of premium quality and unique in design and product features. Recommendations Apple should take the following steps to improve on the strategic position of the company. The innovation and technological development in the company is quite remarkable but still a lot needs to be done to improve on the products line of the company so as to help in diversity and product differentiation. Apple should invest more in talented and innovative staff. This will be done by proper training and instilling the right values in young and energetic staff that will help to generate new ideas and products for the company (Hitt et al. 2017). The company should also increase its spending on research and development. Since Apple is one of the biggest companies that allocate very little proportion of its revenue to research and development of the company, it is important for the company to increase its allocation in order to develop more products for the company (Rotha?rmel 2017). Conclusion From the analysis of the strategic challenge of innovation and differentiation, it is quite clear how important this strategic challenge is to the organization. The report analyzes the how the strategic challenge affects the organization and how the strategic challenge can be used by the organization to help it grow and develop further. A SWOT analysis is done on the company to determine the strengths and weaknesses in the organization. Innovation is the most important core values of Apple as a company and it is therefore very crucial for the company to focus further on the coming up with more innovative products. An environmental analysis of the company is also conducted to assess the competitive environment in which the company is operating so that strategies can be designed to help the company remain competitive in the market. References Ansoff, H. (2014). Strategic management, 1st ed. [Place of publication not identified]: Palgrave Macmillan. Apple surpasses Microsoft as world's most valuable tech company. (2010). Physics Today. DOI: 10.1063/pt.5.024368 Dormehl, L. (2012). Different thinking, 1st ed. London: Virgin. Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R. (2017). Strategic management, 1st ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Inside Apple: how America's most admired--and secretive--company really works. (2012). Choice Reviews Online, 49/11: 49-6372-49-6372. DOI: 10.5860/choice.49-6372 Kaliannan, M., Ponnusamy, V. (2014). Apple was sweeter when Steve Jobs held sway. Human Resource Management International Digest, 22/4: 25-28. DOI: 10.1108/hrmid-07-2014-0084 McGee, J. (2014). Strategic management, 1st ed. Chichester: Wiley. O'Grady, J. (2009). Apple Inc., 1st ed. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Rotha?rmel, F. (2017). Strategic management, 1st ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Scott, M. (2008). Apple, inc, 1st ed. Westport: Greenwood. White, C. (2014). Strategic management, 1st ed. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Flags, Fires, and the Collegiate Spirit free essay sample

Now that I am a lightly seasoned college student, reflecting on my high school troubles has been interesting. I used to worship the gods of prep books, praying every night that my cramming wouldn’t be in vain that my rushed presentation risked only slight offence, that my half-baked essay was enough to get me out the door of one school and onto the waiting list of another. Back then it was easier to buckle down and get to work. We had the ultimate motivation: an end goal was always at risk of being lost: â€Å"You cant expect to get into a good college on poor grades alone,† they used to tell us. It turned out that poor grades werent the deciding factor: we needed good references, and money too. Procrastination came easy- staring at walls and neglecting busy work came before breathing. We even had a whole subject in our senior year dedicated to it. We will write a custom essay sample on Flags, Fires, and the Collegiate Spirit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Dubbed â€Å"College Counseling† we met once a day to gaze deeply at computer screens, lost in lack of thought. When it seemed as if the question â€Å"is this college the right choice for me?† was etched into the student’s face, more often than not they were pondering how long they could put off the applications. Only the most prestigious schools were even considered worthy of our night-before application essays. For us, it was go big or go home a crying disgrace. Our school administration tried to motivate us in every way possible. It was tradition put up decorations from all the colleges that each graduating class had been accepted too. Pinned to the walls of our small school’s lunch room, the flags of colleges were sorted by graduating year. Supposedly, the success of previous years were intended to drive us into bigger and better things. I found that the decorations just drove my sanity off a cliff. They were a constant representation of what I wanted and feared the most. Thankfully,because we were a small school it was easy to accept the lack of flags on our wall. The previous graduating class was just one guy, so I was confident that more than one of us would show some potential. Despite our lack of conviction, our year was the largest graduating class in school history, and we did end up racking up quite a few flags on the wall. The administration took this as a sign that their own last minute prayers were working, and they thought our enthusiasm came from the proper display of the college flags. When it came down to decision week, when most of the universities picked their lucky applicants of the a hat and toss the rest aside, the staff took down all the flags and began a ritual. They would take down all the flags and stitch them together. A suit was formed, a rainbow of colors, letters, and mascot faces. Remaining flags were layered, sewn, and attached under the arms, forming lattice like, checkerboard wings. Harvard lay next to University of Arizona, Brown and Princeton stitched with Florida Memorial, and Columbia with University of Chicago. The whole left wing was University of California with Brigham Young in there somewhere. â€Å"Its symbolic,† Ms. Ruggles, our head of school, said, â€Å"We put wings on it to represent how soon you’ll all be flying through college, rising to your goals you’re working so hard for.† The symbolism was lost on me. How could anything fly with so many holes in the wings? The tiny engineer in my head beat down the tiny English student, and I went back to worrying. I keep hope that whoever wears this bird suit brings us luck, because it couldnt hurt. We, the students, had it all wrong: the secret to getting in wasnt writing a good essay, it wasnt trying to be more than just a number, it was whose administration could stitch the collegiate flags together into the best bird suit possible. The bird suited man would flap and squawk around the building, pecking at the group and searching for a good locker to roost in. We figured that the man in the costume was so entranced by the ritual, so overcome by the spiritual power of the collegiate cosmos, that wherever he chose to roost was a good omen. We tracked the bird tirelessly through campus, hoping that the spirit of our college of choice would manifest its mascot into our chicken man, show us a sign, and hand us an acceptance letter personally. But no luck. At the end of the week, just before most decisions came out, the bird man would throw himself onto a pyre, an ultimate sacrifice to bring good luck to our lives. No one tried to stop him, or even question the symbolism. We all thought of him in reverence and respect as we feverishly refreshed our in-boxes, waiting for that dreaded email to come though. Those who got into their first choice months before by â€Å"early decision† were un-rightfully free of worr y. Why should they not feel the stress of waiting acceptance? Why should their timely essays have priority over ours, backed by the sacrifices of flag-bird-man? As acceptances started pouring in through the Ethernet cables, many of us started to notice a similarities between ourselves and the early-app students. What we mistook for a mixture of confidence in themselves and pity for us was more like immobilizing fear and discomfort. The end goal was already reached: but the realization that it wasnt a true end started to dawn on all of us. College was just the next step. We clumped together and tried to rationalize it. Maybe college won’t be that hard? Maybe our pattern of waiting and rushing would still work out? We thought about starting fresh, moving out on the reservation as one big commune, but then decided that it wouldnt be fair to flag-bird-man. We couldnt bring ourselves to wasting his precious sacrifice. An egg ahead of his era, his Facebook memorial page he would live on, instilling courage in our hearts to grab the challenges of college by the beak.

