Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay

In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the author takes us on a journey with Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old boy, going in and out of many boarding schools. When he gets kicked out of Pencey the story begins. In fear of coming home to his parents, Holden takes a trip to New York; which leaves him at the point of mental, physical, and emotional insanity. As the novel goes on his obsession with keeping children from losing their purity grows. The adult world seems fake, and Holden does not respect people who made the transition. In Gerald Rosen’s â€Å"A Retrospective Look At The Catcher In The Rye† he explores Holden’s connection to other characters in the book. He also analyzes the difficulties in crossing over to the adult world. Holden qualms the crossing over due to the fact that losing one’s innocence will force one to face reality, and will at times cause adults to â€Å"fall† into a deeper hole. Holden’s mania of keeping children from transitioning to adult hood shows all throughout The Catcher in the Rye. Rosen explains that during the period of time Holden was in the museum he made it known that everything always stayed the same. The purpose of the â€Å"glass cases† acts as a defense against touching, or tainting. â€Å"Like the children in the museum, to protect the innocent, the catcher must strictly refrain from touching; he must ‘just leave them alone’’’ (Rosen). This moment in the book compares the protected artifacts to the innocence of a child. He feels that if the children had someone to protect them from getting affected (â€Å"touched†) by the hard and cruel times in life they could hold onto their purity for as long as possible. Holden expresses the fact that he wants ensure security and stability during these times in life. This point seems to be the first point in the novel where Holden shows a desire to keep children from corruption. â€Å"Anyway, I keep picturing all these kids playing some game in the big field of rye and all†¦What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start going over the cliff† (Salinger 173). Holden wants to â€Å"catch† the kids from their transition into an adult. He does not want them having to deal with losses they will have to overcome in life. He believes that going into adulthood marks the point where society shows its true face. Since Allie, Holden brother’s, death he sees how reality twists and warps in sick ways. While walking around the museum he sees profanity. â€Å"I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another ‘Fuck You’ on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn’t come off. It’s hopeless, anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn’t rub out even half of the ‘Fuck You’ signs in the world. It’s impossible† (Salinger 173).When Holden see those words written on the wall he realizes that the youth has already gone through exposure to corruption and cannot go backwards. Holden now understands his inability to save the children from â€Å"falling†, growing up. Since Holden has spent most of his time refraining other from going into adulthood, he did not see how much he himself has fallen. Holden has many similar qualities to a former classmate, James Castle. â€Å"Holden is identified with Castle by Castle’s having killed himself while wearing Holden’s sweater and by Castle’s appearing just before Holden on the roll call and school. This carries the implication that Holden maybe next in line for Castle’s death† (Rosen). James Castle’s way of and to death influenced Holden’s view of life. He suddenly became ostracized in society surrounded by a bunch of â€Å"phonies†. Death was the start and end of Holden’s loss of innocence. Holden never truly had an adult figure in life. His parents detached themselves from him, in times of his need. Feeling like he needed to communicate with someone he called his former teacher, Mr. Antolini. Holden wants to catch children from falling, where as Mr. Antolini wants to save Holden from a rough way down. â€Å"I have a feeling that you’re falling, a terrible,terrible fall† (Salinger 186).Mr. Antolini says this because ever since Allie’s death Holden has had a series of falls. Even though Allie was younger than Holden, he idolized him and thinks very highly of him. Mr. Antolini symbolizes Holden’s loss of Allie, loneliness, and inability to posess self-esteem. Holden wants to provide insurance for children so they do not experience the reality of society and from â€Å"falling† into a deeper hole. Making sure he succeeds, he does everything to keep them from going over the edge. Holden grows up through the novel, and realized that losing one’s innocence in is an unavoidable part of life. In this stage of life one makes the most mistakes and learns from them. If one never went through experience necessary to grow into an adult, they would seem very naà ¯ve and easily taken advantage of. People that have gone through the difficult crossing over want to protect children from the hard-ships. Works Cited Rosen, Gerald. â€Å"A Retrospective Look At The Catcher In The Rye.† American Quarterly 457-462 Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951.

