The Virtual Reality Gaming Industry to Generate Bi Essays

The Virtual Reality Gaming Industry to Generate Billions in years to come. Video games are the core of most V.R hardware found on the market according to a recent survey carried out. Game developers will also have a global audience of 55.8 million virtual reality users and produce 38.9 million virtual reality devices this year, according to the report. Consumers will spend $5.1 billion on virtual reality gaming hardware, accessories and software in 2016. That's up from the $660 million spent in 2015, says the marketing leader. Meanwhile, the global market is expected to grow to $8.9 billion in 2017 and $12.3 billion in 2018. A breakdown of this year's $5.1 billion global market shows Europe in the lead with a $1.9 billion share and North America close behind with $1.6 billion. That's followed by Asia with $1.1 billion, and the rest of the world accounting for $0.6 billion. SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune's daily newsletter about the business of technology. According to SuperData director of research Stephanie Llamas, light mobile virtual reality devices (like Google (GOOGL) Cardboard) will drive the market at first with an audience of 27.1 million. Premium mobile virtual reality hardware, like Samsung Gear VR, will account for 2.5 million units sold in 2016. However, PC virtual reality devices (like Facebook's Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive) will only sell 6.6 million headsets, with Sony's PlayStation VR selling 1.9 million units. Breaking down the global virtual reality market, Llamas says Asia's 2.5 billion smartphone users lead the mobile virtual reality market, with hardware like Google Cardboard accounting for almost 80% of new devices installed. "Western markets with large PC and console user bases will ignite device sales for the two platforms," Llamas says. "American gamers interested in VR look most forward to console and PC devices. One-third intend to purchase a Playstation VR and 13% look to buy the Oculus Rift." Who's Willing to Pay to Play While Facebook is expected to announce its Oculus Rift pricing at CES, HTC is holding off on pricing for the HTC Vive. Additionally, Sony isn't expected to announce a PlayStation VR price until later this year, possibly at the March Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Looking at the consumer market in more detail, Llamas says that younger consumer groups show a stronger interest in virtual reality. According to the company's recent survey, 74% of U.S. respondents under 18 years of age indicated that they were "very interested" in virtual reality. For Millennials that number dropped to 65% and 54% for Gen Xers in contrast to only 42% for Baby Boomers.

Shakespeares Sonnet 18 Essays - Sonnet 18, Shakespeares Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 Essays - Sonnet 18, Shakespeares Sonnets Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 William Shakespeares Sonnet 18 is part of a group of 126 sonnets Shakespeare wrote that are addressed to a young man of great beauty and promise. In this group of sonnets, the speaker urges the young man to marry and perpetuate his virtues through children, and warns him about the destructive power of time, age, and moral weakness. Sonnet 18 focuses on the beauty of the young man, and how beauty fades, but his beauty will not because it will be remembered by everyone who reads this poem. Shakespeare starts the poem with a metaphoric question in line one asking if he should compare the man to a summers day. This asks if he should compare the beauty of a summers day to the beauty of the young man about whom Shakespeare is writing. Line two of this poem states Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Temperate is used as a synonym for moderate by the author. In line two the speaker is describing the man as more lovely and more moderate than a summers day. This emphasizes the mans beauty and how the man is viewed by the speaker. Line three, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, tells why the mans beauty is greater than that of a summers day. Shakespeare uses rough winds to symbolize imperfections. The speaker is implying that there are no imperfections in the young man, but there are in the summer, so the man cannot be compared to a summers day. In line four the speaker adds to this thought by saying that the summer also does not last as long as the mans beauty therefore it cannot be compared to it. Line five states another imperfection of the summer. Shakespeare uses the eye of heaven as a metaphor in this line to describe the sun. In line six Shakespeare uses the phrase gold complexion dimmed to describe the sun again which means that sometimes the sun is not hot enough, and that, as said in line five, sometimes the sun is too hot. In lines seven and eight the speaker ends the complication by describing how nature is never perfect. Line nine starts the resolution of the poem by using the conjunction but. Eternal summer in line nine is referring back to the mans eternal beauty, using summer to symbolize beauty, and saying that the mans beauty will never fail like the summers beauty. In lines ten, eleven, and twelve the speaker says that the man, When in eternal lines to time thou growst (line 12) or when he grows old, will not lose possession of what is fair to him, and Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade (line 11) or he will not be poor in health and close to dying. Lines thirteen and fourteen say that as long as this poem is read, the mans beauty will never go away, because every time someone reads the poem they will be reminded of his beauty. This poem that Shakespeare wrote, in the octave, describes how all beauty fades except for the man about whom Shakespeare is writing. The octave also tells of how great the mans beauty is compared to everything else that is beautiful. In the sestet, the poem tells about how the mans beauty stays alive and out lives all other beauty. The poem is written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare makes use of much symbolism and many other figurative devices in this poem that contribute and emphasize to the overall theme of the poem.