Sergeant Alvin York essays

Sergeant Alvin York essays In the book Sergeant York: An American Hero, by Author/Historian David D. Lee produces an biography of the World War 1 soldier who single-handedly killed 25 and captured 132 Germans during the battle of the Argonne. .0Lees study also deals with Yorks long postwar efforts to bring schools and roads to his remote Kentucky/Tennessee hometown, and examines the hero-making process that followed York for the rest of his life. David D. Lee announces two purposes for this book. As a Historian, Lee wishes to prepare a scholarly account of Alvin Yorks story in order to penetrate the myth surrounding him and establish the facts of his life (p. xi). As a student of the hero-making process itself, Lee also intends to use York situations to illustrate how heroes are chosen, how they in turn manipulate the process, the characteristics heroes exhibit, and role institutions play in publicizing them (p. xi). David D. Lee book biographical dimension succeed admirably. Although sympathetic, Lee avoids romanticizing York, quickly sketching the formative years of a rowdy though family-loving youth whose wild ways and taste for alcohol (p. 7) finally yielded to his sense of sin, his mothers pleas, and his own love for Miss Gracie William. Lee convincingly accounts for Yorks transformations from Christian pacifist to Godly crusader and judiciously describes how man of social caliber would heroically capture 132 Germans. Home form France, York passed his life, except for publicity tours, in Tennessee, where he sought to bring education, religion, and prosperity to his hometown area of Fentress Country. Only the specialist will need to know more about York. The meager record of a poorly educated man living among similarly handicapped people suggest the difficulty of learning much more about Yorks inner life than Lee reveals. His slim books more ambitiou...

Identifying a Researchable Problem Research Paper - 2

Identifying a Researchable Problem - Research Paper Example Cultural differences my influence eating behavior and undermine universal effectiveness of an intervention approach. Understanding benefits of Evidence Based Practice and Evidence Based Research and leading change among nurses towards these can therefore improve efficiency of care and is my area of interest. Incidence and prevalence of a health problem suggest inefficiency of applied intervention strategies and the case of hypertension among adults in the United States illustrates this. High incidence and prevalence rates of hypertension in the nation is therefore the problem and an understanding of factors such as causes, gaps in current practices, and possible effective practices is necessary for prevention and management. High incidence and prevalence rate of hypertension in the United States, which suggest ineffectiveness of prevention and management measures, establish significance of the problem. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), about 29 percent of American adults suffer from hypertension and the high blood pressures are only controlled in less that 50 percent of the affected population. In addition, about 33 percent of the remaining American population have pre-hypertension and are therefore at high risk of developing hypertension. With the current annual expenditure of $ 46 billion due to incidence of hypertension, the rate of pre-hypertension implies greater future expenditure, and prevention and management are necessary. High mortality rate, about 1000 deaths per day, which can be attributed to hypertension, also identifies significance because of the emotional pain on the bereaved and economic loss due to reduced labor force. The economic loss also exists whe n a hypertension patient is unable to report to work or work efficiently. High blood pressure also increases an

Employee engagement in Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee engagement in Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The paper tells that the structure and the elements of organizational policies depend primarily on the needs of each organization. At the next level, the potential of an organization to respond to the demands of a particular plan needs to be carefully measured in advance, i.e. before implementing the initial phase of the plan. On the other hand, the response of employees to organizational changes cannot be precisely estimated in advance. This problem has been critical in the context of modern organizations; indeed, employee resistance to change is among the key problems of businesses in all industries. In practice it has been proved that when employees are urged to participate in organizational plans, their resistance to the changes initiated is limited. In this context, the use of various strategies for promoting employee participation can be characterized as unavoidable. Employee engagement is a concept reflecting the promotion of employee participation in critical organizational a ctivities. Employee engagement has been described as ‘an individual’s sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort and persistence directed towards organizational goals’. In accordance with another definition, employee engagement should be considered as ‘a work – related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication and absorption’. From another point of view, employee engagement has been characterized as the view that each employee has in regard to his work experience. (Finney 2008, p.204) The role of employee engagement in modern organizations is examined in this paper. Reference is made to the employee engagement policies of Marks and Spencer, a well-known British firm. The efforts of the firm to promote employee engagement across its departments are evaluated using the literature developed in the particular field. 2. Marks and Spencer Overview Marks and Spence r is a major competitor in the global retail industry. The firm’s employees are estimated to 78,000, referring to the firm’s stores in UK and worldwide (Marks and Spencer, About us, 2012). The organization is quite expanded in UK, with a network of about 700 stores, but also internationally (Marks and Spencer, About us, 2012). The firm operates in the food sector, with a percentage of 51%, while the activities of the organization in the clothing and homeware represent the 49% of the firm’s sales (Marks and Spencer, About us, 2012). The organization has been in the British market for quite a long period of time, being established in 1901 in Derby (Marks and Spencer, History 2012). Through the decades the growth of the organization has been impressive, as proved through its current position in the international market. 3. Employee engagement in Marks and Spencer - Plan A Employee Engagement scheme 3.1 Key aspects of employee engagement in Marks and Spencer  œ Presentation and analysis of Plan A Employee Engagement scheme Employee engagement in Marks and Spencer is promoted through a scheme known as Plan A. The specific scheme was introduced in 2007 and is based on 100 targets, which need to have been achieved within 5 years, meaning the period from 2010 up to 2015. The particular plan aims to increase the firm’s competitiveness by promoting the cooperation among employees in regard to the improvement of the firm’s performance in the following sectors: ‘Raw materials, ethical trading, climate change, health, and waste management’ (Marks and Spencer, Plan A, 2012). The above sectors are characterized as the ‘pillars’ (Marks and Spencer Plan A, 2012) on which the firm should focus in order to face all challenges related to the retailing industry. Up today, the performance of the firm’s specific initiative can be characterized as quite important, a view verified by the following fact: In the 6 th

Unknown lab report flow chart and conclusion based on my results Essay

Unknown lab report flow chart and conclusion based on my results provided - Essay Example A third test also gave a positive result, so it was concluded that the first test gave a false negative result. This was determined since the negative result was inconsistent with the rest of the test results (not consistent with the other data from the Enterotube tests. The only Genus that is Catalase positive is the Genus Corynebacterium. The Voges-Proskauer test was used to narrow down potential species within the Bacillus Genus. The VP test was negative and was repeated twice in order to be certain of its accuracy and reliability. According to Bailey & Scotts "Diagnostic Microbiology" manual, B. stearothermophilus only grows at above 65 degree C. and our incubation growth temperature was at 37 degree C, so that microbe can be eliminated from consideration. The Citrate test was negative on three trials, which eliminates Lactobacillusand leaves only Corynebacterium. Starch hydrolysis carried out proved positive therebyeliminating Corynebacterium kutsceri and leaving us with Corynebacterium xerosis. Consequently the identity of unknown microorganism is Corynebacterium