Sullivan Ford Case Study

Introduction This case details the position of Carol Sullivan-Diaz, the 28-year-old daughter of Walter Sullivan who died at the age of 56. Walter had bought a Ford dealership in 1983 that eventually grew into what is now Sullivan Ford Auto World. The business sells cars but also services them. Carol is disappointed by current turnover in car sales and sees that the service revenues are below average for this size of dealership. Carol’s now has to decide what way to tackle the future. She can sell the business but will probably only return a value below what it might be worth if profitable or she can look at the operation and see if she can turn it around herself. While she has a bachelor’s degree in economics, an MBA degree and a background in health care management, she also served time working with her father so she appears to have the skills and experience to tackle the issue if she so desires. Characteristics of Services The car sales and car service are closely linked. Here, we look at the car service following on from the car sale and both these processes are happening with the same provider, Sullivan Ford Auto World. While we generally say that services are intangible, in this case the car sales service has a high goods content that is the car at the end of the process. The car service on the other hand, is intangible. The core business here can be looked at as the car sales and the supplementary service is the car servicing. Sullivan is trying to establish the service as a stand-alone service. Sullivan could have customers that have not bought a car but have their own car serviced at the garage. But Sullivan would hope that when they sell a car, this customer will come back regularly to have their car serviced. However, survey results suggest Sullivan is not getting repeats. Another difference here is that when a car is sold, ownership changes to the buyer but in services we say that ownership does not change. What happens is that the car service â€Å"process† changes the physical possession that is the car. As we know, services cannot be stored. The physical car can be stored and kept as stock or inventory but the car servicing cannot. Therefore, it is essential that the servicing is kept working in order to generate turnover. If the service department has capacity to service ten cars per day, it must try to meet that target because if it is idle at any stage, that time (and time is money) cannot be regained. In the sale of a car, the customer can be involved as they are making the purchase decisions. They will decide if they need or want the car and then seek information. They can view the car, test drive it, smell the â€Å"new car† smell and enjoy the experience. They can contact Sullivan and see what’s on offer in advance. With the car service, the customer is not really involved (except to deliver the car for appointment) as car service is specialised and the customer will not be present when the service is being carried out. They cannot see the â€Å"service† and may have to wait and drive for days to be sure the service was successful. When the customer is buying a new car, they will be fairly sure of what they are getting. Ford has a good reputation and is seen to be a reliable brand, so the customer can be confident. The service is not the same. It is harder for Sullivan to maintain consistency with the service. Sullivan will be depending on his own mechanics to provide the quality whereas the car purchase will depend on Ford. Also, if there is a problem with the service, it will be difficult to hide this from the customer. It will be essential for Sullivan to be aware of the customers expectation so as he will not be disappointed afterwards. I also feel that there is a feel-good factor to buying a car and the customer is often happy to be involved in the deal but with a service, it usually happens when there is a problem so the customer may not feel happy when availing of this service and needs to be made feel comfortable. Walt said this himself when talking about the front end; â€Å"everybody’s happy when someone is buying a new car† and also observed of the service side â€Å"customers always seem to be miserable back there†). Also, as it takes time to service the car and doing without the car may inconvenience the customer, they may have a negative perception before the process starts. There is need to be aware of the difference between the car service and the customer service. The service may be good but the customer service can be bad at the same time. Customer Behaviours ) A search quality is a characteristic that can be easily accessed before purchase. [1] In the case of the car, the customer will be able to research qualities like colour, performance. He can get a feel for the car by looking around the interior, the boot, see what the engine looks like and sounds like. These are qualities he can use his five senses to evaluate. They are tangible. Ford’s reputation should eliminate risk when purchasing. However, this is not the case for the service. He cannot have a pre-purchase experience. There is no tangibility. For this, his behaviour will change. He may seek testimonials from others and depend more on word of mouth. He will seek advice on the reputation of Sullivan’s service. From the case, we see that there are problems with the service. Delays at processing, inconvenient scheduling, availability of parts etc. There is a risk here as the service may not be satisfactory so Sullivan must reassure the customer. Sullivan must ensure that the mechanics are fully trained and that customers have confidence in them b) An experience quality is a characteristic that can only be assessed after use. [2] Generally, there is a feel good factor after someone buys a car. With a reliable brand like Ford, customers would feel little risk involved and would enjoy their new car. Providing that the car runs well, the buyer should be in a position to pass on this experience by word of mouth. This is not true of the car service. Firstly, the customer may not know if the service worked. There is a risk there even after the service. One could, for example, have left the car in for servicing because every now and then the car may lose power. I believe that the customer will still be wary for some time after. If the car then loses power, there will be that sense of let down. I have found I am often on edge after a service, almost waiting for something to go wrong. If the customer is unhappy with the delays, etc outlined earlier, that too will affect the experience quality. Sullivan’s customers do not seem to be enjoying the experience between delays, inconvenience and a grubby work entrance as well as the mechanics not explaining what is happening. c) A credence quality is a characteristic that consumer may have difficulty assessing even after purchase because they do not have the knowledge or experience. [3] This may not be an issue when buying the car. The buyer immediately knows how a new car is. One expects that the driver is experienced enough to know how the car feels and also would be aware of their expectations. When it comes to the car service, the customer may not know anything about car mechanics but will know how they feel after and if they are happy with the car. They do not need any expertise to know if the problem has been resolved. Sullivan’s people are not communicating with them well. d) There are different risks involved with the two services. Ideally, buying a new car should involve no risks but you can be unlucky. You could end with a car that has problems but this is reasonably rare. The car service is different. You have to trust the service provider that they can do the job. You may be depending on recommendations and unsure of the quality of the service. The customer will not be present so has to rely on the provider that they will do the job correctly (and will work first time, â€Å"was it fixed right†) and indeed must feel sure that they will actually do the job at all. This is an area open to fraud, as the customer will not see the process. The customer here may be worried about the risk of delays. It tells us that Sullivan is slow to write the orders, not convenient when it comes to scheduling, unsure of availability of parts and this all takes times. e) The decision making process for buying the car will be as follows. First, the customer recognised the â€Å"want† for the car. Next they will seek information. The information will come from research, word of mouth, specialist publications, etc. Step three will be the evaluation of alternatives. The alternatives are fairly limited and will be to decide if he wants to take public transport, get a bicycle, depend on lifts but if one ants to be independent, there are no alternatives. Next is the purchase and then after that, evaluate the product. Has it satisfied his needs? Was it of value? f) The car service will have a different 3-stage process. Firstly, at the pre-purchase stage, the customer will be aware of their need and that means that the car needs servicing. They will explore solutions and that may mean going to t he service provider or look for alternatives. They will talk to third parties and maybe the supplier themselves. This will help them identify risks and their desired service level. The zone of tolerance will be established at this time. An alternative will be to service the car at home or get a friend who is skilled to do this that they trust. If they decide to go ahead, they will then make that decision. Service will be delivered and payment made. After this step is the post-encounter stage. Here they will evaluate the performance and compare it to their expectations. Are they satisfied or not with the service? Interestingly, the survey shows that the customers are made aware of what they had to do if they needed a service but less than a third had been introduced to someone in that department Flower of Service Below is the Flower of Service and analysis of the problems facing Sullivan. The â€Å"core† is the car servicing and both the facilitating services and enhancing services surround it. [pic] Facilitating Services Information – This is the first step in the service where the customers get the information they need. In Sullivans, they are told what to do if they need a service but they are not being introduced to any of the team. Here they should find out about the scheduling, how long the service will take, the price, does the warranty cover it, etc. Order Taking – This is where the bookings are taken; the scheduling is put into place and so on. Sullivans seem to be falling down here. Their survey results show the worst ratings and things like promptness of orders, scheduling convenience, service hours convenience are all pointed out. The fact that all orders were hand-written slowed down processing and often the telephone ringing slowed it down even more much to the frustration of the customers. Another frustration was that if the job was not of routine nature, a price could not be given on the spot. The customer would be called later in the morning with an estimate. Billing – People expect clear and precise billing and there is nothing to suggest that there is a problem here and as all orders are handwritten and with carbon copies, it should be easy for the bills to be clear. Also, the customer is either given an instant quotation for routine work or will contacted with a quotation so this should make billing clear. Payment – As the cars are due to be collected by 6pm on the day of the service, it would be expected that payment be made then. The service writer would have all the paperwork in order when the customer would collect the car. Enhancing Services Consultation – This is more than just information. Information really consists of answering the questions of customers whereas consultation is deeper and probes the specific needs or requirements of the customer and then draw up an appropriate plan. This would be important in an area where the customer is unfamiliar with actual service. The mechanic should diagnose the problems and then take the customer step by step through the possible solutions and alternatives. Here in Sullivans, they explained what to do when a service was needed but after that not many were introduced to someone in the service department. This is where the expertise lies and therefore consultation should have followed. The survey also said that customers were offered poor explanations of the work done and found the staff rude and impolite. Hospitality – This is the welcome that customers should get on arrival and a sense of being a valued customer. This should be easy to deal with as a smile and a friendly face costs nothing. Feargal Quinn, of Superquin fame, says, â€Å"If somebody comes to us looking for a job, we make sure they know how to smile†. [4] It is the small things that make people feel welcome. Sullivans seem to be failing here too in the service department. When greeting the customer, there must be a smile, it must be sincere and there must be eye contact†. [5]In Walt’s time, he made everyone welcome in the front office and had little time for the service area. This showed. It was shabby and greasy. The customers were interrupted by ringing phones while waiting for their car re ports to be written. Rick Obert was â€Å"gruff and argumentative†. The service department people feel uncomfortable bringing people over to the service bays so that does not seem hospitable. There was a man in a confrontation over his service so that certainly lacks hospitality and should have been dealt with immediately. Safekeeping – People expect that their possessions would be safe while being kept by the service provider. The customer here would hope that their car is safe while on the premises for the service and when not being worked on by the service people, that it would be parked in a safe place and manner. A perception here could be that Sullivans is lacking here. While there is no direct evidence, the fact the building was â€Å"old and greasy† and the service writers’ room was â€Å"cramped with paint peeling† might lead customers to believe there is a lack of safekeeping in the department. Exceptions – These are services that fall outside the normal service. We are told that the scheduling is inconvenient and service hours are too. Here exceptions should be made. There does not seem to be an atmosphere of making the customer satisfied. It seems as if Walt’s idea of not bothering with the service department has grown. There does not seem to be an ethic of problem solving. I felt from reading the piece it was a case of take it or leave it. There also seems to be no way of handling complaints. The man who Was shouting at the end had issues of â€Å".. three visits†¦service stinks†¦who s in charge†. This should have been dealt with quickly in a hospitable manner. Advice On Marketing Mix Carol has a background that could be very useful in dealing with this. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics, an MBA degree and is involved in health care management. She worked with her father so she has the skills and experience to deal with this. The 7 Ps are; Product, Place, Promotion, Price, Physical Environment, Process & People. I will look at these individually and see how Carol can mix them to help improve her situation. Product – The product in this case is the actual car service. This is the core of their offering and it is essential that this is a safe, reliable product. The customer has to be satisfied that the service is of quality. They could give the customer some confidence by making sure that they are introduced to a member of service team who can answer any questions or worries they might have about the service. Customers did worry about the product. They worried about how much the service might cost, how long it took, how did the warranty sit, etc. These are basic parts to the product that must be addressed by Carol. Place – The â€Å"place† of Sullivan’s car sales appears to be of no concern. It is on an intersection of a busy urban highway, with many new developments near by. In 1996 he bought the current site and developed it into what it is now. The place seems to be known as the study says â€Å"everyone seemed to know Walt†. But the worry from Carol’s point of view for the service department is that this area cannot be seen from the road. So people looking for services and who may not be as familiar with Sullivan’s could easily pass by. On top of that the building looks â€Å"old and greasy†. Promotion – As far as I can see from the study, the only promotion that takes place is on site promotion. The garage is decked out with bunting, flags and banners that say â€Å"Lets Make A Deal†. This is an area that she could easily develop. She could offer a free service with a car sold. She could also make appointments in advance by working out the customers’ average mileage and schedule an appointment like a dentist would. She could manage supply and demand better by offering discounts for services on days she finds are quiet. She has the academic background for this as well as her medical and family business experience. Price – In this case study we are not told that the price is affecting the number of customers that avail of it. Price is often the most thing that will make customers decide where to buy so Carol could look at this. Where there is an issue is the explanation of the work, how much it will cost and will it work on first attempt and not be a recurring cost. Physical Environment – Judging from the description of the garage, the physical environment of the service area leaves a lot to be desired. Firstly, the service area is hidden behind the showroom. Even though the equipment is modern, the building is old and greasy. The service writers work in a cramped room with peeling paint and the customers have to stand and wait while orders are being written up. This seems like an old style office plan and not acceptable in modern day car dealing. The study has told how stressed and bothered customers are when in the building so the physical environment should be made pleasant to help calm the clients. Process – The process here needs an overhaul. Customers find the order taking slow and it can be interrupted easily by the phone ringing. She must computerise it immediately. The customer leaves the car and collects it later. This is fine but the service hours are inconvenient along with the scheduling so the whole process is a trauma for the customer. She needs to implement an evaluation system that she can monitor the quality of service and maybe get the staff to explain the nature of service. She needs to put a new process in place that will allows the car to be dropped off and have a convenient entrance, instead of a side door of a greasy building and then be met with a smiling service writer who will schedule a service that is convenient. People – This is a very weak area for Carol. The survey results show that the people served by Carol and her sister were much more satisfied. The customers reported that interpersonal variables were poor. For example, politeness and understanding customer problems rated badly. The service manager was said to be gruff and argumentative with customers. This has to be addressed. When people are dealing with a possession as personal as a car, the dealer has to be polite, patient and understanding. Larry Winters is vital here. He has been leading salesman and has shown strong management capabilities. She also needs to employ more mechanics to utilise the equipment and have the service department working to capacity. Conclusion I think Carol has the skills to turn her business around. She is educated and has experience in her own business. She has the turnover of people coming through the business so if she uses her know how, I believe she will succeed. ———————– [1] Essentials of Marketing, Charles W. Lamb, Joseph F. Hair, Carl McDaniel, 2011 [2] Essentials of Marketing, Charles W. Lamb, Joseph F. Hair, Carl McDaniel, 2011 [3] Essentials of Marketing, Charles W. Lamb, Joseph F. Hair, Carl McDaniel, 2011 [4] â€Å"Crowning The Customer, How To Become Customer Driven†, Feargal Quinn, O Brien Press, 1992 [5] Mechanization Takes Command, Organizations As Machines, Gareth Morgan â€Å"Images Of Organization†, Sage Publications, 1986.

Prince Tennis Essay

Prince Sports is a leading tennis supplier in the international market. They have many products including racquets, bags, apparel and other accessories. They are leaders in innovation in tennis and have invented new racquet technology. Prince is excellent at catering to all types of tennis players, from juniors to professionals and everyone in-between. An environmental force that will work for Prince is the continuing growth of the population. The population is expected to continue growing which will provide opportunity for all markets. The boom in technology in the 21st century has created an atmosphere where anyone can have access to information at any time. The quality and quanity of information on the web today is better than ever. Smith is now able to use social networking tools, there is more advertising opportunity to communicate with their customers. As stated in the text, there is a large growth in tennis participation in recent years. â€Å"Tennis participation in the United States was up 43 percent- the fastest growing traditional individual sport in the country,† says Nick Skally, a senior marketing manager for Prince. With increasing globalization competetors in the tennis industry could pose a future challenge for Prince. If Prince continues expanding in the global market place, especially if they sell to un-developed countries, they may have the threat of increased taxation, inflation or high exchange rates. It is important that they choose wisely where they globally market their product. Prince is in a great position because there is an increase in playing tennis as a sport. To continue the growth of the tennis industry in the US Prince should continue placing advertisements in stores like Wal Mart and Target, where they sell their products. They could also run more television commercials, and internet advertisements showing people having fun playing tennis with Prince gear. Promotional activities Prince could use to reach recreational players could include coupons for Prince tennis equipment in  the newspaper or catalogs. They could host a charity fund raiser event at a facility with tennis courts, and give out freebies like t-shirts, and water bottles. Prince could place advertisements in popular adult sport magazines. Promotional activities to reach junior tennis players could include marketing on common social networking sites like facebook and twitter. Kids generally watch a lot of tv and pay attention to tv, televison commercials showing high level juniors having a great time with their Prince gear could be a good promotional strategy. Running an event geared towards junior tennis players to try out Prince rackets could be a great way to promote Prince’s junior brand as well. To gain distribution and sales in mass merchandisers like Target and Wal Mart Prince could have point of purchase displays in the sporting sections. Large advertisements in the store, coupons for Prince products. It is important to keep prices reasonable in large retail stores because chances are there will be other tennis options that are reasonably priced as well. In specialty tennis shops Prince could provide demo rackets, posters, detailed catalogs, information on racquets and strings. They could distribute other accessories to shops like bags, and sneakers. They could run deals at certain times, like if a customer spends a certain amount of money of Prince products, they receive a complimentary Prince bag. Prince could advertise their product in local newspapers or magazines, so that consumers know their product is available at specialty shops. In evaluating new countries to aggressively market their products it is important to evaluate each market’s trade barriers like tariffs and quotas. These barriers could make the Prince product too expensive in certain countries and limit their exports. It is also important to understand the culture when considering countries to distribute to. If Prince’s products don’t suit a certain culture it is best not to select that country. Understanding the legal system of countries being considered is important as well. There are lack of civil, commercial and criminal codes in many countries, that Prince probably would not want to expose their company to. Countries that Prince may consider agressivley marketing in are, Canada, United Kingdom, and Brazil. Once Prince decided upon countries to market in, depending on the countries atmosphere, they could place ads on billboards and in stores  that carry their product. Advertisements on popular television channels and radio stations could be helpful in getting the brand seen as well. A great marketing strategy in other countries could be to sponser tennis players from those countries with Prince equipment. Then consumers in those markets would relate to the brand on a more personal level. The Prince marketers are concerned with staying ahead of the curve and constantly learning and studying the market. They have covered all bases in the tennis market with their junior, recreational and performance lines. Prince is headed in a positive direction and is planning on continuing to expand and thrive in the global tennis market, with their quality, specialty equipment and the continuing increase of consumer interest in tennis. References Kerin, R., & Hartley, W. (2013). Marketing (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Chapter 4 and 5 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chapter 4 and 5 - Research Proposal Example ive behavior in students, the climate within which both educational failure and negative behavior emerges and the relationship between the educational climate and education- based prevention and intervention programming. There are many reasons in the surrounding environment of the education as well as in the students’ life that emerge as a cause of failure in the educational performance and gives rise to negative behavior. The risk associated with the high school students basically comprise those who have low performance and are drop outs, they due to such factors tend to develop negative behavior. It depends upon the educational system to identify such students and develop program to change them (Wormer, 2006). The students who are dependent upon the single mother’s income for the education purpose tend to develop negative behavior due to low level of income and lesser affordability to get educated. It is the climatic condition that is present in the lives of the student which gives birth to negative behavior and causes low performance resulting to educational failure. The relationship shows a positive link between the two. The academic climatic condition is responsible as well as the students environment is also responsible for such state. But with the education- based prevention and intervention programming it can be minimized and the performance may increase as well as the students’ negativity may turn into positivity in terms of behavior. (McKinney, n.d). The social support, family cohesion, personality and sources of income of the single mother impact the behavior (either positively or negatively) of the children. The income level brings the change in the attitude along with the impact of social support from the mother, mother’s attitude, and personality traits. The low level of income is the risk factor which that can lead to the negative outcomes in the behavior and performance of the student. It is not only the factor that causes low

