Business strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business strategy - Case Study Example The perception of exclusivity that is in line with being a tenant of the garage also denotes the high demand for it. In terms of financial returns, given the amount to be used to compute individual unit net common area charge, as stated in Exhibit 4 with a figure of 42,780, the individual unit common area charge amounts to 388.91 (if spread among the 110 spaces), or 32.71 in a month. If the rental price continues to be at 100 per car per month, then the business must be producing profits. Then this is a good investment. Thus, Eliot Conviser should buy the garage. The decision to convert the garage into a garage condominium depends on the preferences of the market, that is, the preferences of the tenants and other prospective tenants. If the market needs a parking space, and they want to own it, then the garage condominium concept is possible. If the market does not want it, what happened with the previous owners failed venture will only repeat in Eliot Convisers. For Eliot Conviser to make a good decision, he must survey the market again as regards the feasibility of the idea. If the markets preference changes, say if parking space within the area has been scarcer than ever before, and ownership would definitely be a great substitute to renting the space, then the project can pursue. With the sentiment of the market to back up the idea of ownership of parking space, then the garage condominium concept would prove to be successful. However, as there is no evidence to any of these as stated in the case, it cannot be assumed that market sentiments and preferences have already changed to support the idea of garage condominium. With this, Eliot Convisers decision should be not to go ahead with the garage condominium. He, however has another option in order to make the business profitable. If he cannot sell the condominiums because the market

For Academic Purpose - Ceo Speech to Prospective Investors Essay Example for Free

For Academic Purpose Ceo Speech to Prospective Investors Essay It is my utmost pleasure to be able to welcome you here today in Tek Comfort Zone (ITZ) General Investors and Prospective Investors Quarterly meeting. Tek Comfort Zone is the Caribbean premier producer of ostentatious â€Å"State of the Art Furniture† with electronic built-in and plug-ins accessories that provides superior comfort and quality solutions through custom design, manufacturing, installation and support. Our fast growing clients include Five Stars Hotels, business tycoons, celebrities and a host of others in the SHOW BIZZ. TCZ does not only strive to maintain its leading position as Caribbean â€Å"N ° 1† State of the Art Furniture† Producer, but also to expand in novelty and quality that steers a higher level of customer satisfaction alongside profit maximization. This whole process has involved an integration of mission, objectives, implementation and evaluation; a proper time, cost, quality and human resources management: and a critical maintenance of all forms of motivations. The company is made up of 45 staff members. Briefly, it is headed by a CEO, with two Directors (Director of Production and Director of Budget) answerable to him. They direct the two sectors of the company (Production and Budget). The Budget sector has two managers (Purchase Manager and Sales Manager) answerable to the Director of Budget. Immediately under the Purchase Manager is the Accounting Supervisor, and directly under the Sales Manager is the Sales Supervisor. The Sales Supervisor oversees six employers while the Account Supervisor has five employees under his control. Meanwhile in the Production Sector only one manager (Manufacturing Manager) is answerable to the Director of Productions. Directly under the Manufacturing Manager are the Inventory Supervisor and Operations Supervisor. The Inventory Supervisor oversees 10 employees while the Operations Supervisor supervises 14 employees. This well structured organizational flow is mindful of effective communications, job duplications, conflict and other factors that can affect a team spirit and job dexterity. Dear investors as a result of this strategy, TCZ has grown substantially faster than the global â€Å"State Of The Arts Furniture† market. While the global market as a whole grew just 5%, ours increased by 13%. An important source of revenue, the delivery of unrivalled bed, mattress and electronics charges, increased 18%, although the market saw a 1% decrease. Our pro-forma operating margin improved to 28. 3%, an increase of half a percentage point. We took additional market share away from our direct competitors in the ‘State of Arts Furniture’ market, gaining one percentage point year-on-year, which takes us to a market share of approximately 21%. We thus sell approximately two and a half times more unrivaled electronic beds and, mattress than our nearest competitor, who had been the leading producer for 18 years, before we ever dominated the market Our main competitor is the ABC State of Arts Furniture Ltd. They are the longest in the market and have dominated the premier role for 18 years. They are known for quantity and timely delivery. Unlike our competitors we added other important ingredients such as quality, novelty and frequent customer satisfaction research. This accounted for why we have emerged as the leading company in the market for the past five years. Our few years of existence in the market would have attracted fear and false judgements from prospective investors against our maturity, stability and long-term success and survival. Without any doubt I can assure you that we are on the right path. How? Before our company could even kick off, we had carefully learned from the errors of others who have been in business many years before us. We carefully analysed their strengths and weaknesses. For example we learned never to preach what we cannot live by (meaning our quality must match our propaganda). This is the root of loss of public confidence. We also learned that a strategy should not be considered only because of its promises in the short-term goals, but also because of its sustainability and expansions in the long-term. Importantly, we quickly learned the art of satisfying the consumer with quality and quantity goods and services with a maximisation of profit. And finally we also learned to provide investors with a consistent report of accountability and transparency on every level of attainment of the business. This gives our investors a true sense of ownership in the business. Dear prospective investor, without your investment, ICZ would have just been another brilliant idea. Your choice to invest in into this company is what has made the idea a reality. We not encourage you to maintain your investments, but also to expand them. To our prospective investors, TCZ is the fertile ground for your investment. Grab this opportunity heartily. Your fears should not ponder about the success of the company. Rather the fear should be whether the investment recruiting conditions presently would be stricter since many investors show interest to our company’s philosophy and operations. The investors screening process may become more critical as many investors would Finally to the entire TCZ, may we together applaud our selfless and one-minded efforts that have brought us thus far.