Porters value chain

Porters value chain RUNNNING HEAD: PORTERS VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS Porters Value Chain and Information System [Name of the Writer] [Name of the Institution] Porters Value Chain and Information System Introduction The person most accredited for mounting and articulating the value chain thought is Michael Porter in his 1985 book, Competitive advantage. He offers viewing a firm as a sequential procedure of value-creating actions as a means of a influential conceptual tool for thoughtful the building slabs of competitive advantage. What is a value chain? The value chain shows the full variety of activities that are nedded to bring a product or organization from conception, throughout the intermediary stages of production (involving a grouping of physical change and the effort of various manufacturer services), rescue to final consumers, and final removal after use. (Porter, 1985) The Michael Porter value chain structure has two parts. The first part holds five primary processes: Inbound Logistics (warehousing, receiving and inventory management of raw materials and mechanism); Operations (value-creating actions that change raw materials and parts into finished salable yields); Outbound Logistics (warehousing, order fulfillment, transportation); Sales Marketing (channel assortment, pricing, advertising, sales); Service (customer care, repair, etc.). The second part holds four support type methods: Firm transportation (management, finance, quality, legal); Procurement (acquirement); Human Resources (enlisting, development, reimbursement); Technology Expansion (research and growth, process mechanization, and other technology progress). (Porter, 1985) The five forces analysis is intended to help corporations understand how gainful an industry is and also what they can do to alleviate unenthusiastic forces and thereby improve productivity. Considering the five forces model, we can create to see how this links to the generic approaches. Value chain analysis This needs an ability to resolve the value the firm is demanding to create. Value in this logic is simply the reason why customers favor one companys product over that of its opponent ie, the additional value they recieve from the companys product. This value should logically effect from either a lower cost or extra profits for which they are equipped to pay more. Using our investigation so far, they acquire from cost influential or differentiators. We can use value chain study to ensure that all actions in the firm are in procession with its search of this value. (Tsoukas, 2002 p. 567-582) A firm follow a cost leadership strategy would initiate suitable activities throughout its value chain, as would a company pursuing separation. So, to gain a competitive advantage, a company must follow either cost leadership or demarcation, along with a suitable degree of focus. It can after that use a five forces analysis to charge how this strategy may succeed and productivity might be enhanced. Value chain analysis canister help to recognize and create actions that support the selected generic strategy Some economists assert that the breaches of trust (e.g., at Enron, ImClone, WorldCom, and Global Crossing) that resulted in passage of the Sarbannes-Oxley Act (SOX)were all crimes of information partly involving an unsupervised expert. While Boards will continue to rely on experts such as the CIO for advice, the responsibility remains theirs. (Tsoukas, 2002 p. 567-582) The value chain affirms the importance of the CIO, but lets knows that the Board will be exercising oversight by consulting a number of sources, looking for convergence and consistency. Another example is Infosys that began to move up the IT services value chain into consulting and end-to-end IT solutions while continuing to offer low-end software services. As it moved up the value chain, the company weathered a global downturn due to the September 11th tragedy and the dotcom and telecom bust. (Romme, 2003 p. 558-573) In conventional planning for information systems (IS), companies start with imagining the desired future IS for the company, analyze the present application portfolios, and then compare the two to identify gaps. It is then possible to decide if anew portfolio of applications is to be developed to reach the desired future state. Advances in global information technology (IT) and telecommunications infrastructures, trends in deregulation and trade liberalization, and the emergence of world-class skills and capabilities in offshore locations (Tsoukas, 2002 p. 567-582) have opened up new sourcing opportunities beyond traditional domestic in sourcing and outsourcing. Along the ownership (in source versus outsource) and location (domestic versus offshore) dimensions, four main types of sourcing mechanisms are available: domestic in sourcing, domestic outsourcing, offshore insourcing, and offshore outsourcing. (Van de Ven, 2005 p. 1377-1404) While the outsourcing phenomenon has been well recognized and addressed in the literature, the business process outsourcing and off shoring phenomena are relatively new. Through modular business process and IT designs, firms can unbundle their value chain processes, decouple them from the underlying IT support infrastructure, and make sourcing decisions that best fit the characteristics of business processes. Tight coupling of business processes and IT is negatively associated with a firms ability to detach its processes from each other and from IT. This may leave the firm with no choice but to use a uniform sourcing mechanism for all business processes. (Van de Ven, 2005 p. 1377-1404) Our findings imply that the firm may forego opportunities to exploit low-cost, high-quality capabilities in offshore locations because tight coupling among business processes and with IT may make it infeasible or too costly to separate a business process from the firm and source it from offshore locations. The information chain To the basic elements of the information engineering approach, we add the notion of information chains. The information-chain concept parallels that of the value chain. In fact, for every component of the value chain, at least one information chain exists to support it. Such a chain may begin with a marketing forecast. The forecast leads to a sales plan, from which managers develop a production plan, and thence to a series of decisions about purchases, labor force commitments, and finally a series of sales results. The sales results are eventually quantified as ACTUALS in a sales report, and senior managers can assess the validity of the original marketing forecast in light of these actual results. (Boland, 2000) Unfortunately, most information systems cannot support the association of specific plans and observed results. That is, they cannot close the information chain. Although these systems are excellent at processing transactions, they lack the capability to trace the flow of eve nts, materials, information, and the decisions managers make about them. The transaction processing focus is an intrinsic limitation, but it isnt the only one. Another limitation is the overwhelming emphasis most organizations place on financial results. When organizations stress financially oriented performance measures, they tend to obscure or confuse the tracking of more fundamental causes of performance successes or failures. (Van de Ven, 2005 p. 1377-1404) New accounting methods like activity-based costing are an improvement, but still stress financial measures. Creating customer value is a tough proposition without a focus on traceability. Traceability of causes Traceability of cause and effect is a basic requirement in the transition to competing based on value-chain logic. Traceability is important in solving problems of delivering goods to customers on time, because this performance measure is fundamental to perceived value in the marketplace. In this area, most information systems can provide a quantification of service levels but few provide the mechanisms to determine why specific measurements were observed. For example, many steel service centers have informative systems that can accurately report how many days it took to deliver a quantity of steel to a customer, but few such systems provide management insight on why some deliveries were late. (Tsoukas, 2002 p. 567-582) The value-chain architecture The key benefit of value-chain logic is that it clarifies the relationship of internal operations to events visible to the companys customers and critical stakeholders. Information engineering, with a few methodological improvements, can help clarify the corresponding information relationships through which the company creates those events. For example, the function-entity matrices that contrast business function against data can be useful in finding point of sensitivity and leverage in performance. (Romme, 2003 p. 558-573) Conclusion In the past, outsourcers tended to look just like enterprise IT departments, handling large numbers of diverse devices, systems and applications. By contrast, the new model is based on the idea that different players in the market will focus very narrowly on a limited set of competencies (e.g., managing data centers, servers, a particular application, or a specific business process). Since, for example, the competencies needed to succeed at operating server farms are different from those needed to provide a specific application service, the rules of competitive engagement will change: Companies that try to provide totally integrated outsourcing are likely to fail against competitors that are themselves highly focused, and have a series of inter-dependent partnerships. This major restructuring of the IT value chain introduces its own forms of complexity and the need for something akin to integrated, end-to-end multi-vendor management. It will also create the need for a new type of industry player, a service integrator. Early leaders in this new role are International Network Services (INSwww.ins.com) and ATT Solutions (www.att.com/solutions). (Romme, 2003 p. 558-573) The ability to address a much wider range of concepts and the quality of those insights are much higher. Now the team can plan learning in relation to time, which dramatically portrays opportunities lifecycle cost. The depth of analysis is greater. There is also tremendous learning potential through scenario analyses, which are embedded in the new tools. The effect is a more representative project profile. While the development of unconventional resources is a complex value chain, the new tools and processes Shell unconventional oil has implemented are applicable to conventional opportunities where there is a portfolio of projects to be managed. In these instances, the same tools and processes outlined here enable a portfolio of multiple wells to be more effectively managed at a higher aggregation level. If a portfolio contains multiple individual projects with dependencies and common resources (constraints), it is a candidate for more effective modeling using the dynamic business-simulation planning processes. References Boland, R., F. Coilopy. 2004. Managing as Designing. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA. Huff S.L., Maher P.M., and Munro M.C., What Boards Dont Do-But Must Do-About Information Technology, Ivey Business Journal, 69/1 (September/October 2004): 1-4. Porter Michael, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance (New York: Free Press, 1985). Porter M.E. and Millar V.E., How Information Gives You Competitive Advantage, Harvard Business Review, 63/4 (July/August 1985): 149-160. Romme, G. 2003. Making a difference: Organization as design. Organ. Sei. 14(5) 558-573. Tsoukas, H., R. Chia. 2002. On organizational becoming: Rethinking organizational change. Organ. Sei. 13 567-582. Van de Ven, A. H., M. S. Poole. 2005. Alternative approaches for studying organizational change. Organ. Stud. 26(9) 1377-1404.