Cultural factors DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural factors DB - Research Paper Example Apart from $1 trillion reduction in spending, government agencies have managed to identify over 580 proposals that will streamline federal regulations and hence reduce regulatory costs. The President also introduced a Buffett Rule: a principle of tax fairness that requires everybody to pay their fair share by ensuring that no household making over $1 million annually pays a smaller share of in their income in taxes more than that paid by middle class families. The growth of government since 1930’s has seen a steady increase in government spending. In 1930, the government spending was about 3.3% of the country’s GDP. This figure increased steadily to 44% in 1944 before falling back to 11.6% in 1948. Since then, the figure has been on the rise. In 1998, the federal budget reported its first surplus of $69 billion. In 1999, the surplus rose to $125 billion and again to $246 billion. In 2005 fiscal year, the budget shrinks because of a sharp increase in tax revenue. However, in 2007, the budget reduced to $161 billion. The congressional budget office projects that, the federal deficit for 2009 fiscal will spike a drastically to an exceptional $1.2 trillion, or 8.3% of the GDP. This new budget is opted to set to set the US with a record-breaking deficit of about $1.56 trillion in 2010. The US fiscal policy is expansionary in nature in that it focused in increasing the budget to stimulate the economy (Mühleisen & Towe, 2004). The American consumers play a greater role in fiscal policies. Fiscal policies mainly focus in taxation in stimulating the economy. The tax system as proposed by President Obama ensures that the high class consumers are taxed more than the middle class consumers. Therefore, before making any fiscal policy is made, then consumer’s interest has to put into consideration before they will be affected directly or/and indirectly. Over the past five years the influence of consumers on fiscal policies

Pharmacological Management of Congestive Heart Failure Using Captopril Research Paper

Pharmacological Management of Congestive Heart Failure Using Captopril and Its Therapeutic Implications (Drug Study ) - Research Paper Example The readings also showed that the pharmacological management of CHF may be typified into first line and second line agents. The first line agents consist mainly of ACE-I, diuretics and beta blockers, while the second line agents consists of digoxin and hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate. Captropil belongs to the second line of pharmacological agents. Use of Captropil had been found to enhance cardiac performance, among others. However, ACE inhibitors like Captropil sometimes causes in amigo-edema, painful tongue ulcers, and alveoli is to name a few. The implications of these and the rest of the findings are discussed in the conclusion. Discussion Congestive heart failure Congestive heart failure (CHF) is defined as an inability of the heart in supplying normal oxygen and nutrient demands to the body. CHF can be caused by a number of diseases which: (1) weaken the cardiac muscle; (2) harden the cardiac muscle; and (3) increase tissue oxygen demand beyond the capacity of the heart. This condition occurs primarily on elderly patients (Kaufman et al., 2008). Congestive heart failure commonly results from a dysfunctional heart muscle or myocardial dysfunction. CHF may also result from changes in the structure and function of the heart medically termed as progressive cardiac remodeling (Medifocus, 2011). The heart muscle enables it to pump blood to facilitate metabolism for the various tissues of the body. When the heart muscles do not function normally, blood flow through the heart and the entire body proceeds slower than normal. This causes increased pressure in the heart. The body responds to the decrease in the heart’s pumping capacity by the so-called compensatory mechanisms so that cardiac function can be maintained, such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the sympathetic nervous system (Medifocus, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The compensatory mechanisms can be activated for a period of months or years. During the time that these compen satory systems are functioning, no evident symptoms of heart failure are presented and the patient is regarded as asymptomatic (Medifocus, 2011). Heart disease classified as asymptomatic is one in which the patient does not experience undue fatigue, dyspnea, palpitations and chest pain during ordinary activities (Capezuti, Siegler, & Mezey, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It should, however, be made very clear at this point that the functioning of the aforementioned compensatory systems will cause further damage to the heart in the long run, and consequently affect the circulation of the blood in the body. Such damage is caused by the changes brought about by process of structural remodeling where the heart may enlarge, the cardiac walls may thicken or become thinner and further decrease in the pumping capacity of the heart. One or a combination of these changes further weakens the heart and causes the pumping to be less effective until the patient eventually develops symptomati c heart failure (Medifocus, 2011). How CHF manifests itself depends on the type of stress the heart is being subjected to, in addition to which ventricle is affected. For example, disease affecting the left ventricle causes pulmonary edema. Meanwhile, disease affecting the right ventricle is more likely to cause edema to the lower limbs and other parts of the body. Moreover, CHF can affect the flow of blood to other organs. For example, inadequate blood flow to

Hedging an Equity Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hedging an Equity Portfolio - Essay Example Cross hedging capabilities may depend on various factors. First is the degree in which the spot and futures currencies are negatively or positively correlated. Secondly, this also depends on the level of accuracy of the estimated risk-minimizing cross-hedge factors. In addition, time is an important factor in this process and therefore the capability of cross hedging depends on the stability of the optimal cross hedge proportions over a given duration or period of time. Moreover, this also depends on the potential risk reduction from portfolio cross-hedging. A hedger is any individual or institution that minimizes the variance of expected monetary returns on a currency spot position with regards to a position in the currency’s corresponding future contract. There are various reasons for hedging in a financial set up. First is for the purposes of managing volatility in cash flows. Secondly, hedging is important for the purposes of checking the market value of an organizationâ⠂¬â„¢s shares. Hedging is also used for the purposes of managing volatility in accounting earnings. In addition, the management of balance sheet accounts and ratios can also benefit from hedging. For fund managers, performance information with regards to their hedging activities should be provided without restrictions or resistance from the fund manager. This is because funds may avoid reporting because of poor results. Such funds usually have below average returns in comparison to other funds and in addition, omitting them may result in an upward bias. On the other hand, there might be other funds that have become very successful as a result of growth in areas that they may not have actually wished to attract new investments. These funds may also decide to leave the database for a very different reason. Tentatively, their performance is likely to be superior to that of the average fund. Whereas there might be difficulties in attaining accurate estimates of these two effects, it is believed that the reported returns are usually biased upwards. Secondly, hedge fund databases have a limitation of reporting data only on funds still in existence or those that are new and rapidly growing. Funds that are no longer active are usually eliminated from the database. This practice in turn leaves an upward bias to performance statistics. This is because funds that are closed are likely to be poorly performing. Another type of bias can be referred to as the instant history bias. This occurs when a fund is included on the database for the first time and is therefore permitted to backfill its historical records. This type of bias could be estimated through the calculation of the average of the returns since introduction and later comparing them to the average returns since the fund joined the database. There are different hedge fund styles that are applicable in the financial markets today. Generally, hedge funds are not strictly regulated investment components that engage the use of a wide range of

Annotation of one of the Prescribed Journal Articles Essay - 1

Annotation of one of the Prescribed Journal Articles - Essay Example Introducing the role of nurses in the special administrative region in Hong Kong, the author focuses on workforce, educational and practice issues, as well as on leadership in nursing. In a significant conclusion to the article, David R. Thompson suggests that there should be an effective strategic plan to determine sufficient numbers of properly educated nurses in Hong Kong. In this article analysis paper, the focus has been a reflective analysis of the arguments made by Thompson in his article determining the central arguments and assessing the validity of the essential points. In the introductory section of the article, Thompson focuses on the vital the role of nurses in the special administrative region (SAR) in Hong Kong and the author is emphatic about the importance of nursing to health and healthcare developments in the region. Thus, he explains the importance of nursing with regard to direct care, care coordination, health promotion, and health education. The nurses of the region deal with these essential functions in hospitals as well as community. â€Å"Nurses and nursing are central to health and healthcare developments taking place in Hong Kong, not the least because nurses comprise around 40% of the healthcare workforce. Nurses play a key role in the provision of direct care, care coordination, health promotion, and health education, both in hospitals and in the community. Quality and safety, driven by quality improvement programs and the promotion of evidence-based practice, have been two features that are central to nursing and healthcare.â €  (Thompson 2006, P 158). Therefore, according to the author, educational preparation and continuing professional development of nurses are of vital importance in Hong Kong. Resembling any other countries, nursing is experiencing several significant challenges in Hong Kong and the author broadly classifies those under four themes. These significant challenges confronting nursing in Hong Kong are

Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slavery - Essay Example In many bygone civilizations, slavery was the mainstay that enabled them to achieve the glory and reputation that they still enjoy to this day. Ancient civilizations such as those of Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire were all built on the backs of thousands of slaves. The modern world’s main superpower would also base its economy, during the early years of its existence, on the institution of slavery. SLAVERY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Egypt According to Redford, the civilization of Ancient Egypt existed between 5500 B.C. and 332 B.C (Redford 31). During this 4,200-year time line, slaves created numerous structures in the different dynasties; the most famous of which were the pyramids that still remain today. In the course of its colorful existence, the civilization of Ancient Egypt developed an advanced socio-political establishment and even developed schools for its scholars. According to Redford, it is slaves who worked in extremely dangerous conditions, with thousands of them dying in the process, to create structures such as the famous pyramids of Giza (Redford 32). Egyptian records from this bygone era have also shown that slaves were not just presumed to be the property of their masters in the physical earthy life but also their chattels in the afterlife. It was not unusual for the slaves of a rich man, along with his favorite wives, to be murdered upon his death so that they could continue to serve their master in the next life. The most famous account of the existence of slaves in Egypt is found in the Old Testament where the record of the Israelite slaves living in Egypt between 1400 and 1200 BC is documented. It is unlikely that only Jewish slaves were kept in Egypt (Redford 34). There were probably slaves of different ethnicities working in Egypt. From recorded documents, it is evident that there were even instances where poor families sold their children to be slaves in wealthy families. This would ensure that their children were fed constantly while allowing them also to be able to feed the remaining family members. People who ran into debt could also sell themselves into slavery or become the indentured servants of the people whom they owed money. Even though slaves occupied the lowest rung of Egyptian society, the ones who worked for rich masters such as temple priests, wealthy businessmen, or the royal family fared better than the peasants who owned land. This is because peasants had to give a part of their crops as taxes whether they experienced good harvests or not while slaves were dependent on their masters’ largesse. Ancient Greece In ancient Greece, which existed between the Bronze Age and remained until around 1000BC, slavery was also a recognized institution in society. According to Reilly, for every free citizen in Athens there was a slave (Reilly 62). Any male citizen in Greece who had a modest salary could procure the services of a slave to perform duties in his business, as a servant in his home, or even for personal services. In ancient Greece, slaves were often prisoners of war, or people who had been born of slaves. Moreover, there were many slaves who had actually been kidnapped from their home nations and brought to Athens to be sold as slaves or male and female concubines. In city states such as Athens, slaves could aspire to become physicians. They were given more freedom; and, depending on their masters, were treated with respect for the

Defense in a Criminal Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Defense in a Criminal Case - Essay Example Despite the many perceptions to uphold the insanity mechanisms as a form of defense, defendants hardly enter pleas of being not guilty. After examining the defendant, the psychiatrist produces the testimony to the judge or magistrate who determines the verdict (Mariorty, 2001). However, freedom is not ultimately earned when the judge determine that the accused is not guilty rather a further consideration on the favor of the defendant usually affect the sentence if administered. The defendant is directed to a mental hospital until the allegation of insanity is medically proved, which requires time and may give the convict a chance to escape from the law. Defendant in some instances pretends to be hostile. The main purpose of pretense is to prove to the judge that the defendant is not guilty. In some instances, the defense works when proven by a psychiatrist appointed by the court. As a result, the defendant must ensure that the psychiatrist report is positive about his or her insanity contrary to which the offender faces the full

The Role of Medical Laboratory Assistants Assignment

The Role of Medical Laboratory Assistants - Assignment Example But the main duty of MLAs is to process the sample so the MLA should have a sound knowledge about the sampling and the processing techniques as well as the local recommendations of the regional medical legislative authority. The main principles of planning a test include the propose of carrying out the test, the knowledge of the clinical suspicion for a particular disease. Then the time frame of performance is planned followed by the list of the equipment and the chemical used and then the standard procedures for the investigation are gone through in detail to exclude the possibility of missing anything. Basically, the responsibility of accurate and timely reporting of test results lies on the personnel working in the laboratory as there are many problems which can arise even before the sample has undergone the analytical process. These errors can only be tackled properly if the prior understanding of the process, as well as the capability to identify any error in these processes, is present in the MLAs. In addition to this, controlled and correct interpretation of results needs a comprehensive knowledge of analytical, biological and pathophysiological variability and the extent of this change. There should also be sound knowledge about the time span in which changes can occur in the sample resulting in the variations and errors in the final results. Reproducibility shows the relation of the results of the tests carried out with different operators, test apparatus and in different laboratories, it is usually expressed in the form of standard deviation. It is directly related to the accuracy of the results and MLAs should be able to reproduce the results which are accepted worldwide. The process review techniques should be quick and easy as it will save the time of quality control supervisors.  