Challenging Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay

Challenging Logistics And Supply Chain Management Commerce Essay The supply chain can be defined as being a group of partners who collectively convert a basic commodity into a finished product that is of value to the end user. In the supply chain each partner must perform a task which adds value to the final product/service (Harrison, Van Hoek, 2008). The supply chain is viewed as a single entity rather than a series of fragmented elements such as procurement, manufacturing and distribution. Logistics management could be seen to include the long-term decisions and plans needed for reform, whereas the supply chain includes the more operational elements. In a supply chain, every partner ought to add value to the finished productservice through some process or procedure (Harrison and Van Hoek, 2008). Elements of Logistics Management: Storage, warehousing, material handling. Packaging and utilization. Inventory. Transport. Information and control. Source: Lecture Slide 1, Logistics strategy M32 SOR. Aim Research the strategic position of Diageo Plc from a logistics context in order to develop a suitable logistics strategy. Objectives: Research analyse a UK based brewerys current strategic position from a logistics perspective. Evaluate the key strategic approaches to logistics management that could be used by a UK based brewery. Identify the management issues caused by implementing a new logistics strategy with consideration for available capital, technical and human resources Outline the strategic significance of new technology developments and business trends on future logistic strategies for a retailer. Prepare and submit the report Diageo Plc- Background Diageo Plc is the leading beer, spirits, and wine company in the world. The company has a well diversified portfolio of alcoholic beverages and stock brands such as Josà © Cuervo, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, JB, Tanqueray, Bushmills Irish, Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards wines and Guinness (www.diageo.com). Diageo is listed both on the London Stock Exchange (DGE) as well as the New York stock Exchange (DEO). Diageo has a wide brand portfolio. The company strives to maintain its leadership position and provide value to the customer. Diageo has manufacturing plants spread across countries and continents including United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, India, Africa, Caribbean, United States of America and Australia.  The company had worldwide sales worth  £8.09 billion in the year 2008. It operates in 180 markets in five continents across the globe (www.diageo.com). Diageo Plc was created when two of the most established breweries- Guiness Plc and Grand Metropolitan Plc- merged to form the present company in 1997. The company was then reorganised in 2004 into three distinct strategic business divisions, namely, Diageo Europe, Diageo North America and Diageo International. In 2005, Diageo acquired the oldest distillery in Ireland called Bushmills Distillery. In 2006, the company expanded into Russia and got a majority stake in Smirnov vodka business (www.diageo.com). Logistics strategy: A logistics strategic framework is aimed at aligning the different partners of a supply chain in a manner so as to meet and match the customers evolving demands. The objectives of such a logistics strategic framework are: Capital reduction: It implies increasing the returns on investments made in logistics assets. Cost reduction: It is to minimiseoptimise the costs associated with storage and movement of goods and supplies. Improvement in Service: it involves processes so as to achieve customer satisfaction. Competitive Structure and Competitors The international drinks and beverages market has players, such as Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Brown Forman Co-operation, Moet-Hennessey (LVMH), and Fortune Brands (Beam Global). Pernod Ricard is a Paris-based multinational company which in 2008, acquired a Swedish company, V S Group, the makers of Absolut vodka. Brown-Forman Co-operation is one of the largest USA-based manufacturers of alcoholic beverages. In 2007, it acquired a Mexican company, Tequila Herradura, to add tequila drinks to its portfolio (Business Insights, 2009) Bacardi, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda is well known for its brand of rums. It is a family-owned multinational company operating in over 100 countries. Moet-Hennessey is manufacturer of spirits under the Paris-based parent company, LVMH (the largest retailer of luxury goods in the world). Fortune Brands are America-based manufacturers of wines and spirits and acquired many brands from UK-based Allied Domecq in 2005 (Business Insights, 2009). Diageo: Strategic Positioning An understanding of Diageos overall strategic positioning can help us in designing a logistics management strategy. Evaluation of the overall strategy is a precursor to develop a concurrent logistics strategy aligned with the companys long term vision. Generic Strategies for Diageo using Ansoff Analysis C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibreweryansoff.jpg As is evident from the Ansoff matrix, Diageo has the following strategies: Consolidation of its position and market penetration in mature markets such as USA and Europe where it is well established. It is doing so both by organic as well as inorganic growth strategies. It is looking at newer territories and emerging markets such as Africa and Asia for market development of its existing products. It is developing products in mature markets so as to increase the share of wallet of the consumer. An example is RTD or ready-to-drink beverages, such as Smirnoff Ready-to-Drink beverage. Porters Five Forces Model Michael Porter developed his Five Forces model in 1979 to help businesses understand competition in a more comprehensive manner. Diagrammatically, it can be represented as follows: Source: Johnson Scholes 6th ed, exhibit 3.4 The model, when applied to Diageo Plc, helps understand the company environment and competition as follows: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: this is low as Diageo is an established company with a large market share and strong brand name. To gain advantage over its suppliers, it enters into long term contracts. Bargaining Power of Buyers: this is low as Diageo now positions itself as a manufacturer of premium and super-premium spirits and other alcoholic beverages. The market share of premium and super-premium brands of Diageo increased by 4.5% and 11% respectively. Threat of Competitors: it is high as it has a few international competitors in the form of Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman and Bacardi. Major mergers and acquisitions have occurred in the alcoholic beverage industry leading to fewer players with extended brand portfolios and cross-border capabilities. Threat of Substitutes: This is low as alcoholic beverages are a socially acceptable form of intoxication that is not acceptable with any other substance. Threat of New Entrants: it is low as entry barriers are high in the form of increased regulation, increasing need of marketing by beverage companies to inform customers and increasing competitive nature of the industry. Please refer to Appendix A for further reading on competitiveness. Development of Existing Logistics Capabilities The environment under which Diageo functions is dynamic and changing rapidly. The characteristics that define its environment that one needs to understand to develop the logistics strategy are as follows: Expectations of service levels are increasing Consumers are becoming more sophisticated. Government regulations are becoming more stringent Commodity price pressures and intense competition cause opposite effects on price, affecting margins. Logistics can be of immense value to a company if approached in a correct and definitive manner. Its importance for various businesses has now increased from merely a cost incurring but necessary function to: An activity to generate significant cost savings. An activity with the potential to increase sales and customer satisfaction. A marketing tool to gain sustainable competitive advantage. The costs incurred by Diageo can be broadly understood as follows: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibrewerycogs.jpg Source: Gosnell, Investor Relations Conference, 2005 The global supply and logistics strategy also includes people and processes which Diageo classifies as Partners for growth (Gosnell, Investro Relations Conference, 2005). These can be classified as follows: Key Enablers: These are associated with people, processes and attitudes such as collaboration, teamwork, responsiveness and capability development. Qualifiers: These include protecting brand as well as Diageo reputation through maintaining brand quality, brand integrity, corporate citizenship and other such means. It may also include the resolve of the company to deliver competitive service to the customer at the right value. Winners: these include processes to reduce end-to-end supply chain costs, overall costs, driving technology and research and ability to execute the strategy as expected. The various features of this strategy implemented by Diageo in inbound as well as outbound logistics and value creation are as follows: Reducing the overall cost of goods sold: Diageo has set a target of 2% real cost reduction each year. The philosophy here is that savings can come from all components of the supply chain such as procurement, logistics, manufacturing and brand value, each of which will be subsequently looked into. The large scale operations of Diageo provide it with an advantage in all these areas. Procurement: Glass and energy are two largest components of Diageos cost of goods. To control energy costs, it uses forward purchasing; spot purchasing as well as short term tactical purchasing. For glass supply assurance and price control, it entered a strategic relationship with Owens-Illinois and gave it the preferred supplier status. At the same time, it developed alternate supplier relations as well such as with Altajir, based in Europe, with which it entered a 3 to 5 year deal. Also, Diageo also leveraged newer supply sources from Asia and Eastern Europe as these emerging economies are reliable on quality, pricing, service and innovation. As an example, this has led to 40%-50% cost saving on cartons, 20% on crowns and 15%-20% on casings. Manufacturing: Diageo tries to maximise the benefits of economies of scale. It has larger but fewer manufacturing facilities, thus having high fixed costs but low variable costs. It has sold or closed 11 facilities in Europe, 5 in North America and 3 in Asia/Africa. In the rest of the manufacturing plants, it has tried to fully optimise the advantages of the Diageo scale; e.g.: Shieldhall, Scotland is the largest volume spirits packaging plant but still has only 7 lines. Logistics: Diageo uses the pilot principles involving a central hub warehouse that can supply to the surrounding markets. These warehouses are strategically located and use cross-border shipments to meet demand. This model also minimises costs by maximising throughput. This has led to 20% reduction in manpower requirements, 25% reduction in stock and enhanced service performance. An example of the pilot principles model in Europe for Diageo is as follows: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatidIAGEO_brewery_3250warehouse.jpg Source: Gosnell, Investor Relations Conference, 2005 Brand Value and Value Engineering: An example of value engineering would be the Guinness can size that was reduced by 7%, weight reduced by 1% without loss of volume held. JW bottles glass weight was reduced by 22% as another example. This has led to reduction in packaging, hauling and shipping costs. Also, Diageo intends to create value for its customers while preserving its brand image. It intends to do so through Improving existing quality standards Implementing environmental management systems Crisis management simulations for business resilience Optimise supply flexibility Strategic Approaches to Logistics Management There are two motivations suggested for designing a logistics strategy (Whittington 1993). These included the goals of setting the logistics strategy and how deliberate the processes were of setting the logistics strategy. A matrix was hence developed and helped firms evaluate the logistics strategy. Benchmarking Diageo can utilise benchmarking to evaluate its logistics performance in comparison to its competitors or companies from different industries altogether. Benchmarking can be defined as a process of continuously measuring and comparing ones business performance against comparable processes in leading organizations to obtain information that will help the organization identify and implement improvements (Benson 1998). Benchmarking can also be understood as a process for identification of best practices by comparing key performance indicators for a specific activity across organisations and using these performance levels as inputs for corporate goal setting (Gourdin, 2001) Diageo can utilise this to compare its practices with respect to other companies, industries or markets. Benchmarking can be used in a variety of logistic processes such as warehouse operations, mode and carrier selection, order processing, forecasting and packaging. However, certain steps need to be ensured before em barking on benchmarking (Gourdin, 2001). These are as follows: Defining the present performance level of