Entrepreneurship: Advice on Starting a Business Essay -- Tips for Star

The venture to be the owner of an accounting and tax service provider is not a small task, and you have realized the challenges that many experience in starting their own business. Fortunately, you have taken steps early within the life of your new business in an attempt to correct any problems and learn from past mistakes in order to be successful in the future. In our previous communications you mention that you started your own business because you wanted to work in your own community, have the flexibility of owning your own business, while also being able to make a good living, and these are all worthy motivators for a fledgling business owner. You have earned your degree and your certified public accountant (CPA) designation, which has allowed you to realize success as an employee of a popular accounting firm. While employed at the firm, you were able to progressively take on greater responsibilities during your tenure and gain much needed experience; however, starting and m anaging a business requires some additional skillsets. Regina, you have proven that you are a bright individual with the necessary resourcefulness and skills to be a certified professional accountant and open your own business, and I am confident that you will be able to gain the skills needed to be successful with your business, and to become an effective leader. I commend your ability to grow your clientele quickly, having the forethought to hire additional CPAs to be able to handle the influx of business that is relative to the tax season, as well as hiring Lisa to provide administrative support for the office. Through the gathering of information from our discussions, interviewing staff, analyzing customer surveys, review of financial docu... ...House, R. J. (1996). Path-Goal Theory of Leadership: Lessons, Legacy, and a Reformulated Theory. Wharton School of Management, Leadership Quarterly. 7 (3) P. 323-352. Retrieved from http://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/l_change/publications/House/house2.pdf Iveta, G. (Mar. 2012). Human Resources Key Performance Indicators. Journal of Competitiveness. Vol. 4, Issue 1. Retrieved from http://www.cjournal.cz/files/89.pdf Norman, L. (2014). What Are the Four Basic Functions That Make Up the Management Process? Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-basic-functions-make-up-management-process-23852.html Principles of Management. N.d. The Saylor Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.saylor.org/books Small Business Association. (n.d.). Leading Your Company: Being a Leader. Retrieved from http://www.sba.gov/content/being-leader

Basic Tooth Anatomy

Teeth are shaped according to its function and location in the mouth but regardless of its shape and function, it is composed of the same structures as follows: Crown- is the top portion of the tooth. This is what we can see in the oral cavity just by looking inside our patients’ mouth. Root- is the part of the tooth that is embedded in the bone. We can see the root of a tooth usually in a radiograph. Each tooth is composed of 4 primary structures namely: Enamel- is the hardest and most mineralized substance in the body. It covers the outside of the crown of the tooth and is translucent. Because the content of enamel is highly mineralized it also makes it susceptible to cavities. How? Reasons for decay vary but mostly it is due to ingestion of sugars that react with the bacteria found in the mouth that forms a type of acid that attacks enamel therefore it weakens enamel and overtime causes cavities. Dentin- makes up the bulk of the tooth and lies under enamel. It covers the pulp and the color may range from gray to yellow usually penetrating through the enamel. Dentin is composed of mineralized connective tissue like enamel but it is softer. It is necessary for the support of enamel. It also serves as a cushion to protect enamel from breaking. Pulp- is found at the center of the tooth. It is composed of nerves and blood vessels that provide nutrients to the tooth. And since it is made up of these structures, the pulp is soft and vulnerable without the protection of enamel and dentin. At the tip of the pulp we can find what is called as the â€Å"apex† of the root, this is a small opening where blood vessels and nerves pass through. Cementum- is a bone like connective tissue located around the root. It helps support the teeth by providing a place of attachment to the other tissues that surround the teeth in the socket.

My First Police Encounter essays

My First Police Encounter essays I was twelve years old and had recently moved from an impoverished environment in a suburb of Birmingham to an all-white neighborhood in San Diego. I and my adoptive mother were elated to be invited by her grandson to stay with him and his, at the time girlfriend. He was a recent Coast Guard retiree who was about to get married and wanted us there for the wedding. Also, in my opinion, he wanted to be able to take care of his elderly grandmother. I was in California meeting new kids and all of them were very mischievous. It was during one of these meeting outings that it happened. I was about to have my first police experience. It was the summer of 1976 when I met Johnnie. He was a hippy-type who rode BMX bikes, skateboards, and motor cross bikes. Being around Johnnie intrigued me because I had never experienced his type of life style. Johnnie was a rebel. He came and went almost as he pleased because his father was a single Dad and worked long hours. I and others would go over Johnnies to hang out sometimes after school where we would drink beer and smoke cigarettes. On one occasion, we decided we were bored. Because we no had no money we would brainstorm to come up with ideas to get money. On this particular occasion someone came up with the idea that we should go retrieve golf balls from the pond of a nearby Navy golf course. I thought it was a very safe and sound idea at the time. But, little did I know that the decision we made would lead to my first police encounter. The golf course we went to was on a military installation about one mile from Jack Murphy stadium, in a section of San Diego referred to as Allied Gardens. It was a very gorgeous installation were the local military held lots of picnics and activities. At the time, I had no idea that you needed an I.D. card to come on this installation. Nevertheless, my friends and I proceeded to take a roundabout route to the golf course and we traversed some woods and...