Struggles of Slavery and the Economy Essay Example for Free

Struggles of Slavery and the Economy Essay The economy was the underlying factor affecting multiple aspects of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel takes place in the 1850’s antebellum era, when slavery was a large portion of the economy – especially in the South. The moral division between the North and South illustrates how the economy differed between those two separate geographical areas. The economy drove the South’s â€Å"need† for slavery which, in turn, also affected family, education, law and government as depicted throughout the novel. The author portrayed this through his characters and specific events. At the beginning of the novel, there was a discussion between Mr. Shelby and Mr. Haley about selling slaves. Mr. Shelby was in debt and needed to sell two of his slaves to get money to support his family and land. To do this, he enlisted the assistance of Mr. Haley, a slave trader. Small farm owners could not afford many slaves, even though they were the most important component to crop production in the south. Mr. Shelby’s small portion of land was genuinely special to him. Without slavery, crop growth would be slowed because the slaves did all the work in the fields and factories. It would adversely affect income for most southern farm and factory owners. Mr. Shelby was so desperate for extra money that he was forced to consider selling his most valuable slave, Tom, to Mr. Haley. He trusted Tom to the point of allowing him to go out alone, knowing he would always return. Unfortunately, the difficult economy forced Mr. Shelby to give up both Tom and a young boy named Harry in order to keep his plantation. During this specific time period, it was not uncommon for slave owners to sell their slaves because of the economic turmoil they endured. As expected, the slave families involved were adversely affected. Eliza, the mother of Harry, overheard Mr. Shelby explaining his decision to sell her son, so she took him and escaped. She could not allow her little boy to be sold off to another family and lose him for good. Eliza did what any mother would do to protect their child. Being on the run during this era was a huge risk, but Eliza had no choice. She and Harry fled to Canada, with Mr. Haley after them. Luckily, she found different families and places to rest and get food for her journey. Thanks to the help of this â€Å"Underground Railroad† and her fellow slaves, Mr. Haley was unable to find Eliza and her son. He finally gave up and sold Tom, who was then taken away in shackles. Fortunately for Eliza, the Quaker families who helped her and Harry were not scared off by the risks involved in helping slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 stated that any person who knew where an escaped slave was must return them to their master in the South. The slaves that were able to escape and make it to the North were continuously hunted by the law. Later, the law was revised to punish anyone aiding and sheltering a slave with prison and fines of one thousand dollars. After this act went into effect, officials were rewarded when they returned runaway slaves and punished if they helped them escape to freedom. Eliza and her son were fortunate to stumble upon Senator Bird’s home to ask for food and shelter. Senator Bird had just signed in favor of the Fugitive Slave Act yet he did not truly believe in it. He gave Eliza ten dollars and brought her to another home, even though he knew he was violating the law. Eliza, after reuniting with her husband George, found another family of Quakers who were more than willing to help her and her family. These families, aware of the law and the financial consequences did what was right to help these people escape to freedom. Tom, however, was initially not as fortunate as Eliza and her family. He was sold off into the slave market with Mr. Haley as his current owner. On a boat headed towards the deep South, Tom met a young white girl named Eva. Tom saved her when she fell overboard. After Tom rescued Eva, her father, Augustine St.  Clare, offered to buy Tom in order to â€Å"make him happy† as requested by his daughter. St. Clare was not a typical Southern slave owner. He was kind and gentle with each of them. He had a different agenda for owning slaves rather than the economic advantage it would give him and his plantation. St. Clare knew that not one single person could end slavery, but he felt he could do everything he could to help protect some slaves like Tom and a girl named Topsy. Topsy was purchased by St. Clare from a slave master who brutally abused her. St.  Clare wanted to give her a better life, including an education like his current slaves had. His alternative views from most of his southern neighbors regarding slavery are obviously displayed when he says, â€Å"I heartily wish that there were not a slave in the land; but, then, I don’t know what is to be done about it! † His wife Marie, a very selfish, unloving person, was an advocate of slavery and that caused altercations within the St. Clare family. This difference within St. Clare’s family member created conflict on how to treat the slaves and resulted in hatred towards one another. Eva and Tom’s friendship grew so strongly that before she died due to illness, she asked her father to promise to set Tom free. Unfortunately, St. Clare, being the caring man he was, died trying to break up a fight before he was able to sign for the slave’s freedom. They were left to Marie. She used this opportunity to obtain money and sold Tom to another slave owner. Marie had different beliefs and morals than the rest of her family. She used the slaves for financial gratification when she was finished ordering them around. Marie’s view on slavery is best represented when she says, â€Å"I’m thankful I’m born where slavery exists; and I believe it’s right, I’m sure I couldn’t get along without it. † Educated slaves had a large impact on the economy of the South. For example, George, who was a mulatoo, invented a machine while working as a slave at a factory. This machine sped up the process of cleaning hemp, which impressed the factory’s owner. This invention greatly increased productivity in the south, because they were able to sell hemp much quicker increasing profit. Having educated slaves was extremely rare during this era, but when they were, it was usually because their owners taught them. â€Å"Mulatoo† is a term used to describe a slave whose one parent was white (most likely the father) and the other was African American (most likely the mother). This is just another example of how slavery impacted African American families. Slave Masters did not like to educate their slaves because they believed the slaves would then become more likely to want to improve their lowly status. African Americans in the 1850’s were bought for cheap labor on the farms, factory work, and typical house duties. The slave masters feared that if they were successful, like when George invented his machine, they would feel superior towards the other slaves and even their white masters. They would probably no longer be satisfied being a slave; this would lead to unrest. Owners did not want the slaves to be educated because they could then learn about freedom, which may entice them to escape. Yet, if slaves were given a basic education, they could have used that knowledge to increase the productivity of the Slave Master’s farms and businesses and improved the economy. On the contrary, the North had a different form of income. Instead of armland, they were industrialized with factories that any race could work in. The abolitionists in the north were against slavery and did not believe in having servants like the south did. Some Northerners, however, were not as opposed to slavery. Many northern people turned their heads and allowed slavery to continue because without it, crop production would be slowed and be more expensive. The north relied on purchasing crops from the south so their economy would also have been negatively impacted. Throughout this novel, it is obvious that the economy was the underlying factor affecting multiple aspects of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. These aspects varied from the pressures of selling slaves in order to get out of debt to whether or not African Americans were educated. Also, the economy affected families, especially the slaves but also the Quakers who helped the runaways. Harriet Beecher Stowe did a fine job illustrating these points throughout Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She was able to humanize the slaves which helps create sympathy for them. While her main objective was to convince others of the horrors of slavery, she was smart enough to use the economy as a motivating factor to achieve her goal.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors 1.0 Introduction Wikipedia (2009) defined subcontractor as â€Å"an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another’s contract†. Other authors, Gerald N. Hill Kathleen T. Hill (2005) defined subcontractor as â€Å"a person or business which has a contract with a contractor to provide some portion of the work or services on a project which the contractor has agreed to perform†. Generally, a subcontractor performs his work under a contract with a main contractor who is hired by the employer. In building construction, a main contractor usually hires a subcontractor to perform a specific task such as roofing, plumbing, electrical, cement work and plastering, as part of the overall project. Hence, if the main contractor does not pay for the subcontractor, then the subcontractor has the right to enforce a â€Å"mechanic’s lien† on the real property upon which the work was done to collect. There are three types of subcontractor that is: Nominated subcontractor (Specialist subcontractor) Domestic subcontractor Named subcontractor Nominated subcontractor is essentially selected or appointed by the employer for some specific works. If the employer wants to nominate a subcontractor for an element of work, then he will instruct the main contractor to use the nominated subcontractor through the architect. The element of work usually is the engineering package such as piling, structural frame or some ME services works. In this kind of subcontract, there is a direct contractual relationship between the employer and the subcontractor. On the other hand, domestic subcontractor is selected and appointed by the main contractor who is hired by the employer. The domestic subcontractor doesn’t have the direct contractual relationship with the employer but he contract with the main contractor. Domestic subcontractors usually execute the part of work from the main contract and supply or fix the materials and goods. The employer will not involve in the election of this kind of subcontractor and the main contractor take the responsibility of the subcontractor. The Named subcontractor is contractually same as the domestic subcontractor. However, the different between them is the employer states that which contractor is acceptable without take responsibility for their final selection and appointment. Chapter 2: Forms of Contract 2.0 Forms of Contract 2.1 Review the method of appointing specialist subcontractor JCT 98 The JCT 1998 is the pre JCT Form which was used when selecting and choosing the subcontractor. There are two types of subcontractor in this form of Building Contract which are Nominated subcontractor and Domestic subcontractor. In the JCT Form, except the Employer, the Architect has the highest authority in making decision. Nominated subcontractor is essentially appointed by the Architect or the Employer when they need the subcontractor in some specific works. Daniel Atkinson (1999) defined nomination as â€Å"sub-letting sections of the work allowing the Employer full involvement in choosing the company early and using the subcontractor’s expertise for design or coordination†. There are some reasons that the Employer nominated a subcontractor (Daniel Atkinson, 1999): The Employer can select any company that he likes to be his subcontractor without based on the price. The subcontractor’s design expertise and his knowledge can be utilized due to he can be involved early. Since the specialist subcontractor involves, the Contractor will not waste his time on some particular work which the Contractor does not expert in it. The Employer can understand his responsibilities clearly since the clear contractual liability is established. Delay in time can be prevented by the direct links and involvements are established. According to the Jennie Price (1994), the procedure of nominating a subcontractor under the Standard Form of JCT 1998, Clause 35.4: The Architect sends the both of invitation to tender in part 1 of the standard form of tender, NSC/T, and the relevant section of the employer/ nominated subcontractor agreement, NSC/W, together with the drawings/specification/bill of quantities which describe the work, to those companies the employer wishes to invite to tender. Then the tenderers complete the standard form of tender (part 2 of NSC/T) and the relevant sections of the warranty, NSC/W, and return both documents to the Architect. The Architect chooses the subcontractor, and arranges for the Employer to sign the selected subcontractor’s tender to confirm his approval of it, and to execute the warranty, NSC/W. The Architect nominates the subcontractor to the main contractor using the standard nomination instruction, NSC/N. He also sends the main contractor a copy of the invitation to tender and the successful subcontractor’s tender, the drawings/specification/bills of quantities on which the tender was based, and the executed warranty. After received those documents, the main contractor has the right of reasonable objection to the selected tenderer within 7 days. If he does not object, he must reach agreement with the selected tenderer on the ‘Particular Conditions’ set out in Part 3 of NSC/T. These include the subcontract period, insurance details and the identity of the adjudicator and trustee stakeholder. When agreement on the Particular Conditions has been reached, the main contractor and subcontractor sign Part 3 of NSC/T, and execute the subcontract articles of agreement, NSC/A, which incorporate by reference the subcontract conditions NSC/C. The main contractor sends a copy of the signed NSC/T Part 3 and the executed NSC/A to the Architect for his records. 2.2 Review the method of appointing specialist subcontractor JCT 05 JCT 2005 Form of Building Contract (with quantities) has been updated, amended, merged and retired most of its important contracts. This form was set out in clear, understandable, and well-ordered for the user and it had simplified on wording such as change the word â€Å"Determination† to â€Å"Termination†. There is a little deviation between JCT 1998 and JCT 2005 regarding to the subcontracting. In this form of Building Contract, the nomination of subcontractor has been omitted. According to the Chappell D. (2007), there are a lot of problems arise between the main and subcontractor since a project is not ready for the subcontractor to start his work on the anticipated date. Due to the delay of the commence work, the subcontractor may argue and claims for more money. On the other hand, Ndekugri I. and Rycroft M. (2009) stated that JCT 1998 had extensive provisions on nominated subcontracting but due to the bad experience from the inherent pitfall of nomination of subcontracting and its complexity, the provision has been omitted in JCT 2005. There are three principles of appointing a subcontractor under the JCT 2005 Form of Building Contract: Consent to sub-contracting (Clause 3.7) According to this clause, main contractor cannot appoint or subcontract whole or any part of works to anybody without the Architect’s or the Contract Administrator’s consent. However, the Architect also cannot withhold or delay his consent unreasonably. If the Contractor insists to sub-letting his works to anyone without consent, then the employer entitles to terminate the Contractor’s contract under clause 8.4.1.4. Besides that, under the clause 3.7.2, the contractor cannot subcontract the design portion to anyone without the Employer’s consent. Lists in Contract Bills (Clause 3.8) Under this clause, annexations of lists of subcontractor to work packages which are defined in the Contract Bills are required. Clause 3.8.2 has stated that the list of subcontractor must not less than three persons. Then the Architect has to choose among the three persons to be the subcontractor. It is similar as pervious clause that the Architect cannot withhold or delay his consent unreasonably. If the Contractor submitted the list which less than three persons, then either: The Employer and the Contractor shall by agreement add the names of other persons to make sure the list comprises not less than three persons; or The Contractor carries out the works by himself. Conditions of sub-contracting (Clause 3.9) The subcontract shall state the condition that upon the termination of the Contractor with any reason, then the employment of the subcontractor will be automatically terminated too under the Clause 3.9.1. Besides that, the subcontract shall provide that subcontractor cannot remove the site materials which have been delivered to the works without the Contractor’s written consent except for use on the works. If the materials or goods have been paid by the Contractor, then they will become the Employer’s property and the subcontractor cannot deny it. On the other hand, if the Contractor has paid the subcontractor for any site materials before their value is included in the Interim Certificate, then the materials will become the Contractor’s property. Under the Clause 3.9.4, if the Contractor fails to make the payment to the subcontractor, then the Contractor shall pay simple interest to the subcontractor until the payment is made. Then according to the Clause 3.9.5, the Contractor could get the warranty from the subcontractor for his execution of works within 14 days of receipt of a written request by the Contractor. If the subcontract comply the three principles above, then the Architect could select and choose among the three persons in the list to be the domestic subcontractor. 2.3 Review the method of appointing specialist subcontractor NEC 3 ECC 05 The NEC 3 ECC 2005 is essentially used by Government for public works such as road, bridge etc. In JCT Form, the Architect has the highest authority while the Project Manager has the highest authority in this NEC 3. He plays an important role in this Form of Building Contract especially in subcontracting. The Project Manager is the person who approves the appointment of the subcontractor by the Contractor. In other words, the Project Manager dominates in the selection of subcontractor. Under the Clause 26.1, the Contractor still takes the responsibility to the works even though he had subcontracted the works to the Domestic subcontractor. Therefore, the Contractor must select the subcontractor carefully in case of the omission of the subcontractor. However under the Clause 26.2, the subcontractor who has been proposed by the Contractor must be accepted by the Project Manager. If the Project Manager does not accept the subcontractor, then the Contractor cannot appoint such subcontractor. Under the Clause 26.3, the Contractor has to submit the proposed conditions of contract for every subcontract to the Project Manager for his acceptance and approval unless an NEC Contract is proposed. Besides that, if the Project Manager agreed that no submission is required then the Contractor is not need to submit it. This clause also stated that the reasons that the Project Manager does not accept the subcontractor who is proposed by the Contractor are: The subcontractor will not allow the Contractor to provide the works. The subcontractor does not include a statement that the parties to the subcontract shall act in a spirit of mutual trust and cooperation. Chapter 3: Reasons of why Nomination has been stopped 3.0 Reasons of why Nomination has been stopped In the opinion of Jennie Price (1999), the disadvantages toward the main contractor are some of the reasons that the nomination has been stopped. The Main Contractor will lose his right to choose his favorite subcontractor to carry out the part of works. He would hard to communicate with the subcontractor who is nominated by the Employer thus cannot cooperate well. Since the Main Contractor is forced to employ the subcontractor so he is unable to impose his own terms and conditions which are more commercially advantageous to him. Other than that, the Nominated Contractor is normally difficult to be managed and controlled since their direct link with the professional team and the Employer. They will not easily listen to the Main Contractor on the design works due to the works are their expertise. Since some of employer will repeat the business with the nominated subcontractor, then the said nominated subcontractor will monopoly in this industry. Other subcontractors will not have chance to receive the job and make them suffer in their incomes. On the other hand, quality of the works might be dropped due to some nominated subcontractors handle few projects in the same period. They cannot concentrate on a single project and make the quality of every works will be dropped. 3.1 Advantages and Disadvantages toward the Employer Jennie Price (1999) agreed that Nomination provides some advantages and disadvantages toward the Employer which are shown as below: Advantages to the Employer: The Employer is able to select the person whom he wishes to carry out the subcontract works. Through the warranty NSC/W, the Employer has the direct contractual link with the subcontractor. It can covers matters such as design or materials selection by the subcontractor. Disadvantages to the Employer: The Employer has to take the risks and bear the responsibilities on the Nominated subcontractor due to his omission of works. If any defaults have been found, then the Employer should bear the extra costs. There are no rights against the main contractor in the event of defective design by the Nominated subcontractor. The Main Contractor entitles to claim Extension of Time if the progress of the main contract works is delayed by the Nominated subcontractor. Besides that, he could also claim for the Loss and Expenses due to the delay of works which is caused by the subcontractor. Since the Main Contractor does not take any responsibility on the Nominated subcontractor, there may be lack of management of the progress of the works on site of the subcontractor. 3.2 Opinion for the new appointment procedure of subcontractor In my opinion, the new specialist subcontractor/supplier appointment procedures are more complex to render the duties of the Architect / Project Manager / Quantity Surveyor. This is because the design teams have not direct contact with the subcontractor. All the instructions which are given by the design teams are passed through the Main Contractor. That might be appeared some mistake in the communication. By the way, the design team also cannot directly manage the subcontractor since the subcontractor only contract with the Main contractor. Chapter 4: Conclusion 4.0 Conclusion After the research, we will know that the procedure of nomination in JCT Form 98 and the reasons for nomination under this Form. Then we know that no more nomination under JCT Form 05. We also get the three methods that appoint a specialist subcontractor in JCT Form 05. NEC 3 ECC 2005 is only for the government works and the Project Manager has the highest authority in this Form. As a conclusion, nomination provides some disadvantages to the Main contractor such as difficult to cooperate between them and the main contractor cannot impose his own terms and conditions to the subcontract. Besides that, the main contractor is usually hard to manage the nominated subcontractor because he has the direct link with the professional design team. Other than that, nomination will make the monopolies arise in the construction industry due to the repeat business between the nominated subcontractor and the Employer. Quality of the works is low since the subcontractor cannot concentrate on single project. The Employer needs to bear the risks and take the responsibilities on the nominated subcontractor. Hence, nomination has been stopped. Finally, in my opinion, there are a lot of benefits that nomination has been stopped since there were a lot of disadvantages. Chapter 5: References Atkinson D. (2009), Sub-Contracting. [Online]. Last accessed on 24th July 2009 available at http://www.atkinsonlaw.com/cases/CasesArticles/Articles/SubContracting.htm CHAPPELL, David (2007). Understanding JCT Standard Building Contracts Eight Edition, Abingdon, Taylor Francis. Gerald N. Hill Kathleen T. Hill (2005), Subcontractor [Online]. Last accessed on 24th July 2009 available at http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Subcontractor NDEKUGRI I. and RYCROFT M. (2009). The JCT 05 Standard Building Contract Law and Administration Second Edition, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. PRICE, Jennie (1999). Sub-contracting under the JCT Standard Forms of Building Contract, London, Macmillan Press LTD Wikipedia (2009), Types of Subcontractor [Online]. Last accessed on 24th July 2009 available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subcontractor#Types_of_subcontractor Bibliography Barnes P. and Davies M (2008). Sub-contracting under The JCT 2005 Forms First Edition, Oxford, Blackwell. GERRARD, Robert (2005). NEC2 and NEC3 Compared. Great Britain, Bell Bain. ME Contractor Magazine (2005), what sort of subbie are you. [Online]. Available at http://www.eca.co.uk/IndustryGuidance/CCandL/Download/WhatSortOfSubbieRU.pdf