the benchmarked activity. Determining the level of performance desired in this activity to be benchmarked. Determining what improvements can be made and to be made Determining how to make the desired improvements to achieve desired performance levels. Estimate and set a time frame for the completion of the process. Collaboration/Co-operation Collaboration is the most sophisticated form of electronic integration. If electronic integration occurs at all levels, namely strategic, tactical and operational, it is called as collaboration. It helps the supply chain members to come together so as to better forecast future demand and to design plans and implement them to meet these demands. The members can collaborate on new product planning, demand forecasting and replenishment planning. Collaboration allows information to be rapidly exchanged and hence, all participants of the collaboration have access to updated and latest information. It can also help to reduce costs and the data fed into the system can be used for monitoring and feedback activities. The co-operative approach simply refers to the degree of external and internal collaboration among the supply chain members. Partnerships/Alliances Companies now realise the concept of strategic long term relationship with suppliers. The underlying reason for this realisation is the need to improve customer service or add value to the finished product. An alliance is said to be strategic when it is strategic in focus and also directly supports one of the partners distinctive core competencies (Grant et al, 2006). Partnerships not only help the members in sharing information, knowledge and experience but also aid in lowering the risks for any one player. Diageo, as motioned previously, has a long term partnership with Owen-Illinois, a USA-based glass manufacturing company. It has been accorded special supplier status and given a contract for 3 years. It has also increased the scale of Owen-Illinois. Diageo can forge similar partnerships with various other members of its supply chain. Just in time (JIT) A JIT-based program aims at ensuring that the right quantities are produced at the right time and reach the consumer at the right moment of need so that there is no waste. Waste has been defined in JIT programs as anything that does not add value to the end product. One unit more or less than needed is considered as waste. Total Quality Management is a concept whose principle is concurrent with those of JIT and both may need to be implemented simultaneously so as to add value to companys operations. A successful and functional JIT program, however, needs the following to be achieved by the company: Steady production Flexible resources No machine breakdowns Reliable suppliers High quality product/service Rapid machine set-ups Discipline to maintain every of the above functions running over a continuum Implementation of JIT For JIT to be successful in Diageo, adaptation of the JIT concepts in its environmental set up is essential. The main concepts of eliminating waste, quick changeovers, flexibility in resources and partnering with suppliers have to be realised and has been described as a two-stage process (Gourdin, 2001). Establish foundations (this refers to quality, low cost, minimum lead times, flexibility: these can be achieved through Total Quality Management, flexible and trained workforce, reduction in setup time and focus on design). Core Techniques (pull scheduling, multi-functional workforce, JIT purchasing). JIT is a volume and demand driven program. It requires a certain level of stable demand for it to be successful. It cannot be implemented in a business that has unique orders or low volumes of operation. Moreover, companies should strive to improve JIT systems as technology advances. Lean Management First introduced by Toyota Production Systems, lean management is a concept of reducing waste and non-value adding activities from the value chain. The main elements of lean management are small batch size production, pull creation and reduction in variability. It says that a pull is created when a customer demands a product and only that should lead to production, thus reducing stock wastes and large inventories or batch sizes. Two very important principles associated with lean management are kaizen (continuous improvement) and kaikaku (radical improvement). This encourages improvement in the processes on incremental as well as radical levels. Lean management helps in reducing lead times and reduce variability in demand, supply and manufacturing by standardisation of procedures. Value Chain Analysis: Source: Johnson et al, 2008 The concept of a value chain was developed by Michael Porter. He suggested that the functions in an organisation can be split into primary activities concerned with creation and delivery of product and service and supporting activities (Johnson et al, 2008). The value chain analysis helps the company identify its various components of the value chain and what are the activities at which value added can be increased. A fundamental value chain for Diageo can look like this: C:UsersuserDesktoprohit gulatibreweryvaluechain.jpg Issues relevant to the development of strategies Integration of logistics strategy with corporate and business level strategies is essential for success of all these strategic outlooks. Diageo has integrated logistics strategy with the overall corporate strategy to streamline procurement, manufacturing and delivery operations (Gosnell, 2005). It has helped Diageo become the largest player in the international alcohol beverage market. However, scope for further improvement always exists. A Step Model can be used by Diageo to develop and assess its logistics strategy and identify its strengths and loopholes. What Diageo must realise is that there are certain factors in the supply chain that are beyond the control of the company. Trying to manage such factors by the management can lead to waste creation and loss of value. These can include increased competitive pricing and product pressures, unanticipated actions by competitors that can dent Diageos market share or size, legal and regulatory changes and many others. Management Issues Caused by Implementing Newer Strategies New strategy implementation can directly affect the capital, technical and human resources of a company. Good leadership during change as well as effective communication can help implement the change in an efficient manner. During implementation and modification of logistics strategy, due importance should be given to HR management and other organisational issues. Ignorance of HR issues is the most common, yet often ignored cause of failure to implement changes in strategy, even when they denote improvement over previous processes. These issues such as recruitment, training and appraisal, autonomy, flexibility and reward systems are important factors to be taken into consideration to enable smoother transitions. Specific to logistics, the management should review the current staffing and skills, allocation and training of staff, as well as current recruitment criteria and procedures. It should also consider the impact of market pull and technological push on the strategy design and p lan. Likewise, operational issues have to be monitored and requirements in terms of people, capital and equipment resources have to be met. These are necessary for any new tactically significant operations the company plans to undertake. Force field analysis can also be used to help stakeholders accept the change and understand the requirements, implications and resistances to the change in strategy. The model also suggests that there are two forces primarily in the business field, namely, driving force and resistance force. The management should strive to increase the strength of the former and reduce that of the latter while implementing change. Collaboration can play a significant role in the implementation of change. This is so because the companys suppliers and customers are also stakeholders in the company and can resist change. Internal collaboration, intercompany collaboration and electronic collaboration should be implemented while keeping in mind the ECR (efficient consumer response). New Technology Implementation and Future Trends in Logistics Strategy Diageo, due to its international and cross border supply chain should now focus on localised supply chains and distribution systems. This can help reduce haulage and shipping costs. Employment of low cost communications and cost computing technologies can aid in this endeavour and also help in increasing capability to extend product variety. Diageo has to be agile and flexible to incorporate these and any such positive technological advances. This can lead to increased pressure on cost-efficient, strategically beneficial logistics management due to increasing competition. As a result, increased pressures may be felt on supply chain networks viz. replenishment ordering, continuous ordering and supply flows, cross docking and stockless warehousing with product tracking (Harrison, Van Hoek, 2008). Scenario planning is a simulation attempt to generate realistic and plausible situations of the industry. Diageo can use it to simulate various market conditions, future situations and competitor capabilities. Such an uncertainty-based scenario matrix is highle effective in evaluation-based planning over the medium and long term. RFID Radio frequency Identification is used by Diageo wherever plausible. However, Diageo should try and implement the technology in all markets for more efficient product tracking, demand tracking and supply chain flexibility. It also helps in rapidly collecting data about demand levels and consumption patterns in various markets. RFID is a wireless technology that uses radio signalling for electronic identification and object labelling (Harrison, Von Hoek, 2008). This system works in alignment to the organisations information systems. This helps in improving business processes such as supply chain management while relaying significant market data. RFID systems primarily consist of three components: Transponders: These are also called as contactless data carriers or Tags. They can carry information data feeded into them and identify objects to which they are attached. Readers: These devices communicate with the RFID tags and read the information stored in them. Software Applications: These are the applications that feed and retrieve the data from a tag via the readers. RFID vs. Barcodes RFID are a technological advancement over barcode. The RFID tags can store as much information as a barcode can and sometimes more. Information carried by barcodes cannot be edited. In case of RFID tags information can be edited or updated. Moreover, this function can be repeatedly performed without any loss of data or damage to tags memory. The security systems inbuilt in the RFID systems are also better as it uses tags uses authentication and encrypted data transfer methods. ERP Baheshti, 2006 defined an ERP system as a collection of business applications, which links various business units of an organisation such as financial, accounting, manufacturing, sales and marketing and human resources into a tightly integrated single system with a common platform for streamlined flow of information across the entire business. Reengineering of companies is facilitated through ERP systems so that they are in a better position to empower employees, satisfy needs and demands of the customers and create better business value (Willis and Willis-Brown, 2002) ERP systems helps create reenergized companies that are in a position to better serve customers, empower employees, and drive greater business value (Willis and Willis-Brown, 2002). Since Diageo has three separate business units catering to different geographical regions, the task of collecting and analysing data is a daunting one at Diageo. ERP system can integrate these data flows across all the business units and their various divisions so as to better understand the industry events and design and/or modify strategy accordingly. It can thus act as a competitive advantage to the company in the long run by better understanding of the international market place and varied needs and requirements of the consumers across borders. This can thus help in driving Diageos overall operational efficiency and functional effectiveness. References: Presentation by David Gosnell, Managing Director, Diageo Global Supply, Investor Relations Conference, November 2005 Business Insights, The Top 10 Spirits Companies: Industry Trends and Growth Strategies of Leading Players, April 2009 Presentation by Stuart Fletcher, President, Diageo International, April 2009 Baheshti, H. M. (2006) What Managers Should Know About ERP/ERPII: Management Research News. Vol. 29(4) [online] available from Fenn, D. (2005) 10 edn. Key Note. Hampton: Key Note Ltd Gourdin, k. (2001) Global Logistics Management. Oxford: Blackwell Grant, D., Lambert, D., Stock, J., Ellram, L. (2006) Fundamentals of logistics Management. Berkshire: McGraw Hill Education Harrison, A., Van Hoek, A. (2008) 3 edn. Logistics Management and Strategy. Essex: Pearson Education Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) 8th edn. Exploring Corporate Strategy. England: Pearson Education Rushton, A., Croucher, P., Baker, P. (2006) 3 edn. The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management. London: Kogan Willis, H. Willis-Brown, H. A. (2002) Extending the value of ERP: Journal of Industrial Management Data Systems, [online] Available from www.diageo.com.