Free Essays on Crime And Delinquency

The debate between nature vs. nurture in regards to crime and delinquency is a long and heated one. Are some people really born criminals, or is our society and the environment and experiences children are brought up in the reason they become delinquent? Throughout this essay I am going to look at both sides of the argument, and offer an insight into the theoretical and sociological approaches surrounding this nature vs. nurture debate. The first step in looking at the nature side of the debate would be to look at the actual genetics of criminals. This is an area that has been, and still is, widely researched, often coming up with varied results. Here I’ll look at the actual biology of genetics, and the alleged abnormal gene, present in some criminals. For example, a study in 1993 identified an X chromosome mutation (associated with mild retardation and aggressive, violent criminal behavior) concentrated in one large Dutch family. This apparent mutation causes complete deficiencies of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (maoa), which metabolises the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. David Goldman, a geneticist at the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, states: â€Å"men who possess this abnormal gene may typically engage in impulsive behavior, but the time, place, type, and seriousness of their crimes (which include exhibitionism, attempted rape, and arson) have been diverse and unpredictable† (Powledge, T.M., Vol 46:1, January 1996) Although there does seem to be some evidence that crime and genetics are related, the findings prove to be unpredictable. That is not to say that there have not been breakthroughs, and other areas of human biology have proved to be useful also. Adrian Rain, of the University of Southern California showed CAT scans comparing the brain activity of 42 convicted murderers, with those of 42 people with no apparent criminal traits (or convictions). The group of murderers te... Free Essays on Crime And Delinquency Free Essays on Crime And Delinquency The debate between nature vs. nurture in regards to crime and delinquency is a long and heated one. Are some people really born criminals, or is our society and the environment and experiences children are brought up in the reason they become delinquent? Throughout this essay I am going to look at both sides of the argument, and offer an insight into the theoretical and sociological approaches surrounding this nature vs. nurture debate. The first step in looking at the nature side of the debate would be to look at the actual genetics of criminals. This is an area that has been, and still is, widely researched, often coming up with varied results. Here I’ll look at the actual biology of genetics, and the alleged abnormal gene, present in some criminals. For example, a study in 1993 identified an X chromosome mutation (associated with mild retardation and aggressive, violent criminal behavior) concentrated in one large Dutch family. This apparent mutation causes complete deficiencies of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (maoa), which metabolises the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. David Goldman, a geneticist at the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, states: â€Å"men who possess this abnormal gene may typically engage in impulsive behavior, but the time, place, type, and seriousness of their crimes (which include exhibitionism, attempted rape, and arson) have been diverse and unpredictable† (Powledge, T.M., Vol 46:1, January 1996) Although there does seem to be some evidence that crime and genetics are related, the findings prove to be unpredictable. That is not to say that there have not been breakthroughs, and other areas of human biology have proved to be useful also. Adrian Rain, of the University of Southern California showed CAT scans comparing the brain activity of 42 convicted murderers, with those of 42 people with no apparent criminal traits (or convictions). The group of murderers te...

Ellingtonia Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ellingtonia Music - Essay Example The two principles that he applied to his life and which could guide others to achieve success were (a) willingness to learn, and (b) capacity to move with the demand of times. One, who rose from the grassroots level in life, knew the value of success and how to maintain that level, once he reached the top. His upbringing had much to do with the leadership qualities in his professional life that led him to success. John Edward Hasse writes, â€Å" Even before he acquired the nickname â€Å"Duke,† young Ellington was a natural aristocrat—in bearing, manners, taste, dress, and self-confidence. Cultivating airs and graces, and foreshadowing his future relationships with women, he even had his female cousin bow down to him as a sign of respect.†(24)To him, music was the passion and mission of life and not commission. (Meaning earning money for self-aggrandizement, forsaking the business ethics) It was a rare combination of qualities for an artist to be guided by busi ness acumen. He began taking lessons in piano at the age of seven, and by then his family friends had recognized his latent genius in music. Hasse writes, â€Å"When he was seven or eight, attending Garnet Elementary School, his mother signed him for his first formal training in music.†(26)At the age of 18, he entered the music world with a bang, and this was his first master-stroke to make an entry in the business world in relation to music. He issued the biggest advertisement in the telephone yellow pages regarding his aspirations to become a bandleader.

Identify and discuss the relative importance of the major influences Essay

Identify and discuss the relative importance of the major influences on a tourist's purchasing decision - Essay Example Again, the paper on Japanese tourism demand for U.K outlines the visiting capability of both adult and children. Several factors affect the tourism of Japanese tourism to the U.K and further, it is pertinent to note that young children do frequent the U.K. the following is the summary of the book demand in tourism for the U.K. The book impact of demand in tourism for Japanese in the U.K argues that experts have concentrated on the study of tourism behaviors among Japanese forgetting the relationship of travel and motivational culture to Japan. Further, the difference between older and the younger is discussed. Therefore the article on Japanese tourism to the UK does not only analyze but also reveals the push and constraints as well as the cultural demand of Japanese’s choice on holiday outbound. Due to economic growth and increased expenditure in the Japanese nation, it is pertinent to note that the market on international tourism has gradually grown. Despite of the recent rec ession in economy, the outbound tours for Japanese has not been affected negatively; this is evident with the wide popularized overseas travel. It follows that the UK language, culture and novelty are the core values that act as pull factors to its tourism industry. Japan government has actively participated in the overseas visit since 1964, the Tokyo Olympic year. The article insinuates that the years after Olympic Games the government had to intervene in order to increase the Japanese overseas travelers to almost 10 million in the year 1991. According to the Japanese governmental report, it is acceptable that Japan did face economical recession although it did not hinder the Japanese from traveling outbound. The government concluded the above after analysis of the number of people who choose to enjoy leisure abroad, which was increasing despite of the recession in Japans’ economy. After several researches by experts, it is evident that both groups the older and younger pref er to take a yearly holiday. The frequency of travel varies for instance the younger tent to travel twice a year contrary to older age that travels less. Amusingly, the overseas travel is regarded as more luxurious and that is why, young Japanese are very much attracted to the UK touring. The book evaluates three factors that is the pull, push and constraints. It follows that the above brings out the understanding of the Japanese travel propensities to the UK. Constraints are factors that hinder or rather oppose the overseas travel by the Japanese. Thus, the book illustrates several categories of constraints as below. First, it is wise to analyze the constraint part. According to the research, it is evident that Japanese believe time is one of the constraints for the abroad travel on holiday. Even though it contradicts the study by JTB, who concluded that only 14 percent of the japans feel that time is a hindrance. This clash can be because of cultural differences. Since the japans are workaholics, they tent to feel it unfair to take off when others are working. In addition, the above further bears its evidence from the scholar by the name Bayton who made assumptions on the need of classification. It is argued that in the struggle to satisfy the ego-defensive and affection needs the Japanese do avoid holidays on regular basis. Another constraint to a

FCC v. CBS Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FCC v. CBS Case Analysis - Essay Example Courts figure out if the discourse at the inquiry is viewed as profane or indecent. In the event that the discourse is viewed as profane, the court will figure out if the discourse is thought to be an infrequent, fleeting expletive, in which case the FCC does not so much keep up the privilege to direct a periodic expletive. The legislature must show a convincing enthusiasm to manage sexually unequivocal material where minors are liable to view where through the slightest prohibitively implies accessibly. For this situation, there was a sexually unequivocal presentation amid the most recent few seconds of a live TV musical performance amid the CBS show of the Super Bowl. Despite the fact that the presentation itself is not an issue, the court here must figure out if such performance is viewed as a fleeting expletive such that a fine ought not to be maintained. During the year, 1978 case number 438 U.S.A 726 that was FCC v. Pacifica, the verdict by the court was that incidental, fleeting expletive ought not to be directed. The Court in Pacifica found out that FCC holds the power to preclude foul show when kids were prone to be tuning in. This is because comedy repetitive utilization of unequivocal dialect showed over the radio was obscene yet not profane. It confirmed that the occasion must be evaluated and examined on the realities of what happened and that an infrequent fleeting expletive does not climb to the level of regulation. In this situation, the event, pertaining Jackson and Timberlake happened toward the end of a performance amid the super bowl halftime show, enduring just a couple of seconds in respect to the ten moments long performance itself. This occasion was brisk and hard to see, as it was a live performance including numerous lights, cam edges, and entertainers.  