Differentiate Fat Fat32 And Ntfs Information Technology Essay

Differentiate Fat Fat32 And Ntfs Information Technology Essay In this term paper I have introduced the FAT, FAT32 and NTFS different file system . It includes features of FAT 32 and NTFS. At last there is comparison between FAT32 and NTFS. INTRODUCTION:- FAT:- FAT means file allocation table used by the operating system for locating files on a disk, a file can be divided into many parts due to fragmentation that is scattered around the disk. The File Allocation Table keeps track of group of all these pieces. File Allocation Table is a group of addresses that reach in the form of a table to see which cluster is coming next, when a file is accessed or a directory is scanned. In DOS, FAT is stored after the boot sector. The older versions of FAT for Windows 95 and earlier is called FAT16, and for new versions of Windows 98 and 95 is called FAT32. Terminology:- FAT: stands for File Allocation Tables, a data structure that is found in all FAT volumes. FAT1: It is the first thing to see in FAT. FAT2: The 1st copy that is used by the FAT. FAT12: File Allocation Table file systems uses 12-bits clustered addresses. FAT16: File Allocation Table file systems uses 16-bit clustered address. FAT32: File Allocation Table file systems uses 32-bit clustered address.. FATxx: File system that use File Allocation Table and all that is used by FAT. VFAT: It is the 32-bit code used for operation the file system in Win9x Graphical User Interface mode. Cluster: It is the Single unit for storage of data on the FATxx file systems. Sector: It is the unit of storage devices at the physical level of disk. Physical sector address: It refers to Sector addresses at absolute physical hardware terms. CHS sector address mode: As above, expressed in Cylinder, Head etc Logical sector address: It is a Sector address which is relative to the FATxx volume. Folder: It is a collection of items named as seen with the help of Windows Explorer. File Folder: It resembles the same as windows call it directory. Directory: It is a data structure that lists file and directory. Directory entry: It generally points to a file or directory, and contains the information about it. Attributes: It refers to the collection of bits in a directory entries that mention it. File Allocation Table is the entries list which is mapped to each and every cluster at the time of partition. The partition is further divided up into identically sized clusters, small block of space. The size of cluster varies depending on the type of FAT file Each entry contains records of one of five things: the cluster numbering of the coming cluster in a sequence a special end of chain cluster (EOC) entry that points to the end of a chain a special entry for marking a bad clustering a special entry for marking a reserved cluster a zero to note that the cluster on which we are working is unused FAT entry values: FAT12 FAT16 FAT32 Description 0x000 0x0000 0x0000000 Free Cluster 0x001 0x0001 0x0000001 Reserved value; do not use 0x002-0xFEF 0x0002-0xFFEF 0x0000002-0x0FFFFEF Used cluster; value points to next cluster 0xFF0-0xFF6 0xFFF0-0xFFF6 0x0FFFFF0-0x0FFFFF6 Reserved values; do not use. 0xFF7 0xFFF7 0x0FFFFF7 Bad sector in cluster or reserved cluster 0xFF8-0xFFF 0xFFF8-0xFFFF 0x0FFFFF8-0x0FFFFFF Last cluster in file (EOC) File System Structure:- The File Allocation Table volume has been divided into different four areas: The boot record:- It is the first and the starting sector of a FAT12 or FAT16 volume. It gives us the definition of the volume that we are using, as well as for the other remaining three areas. If the volume is made bootable, then the very first record will also contains the code required to enter the file system and for the purpose to boot the Operating System. The File Allocation Tables:- It is a address that can be reached as a lookup table to check which cluster comes next, when a file is load or scanning a directory. Because the File Allocation Table is such a important data structure, there are typically two copies (i.e. FAT1 and FAT2) so that corruption of the File Allocation Table i.e. FAT can be detected and intelligently repaired. The root directory:- It fixed in length and is always located at the starting of the volume (after the FAT) in FAT12 and FAT16 volumes, but FAT32 treats the root directory as just another cluster chain in the data area. However, even in FAT32 volume, the root directory will automatically follow immediately after the two FATs. The data area:- It fills the remaining part of the volume, and is divided into many clusters; it is only here that the file data is stored. Subdirectories are the very special files with a structure that can be easily understood by the file system, and is marked as directories rather than files by setting the directory attribute bit on the directory entry that always points to it. FAT32:- The FAT32 file system is that one which was originally introduced in Windows 95 Service Pack 2, which is really just an extension of the original FAT16 file system that provides a much larger number of clusters per partition as compared to others. As such, it helps greatly in improving the overall disk utilization when it compared to a FAT16 file system. However, FAT32 shares all of the other limitations of FAT16, and adds an vital additional limitation-many operating systems that recognize FAT16 will not work with FAT32-most probably Windows NT, but also Linux, UNIX etc as well. Now this is not the problem if we running FAT32 on a Windows XP computer and sharing our drive out to other computers on our network-we dont need to know (and generally dont really care) what our underlying file system is. Features:- FAT32 supports drives up to 2 terabytes in size. FAT32 uses space more efficiently as compared to others. FAT32 is more robust. FAT32 can be used to relocate the root folder and use the backup copy of the file allocation table instead of default copy. FAT32 is more flexible as compared to others. The root folder on a FAT32 drive is a cluster chain, so it can be used to locate anywhere on the drive. The previous flaws on the number of root folder entries no longer exist. Further, file allocation table monitoring can be disabled, allowing a copy of the file allocation table other than the first one to be active. NTFS:- NTFS is define as New Technology File System .it is a file system that was introduced by Microsoft in 1993 with Windows NT. It supports hard drive sizes up to 256TB. It is the primary file system used in Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems. The Windows Server also primarily uses NTFS. NTFS has several advantages over FAT and HPFS (High Performance File System) such as improved support for metadata and the use of advanced data structures to improve performance, reliability, and disk space utilization. The File Allocation Table (FAT) file system was the primary file system in Microsoft older operating systems but it is still supported today along with NTFS. It is more powerful and offers security advantages not found in the other file systems. There are normally three different file systems available in Windows XP: FAT16 i.e.short for File Allocation Table, FAT32, and NTFS, short for NT File System. The NTFS file system is generally not supportable with other OS installed on the same computer, nor is it available when we have booted a computer from a floppy disk. Advantages of NTFS:- It introduced the first version of Windows NT, which is totally different file system from FAT. It provides for highly increased security. If we have already upgraded to Windows XP and did not do the conversion then, it is not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. NTFS Security Features:- . File compression Encrypting File System (EFS) NTFS Security and Permissions Hard links and short filenames COMPARISON :- In FAT 32 operating system that are used is Windows 98 XP whereas operating system used in NTFS is Windows XP. These are much file system for hard drives.   Each has its own pros and cons. But FAT32 is preferred because it is easy to read and write to with a boot floppy.   Windows XP comes with a conversion utility for FAT32 to NTFS called convert.exe.   Only the operating system decide whether a partitions file system can be read or not . There are no security features in built-in FAT which was designed in single user era whereas NTFS has many security features built into it making it the a file system for multi user operating system. BibliographY:-. Operating system concepts by Gill n Smith A fundamental aaproach to Operating System by Jain and Iyer

The Many Personalities of Lolita and Humbert in Nabokov’s Lolita Essay

The Many Personalities of Lolita and Humbert in Nabokov’s Lolita Although they are intimately involved, the title character of Nabokov's Lolita never fully reveals her true self to Humbert. Likewise, Humbert pours his physical love into Lolita, but he never reveals to his stepdaughter a self that is separate from his obsession with her. These two characters mask large parts of their personalities from each other and the rest of the world, creating different images and personas in regard to different people and situations. One assumption of post-structuralism holds that â€Å"persons are culturally and discursively structured, created in interaction as situated, symbolic beings.† In accordance with this idea that people are created by their culture and in their interactions, both Lolita and Humbert have different personalities in different situations and circumstances. However, they ultimately show a more continuous and profound self-existence than just as faces created in their various interactions. Post-structuralism is a theory containing a wide array of ideas concerning meaning, reality, and identity. Post-structuralism believes that the mind receives â€Å"impressions from without which it sifts and organizes into a knowledge of the world† which is expressed in language, or symbols (Selden, Widdowson 128). The â€Å"subject,† or person, â€Å"grasps the object and puts it into words†(128). Knowledge is formed from various types of communication which â€Å"pre-exist the subject’s experiences,† the subject existing as a being that is â€Å"not an autonomous or unified identity, but is always ‘in process’†(129). There are many assumptions of post-structuralism, but only one will be focused on here, in terms of Lolita and Humbert. This assumpti... ...s of Lolita and Humbert to show the isolation and loneliness they feel, and to show just how different and immoral the situation is. By stressing the dissonance between one persona to the next, he portrays a view of his characters that is sad and shocking, for the public seen is also the reader; the unaware, innocent, â€Å"moral† group. By letting us into the different faces of Lolita and Humbert, Nabokov reveals the tragedy in the novel, and allows the reader to vividly feel what is morally right and wrong with Humbert, Lolita, and ourselves. Works Cited Lye, John. Some Post-Structural Assumptions. 1997. 5-2001. http://www.brocku.ca/english/courses/4F70/poststruct.html. Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Random, 1997. Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide To Contemporary Literary Theory. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1993.