greek heros Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are often a number of characteristics that can be used to describe characters through out literature. The classic mythological hero may be described as having the tragic Greek heroic personality. The tragic Greek heroic personality contains characteristics such as excellence (arà ªte), pride (hubris), blind recklessness (ate), and disastrous retribution (nemesis). Though most mythological heroes contain these qualities, Sophocles developed his own heroic personality. The sophoclean tragic hero is â€Å"one whose rigid and courageous loyalty to particular principles invites a disastrous fate† (Antigone Pg.14). Creon acting a classical tragic as well as Antigone, a sophoclean tragic heroes, both personify their personalities through their actions.   Ã‚  ...

Sit Ins

North Carolina was a place filled with discrimination and racism. There were places where African Americans couldn't eat or shop in the same stores. Although slavery was over, some of the feelings that whites felt towards blacks were still empresses. With that being said, on February 6, 1960, four young men that went to A university decided that they should make a stand against discrimination in their town. I can remember the day like yesterday. It was the middle of February when they people started talking about doing the next sitIn, I knew that I would be there taking a stand with the rest of my people. We went Into the diner and Immediately sat down at the counter as tables. When I mean that there were hundreds of people that came down to help support the movement. And It wasn't all blacks that supported, there were whites down there too who helped In the sit-ins. We sat there for hours on edge Just walling for someone to service us, but they just stared. For a long time they Just watched us Like we were aliens. They didn't know whether to be confused or angry. After some time had past, they had soon called the cops.And to the officers surprise, they were out numbered by a lot. They had to call for back up just to start to get us out. We made sure we stood our ground and made sure we kept our composure. It had gotten really bad too. People were throwing drinks at us, food, and anything else that they thought would provoke us into reacting in a negative way. The police officers started to get physical and violent and we weren't even do anything wrong. All we wanted was to be serviced and waited on. What's the difference between blacks money and whites? Just knew that this would be a part of a long process that will soon end with positive results.

Free Essays on Polarization In The Political System

Polarization in the Political System On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power wi... Free Essays on Polarization In The Political System Free Essays on Polarization In The Political System Polarization in the Political System On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power wi...

Theology Of Genesis 1-11 Essays - Phoenician Mythology, Free Essays

Theology Of Genesis 1-11 Essays - Phoenician Mythology, Free Essays Theology Of Genesis 1-11 (A) Introduction Pentateuch is considered to be the most important part in the Old Testament. It recorded the account of creation, the fall of man, the Law Code as well as the experience of the Ancient Israel. Among them Genesis is the first book recorded incidents happened from the creation of the world to Joseph's time. In chapter one to eleven, the origin of the world and human race are introduced and in chapter twelve onwards are the stories of the Ancestors. In this passage, we will concentrate in discussing the theology of chapter one to eleven which contained much valuable and important message for the readers who were probably Israelites in post-exilic period (which would be discussed later). In order to understand the text it is important to have some knowledge about the background of the readers as the author should compose his work under their background so that they may understand easily. Hence brief introduction of the background of Ancient Israelites and Genesis as well as its authorship would be given before we go into discussing its theology. The discussion will be within four topics -(a) Yahweh has supreme authority and power, (b) Man-as image of God, (c) Mankind's failure and God's reaction and (d) Creation-a continuing process. (B) Background of Canaanites' Religion and Ancient Israelites Both Biblical record and archeological evidence showed that beside the Israelites, there were many other people living in Palestine. They included Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girga*censored*es and Jebusites. In this passage, they are all regarded as Canaanites. Basically, the Canaanites' religions are polytheistic. They believed in many gods in many different levels including those national god, functional gods and family gods or ancestors. In the following paragraphs, a brief introduction of Canaanites' religions would be given as a background for the studies of religion of ancient Israelites. Religion in Ancient Near East Although the gods they worshipped were different, tribes in Ancient Near East did have similar although not exactly the same doctrines. As mentioned above, their religions are polytheistic. Each god in their religion had different function and statues. They had different characters and might fight among themselves. We are going to discuss the religion in Canaan and Babylon as examples. One point must be noted is that the functions of the gods in Canaan are closely related to natural phenomena . For example, Baal Hadad was known as the thunder god who was responsible for raining. Other examples included El Elyon who was known as the sun god , Yamm who was the god of the sea and Mot who was the god of death . Some of the gods were related to daily life. For instant, Anath was the goddess of war and Astarte was known as the goddess of love and fertility and also of war. Another function of Baal was related to fertility. The Canaanites always explained natural phenomena using myths. The alternation of the seasons and the death and renewal of vegetation were believed to be explained through the following myth. When Baal had his temple built, he sent a message to the god of death Mot in which he threatened Mot's life. After that there was a struggle between Mot and Baal and Baal was killed in the battle. After some times Baal's sister Anath went down to the underworld and defeated Mot. Baal was resurrected from death and returned to his power to bring about raining to the Earth. The Canaanites believed that the death and resurrection of Baal happened every year. The defeat of Baal indicated the death of vegetation due to winter frosts or summer drought. The resurrection of Baal revealed the vegetation grew because of annual or seasonal flooding. In this myth, one could easily observe that other that a thunder god, Baal was also a god of fertility. In the sight of the people in Ancient Near East, men were just the slaves of gods. For instance, in Babylon, people believed that mankind was created only because of the laziness of gods . The gods created men so that they could take over their work and serve them. The gods needed the sacrifice of men. However, due to the

The Taming of the Shrew play Essay Example

The Taming of the Shrew play Essay Example The Taming of the Shrew play Paper The Taming of the Shrew play Paper Essay Topic: The Taming Of the Shrew Commedia dellArte played a great part in the way that Shakespeare wrote his plays. The 16th century society were great supporters of Commedia dellArte, which influenced Shakespeare and his comedy plays. Commedia dellArte originated in Italy in the mid 1550s when pros formed companies. They all took after each other and formed larger groups. One of the initial companies was known as Gelosi. As the years wore on, further companies Unite, Desiosi and Fideli formed. Zannis were a main feature of Commedia dellArte in The Taming of the Shrew; Tranio would be an example. The Taming of the Shrew is revolved around disguises and deception. Straight away, this concept is highlighted as the fat drunkard is deceived and tricked into thinking he is a noble. Later in the play, Hortensio dresses as a music teacher, Lucentio as a latin teacher. Tranio as Lucentio and pedent as Vincentio. This, as well as being amusing, adds dramatic irony. For example, when Tranio meets the real Vincentio when Tranio is dressed as Lucentio this is dramatic irony and is humorous for the audience. Such role swaps and elaborate dress is derived from Commedia dellArte. Throughout the play, there is much wordplay and punning to heighten the comedy. The more sophisticated members of the audience particularly the upper classes and especially royalty such as Queen Elizabeth would have understood and found them funny. Also this punning appeals to modern audiences. Pet: Here, sirrah Grumio, knock I say. Gru: Knock sir? Whom should I knock? Here, the word knock is being played upon. The word was understood by Grumio the dim-witted servant to mean insult someone, where Petruchio meant it as to knock on the door. This simple misunderstanding via wordplay would have been humorous to both Elizabethan audiences and modern day audiences. The subject of marriage in the Elizabethan era could also be a very humorous subject. In The Taming of the Shrew, it not only challenges the stereotypical marriage ceremony but creates irony and humour. This is shown on many occasions. Straight away, Petruchio makes a mockery of the marriage ceremony by attending the marriage in comical rags which also embarrasses Kate in public, wearing her down once again. Soon after, he punches the priest in the face, while providing comedy; this also underlines the disrespect shown for the marriage ceremony. Marriage was generally seen as the underlining statement that made a woman the husbands possession, something which Katherine certainly despised. This is also where there is some irony, as the most unlikely of suitors: Petruchio a chauvinistic male, and Katherina a sworn feminist, turn out to have a successful marriage. The marriage of Bianca and Lucentio ends up as less successful than the marriage of Petruchio and Katherina. This could be because Lucentio sees Bianca as a trophy wife, as his possession. But as Petruchio and Katherina have sexual chemistry, they are able to work out their differences and become a successful couple. This is shown and re-enforced when Hortensio, Lucentio and Petruchio have a bet to see whose wife is the most obedient and shall appear on command. Lucentio and Hortensio are both overly confident and see Petruchio as a fool for making such a bet; however they are shamed when they both reject the order to attend to their respective husbands. Then Katherina appears on command with both Bianca and Hortensios wife in hand, and appears fully obedient. This scene shows faults in the marriage between Lucentio and Bianca, and shows the strength and the bond that is shared between Petruchio and Katherina, and also the obedience that Katherina has learned she has been tamed.

Directors liabilities and duties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Directors liabilities and duties - Essay Example The liability of the directors for statements in reports has also been covered in the new regime. The objective of this study is to bring out the salient aspects of liabilities and duties of the directors as set out in the current regime of Company Law legislation. The objective of this chapter is to present an overview of the topic chosen for study as well as the aims and objectives of the research. The chapter also details the structure of the paper to have a comprehensive understanding of the text of the report. However it is not possible to limit the functions of the company only to the above as there are number of other areas to which the scope and application of the company law legislation can extend. Moreover these functions as well as any other functions have associated costs and benefits. Hence it can be stated that the role of the company law is to maximize the benefits while minimizing the costs of implementation of the various provisions. It is also necessary that these key policy choices are examined within the context of the relationships that might be formulated between the various parties with which the company law legislation deals with. Illustrations of these