Instruct Clone Essay Example for Free

Instruct Clone Essay Scholars as well as religious and political leaders are bitterly divided on the issue of human cloning. Considering the potential benefits one would gain out of being cloned, I wonder why so many spoilsports are opposed to this miraculous feat of science. If I had my way, I would order several clones of myself and tutor them to act and speak as I do. I would instruct Clone A to report in my place at the office whenever I do something stupid; the boss would never know he’d be scolding another person. Clone B would take my place in the house whenever I expect to be late attending to some after-office activities; my wife would never suspect I’d been up to no good. Clone C would do nothing but stay fit and healthy, ready to be a spare parts supplier just in case one or several of my organs become useless or diseased. When I am bored, I would order my clones to wreak havoc on the neighbourhood and then go into hiding. Naturally I would be the prime suspect. But since I would have a rock-solid alibi, having been seen at the time of the crime several hundred miles away by a hundred people at a speaking engagement, I would have a field day laughing at the discomfiture of the police. A manhunt would then be launched against several John Does while I plot the next felony, possibly against the taxman or the debt collector. If I were a celebrity, I would instruct my clones to make those tiresome public appearances while I get paid for them. If I were a businessman, I would order my clones to do all the crazy things required to corner a deal. i.e. , lose a round or two of golf against prospective clients, say amen to this and that, be hypocrites, in short. While they are at it, I would have all the time enjoying life. I may even run for President, being able to campaign through my clones who shall do nothing but shake hands, kiss babies and make occasional idiotic remarks. There is only one downside to this scenario: human clones may not entirely submit themselves to manipulation by their creators, as Ewan MacGregor did in The Island. In that film, thousands of humans are cloned upon order of paying clients; predictably, the people who did the cloning for profit are the bad guys, and in the end MacGregor single-handedly destroys the entire facility. This is not a film review, but a project of such magnitude would have been impossible to keep a secret, and besides, if cloning technology would be that advanced, there would be little trouble growing human organs from stem cells which medical science is now trying to accomplish even with limited federal funding. I believe such implausible stories like The Island are only meant to scare off people from supporting the cloning of humans. The cloning critics refuse to see it, but the cloning of humans is far more economical than the orthodox way of raising them. To be a resident of planet earth, one has to be conceived and born, which means that some couple have to marry with all the attendant fuss and aches. They would have to work their butts off worrying about bills for milk, vaccinations, day care, baby-sitter, toys, and diapers. What an utter waste of time! Why not have a fully developed, mature, perfectly cloned human being in one fell swoop? Instead of day care centers, we would build cloning factories, churning out brand new copies of extant human beings by the thousands. Think about the employment it would generate, the savings in time and resources that would otherwise be spent in raising humans, not to mention the potential of such industries like bio-engineering and the manufacture of name tags (so people would not be confused). Clones, Unlimited would probably overtake Microsoft and General Motors. On top of it all, I would have a real stab at immortality. I would be immortalized not in books or monuments nor in the memories of men but through being kept perpetually alive in my physical body. There is a great possibility science would find a way to simplify organ transplants. Instead of doing piecemeal transplants, why not just transplant the head into a new body? That would be more simple and cost-efficient. Thus, when my body becomes diseased or paralyzed, surgeons would perform a head transplant, my head replacing the head of my clone. As a result, I would have a spanking new body with healthy organs. As to what happens to my clone who donates his body, I am sure science would find a way to dispose of him. Medical schools need cadavers. I may sound sarcastic, but I believe science always finds a way. I would then have the sheer pleasure of visiting acquaintances and enemies who thought I had succumbed to cancer or kidney failure. I would pump their hands while they gawk at me and tell them, â€Å"You thought I’d died, didn’t you? †

Airline Reservation System Ars Software Requirements Specifications Computer Science Essay