Organisational Performance and Leadership Essay

Organisational Performance and Leadership - Essay Example Meanwhile a number of theories have been developed to improve the performance of organisations. This project discusses one such theory which has been framed by Hillgren and Morse. This report will also aim at shedding light on other areas of high performing organisations in order to justify their excellence and stupendous success as compared to their peers. This comparison is deemed necessary in realisation of the fact that the current business scenario is extremely demanding and organisations have to be immensely efficient in order to sustain the high levels of competition. In order to support the fundamental premise of this research, attempts will be made to identify and evaluate the basic elements of high performance organisations. Furthermore, the HPO SCORESâ„ ¢ model will also be comprehensively analysed. This assignment identifies four criteria that have been presented by Hillgren and Morse to improve the performance of the organisation. It aims to produce and identify certain common quality characteristics that are considered to be part of â€Å"high performance organisations† (IIBF, 2010, p.2). Instead of designing methods that will facilitate the organisations to achieve greater heights, this article aims to recognise if today’s ‘high performing organisations’ have certain characteristics in common. It also compares an organisation’s performance against these criteria. According to the definition generated through the research conducted by Carew et al. (n.d.), â€Å"high performing organisations are enterprises that over time continue to produce outstanding results with the highest level of human satisfaction and commitment to success† (Blanchard, 2009, p.9). From this definition it is pretty much comprehensible that these organisations ar e far more well-coordinated in comparison to their peers in terms of human resource management (HRM) and its allied functions. It has been observed that high performing organisations (HPOs)

Ch 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ch 8 - Essay Example The United States policymakers face varied challenges of recognizing that the fundamental change in global politics and utilizing the supreme military power of America to fashion an international environment conducive to its interests. Moreover, globalization has contributed to varied changes not only to my lifestyle but also to my urban area. It has contributed to social conflicting issues especially through social media such as increased cyber bullying, cyber crimes and increased health related issues due to too much use of social media. It has also created effects on efficiency, production and competitiveness in production of commodities, as well as, increased unemployment levels with associated social impacts in urban areas. There are significant considerations taken when making decisions to migrate and this includes the need for employment opportunities, search for better working conditions, political considerations including a stable political climate and economic considerations. These aspects might differentially impact many people in different ways. First, an unemployed young Mexican will be impacted by these decisions in a manner that migrating to another new working environment may contribute to communication problems because of language barriers. Although many young people prefer migrating to new places in search for new pastures, many of them face varied issues due to spatial interaction problems. Secondly, a retired Midwestern farm couple will also be impacted because of locational attributes and other aspects. For instance, incomes of retirees vary from one location to another; thus the migration decisions coupled by job market conditions will impact them. Lastly, an unemployed heavy equipment operator might find it difficult to operate new equipment machine in anew working environment because of changes in technology. Sometimes, working rules differs from one working environment another and this

General Beauregard and his early life leading up to the Civil War Essay

General Beauregard and his early life leading up to the Civil War - Essay Example During the first four years, after moving to New York, he learnt English as a second language, starting at the age of 12 years. After leaving school, he joined the US military academy at West Point, where he learnt a lot to do with the military and war (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). One of his instructors at the military academy was Robert Anderson, who was later appointed as the commander for Fort Sumter, and left the position for Beauregard after the start of the Civil War. While at the military academy, Beauregard dropped his first name, and started using Beauregard as his first name, and Tounant as his middle name. After his term at the military academy, he graduated at second position from the 1838 class, earning distinction as a military engineer and an artilleryman. Beauregard’s early years in Army career covered his service as an engineer under the command of General Scott, where he was appointed as the brevet captain, for the battles of Churubusco and Contreras; he was al so appointed as a major during the Chapultepec. He was among the first soldiers to move into Mexico City, but returned in 1848 (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). After his return, he spent 12 years he engaged in the Mississippi and Lake Defenses, while working on the construction of new and in the repair of forts along the Florida Coast and Alabama. Beauregard’s impact during the Civil War Beauregard’s presence and participation in the civil war was massive. His engagement started after he moved from New York to New Orleans, where he started offering advice on military operations to the local authorities of the area. The advice he offered included that on the need to strengthen different forts, which would secure the area from Mississippi attacks (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). After the appointment of Braxton Bragg as the commander, he was offered the post of a colonel, but preferred working as a private for the Orleans Guards. Later, he was appointed to head Charleston’s d efenses, and due to his qualifications as a military engineer and a leader, he was appointed as the first general officer in charge of the Confederate states. He also worked as a brigadier general with the transitional army of the Confederate states in 1861, and was later ousted to the post of a full general. While working at the different roles at the different areas, Beauregard facilitated the operations of the confederate states and also commanded major military activities. After his arrival at Charleston in 1861, he caused one of the most memorable victories, after his men made the first hits that marked the culmination of the civil war, forcing Anderson to surrender Fort Sumter on April 14. Following the successful attack, he received a heroic treatment, and for that matter, was placed in charge of Alexandria's line, to guard against the federal offensive that was expected from Brig’s forces. During the first Bull Run battle, he was working together with McDowell, and af ter the success of the multi-force excursions, he was acclaimed for his input and was recommended for promotion to the post of a full general. After the success of the attacks, he played a key role, together with William Miles in the creation of the Confederate Battle flag, which made the flag the confederation’s most popular symbol (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). Beauregard played a critical role in the planning of the surprise attack staged against Grant’s Army, nearly ending in victory. However, his planning