BASICS OF COMPUTER AND PROGRAMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BASICS OF COMPUTER AND PROGRAMS - Essay Example This means that, without software, a computer cannot be able to carry out any command hence useless. Different categories of software are installed in computers to enable them do tasks as given by the user. This softwares work hand in hand with each other for the computer to carry out its given tasks effectively, below are the two common softwares. Application software is a computer program that is widely known and used for commercial purposes whereby it carries out all regular and specific assignments that a user wants it to do, like calculations, data processing, word processing, communication, games, database management, spreadsheets and other related tasks. Application software is the main reason why the user buys a computer, whereby, it makes the work easier and faster than it could be done manually. The application system is widely used in business, medical and educational fields across the world as it has made the work and assignments in these fields easier. The softwares are known and seen by the end user, and through this, the user create shortcuts that enable him or her to access easily the documents in the machine (Stair, Reynolds and Reynolds, 2008). System software is the main computer software that directs the essential purposes of a computer and it is usually preinstalled within the machine; they are not seen by the user. It allows communication between the hardware and other categories of software; it includes utilities which safeguards and upholds the computer and its operating system. Utilities include software like anti- viruses, disk defragmenters and firewalls, their main purpose is to protect and maintain the computer system from breakdowns. Computer driver devices also fall under system software; in other words, system software gives support to the physical elements of a computer and synchronizes all the external devices like keyboards, printers, displays among others (Nithyashri, 2010). System softwares enables the machine to function ef fectively and accessibly; it protects the machine from any internal and external damages that may cause breakdown. It also ensures that there are servers and workstations that make the tasks easier; on the other hand, application software are tools available in the computer that enable the user‘s work cheaper. Both system and application softwares are beneficial to me as a business end user because through them, I know that my computer will function the moment I turn it on (system software) and that I will complete my calculations and balance my budget easily and faster (application software). Application software will enable me create shortcuts on my machine so that I can access the documents faster and effectively; likewise, the system software will protect my machine from breakdowns in that I will not lose any information or distort my information. Therefore, they will enable me to deliver high quality and quantity services to my clients in time. Types of software packages There are several types of software packages but the eight most popular ones are, word processor; this is a package that enables people to use a computer and to carry out their tasks. These programs enable the user to check out and correct spellings, make some characters italic, bold and underline show the difference and importance of the characters from the rest of the document, standardize the document to the required page layout, save the document for later use or

Resistence to Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Resistence to Change - Case Study Example The report further asserts that, lack of communication across the organization heightened resistance because majority of employees were unaware of impending changes that were being introduced (Griffin & Moorehead, 2012). In above connection, lack of single culture to integrate the whole organization was a significant source of resistance to change because almost every department at NASA had its own culture different from other departments (Griffin & Moorehead, 2012). Lack of proper risk mitigation measures in place to consolidated organization culture, was major factor that caused resistance to change (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). The report suggested that, termination of risky flights was not solution of reducing escalated cases of accidents but rather NASA should focus at establishing structural procedures that guarantees sustainability of a safety culture (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). Therefore, this analysis focuses at providing an insight of Col umbian mishap concerning resistance to change and how it contributes to accidents. The analysis will further focus on both individual and cultural resistance as well as the impact of the board recommendation on individual and structural barriers. Individual sources of resistance to change and their causes The Sources and causes of individual resistance could be attributed to numerous factors that may include; fear for unknown. People tend to fear uncertainties that may to occur as a result of change (Griffin, & Moorehead, 2012). This is because individuals find it difficult to cope with dynamics for instance, it can be scrutinized that lack of prior cultural integration within all departments at NASA brought great resistance (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). Additionally, Inability to adjust and start doing things using new ways may make people fear change and therefore, they may develop resistance. Inability to adjust may be overcome by ensuring that there is efficient and effective integration of NASA cultural goals and mission during the earliest juncture possible (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). In above connection, it can be scrutinized that individual developed resistance to change due to a lack of effective communication, whereby, NASA engineers could not effectively communicate safety measure to the management leading to individual resistance (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). On the other hand, NASA managers failed to communicate issues raised by engineers to all the departments leading to resistance among employees because changes were introduced without a prior notification (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). Lack of proper leadership within organization contributed significantly to individual resistance because managers were not involved in directing employees on what to do to ensure that safety standard were being observed. According to a report by Columbia Accident Investigation Board 2003, misund erstanding between managers and NASA engineers was significant source and cause of resistance. Structural sources of resistance to change and their causes The most common sources of resistance to change include; inertia within the organization structure (Griffin & Moorehead, 2012). Whereby, most organizations contain some mechanisms that enhance stability and sustainability making it difficult to

Analyzing Psychological Disorders Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Psychological Disorders - Term Paper Example Courses of treatment based on this model are proposed in both case studies. In the end, this paper points to the more balanced perspective of biopsychology as offering more possibilities for effective treatment of mental illness. Introduction The human body is a team of components working together as a whole entity. Therefore, in understanding mental illness, we must not compartmentalize as separate functions the biological and experiential processes operating in persons presenting themselves to us with psychological issues. The experience of a person offers an environment, a history, and a perspective essential to a thorough understanding of his biological components. The biological processes of the human body are essential in the understanding and treatment of mental illness especially the central nervous system, brain functioning, and neurotransmitter activity. Their interactions have a crucial impact on a person’s psychological health, affecting how he or she perceives and lives life. Part A: Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is the most complex of the mental illnesses in its causality, symptomology, and treatment. Yet, an understanding of the neurological and biological functioning of the brain can not only assist medical professionals in finding and applying the best treatments, but also assist patients in coping with the illness in a positive and productive way. (Frese, 1993) The most common symptoms of schizophrenia include: auditory hallucinations, delusions of persecution and/or control or delusions of grandeur, disorganized thinking and speech, flat affect (consistently showing little or no emotion), and inappropriate behavior (such as social isolation or catatonia). (See Pinel pg. 457) Two of these symptoms must be present for at least 30 days to meet criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and ideally a thorough physical examination including diagnostic testing should be administered to rule out any other possible diagnoses. (Haycock, 2009) Som e of the diagnostic testing that includes brain imaging technologies such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans has also clearly shown that the frontal and temporal lobes and the amygdala are the areas of the brain most altered in schizophrenia patients. (Kircher, et al. 2006, pg 302) Studies that include brain imaging technologies have shown that the connectivity between these regions of the brain is dysfunctional. (Tregallas, 2009) They have also shown both gray and white brain matter volume abnormalities in schizophrenic patients. (Lim, 2007) In addition, there are also abnormalities in the neurotransmitter systems regulating brain function; the first discovered abnormality being the presence and transmission of dopamine. The neural basis for understanding and treating schizophrenia began with the â€Å"dopamine theory† (see Pinel, pg 458) that schizophrenia is caused by excessively high dopamine levels in the brain. As research c ontinued in the effects of the drugs given to schizophrenia patients, it was discovered that while some drugs deplete the supply of dopamine, others bind themselves to dopamine receptors effectively blocking the ability of dopamine to activate them. This blocking of the dopamine activity sends a signal to the brain to produce more dopamine which is then broken down in the synapse resulting in an

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Discussion Board - Essay Example Conversely, "passive" ITS probe vehicles are vehicles that are already in the traffic stream for purposes other than data collection. passenger in the test vehicle; Historically, the manual method has been the most commonly used travel time data collection technique. This method requires a driver and a passenger to be in the test vehicle. The driver operates the test vehicle while the passenger records time information at predefined checkpoints to the transmission of the test vehicle; Technology has automated the manual method with the use of an electronic DMI. The DMI is connected to a portable computer in the test vehicle and receives pulses at given intervals from the transmission of the vehicle. Distance and speed information are then determined from these pulses satellites. GPS has become the most recent technology to be used for travel time data collection. A GPS receiver is connected to a portable computer and collects the latitude and longitude information that enables tracking of the test vehicle. Each of these test vehicle techniques is described in detail in the following sections of this chapter. The following elements are included for each technique: overview, advantages and disadvantages, cost and equipment requirements, data collection instructions, data reduction and quality control, and previous experiences. Since the driver of the test vehicle is a member of the data collection team, driving styles and behavior can be controlled to match desired driving behavior. The following are three common test vehicle driving styles (1): - Average car - test vehicle travels according to the driver's judgement of the average speed of the traffic stream; - Floating car - driver "floats" with the traffic by attempting to safely pass as many vehicles as pass the test vehicle; and - Maximum car - test vehicle is driven at the posted speed limit unless impeded by actual traffic conditions or safety considerations. The floating car driving style is the most commonly referenced. In practice, however, drivers will likely adopt a hybrid of the floating car and average car because of the inherent difficulties of keeping track of passed and passing vehicles in high traffic volume conditions Advantages and Disadvantages The manual method (pen and paper) has the following advantages: - No special equipment needs; - Low skill level (no special hardware training); and - Minimal equipment costs. The manual method (pen and paper) has the following disadvantages: - High labor requirements (driver and observer); - Low level of detail (average speeds for 0.4 to 0.8 km, or 0.25 to 0.5 mi). Average speed and delay are reasonable while queue length and speed profiles are difficult; - Greater potential for human error (potential for marking wrong checkpoints or inaccurate times); - Potential data entry errors (e.g.,