Airline Reservation System Ars Software Requirements Specifications Computer Science Essay Airline reservations system (ARS) is a online software application used to reserve and retrieve information and perform transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and performed by airlines, ARSes were later developed for the use of travel agencies. Major ARS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as Global distribution systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes are providing the services like booking hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. They also provide access to railway reservations in some markets although these are not always integrated with the main system. REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT First we are developing a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document that specifies what an airline reservation system should and should not do. The SRS document is divided into five sections namely System Objectives Mainly we discuss the goals and objectives of the system categorized based on the viewpoint of the airline company and the customer. They help in a top-down development of the SRS. System Context This section clearly depicts the environment and boundaries of the ARS and the entities with which it interacts. It helps us see how the system fits into the existing scheme of things. What the system will do by itself and what it expects other entities to do is clearly delineated. Functional Requirements These requirements states the functions of the system what it should do and what it should not. This will includes the most common requirements of the customer in addition to some additional features. like reserving tickets, rescheduling tickets etc. Freedom from ambiguity and navigability were kept in mind while documentation. A consistent terminology has been followed throughout and the terms are explained in the appendix. The subsections follow a logical sequence that reflects the real world. For example, a customer cannot reschedule a ticket unless he has bought one earlier and cannot buy one unless he has checked its availability. Non-functional Requirements These are quality requirements that stipulate the performance levels required of the system for various kinds of activities. Numerical lower and upper limits set conditions on the response times, access times etc of the system. Sometimes, tradeoffs are necessary among various non-functional requirements. Future Requirements As technology improving day to day,users needs are also increasing.so we have to update our applications time to time in order to satisfy the customers.These are the specifications which are not provided for now in the current version of ARS but which could be incorporated into future versions. Some of these need advanced technologies and interfaces with other systems. The ARS could be designed in future to enhance the existing capabilities or add entirely new ones. The assumptions and limitations of the ARS have been interspersed in the SRS to present the same in their proper context. REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS DOCUMENT 1. System Objectives 1.1 The Airline Reservation System (ARS) is a software application to assist an airline with transactions related to making ticket reservations, which includes blocking, reserving, canceling and rescheduling tickets. 1.2 From the viewpoint of the airline 1.2.1 Minimize repetitive work done by the system administrator and reservation clerks. 1.2.2 Maintain consistency among different access modes, e.g. by phone, by web, at the information desk and across different physical locations. The users should be basically taken through the same steps by the system as they go through in conventional desk-reservation systems. 1.2.3 Maintain customer information in case of emergency, e.g. flight cancellation due to inclement weather. The profile can also be used by the airline company to track user preferences and travel patterns to serve them better, plan routes, for better marketing and efficient scheduling of flights. 1.2.4 Maximize the revenue of the airline company by various means: 1.2.4.1 Increase awareness among frequent travelers about various special offers and discounts. 1.2.4.2 Minimize the number of vacant seats on a flight and maximize flight capacity utilization. 1.2.4.3 Maintain the capability to adopt a flexible pricing policy. The price of the tickets should be dynamically determined based on how early, before the date of departure, the customer buys the ticket. 1.3 A survey conducted by airline companies shows that users of an existing reservation system would respond favorably to an ARS that satisfied or helped them satisfy the following objectives: 1.3.1 Reduce effort and frustration for travelers in scheduling a trip, especially by reducing the search effort for the flight they need to take. 1.3.2 Show all possible combinations and itineraries available for a pair of origin-destination cities. 1.3.3 Reduce redundancy in the information required from the customers in order for them to buy tickets, create user accounts etc. 1.3.4 Check the validity of input data and give a feedback to the user in case of errors or inconsistency. 1.3.5 Provide flexible access modes to users internet, telephone, PDA. 1.3.6 Protect customers privacy concerns. 1.3.7 Make it easy for travelers to check the ticket status or make changes to their trip. 2. System Context 2.1 The ARS will provide the following types of easy-to-use, interactive, and intuitive graphical and telephonic interfaces. 2.1.1 The ARS will provide an easy-to-use, intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) as part of the Clerk/Administrators working desktop environment. 2.1.2 The ARS will also provide an interactive GUI, on the World Wide Web for the general customers. The above two ARS interfaces shall help provide the following functionalities to the users access to the ARS to check the flight schedule, availability of seats, ticket price and to block, reserve, cancel, and reschedule tickets. The ARS will also provide an easy-to-use, simple telephonic user interface, which can be accessed by the customers through telephone or cell phone from anywhere. This interface shall provide access, only to the following functionalities, namely, check flight schedule and check ticket status including any change in the flight timings. The functionality available through this telephonic interface is limited because of security constraints. 2.2 The system and its environment and the interactions between them are depicted in the diagram below. DB-Reservations Flight Schedule Database Customer Via Web DB-User DB-Schedule I N T E R F A C E CW DB-Geography ARS software INTERFACE Cp Customer Via Phone INTERFACE A Administrator The closed boundary above clearly delineates the system and the environment. The diagram shows the interactions between the ARS software and the databases inside the system. There are three databases internal to the system and which the system maintains. DB-user is the database containing all the personal information of the registered users of the ARS. This can be updated by the user by logging in to the system. Information from this database is used during transactions like charging the credit card etc. DB-schedule is a copy of the flight schedule database. The latter exists independently and is updated by a flight scheduler system which is out of scope of the ARS. DB-schedule is updated with the latest status of the flight schedule database whenever there is any change in the latter. For example, if a flight has been added to the schedule between two cities on Tuesdays, DB-schedule gets updated with this change through a process with which we are not concerned. It is external to th e system and is out of the scope of this SRS. DB-schedule also contains the base prices of tickets for various flight numbers. DB-reservations are a database containing information regarding the number of seats available on each class on different flights. It has provision for marking how many of the reserved seats have been blocked but not yet bought. DB-reservations should update itself using DB-schedule, for example, if a new flight is added. DB-geography is a database, which contains information about the cities and towns serviced by the airline. The distance between all cities and towns is contained in a matrix form. There are three interfaces, one for the administrator, one for the customer via web and another for the customer via phone. The administrator can update DB-schedule with any changes in the base prices of flight tickets. The system uses a pricing algorithm and dynamically determines the actual price from this base price depending on the date of reservation vis-Ã  - vis date of departure. The customer interfaces (web and phone) enable multiple functions which are described in the following section section 3. 3. Functional Requirements User Accounts Registration and creation of user profile Checking Availability Making Reservations/Blocking/Confirmation Confirm Ticket Reschedule Ticket Cancellation Update Profile View Ticket Status Query Flight Details Telephone access User Accounts The passenger, who will henceforth be called the user, will be presented with 3 choices by the reservation system, as the first step in the interaction between them. A user can choose one of these and his choice would be governed by whether he is a guest or a registered user and whether he wants to check the availability of tickets or also block/buy them. The terms registered user and guest are described below. A user who has traveled by the airline earlier would have been given a user id and a password. He would have his personal information stored in the database referred earlier as DB-user. This personal information would be henceforth referred to as profile. Such a user with a profile in DB-user shall be called a registered user. A registered user will be able to check the availability of tickets as well as block/buy a ticket by logging into the system. A new user, on the other hand, would either have to register himself with the system by providing personal information or log into the system as a guest. In case of a, the new user becomes a registered user. In case of b, the new user would remain a guest. A guest can only check the availability of tickets and cannot block or buy tickets. But a registered user can also act as a guest if he only wants to check the availability of tickets. Availability of tickets always refers to viewing the flight schedule for given days, the price of tickets and any discount offers. The system shall present the user with an option to exit from the system at any time during the following processes. Registration and creation of user profile The system shall require a user to register, in order to carry out any transactions with it except for checking the availability of tickets. It will ask the user for the following information at the least a user id, a password, first name, last name, address, phone number, email address, sex, age, preferred credit card number. The system will automatically create a sky miles field and initialize it to zero in the users profile. Checking Availability After logging in a user (either a registered user or a guest), the system shall request him to enter the following details origin city and destination city. City is a generic term and refers to a city or town as the case may be. The origin and destination cities would be entered as text. The system shall now refer to the flight schedule database, referred to as DB-geography earlier, and check if there is any ambiguity with the names of the cities. In case there are more than two cities with same name as entered by the user, the system shall list all of them (with more qualifications) and ask the user to select one of them. In case, either the origin or destination cities are not listed in DB-geography as being directly serviced by the airline, the system shall suggest the nearest city to which service is available, including the distance of the destination city from this nearest city. After the origin and destination cities are ascertained, the system shall now access the flight schedule database, referred to as DB-schedule , and checks if there is a direct operational service between the two cities. If not, the system shall suggest possible routes and transfer points using a route selection algorithm. The user shall now be presented with a choice of either selecting one of the routes. In case he selects a route, the system shall fill in the intermediate stop over points and create a multiple trip itinerary for the user. The system shall now ask the user to enter the following details class, one-way or round trip, departure date and the number of adult passengers, children and