Resistance to Imperialism and the Zulu War Essay -- African History Es

Although it is usually 19th century European imperialism that appears in Western literature, Africans have felt pressure from outside powers for over a thousand years. By the year 1200, most of Northern Africa had adopted Islam, and the population consisted mainly of a blend of Arab and Berber peoples. It was at this time that the enslavement of black Africans along the eastern coast of the continent by Arabian pirates began. This slave trade, however, met fierce resistance from the flourishing African kingdoms of Kush and the Somali king, Nagus Yeshaq, who was a Christian Becker). Because the strength of the Arabic incursions was based mainly on conversion, the Islamic armies never penetrated deeply into sub-Saharan Africa. In the middle of the 15th century, Portuguese explorers began to establish trading outposts along the western coast of Africa, thus beginning the first steps toward imperialism by European nations. It is estimated that the first trading of Africans as slaves by the Portuguese began in 1444. The West African kingdom of Benin, however, still suc...

Gender Studies :: essays research papers

Gender Studies My decision to take the extracts from literary discourse to illustrate the differences between the male and female manner of writing was dictated by the fact that it is more interesting to search for such differences in this very discourse, then in scientific or newspaper, where there are strict rules of how to write (non-personal narration, non-emotiveness, usage of terms; laconic phrases, etc.) In literary discourse one may write whatever one wishes. (Jane Austen. Pride Prejudice) After a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, might be alleviated on his side, by preparations for the reception of his bride; as he had reason to hope, that shortly after his next return into the Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter for thanks. (F. Scott Fitzgelald. Tender is the Night) Rosemary had another dinner date, a birthday party for a member of the company. Dick ran into a Collis Clay in the lobby, but he wanted to dine alone and pretended an engagement at the Excelsior. He drank a cocktail with Collis and his vague dissatisfaction crystallized as impatience – he no longer had an excuse for playing truant to the clinic. This was less an infatuation than a romantic memory. Nicole was his girl – too often he was sick at heart about her, yet she was his girl. Time with Rosemary was self-indulgence – time with Collis was nothing plus nothing. Already from the structure of the passage it is visible which passage was written by a woman and which by a man. Austen writes the events without any consequence, together with her thoughts and comments, whereas Fitzgerald, by contrast, enumerates the events in strict consecutive order. In addition, Austen uses more emotional and subjective adjectives to describe people and their state. It was counted that the female author uses verbs almost half less then the male author does (7:13). In the domain of punctuation, the gender differences are the most conspicuous: Jane Austen tends to the idiosyncratic usage of semi-columns; she does not use dashes in the given passage, whereas F. Scott Fitzgelald uses three dashes (as the indicator of reason-result understanding of events; ٭he prefers to explain the human behavior using a dash) and not a single semi-column.