Recently economic issue about Wall Street Journal Essay

Recently economic issue about Wall Street Journal - Essay Example The country will highly need assistance from foreign countries in order to grow effectively. Apart from the challenges being posed by Europe and China, United States also face other economical crises such as decrease of commodity prices, the current instability in stock markets, and decline in demand and output in big developing markets such as Brazil. Another aspect affecting world’s economic status is the political tension in many countries resulting from the current Ebola virus outbreak (2). Although United States is the world’s economic growth engine, with many countries not performing may negatively affect the country’s economic growth. Another factor that affects the U.S. economic growth is the rigid economy that has being affected by years of uneven growth. According to estimates made by Goldman Sachs economists, tight conditions of financial market can shave approximately 0.3 percent from American’s economic growth before the end of next year. However, if the bonds and stocks’ weakness proves to be temporary, this hit would decrease by approximately half. The global financial crisis has resulted in a decrease in revenues of the big business organizations in the United States such as McDonald’s Corp. both the internal and external factors affecting the country’s economic growth have proved to be more severe and formidable than it was expected. The author of this article, Josh and Nick, try to discuss the global financial issues that are currently affecting the economy of the world. According to the content of the article, global economic crisis started to affect the world’s economy in the year 2008. The increase of global financial crisis, have resulted to decrease in world stock. In addition, big financial organizations are collapsing, and rich countries’ governments have started to come up with a rescue package that will aid in overcoming these crises. Some impacts of global financial issues

Analyzing Psychological Disorders Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Psychological Disorders - Term Paper Example Courses of treatment based on this model are proposed in both case studies. In the end, this paper points to the more balanced perspective of biopsychology as offering more possibilities for effective treatment of mental illness. Introduction The human body is a team of components working together as a whole entity. Therefore, in understanding mental illness, we must not compartmentalize as separate functions the biological and experiential processes operating in persons presenting themselves to us with psychological issues. The experience of a person offers an environment, a history, and a perspective essential to a thorough understanding of his biological components. The biological processes of the human body are essential in the understanding and treatment of mental illness especially the central nervous system, brain functioning, and neurotransmitter activity. Their interactions have a crucial impact on a person’s psychological health, affecting how he or she perceives and lives life. Part A: Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is the most complex of the mental illnesses in its causality, symptomology, and treatment. Yet, an understanding of the neurological and biological functioning of the brain can not only assist medical professionals in finding and applying the best treatments, but also assist patients in coping with the illness in a positive and productive way. (Frese, 1993) The most common symptoms of schizophrenia include: auditory hallucinations, delusions of persecution and/or control or delusions of grandeur, disorganized thinking and speech, flat affect (consistently showing little or no emotion), and inappropriate behavior (such as social isolation or catatonia). (See Pinel pg. 457) Two of these symptoms must be present for at least 30 days to meet criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and ideally a thorough physical examination including diagnostic testing should be administered to rule out any other possible diagnoses. (Haycock, 2009) Som e of the diagnostic testing that includes brain imaging technologies such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans has also clearly shown that the frontal and temporal lobes and the amygdala are the areas of the brain most altered in schizophrenia patients. (Kircher, et al. 2006, pg 302) Studies that include brain imaging technologies have shown that the connectivity between these regions of the brain is dysfunctional. (Tregallas, 2009) They have also shown both gray and white brain matter volume abnormalities in schizophrenic patients. (Lim, 2007) In addition, there are also abnormalities in the neurotransmitter systems regulating brain function; the first discovered abnormality being the presence and transmission of dopamine. The neural basis for understanding and treating schizophrenia began with the â€Å"dopamine theory† (see Pinel, pg 458) that schizophrenia is caused by excessively high dopamine levels in the brain. As research c ontinued in the effects of the drugs given to schizophrenia patients, it was discovered that while some drugs deplete the supply of dopamine, others bind themselves to dopamine receptors effectively blocking the ability of dopamine to activate them. This blocking of the dopamine activity sends a signal to the brain to produce more dopamine which is then broken down in the synapse resulting in an

Recently economic issue about Wall Street Journal Essay

Recently economic issue about Wall Street Journal - Essay Example The country will highly need assistance from foreign countries in order to grow effectively. Apart from the challenges being posed by Europe and China, United States also face other economical crises such as decrease of commodity prices, the current instability in stock markets, and decline in demand and output in big developing markets such as Brazil. Another aspect affecting world’s economic status is the political tension in many countries resulting from the current Ebola virus outbreak (2). Although United States is the world’s economic growth engine, with many countries not performing may negatively affect the country’s economic growth. Another factor that affects the U.S. economic growth is the rigid economy that has being affected by years of uneven growth. According to estimates made by Goldman Sachs economists, tight conditions of financial market can shave approximately 0.3 percent from American’s economic growth before the end of next year. However, if the bonds and stocks’ weakness proves to be temporary, this hit would decrease by approximately half. The global financial crisis has resulted in a decrease in revenues of the big business organizations in the United States such as McDonald’s Corp. both the internal and external factors affecting the country’s economic growth have proved to be more severe and formidable than it was expected. The author of this article, Josh and Nick, try to discuss the global financial issues that are currently affecting the economy of the world. According to the content of the article, global economic crisis started to affect the world’s economy in the year 2008. The increase of global financial crisis, have resulted to decrease in world stock. In addition, big financial organizations are collapsing, and rich countries’ governments have started to come up with a rescue package that will aid in overcoming these crises. Some impacts of global financial issues

Mandatory HIV Testing Essay Example for Free

Mandatory HIV Testing Essay Imagine Las Vegas disappearing overnight and leaving nothing behind but empty stages and barren casinos, becoming nothing short of a ghost town. If all the people that have died from HIV/AIDS in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic were taken out of one geographical region, Las Vegas could easily be erased. The three most common ways to contract HIV are: unprotected sex with an infected partner, injecting drugs using an unsterilized needle that has been used by someone who is infected or during pregnancy, labor or delivery or breastfeeding where the mother transmitted the virus to her child. If an infected woman, not seeking treatment, becomes pregnant, the chance of her transmitting the infection to her child ranges from 15-45%. An infant, who has not even had the chance to speak, walk, or enjoy life, has such a high risk of contracting a deadly infection because the mother did not consult with her doctor and seek the appropriate treatment during her pregnancy. Did she not seek treatment because she did not know that she was infected, did she know but was too ashamed to relay the information, was she afraid she could not afford treatment? If routine HIV tests were conducted along with all the other blood tests throughout a pregnancy, infections would be indentified, treated with precaution and it would allow doctors to dramatically reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission. With effective interference, the chances would be reduced to below 5%. With this knowledge, HIV screening must be made mandatory for those seeking any form of prenatal care. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1,148,200 people (13 years and older) in the United States are living with HIV; 18% of those people are unaware they are infected. The infection rate has stabilized over the last few years to roughly 50,000 new infections each year—that means that someone in the US is infected with HIV every 9 minutes. HIV and AIDS are not the same. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This strand cannot stand as a virus alone and reproduce; it needs to infect the cells of a living organism. Normally, the immune system fights off unwanted viruses but this particular virus attacks the immune system directly, preventing it from destroying the unwanted virus and repairing damaged cells. AIDS is a condition that is caused by the irreparable immune system. When the immune system is damaged this badly, it is incapable of  fighting off any infection. If left untreated, it takes, on average, ten years for someone to develop AIDS from the date of infection. This average takes in to account a healthy diet and lifestyle—not someone who may be suffering from malnourishment or other unrelated illnesses. Women are more susceptible to being infected with HIV through heterosexual sex and infected needles than men. The number of HIV positive women in the US, of child-bearing years, is still growing at a rapid rate. They account for roughly 23-25% (11,000-12,500) of new infections each year. In a recent study conducted by the CDC, only one in five women between the ages of 18 and 64 report that they have been tested for HIV in the last twelve months. Among those women who are HIV positive, 31% of them were diagnosed in the later stages of HIV, resulting in an AIDS diagnosis within one year. Women who are HIV positive have the possibility of transmitting the virus to their child during labor or post labor, during breast feeding. There are approximately 2000 babies being born with HIV each year and more become infected as a result of breastfeeding. This is by far the smallest group of people infected per year, but this number could be reduced to almost zero, if proper interventions were mandatory. When women think or realize that they are pregnant, they seek out a gynecologist or other medical professional to aid them throughout their pregnancy. They are put through numerous blood tests to ensure they have the appropriate vitamin and glucose levels. They even undergo a STD test that tests for a variety of sexual transmitted diseases, excluding HIV. Some professionals offer the test and try to convince their patient that it is important, but some still refuse. Implementing mandatory HIV tests for pregnant women ensure that more people get tested, educate on the effects of HIV, are able to get treatment, and dramatically reduce the chance of their child contracting the virus. The test should be performed with the routine STD test at the beginning of the pregnancy and then once again before labor, because it can take up to six months for the virus to show up during a screening. The woman would know whether she has contracted HIV and have the ability to discuss the options with the doctor. Treatment should accompany the pregnancy, if needed, at no cost. The treatment for the baby after delivery would also incur no cost. A major, non-political, concern about  mandatory testing is the cost associated with treatment. It does not seem logical, but HIV treatments are extremely expensive. It costs thousands of dollars each year for medications and regular doctor’s visits. For people who have full coverage insurance, the cost for the medication is almost completely covered but they still have to pay the co-pays to visit the doctor. There are also federally funded programs to assist with HIV costs, and though they might regulate which medications patients can take, most doctors would prefer that a patient be taking some sort of medication rather than none at all. And finally, there are other programs such as Medicare and Medicaid that assist those who are HIV positive. Although some states will not grant acceptance in the Medicaid program unless the diagnosis is AIDS, many states will cover the costs with a positive HIV status. All of these options must be presented after the baby is born and doctors should work with their patients to find the best option. Another concern, brought up on the political floor, is that mandatory testing violates the Constitution. If a mother knows the status of her or her child, involuntarily, that violates her right of privacy and subjects her to discrimination; she could lose her job, insurance, face discrimination in society or physical abuse at home (McMillion). Making sure that no infant is involuntarily infected with HIV should be the first priority, of not only health care providers but by mothers themselves. The American Medical Association (AMA) was originally against mandatory testing because there was little a doctor could do to help treat the pregnant mother and unborn child. With new discovery of AZT, the treatment used to reduce the rate of transmission, the AMA has reversed their opinion (Schuyler). The mandatory testing will not allow women to forever remain ignorant about their status. It forces women to face the disease much earlier in their lives and presents them with a choice, a choice that replaces the one that was taken away—let the HIV take its course but help reduce her baby’s chance, seek treatment for her and the baby or do neither of them and take the risk of exposing her child.