senior citizens. Class refers to business class/first class/club class/smoking/non smoking. This choice shall be made by the user through a drop down menu indicating all the possible combinations of choices. One-way/round trip shall be either a drop down menu or a check box selection. Departure date refers to either a single date or a range of dates, entered through a calendar-like menu. This menu shall not show dates in the past or those dates that are too ahead in the future(as determined by the airline policy). In case, the trip is a round trip, the system shall also ask the user to enter the departure date on the return trip. Having taken all the above input from the user, the system checks for any false entries like the departure date on the return trip being earlier than the departure date on the onward trip. In case of incompatibility, the system shall display a suitable error message and prompt the user to enter the information correctly. Having taken all of the information ,the system shall now access the flight schedule database DB-schedule and queries it using the input provided by the user. The system queries the reservation database DB-reservations to check which of the flights on the schedule have seats available. The system displays the results in a suitable form (a tabular form) with the following information depicted for each flight number the flight number, departure time in origin city, arrival time in destination city, the duration of the flight (taking into account the possibility of a change of time zone) and the number of seats available on that flight. There can be several flights between two cities and all of them will be listed for the particular date that the user wants to depart from the Origin City. In case, the user has entered a range of dates, the system shall display all the flights for all those dates in the range. If the user has requested a round trip, the system shall display two tables one for the onward trip and one for the return trip. There will be a check box in front of each line in the table representing a flight with available seats. The user is now asked to check one of the boxes reflecting a choice of a flight number and time. In case of a round trip, the user is asked to check one box each in the two tables. The system shall now display the price of the ticket for the trip. This will be the sum of the prices for all the members of the travel party being represented by the user. The system shall also list any rules regarding the cancellation of tickets what percentage of the price will be refunded within what date ranges. This will be displayed as a table. Making Reservations/Blocking/Confirmation After having taken the user through the, Checking Availability, The system will now ask the user if he wishes to block/buy the ticket. If yes, and if the user has been a guest, he will have to first register and become a registered user and then log onto the system. If the user is already a registered user, and if he has logged on already, he can block/buy the ticket, but if he has been acting as a guest, he will have to log on. Having ensured that the user is logged on validly according the system compares the departure date with the system date. If the departure date falls within 2 weeks of the system date, the system informs the user that he has no option to block the ticket and asks him if he would like to buy it. If the difference between the departure date and system date is more than 2 weeks, the system asks the user if he would like to block or buy the ticket. The system informs the user that he can block the ticket at no cost now. It also informs him that if he chooses to block the ticket, he should make a final decision before 2 weeks of the departure date. The system shall send an email to the user, 3 weeks before the departure date as a reminder, in case he decides to block the ticket now. Having taken the input from the user, the system shall now proceed to update the reservation database DB-reservation. It will decrement the number of available seats on the particular flight for the particular class by the number of travelers being represented by the user. In case of a blocking, the system makes a note of it in the database to be used if the user doesnt turn up before 2 weeks of the departure date. It generates a blocking number and displays it for the user to note down. In case the user buys the ticket, the system accesses his profile and charges the price of the ticket to his credit card number. It simultaneously generates a confirmation number and displays it to the user for him to note down. The ticket has been reserved. It adds the mileage of the trip (accounting for the number of travelers) to the skymiles in his profile. Confirm Ticket A user who has earlier blocked a ticket after going through the previous steps required to either confirm the ticket before two weeks of the departure date or the ticket stands cancelled. To let the user confirm a ticket, the system shall first log him on and ask for his blocking number. Then it accesses DB-reservation and removes the check mark, which so far represented a blocked seat. The seat is now confirmed and reserved for the user. The system accesses DB-user and charges the price of the ticket to the credit card number of the user. It simultaneously generates a confirmation number and displays it for the user to note down. The ticket has been reserved. It adds the mileage of the trip (accounting for the number of travelers) to the skymiles in his profile. Reschedule Ticket The system shall present the user with an option to re-schedule his travel partys trip. In order to do this, the system first logs on the user and requests his confirmation number. It will not allow a user to reschedule a blocked ticket but only a confirmed ticket. Using this, it queries DB-reservation and presents the details of the trip to the user, including but not limited to origin city, destination city, date of departure and date of arrival (in case the trip is a round trip). The system shall now ask the user to select new dates from the calendar-menu. In case, there are no available tickets for the dates entered, it displays a suitable message informing him that rescheduling to that date is not possible. In case there are tickets available, the system asks the user to select the flight number for the trip (another for the return trip if the trip is a round trip) and proceeds to update the database. The system accesses DB-reservation and decrements the number of available seats on the flight(s) by the number of members in the users travel party. It then increments the entry for the previous flight by the same number to reflect an increase in the available seats on it as a result of the rescheduling. The system now checks if there is any difference in the prices of the tickets. If so, it accesses DB-user and charges or credits the credit card as the case may be. The system generates a new confirmation number and displays it to the user. Cancellation The system shall also give the user an option to cancel a confirmed ticket or a blocked ticket. The latter case is simpler and will be dealt with first the system shall first log on the user and request the blocking number. Then it accesses DB-reservation and updates it by incrementing the number of available seats by the number of people in the users travel party. In the former case, i.e., for a confirmed ticket, it asks for the confirmation number and accesses DB-reservation and presents the details of the trip. It then lists the applicable rules for cancellation of tickets and depending on the system date and the departure date, it displays the % of the amount that would be refunded if the user cancels the ticket. After the user cancels the ticket, the system generates a cancellation number and displays it for the user to note down. It accesses DB-reservation and updates it by incrementing the number of available seats on that flight by the number of travelers in the users party. It accesses DB-user and credits the refund amount to his credit card number. The system then deducts the mileage of the trip (taking into account the number of travelers in his party) from the sky miles in his profile. Update Profile The system shall enable the user to update his profile at any time. Changes can be made in fields including but not limited to address, phone number and preferred credit card number. View Ticket Status The system shall allow a user to view all information about his trip. After logging him on, it asks for his blocking number or his confirmation number. It accesses DB-reservation and retrieves the details of the trip and presents them to the user in a convenient format, including any last minute changes to the flight timings etc. Such changes will be highlighted. Query Flight Details The system shall allow any user (registered or non registered) to access the details about the arrival and departure times of a flight by requesting the user to input the flight number and date. The system accesses DB-schedule and presents the time of arrival and departure. Telephone access The system shall be accessible through a touch-tone telephone. The telephonic interface shall, at the least, provide the customer with the facility to check availability of tickets and query flight details. The system shall walk the customer exactly through steps 3.3 and 3.9 respectively but through a telephonic interface. Non-functional Requirements Performance Response time of the Airline Reservation System should be less than 2 second most of the time. Response time refers to the waiting time while the system accesses, queries and retrieves the information from the databases (DB-user, DB-schedule etc) (A local copy of flight schedule database is maintained as DB-schedule to reduce this access time) ARS shall be able to handle at least 1000 transactions/inquiries per second. ARS shall show no visible deterioration in response time as the number of users or flight schedule data increases Reliability ARS shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ARS shall always provide real time information about flight availability information. ARS shall be robust enough to have a high degree of fault tolerance. For example, if the user enters a negative number of passengers or a value too large, the system should not crash and shall identify the invalid input and produce a suitable error message. ARS shall be able to recover from hardware failures, power failures and other natural catastrophes and rollback the databases to their most recent valid state. Usability ARS shall provide a easy-to-use graphical interface similar to other existing reservation system so that the users do not have to learn a new style of interaction. The web interface should be intuitive and easily navigable Users should be able to understand the menu and options provided by ARS. Any notification or error messages generated by ARS shall be clear, succinct, polite and free of jargon. Integrity Only system administer has the right to change system parameters, such as pricing policy etc. The system should be secure and must use encryption to protect the databases. Users need to be authenticated before having access to any personal data. Interoperability ARS shall minimize the effort required to couple it to another system, such as flight schedule database system. Future Requirements Support for waiting list functionality ARS shall be made more flexible in ticket reservation handling, and shall accept waiting list for reservation.The waiting list handling capability of ARS shall be made more advanced, by enabling it to send requests to the Flight Scheduler to schedule extra flights, depending on the demand in a particular corridor, and providing the wait listed passengers with a new flight. The telephonic interface of the ARS shall be improved to support more functionality like allowing the customers to cancel a ticket etc., by incorporating security measures. ARS shall be made more dynamic and helpful to the users by enabling it to send instant messages to the passengers, of a cancelled or rescheduled flight, through email, phone, Fax etc., informing them about the change, and providing them with other feasible alternatives. Information about the kind of meals served in a flight and the type of entertainment offered on a flight should be incorporated into the system.Provide service integration with auto rental agencies and hotel chains. Interface for the travel agents shall be provided in the future versions with additional features like informing them of any availability of seats on a flight which was earlier booked to capacity. Choices like aisle or window seats shall be provided to the users. The ARS shall be able to handle the situation where flight services are available to multiple airports in a single city.