Mcdonald’s 4ps

Company and Product Background McDonald’s is one of the best known brands worldwide. McDonald's first made its way to Malaysia in December 1980 when McDonald's Corporation of USA issued the exclusive license to GOLDEN ARCHES RESTAURANTS SDN BHD or commonly known as McDonald’s Malaysia to operate McDonald's restaurants in Malaysia. The entry of McDonald’s into Malaysia is through a Joint Venture agreement with Golden Arches Restaurants Sdn Bhd. McDonald’s Corporation of USA holds 49% equity. The remaining equity is held by local partners: 26% is held by Tan Sri Vincent Tan and 25% by Mohamed Shah Bin Tan Sri Abdul Kadir.At the helm of Golden Arches Restaurants Sdn Bhd is Mohamed Shah Bin Tan Sri Abdul Kadir, the Managing Director / Joint Venture Partner. He took over the reins from Tan Sri Vincent Tan in 1987. Malaysian got their first taste of McDonald's when McDonald's Malaysia opened its first restaurant at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur on 29 April 1 982. This restaurant is still in operation today and has undergone four renovations to maintain and keep with the changing trends. To date, Golden Arches Restaurants Sdn Bhd operates 194 restaurants located nationwide including Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei.McDonald’s Malaysia is currently expanding at an annual rate of approximately 10 to 20 restaurants. McDonald's has created many job opportunities in Malaysia. McDonald's Malaysia employs more than 8,000 local people with 120 support staff at its headquarters managing the day-to-day operations of the McDonald's business. There is also a regional office in Penang and Johor Bahru. McDonald's business actually began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California.Their introduction of the â€Å"Speedee Service System† in 1948 established the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant. The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15, 1955, the ninth McDonald's restaurant overall. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and led its worldwide expansion. McDonald’s grew into the largest restaurant organisation in the world. Today, there are more than 30,000 McDonald’s restaurants serving 47 million customers each day in over 100 countries.Ray Kroc died in 1984 but his legacy is very much alive. With the successful expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life. Product Product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. Product includes certain aspects such as variety, quality, design, features, brand name, packaging and services. These product attributes can be manipulated depending on what the target market wants.McDonald’s predominantly sells hamburgers, various types of chicken sandwiches and products: French fries, soft drinks, breakfast items, and desserts. Each country implements the core McDonald’s menu: hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, and french fries. McDonald’s has intentionally kept its product depth and product width limited. McDonald’s studied the behaviour of the Malaysian customer and provided a totally different menu as compared to its International offering. Being a Muslim-majority country, all McDonald’s in Malaysia are certified Halal.Thus, pork products are not offered in McDonald’s Malaysia to satisfy Halal certification requirements. McDonalds continuously innovates its products according to the changing preferences and tastes of its customers. The recent example is the introduction of the Grilled Chicken Burger (GCB) and Prosperity Burger. Food quality is the key at McDonald's. This means that McDonald’s take pride in the foods to serve for cu stomers. McDonald’s seeks out fresh lettuce and tomatoes, quality buns and potatoes, pure ground beef, select poultry, fish and wholesome dairy product.The potatoes are specially blanched and processed so that maximum nutrients are retained. Besides, upon arrival at the plant in Malaysia, the fish blocks are stored in a temperature-controlled environment to maintain their freshness. Freshly shredded lettuce, slivered onions and pickles are used in all burgers. Thus, McDonald’s has implemented rigorous food safety standards and established high food safety standards. So, there is nutrition information provided on web site for consumers and the aims of this information as regards quality product and menu selection.In the 21st century, McDonald’s have continued to design and introduce new products and indeed new part menus, such as breakfast. The reasons that McDonald’s might have in introducing these products to satisfied their consumer’s needs and c ompany strategies. The design of paper bag used by McDonald’s is made from grease resistant grass paper and pulp paper. The grease paper lines the interior, which allows for a grease less and environmentally friendly breakfast, lunch and dinner of McDonald’s sets. Next, McDonald's is one of the most popular fast food restaurants whether domestic or abroad.The feature of McDonald’s is McDonald's thrives on the term â€Å"fast food† and offers a full menu 24 hours a day in some locations. For breakfast, the menu is filled with items like the Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Egg McMuffin, Hotcakes, Hotcakes with Sausage and so on. For lunch, the menu is filled with McValue Lunch which offers from every Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 3 pm. McDonald's uses packaging to ensure their food is fresh, hot, convenient and safe. The vast majority of McDonald’s is enjoyed without the use of cutlery.Yet when menu items do require cutlery, McDonald†™s will provide plastic cutlery to customers. The cups that are used for McDonald's beverages are made from paper and have a coating to meet quality and food safety standards. This aim is to make sure that as much of McDonald packaging as possible is made from renewable resources. All McDonald bags, tray liners and cup carriers are made from 100 percent recycled paper. Packaging for hot foods such as Hamburgers, French Fries, Chicken McNuggets and Apple Pies, is made from 72 percent recycled paper.The delivery packaging used for all buns, muffins, milkshake and sundae mix are returned to suppliers for reuse. This avoids the use of significant amounts of cardboard. All McDonald’s packaging carries an anti-littering symbol to actively encourage their customers to dispose of their litter responsibly. By replacing McDonald’s plastic salad containers with a paper card base they have reduced by nearly 69 tones the amount of plastic. McDonald’s provides service with convenience, cleanliness, delicious food and friendly service to their customers.With free Wi-Fi, customers can access the Internet at no charge for customers who dine in McDonald’s. Thus, customers may enjoy foods but also searching information on internet. Besides, McDonald’s provides also an indoor and outdoor birthday party for those who wish to have a fun celebration on their birthday. Most of the McDonald’s restaurant provides 24 hours McDelivery service to satisfied customer needs. In addition, when several companies market a similar product, it is important that the brand name to be clearly seen on the packaging and easily recognizable.McDonald has been put effort into making their brand name, logo, and packaging different style compared to their competitor. Therefore, McDonald menu item are different compared to Burger King’s, because McDonald have their specific Menu which provide McValue Lunch, Happy Meal, breakfast and so on. Such tactics are usually easy to recognize, and even if a customer is fooled once, it isn’t likely to happen a second time. Promotion A promotion mix is any form of communication a business or organization uses to inform, persuade, or remind people about its products.Promotion mix consists of advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, personal selling, and public relations. Using these tools, McDonald’s looks to localise its marketing communications strategy as it needs to consider the enormous range of cultural and other differences that it would be faced with in each country. It would be naive to ignore the various local markets and the factors which may affect the performance of its product in them. It also needs to analyse consumers’ attitudes towards its product, usage patterns and ethnic, moral and religious considerations in that environment.Although the idea is to promote McDonald’s as a global image, McDonald’s focuses on the needs of the communities they are entering. In a communication context, the maxim â€Å"brand globally, advertise locally† is the McDonald’s promotional strategy. There are three main objectives of advertising for McDonald’s are to make people aware of an item, feel positive about it and remember it. The right message has to be communicated to the right audience through the right media. McDonald’s advertising is conducted on television, radio, in cinema, online, using poster sites and in press.Television advertisement for the new Prosperity Burger for example explained the new choices and attempted to generate excitement for the product in conjunction with Chinese New Year. This may be supported by in store promotions to get people to try the product and a collectable promotional device to encourage them to keep buying the item. In press for example business magazines, television news reports, and newspaper articles provided free media coverage of the product launch and it became a significant news story.The media gave McDonald’s franchise owners and corporate executives an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind the menu addition and to reassure their customers that McDonald’s was still in the hamburger business. In September 2003, McDonald's introduced † I'm lovin' it † as its first global advertising theme. Besides that, the advertisement capture the fun, youthful spirit and high energy that is the essence of the McDonald’s brand as well as the ba-da-ba-ba-baâ„ ¢ audio trademark that has become recognized around the world. McDonald’s also ties in with sponsors. McDonald’s sponsors a vast array of sports.Like example, during the summer 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, McDonald’s was a cooperate sponsors. McDonald’s outlets offer its customers with various forms of incentives to buy its products. Using McDonald’s discount voucher or coupons that one can acquire after spending a partic ular amount over a period of fixed time, customers can enjoy the benefits of free meals or free add-ons. Additionally, they provide meal vouchers and exciting offers in their print ads, which the customer must cut and bring along when purchase it. Sales promotion efforts in McDonald’s involved free samples, launch parties, and store banners.Today, McDonald’s patrons can enjoy close to 30% savings for selected products from its McValue Meal line-up between noon and 3pm everyday at almost all McDonald’s restaurants nationwide. In conjunction of the month of Ramadan, McDonald’s extended the time of McValue Lunch, normally is 12p. m-3p. m to 6p. m-9p. m. Extended period is to consider for the Muslims who fast during Ramadan and let them to have their dinner to break the day’s fast. The McDonald name the extend McValue Lunch called McValue Buka Puasa. Public Relations are also an important part of the McDonald's marketing strategy.The restaurant employe es play a huge role in interacting with the public. On a day-to-day basis the employees commit themselves to customers and the customers' feelings toward the brand. McDonald's feels that before they communicate with their customers they need to be aware of what their competitors are communicating, so they can create a beneficial difference between themselves and the competitors. McDonald’s main idea of campaign is to connect with consumer all around the world. Some of the most famous marketing campaigns of McDonald’s are â€Å"You deserve a break today’, â€Å"Food, Folks and Fun†, â€Å"I’m Lovin’ It† and so on.McDonald’s concentrates to help seek solutions for the problems facing children and families today. In Malaysia, the cornerstone of McDonald’s community relations programme is the Ronald McDonald House Charities Malaysia (RMHC Malaysia). It was established as a non-profit organization with the mission to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of Malaysian Children through health, education, and welfare. McDonald’s Malaysia supports all administration and management costs, thus enabling RMHC Malaysia to use 100% of all donations received to assist Malaysian children in need.RMHC Malaysia Coin Boxes are placed in every McDonald’s Malaysia restaurants to help raise funds for the organization. Every member of McDonald’s Malaysia is also involved in many local events in support of RMHC Malaysia. Price The customer’s perception of value is an important determinant of the price charged. Customers draw their own mental picture of what a product is worth. A product is more than a physical item, it also has psychological connotations for the customer. Price is the only marketing mix variable that can be altered quickly.Price variables such as dealer price, retail price, discounts, allowances, and credit terms influence the devel opment of marketing strategy, as price is a major factor that influences the assessment of value obtained by customer. McDonald’s strategy is to offer quality food quickly to customers at a good value. The pricing structure for McDonald’s over years has supported this message. The company strives to differentiate itself from other fast food restaurants by offering a variety of menu items that appeal to a variety of people from those who just want great hamburgers, to those who just want a quick healthy meal.McDonald’s has a unique pricing strategy that falls solely on their many product lines. Their Value Meals fall into the category of Product Line Pricing, where there is a range of product or services the pricing reflect the benefits of parts of the range. For example, you can order a Double Cheeseburger Value meal that comes with a medium drink and fries for around RM9. 50. You can Upsize this meal to get a large drink and large fries for a little more money or you can go with another value meal that might include different items for different price.The value pricing approach is used where external factors such as recession or increased competition force companies to provide ‘value’ products and services to retain sales. The most notable and recent example of this is McDonald’s McValue Meal. The McValue Meal was created because McDonald’s recognized that the economy was in a decline and that their competition was getting fiercer. The McValue Meal satisfies the current decreasing economy and has increased the pressure towards competitors. The introduction to the McValue Meal is by far the most economical product line that McDonald has ever offered.You can get a number of products off of their menu for a few ringgits. It is efficient and practical. Geographical pricing is evident where there are variations in price in different parts of the world, country or state. For example rarity value, or where shipping cos ts increase price. In McDonald’s Malaysia, the price differs in East Malaysia, Langkawi, Genting Highland, KLIA, and LCC Terminal. If a market is close to perfect, in other words there is a lot of competition, this means that the participants are price takers and have no influence over the price.In the case of McDonalds, if they raise their price above the market price then the consumer will simply take their business elsewhere as they can get the same product cheaper. Therefore McDonalds could concentrate their marketing on distinguishing their product from their competitors to make the consumer think that their competitors’ product is not as good. Alternatively they could reduce their price and compete that way instead. However sometimes price can act as a market indicator, that is if McDonalds burgers are cheaper than other burgers people might think they are poor quality and still buy from the competition. This branding means that the market is not perfect). So McD onalds would still need to aim their marketing at convincing the consumer that their product is good quality. McDonald's is one of the first and most sort after in the fast food business and millions around the globe, especially the food lovers are passionate about it. McDonald's offers discounts to its regular shoppers as a promotional strategy and along with that it is more cost-effective than dining at restaurants with waiters. Thus it helps in saving money which many consumers are concerned about when all the want is to fill up their appetite.People can cut down their expenses because of the discounts offered. This is the reason for its growing popularity. Purchasers prefer burgers, fries and drinks when it comes with a better price discount availed through coupons. Discounts make the demand go higher and in buying more they save even more. McDonald's coupons are sometimes given completely free. One can get them easily at any McDonald's eatery without any money. The staff is inf ormed about the discounts and can certainly give all the necessary details. Staffs are deliberately placed at shopping malls to give out these coupons, to areas where most people pass through.Online websites are launched to provide the McDonald's chits, letting one print the coupons out. Some use the internet and it is seen that many people are fond of these McDonald coupon websites. Loads of websites post their printable chits offering discount on food products at McDonald's and also inform about the coupons and lists regularly. The most important reason for McDonald’s pricing flexibility is its well-established supply chain arrangement, which ensures efficiency and speed in distribution. Besides, huge increases in volume sales and food processing technology have been helping the company to offset its cost.Place In the marketing mix of McDonald’s, the place is not just about the physical location or distribution points for products. It encompasses the management of a range of processes involved in bringing products to the end consumer. Place mix includes physical distribution, storage, inventory management, and channel selection. McDonalds is currently has over 33, 000 restaurant in 123 countries across the world. According to McDonald’s Malaysia website, there are 194 McDonald’s restaurants located nationwide. McDonald’s focuses on store placement and is always looking for the best locations.This strategy created some weaknesses because it seemed that too many stores were put in some areas, cannibalizing sales from the other McDonald’s. The company has also made convenience a focus, not only through how fast it serves customers, but also in the location of its outlets. Most McDonald’s restaurants are small spaces, especially behind the counter in the food preparation area. These areas are designed for efficiency where the equipment is placed together to cut down on wasted movement and energy. The place mainly consists of the distribution channels.It is important so that the product is available to the customer at the right place, at the right time and in the right quantity. There is a certain degree of fun and happiness that a customer feels each time he dines in McDonalds. There are certain value propositions that McDonalds offers to its customers based on their needs. McDonalds offers hygienic environment, good ambience and great service. Now McDonalds have also started giving internet facilities at their centre and they have been playing music through radio instead of the normal music.There are certain dedicated areas for children where they can play while their parents can have some quality time together. In addition to its tradition rivals such as Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut, the firm encounters new challenges. Burger King competes using a back to basics approach of quickly serving up burgers for time-pressed consumers. On the higher end, the KFC has become potent competitor in t he quick service field, taking away customers from McDonalds’s. Perhaps in the new environment, fast, convenient service is no longer enough to distinguish the irm. At this time, a new critical success factor may be emerging: the need to create a rich and satisfying experience for consumers. This brings us to service and experience based competition which McDonald’s can use for competitive advantage against Burger King. Keeping in mind the demographics of the area, with urban professional class getting bigger and bigger, McDonalds also begin to adapt by offering more elegant looks in its layout design, offering special seating and Wi-Fi access to tech-savvy consumers who eat in the outlet.It is for this overall â€Å"Food, Fun ; Folks† experience that customers pay a premium over the other competitors. McDonalds stress importance to meet customer’s expectation especially in term of time of delivery. In order to ensure fast delivery is through â€Å"Drive Thru† concept where customers can place order by driving through the counter with their car. This can save time from parking and waiting long queue for those who just want to take away the food. Customer‘s expectation is to able to get what they needs right on time at any place in convenience way and McDonalds is morphing from just a fast food restaurant to value service provider.It is getting itself closer to the customer’s base so it can serve them better. For example fast ordering system like McDelivery will not only increase McDonald’s business opportunities to those who are reluctant to travel to its physical outlet but also will delight the customers with the fast response. This is the efforts by McDonalds to serve the hunger and needs of consumers anywhere, anytime whether it is rain or shine and day or night. In Malaysia, McDonalds started 24 hours concept in 2006 with 72 selected outlets or drive thru station that operate on 24 hours basis.Logisti cs is the integration of the activities that procure materials, transform them into intermediate goods and final products through manufacturing and assembly, and deliver them to customers. For a firm as large as McDonald’s logistics is an area where proper planning results in increased efficiency. Purchasing is the most costly activity in most firms. Purchasing provides a major opportunity for management to reduce costs and increase contribution margins. Because the cost and quality of goods sold is directly related to the cost and quality of goods purchased, McDonald's must examine a number of strategies for effective purchasing.Because of the perishable nature of food, a system of just-in-time ordering and delivery is most effective for the company. For such a system to work, solid ties must be forged with a lot of suppliers. Ordering huge quantities of beef, chicken, and vegetables and expecting them to arrive at the shortest possible time requires coordination with capabl e suppliers. The company stands to gain the most with improvements in production – the actual preparation of food. Raw agricultural materials arriving at its commissary must be turned into buns, hamburger patties, french fries and McNuggets with minimal waste.It must then carry over this practice of efficiency into its outlets. Conclusion Marketing mix is the combination of four elements, called the four P’s (Product, Price, Promotion, and Place), that every company has the option of adding, subtracting, or modifying in order to create a desired marketing strategy. McDonald’s marketing mix is strategic because of the diverse approaches that are used. First, in identifying the four P’s of marketing, McDonald’s is very careful in making decisions that affect each area or how each area affects the other.McDonald’s is concerned about how the firm will fulfil the needs and wants of its customers and in the activities associated with maintain the relationships with its stakeholders. McDonald’s stakeholders include customers, franchisees, suppliers, employees, and the local communities surrounding them. McDonald’s has shown care for customers through the decisions to add more healthful foods to the menus, by changing how products are packaged or how foods are prepared, and by philanthropic contributions and sponsorships.Local adaptation, no doubt, has contributed to McDonald’s business growth in Malaysia. The restaurant has developed competitive advantages in the industry of serving quality fast food as low as cost. In addition to these decisions, the development of the Golden Arches or Ronald McDonald has provided consumers with memorable icons that are associated with quality, service, and value. McDonald’s faces some difficult challenges in moving away from the fast food king to a more conscious provider for customers who care about what they at. The keys to its future success will be maintainin g its core strengths, an unwavering focus on quality and consistency while carefully experimenting with new options. The company’s environment efforts, while important, should not overshadow its marketing initiatives. Though there are many opportunities for this fast food giant, McDonald’s must keep the strategic nature of its marketing efforts to stay on top and provide what customers want. McDonald’s uses market research information to build a marketing strategy.All parts of its organisation then have to work together to ensure that the strategy reaches its objectives. Once the marketing strategy is in place, various responsibilities are given to different individuals so that the plan can be implemented. Systems are put in place to obtain market feedback which measure success against short-term targets. McDonald’s has to ensure that this is done within the confines of a tightly controlled, finite marketing budget. Thus, the four P’s of marketing provide a good starting point for consideration of the requirements of strategy implementation in the marketing function.