Divorces Development And Influence On Modern Society History Essay

Divorces Development And Influence On Modern Society History Essay Our ability to form and be part of enduring and lifelong lasting families is a basic human necessity, and a need everyone tries to fulfill. However, changes in time lead to changes in family structures as well as in family principles. This essay will review the relatively new reality of divorce as a cultural phenomenon and will make an attempt to explain its effect on modern western society. Firstly, it will do so by explaining the recent rise in divorce through researching how the change from pre-industrial, rural society to modern, industrial society led to a change in family ties and personal social relationships [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 103]. Secondly, this paper will explain the historical development of divorce jurisdictions. Lastly, this paper will examine the connection between the rise of individuality and the rise in divorce. As time progresses, events occur that will lead to changes in civilization. The most recent, major change that took place in history was the global transformation brought on by the Industrial Revolution, which began in the eighteenth century. The Industrial Revolution resulted in extensive changes in society and started to form how it is today. Since these changes occurred in a rapid and extreme manner, traditional rules were no longer suitable to be applied in this renewed world. For instance, technological inventions were not only the main factor in making the Industrial Revolution possible; they also enabled developments in science and rapidly increased mans knowledge of the physical universe. The revolution transforming civilization threatened the existence of the dominant religion of Christianity. Foremost, before the industrialization, the Church had adapted itself to the predominate rural economy. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution this economy changed, for towns and cities were developing at speed. Due to the the vast rise in population during the Industrial Revolution, a brutal exploitation of labour became the new standard. The terrible working conditions, poverty, and the deterioration of morals caused anger to grow towards the current system and the Church, who failed to remedy the situation. This eventually lessened the influence of the Church. Over time, it even lead to a change of focus in society; from the collective social structure, based on family, it moved to the importance and development of the individual. In addition, technical inventions led to urbanization as well as it offered geographical mobility. In the course of industrialization, the consequenses of these aspects can be viewed through the change in family ties. HÃ ¶llinger and Haller discuss, amongst other things, the impact of urbanization on kinship structure. In rural areas people meet their relatives, especially their extended kin, more frequently than do their fellow countrymen in urban areas. On the international level. this means that the higher the degree of urbanization of the respective countries, the larger the spatial distance from relatives and the less frequent are contacts with kin. [112] Thus, urbanization and the newly found ability to cover great ranges of land led people to live from growing distance from their kin. Because of these developments, contacts with the extended family were reduced, while emotional bonds with the nuclear family strengthened [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 103]. Furthermore, another aspect that was introduced in modernized society was that the individuals social ties could now be shaped throughout his or her life. This newly found possibility even applied to closest friends and, more importantly, to kin. No more are relationships toward close kin necessarily seen as a life-long commitment [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 103]. In most Western nations, over one-third of all marriages ends in dissolvement [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 103]. It can be said that this important change in family structure is in fact the norm in todays society. In conclusion, the changes in economic innovation seem to go hand in hand with the variation in levels of social ties with kin [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 110], just as the loosening of family ties seems to coinside with the rise of divorce. As has been discussed in the previous paragraphs, a new social structure arose as a result of the Industrial Revolution. When focussing on divorce, it can thus be said that the concept is a relatively recent phenomenon. Divorce has never been as extensive in modern Western society as it has become in current times [Phillips ix]. Additionally, just as society did, the law had to undergo a transformation in most countries as well. Since England was the first to feel the effects of the Industrial Revolution, this country will be used to exemplify the development in divorce jurisdiction. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the English law mostly took the Christian standpoint on marriage on as a rule, defining it as a lifelong lasting union and leaving little room for the option of dissolvement. Nevertheless, a growth in demand for divorce during the Industrial Revolution can be seen in the table on the next page. In this table, the dissolution of individual marriages in England by private Act of Parliament is shown by a periodic interval of ten years [Phillips 65]. The table clearly demonstrates the early rise in divorce as the Industrial Revolution progressed. However still uncommon, such divorces were evolving into regular occurrences [Phillips 64]. In this stage, divorce was only open to male artistocrats, for divorce was almost exclusively monopolized by men, and costs of the procedure were high [Phillips 66]. Additionally, the only acceptable premise for divorce was the wifes proven adultery. Despite these disadvantages, the only legal way by which a marriage could be resolved in England remained parliamentary divorce until 1858, when the countrys first divorce law was implemented [Phillips 64]. The 1858 Matrimonial Causes Act made divorce possible for all people, including women. Still, women who divorced on the premise of adultery not only had to prove their husband unfaithfulness, but had to prove additional wrongdoings as well, such as cruelty, incest or desertation for two years or more [National Archives]. In 1923, a private members bill facilitated the process for women to plead for divorce on grounds of adultery, although, it still needed to be proved [A Brief History of Divroce]. A change in legislation occurred in 1937, when divorce was permitted on other grounds, for instance drunkenness, insanity, and desertation [A Brief History of Divorce]. Up until this time, divorce was still considered to be taboo, and a shameful process to undertake. However, over the next period, the modernization of society and the developement in social structures in terms of individuality and eqaulity in gender gradually changed the view towards divorce and therefore called for a different approach in the law concerning it. This resulted in the Divorce Reform Act, which was passed in 1969. The Divorce Reform Act permitted divorce if the couple requesting it had been seperated for more than two years, or for more than five years if the divorce was requested by only one spouse [A Brief History of Divorce]. This revision is considered to be a landmark in the law concerning divorce because a spouse no longer had to prove his or her partners fault; a marriage could be dissolved if it had broken down beyond repair [A Brief History of Divorce]. Most importantly, the Divorce Reform Act created the basic structure of Englands divorce law today. Furthermo re, it can be said that the regulation in divorce jurisdictions is closely linked to the process of gender equality. In other words, the development in womens right can be linked back to the history of divorce laws. The increase in divorce lessened the taboo that used to stigmatize it, resulting in a shift of focus in society. When directing attention to the European social structure, it can be said that the notions of family in different countries are overall quite similar. The divorce rates, however, are not. The divorce rates in various European countries are shown in the table on the next page [Divorce Magazine]. When examining the table and the differences in divorce rates, a number of results are quite striking. Firstly, the top three European countries with the highest percentage of marriage ending in divorce are all Scandinavian countries. Secondly, the three most southern European countries -Portugal, Spain, and Italy- reside at the bottom of the list. As has been mentioned before, economic modernization and various degrees in social contacts seem to be closely linked [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 110]. Additionally, it can be said that the higher percentage of marriage ending in divorce in Northwestern and Central Europe is not only an effect of industrial development but also of the endurance of particular preindustrial family structures [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 110]. Through this, the exeptionally low divorce rate of, for example, Italy can be explained. As is demonstrated in the table, only ten percent of all marriages in Italy end in dissolvement. When comparing Italys sociocultural history with present norms and traditions, it can be seen that the concept of strong family ties, which has deep social and cultural roots in this country, is an aspect of Italian life that is still of high importance today [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 110]. The powerful influence of the Roman Catholic Church, which beliefs concerning family principals do not permit divorce, has often been ascribed as a reason for that [HÃ ¶llinger and Haller 110]. This influence seems to be stronger in Italy than in other Southern European countries such as Spain and Portugal, whos sociocultural family traditions closely resemble those of Italy. However, it could be argued that the existence of the Vatican and Pope seem to keep Christianity more alive in Italy than in other countries. In contrast to the decreasing influence of the familial structure on modern society, the concept of individuality and non-kinship ties gained importance over time. In other words, over this century, the life course has become individualized. () Because individual lives in the past were more integrated with familial goals, many decisions today considered individual, such as starting work, leaving home, and getting married, were part of collective family timing strategies. [Hareven 107-108]. The development of individuality and thus the importance of friends in modern society can be seen in the table below. In this table, HÃ ¶llinger and Haller present an overview of the expectations people have of those around them in emergency situations. The results from seven different Western countries tallied to show for which roles expectations were higher. For example, the highest percentage of people answered that they rely on their partner for instrumental as well as emotional assistance. It it interesting to note, however, that friends hold the second highest place. In the preindustrial times, the results would show a greater percentage of reliance on family members. This graph helps to illustrate that the decrease in familial ties correlates with the rise in divorce. Additionally, the rise in divorce coinsides with the movement towards the idea of marriage being a union between two people in love, rather than a union of convenience. In most Western societies, marriage is no longer prevailed by a difference in status or race. In this sense, divorce is now seen as a notion of freedom, just as marriage is. Thus, divorce paved the way for many other marital phenomenon and disertations from the traditional family structure, such as inter-racial marriages, gay marriages, cohabitation without marriage, single-parent adoption, and so on. In short, the Industrial Revolution altered society during the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Urbanization, technical inventions, scientific discoveries, and the decrease of influence of the Church had great impact on the existing social structure and thus, on kinship ties. As a result, divorce became a regular occurence, which led to a development in divorce jurisductions. Nowadays, the European concepts of family are generally similar, while the divorce rates are not. The existence of lower divorce rates can be explained by a higher influence of Christianity in combination with deeply embedded sociocultural family traditions. Over time, as family ties loosened, non-kinship ties have gained importance. This rise in individuality is also closely linked to the rise in divorce. On the whole, divorce smoothed the path for the acceptance and legal recognition of various other matrimonial situations as well as other options that differ from the traditional notion of fami ly.

Oliver Twist: Summary :: essays research papers

Oliver Twist: Summary I Content - Characterizations Oliver Twist - A loving, innocent orphan child; the son of Edwin Leeford and Agnes Fleming. He is generally quiet and shy rather than aggressive. Oliver's affectionate nature, along with his weakness and innocence, earn him the pity and love of the good people he meets. Dicken's choice of Oliver's name is very revealing, because the boy's story is full of "twists" and turns. Dickens uses his skills at creating character to make Oliver particularly appealing. Mr. Bumble - The parish beadle; a rat man and a choleric with a great idea of his oratorical powers and his importance. He has a decided propensity for bullying. He derived no inconsiderable pressure from the exercise of petty cruelty and consequently was a coward. Halfway through the book, Bumble changes. When he marries Mrs. Corney, he loses authority. She makes all the decisions. The Artful Dodger - A talented pickpocket, recruiter, cheat and wit. Jack Dawkins, known as the artful dodger, is a charming rogue. Fagin's most esteemed pupil. A dirty snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy (short for his age). Dickens makes Dodger look more appealing by describing his outrageous clothes and uninhibited manners. Fagin - A master criminal, whose specialty is fenang (selling stolen property). He employs a gang of thieves and is always looking for new recruits. He is a man of considerable intelligence, though corrupted by his self-interest. His conscience bothers him after he is condemned to hang. He does have a wry sense of humor and an uncanny ability to understand people. He's a very old shrivelled Jew, whose villainous looking repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair. Mr. Brownlow - A generous man, concerned for other people. A very respectable looking person with a heart large enough for any six ordinary old gentleman of humane disposition. Bill Sikes - A bully, a robber and a murderer. He is an ally of Fagin. Fagin plans the crimes and Sikes carries them out. Sike's evil is so frightening because it is so physical. He is compares to a beast. A stoutly built fellow with legs that always look like they are in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. Monks - Also known as Edward Leeford (son of Edwin Leeford and his legal wife).Oliver's half brother. He wants to destroy Olivers chance of inheriting their fathers estate. Monks is a stock villain, lurking in shadows and uttering curses with a sneer. He lacks family love and moral upbringing. He is a tall, dark blackguard, subject to fits of cowardice and epilepsy.

A Streetcar Named Desire: Visual, Aural and Spatial :: English Literature

Streetcar Named Desire: Visual, Aural and Spatial The sound for ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is effective but this could be built upon to improve it and create a more intense atmosphere. The stage directions do state when sound should be used, they usually state the piece of music and the way in which it should be played, for example â€Å"Blue piano and the hot trumpet sound louder†. I think that if an amalgamation of types of music such as; instrumental music, recorded sounds and vocal pieces. This would provide a range of sounds and would be more interesting for the audience. More sound could be used to reflect the action taking place in the play, an example being when, in Scene Ten, when Blanche is trying to get hold of Shep Huntleigh and is getting more and more distressed this would be an appropriate time for some fast paced music to enhance her panic. The space on the stage could have been used a lot more effectively. The actors could use the whole of the stage, split certain parts of it up to represent different rooms and scenes, also the changing of space to create dramatic effect. A good example of a use of this changing space is in Scene Ten before Blanche gets raped by Stanley, the scene could start with the space room sized and then as he becomes more dominating over her it shrinks to show how trapped she feels. The scenery in the play needs to be relevant to the era and surroundings of New Orleans, realistic enough so that the audience know where they are and are interesting but not so much that it takes the focus of the play away from the actors, the scenery should be life like, for example the flat, if it is flat like then the audience can relate with the characters and it can make it feel more real. The era of the play is also set by the costume that the actors wear to suggest the time and conditions that the characters live in, the costumes should also dictate the class of the people in the play as there are clear divides. For example Blanche would wear long frilly summer dresses to show that she is still living in the past and wears clothes that draw attention to herself and most importantly, make her look attractive. Blanche’s make up would be highlighted to show her vanity but also to give the appearance that she is younger than she is. The scenery would show to the audience exactly what it is that she

Huntsville Project

Karen Brown PROJ586 Huntsville Project November Term Week Three Question #1 Estimated Completion Time of Project According to the requirements that we have set for this project we will not be able to complete it by the expected date of November 2013. With the amount of resources that we need to complete the project our new projected end date is January 30, 2014. There are a few options that we can take to reduce the amount of time needed to complete this project by the proposed date of November 2013. Proposed Changes to ScheduleWe can expedite the project by reducing the amount of time we have slated for some of our larger tasks. By recalculating and essentially shortening the schedule we can decrease our project by 10%. â€Å"A change in the estimated duration of any activity on that path will cause a corresponding change in the slack for that path. † (Gido and Clements 167). Currently we have several tasks that we can reduce time: * Recruiting & Training Managers 6 weeks (CP ) * Creating Building Design 6 weeks (CP) * Building Construction 40 weeks (CP) Procuring Equipment 24 weeks * Procuring Truck Fleet 8 weeks (CP) Of the five tasks identified, four of these tasks are along our critical path and attribute to 60 weeks or a little more than a year. If we were able to reduce tasks along the critical path by 30% it would provide us an extra 18 weeks or four-and-a-half months to complete the schedule. According to our current schedule we are exceeding our schedule by two-and-a-half months. I am proposing that we reduce all of the aforementioned items by a total of 0% will save us two-and-a-half months on our schedule and should provide adequate time to complete the project in the specified time. Proposed Weekly Allotments * Recruiting & Training Managers 5 weeks (CP) * Creating Building Design 5 weeks (CP) * Building Construction 36 weeks (CP) * Procuring Equipment 21 weeks * Procuring Truck Fleet 7 weeks (CP) Reallocating Resources In order to reduce the amount of time we have for each project, we will also need to change how we currently have our resources allocated.The largest impacts we potentially face are hiring additional staff increasing our costs and scope. In order to complete the building construction in 36 weeks, we will need to hire additional construction workers through our general contractor. The other tasks will require looking at the task leads and reallocating their percentage of responsibility and possibly moving someone to from task to another to complete on time. Question #2 After reviewing the Allocated Resources Reported we are currently over allocated in the beginning phases of the project.The Facility Specialist is has about 110% of responsibilities in the first week of the project. There are a couple of options that we have available to combat this problem. Reassigning Tasks This can be resolved by having the Project Management in a more active role selecting an architect. By increasing the Project Manager s workload to 10% it allows for us to reduce the Facility Specialist load to 50%, leaving him at 100% for the first couple of weeks of the project. Resource Leveling Another approach that we can take to rectify our over allocation is to level the project.Leveling the projects that are over allocated will result in one project being placed on hold until another project is complete (Gido and Clements 234). The task that is over allocated, selecting an architect, has no successors so it will not directly affect any of the other tasks in the Work Breakdown Structure. Resource-Limited Scheduling This option will allow for us to create a new truncated schedule that equally matches our staffing capacities. Instead of spending two weeks to look for an architect we can shorten that timeframe to one week. That additional week will allow for staff to spend time on their other assignments.All of these tasks have a positive slack, meaning they have some time to be completed because they are not along critical paths, and should not change the date in which the project will be completed. Of the three options that are available, Resource Leveling will be the most efficient to achieving our goals an d having the right amount of expertise involved in the project. References Gido, J. & Clements, P. (2011). Successful Project Management, Fifth Edition. South-Western College Pub. , 2011. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Fourth Edition. Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute, 2008