The external and internal environment at Aer Lingus

The external and internal environment at Aer Lingus This paper proposes a new alternative strategy that Aer Lingus could potentially adopt. First and foremost the paper analyzes the external and internal environment regarding Aer Lingus. Here the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment i.e the company are identified and a PESTEL analysis is conducted in order to assess the opportunities and threats concerning the external environment. Through this in depth analysis of both the internal and external environment we were able to devise three alternative strategies for Aer Lingus. 1. Aer Lingus move towards a Low cost carrier model. 2. Aer Lingus move towards benefit-oriented national flag carrier model 3. Aer Lingus continue with their current strategy and position of being in between an ultra low cost carrier and full service flag carrier in Europe while also adopting a low cost model on transatlantic flights; charging for ancillary services and increase the seat capacity on the planes by reducing the number of business class seats and increasing the amount of economy seats. After much deliberation the strategy we opted for was the third alternative. In considering the first strategy, we realized that it would be very hard for Aer Lingus to compete on cost as Ryanair occupies such a large share of the market, therefore making it very difficult for Aer Lingus to reach minimum efficiency levels. In evaluating the second strategy it came to our attention that with most of Europe in a recession, a flag carrier model would not be a desirable nor profitable strategy. Therefore we suggest that Aer Lingus continue with their current strategy and adopt a low cost approach on transatlantic flights, similar to the one they have incorporated to their European flights and also try to improve connections to Asia by finding a partner. This will enable Aer Lingus to access a new market and improve their profitability. External Analysis: The current economic climate has had a direct impact on the Irish airline industry. People have less disposable income and as a result Dublin airport has witnessed a decline in passenger numbers since 2008. Figures released by the DAA show a significant decline in passengers from 23.5 million in 2008 to 20.5 million in 2009; a decrease of 13% and it s expected that numbers will fall even further in 2010 to 19 million passengers. Ireland is one of the few European countries to impose a 10 travel tax on tourist travelling to Ireland. This along with the 40% increase in airport charges (which is being used to pay for Terminal 2) is considered to be one of the main reasons in the decline of seat capacity which dropped by 140,000 in April 2010 alone and the fall in Irish air traffic by 13% so far this year. Growth has returned to countries which have ditched this travel tax and reduced its airport charges. According to Canadian energy economist Jeff Rubin the maximum an airline company can pay for a barrel is $80 dollars, any higher and the company cannot make a profit, $80 dollars is the breakeven point. Oil prices have been steadily rising since January 2009 and economists have predicted that this year the price of oil will rise to $80 per barrel which could prove detrimental to the profitability of the airline industry. In April 2010 the eruption of an Icelandic volcano caused Irish air traffic to come to a halt. The closure of Irish airspace caused a sharp decline in trips to and from Ireland. In April 2010 The Central Statistics Office reported a decrease of 24.9% in trips made to Ireland and a decrease of 27.9% trips made by Irish residents made overseas in comparison with April 2009. (See Appendix A for an Aer Lingus analysis using Porter s Five Forces Model) Internal Analysis: When internally analysing Aer Lingus, we assessed their strengths, weaknesses, resources and capabilities. A major strength we perceive Aer Lingus to have is that they serve both regional and transatlantic hubs. This fact has positioned them between a low cost carrier and a flag carrier airline. Their partnership with Aer Arann has enhanced their short haul network. They have achieved certain advantages at no extra cost such as an improved network frequency, a deepened penetration in core Ireland and UK markets and a consolidation of long haul traffic in their Dublin hub. A major resource they possess is their network connectivity. Their long haul routes to the USA have been established with strong connectivity, such as New York, Boston and Chicago. They now connect to over 50 US cities. They also possess a large market share on key routes and are seen as a flag ship airline. Their large market share comes from their very competitive cost base. They also have potential for expansion on their long haul network. Valuable assets of Aer Lingus include their well positioned slots, their close to 1 billion in cash and their route network. These assets will ensure that Aer Lingus continue successful operations during a time in which the industry is facing an exceptionally tough trading environment which has progressively deteriorated in the last year or so. An important capability of Aer Lingus is their ability to compete with Ryanair, Europe s largest low cost carrier. Their prices are usually higher than Ryanair s prices, however sometimes not by much. Yet what makes them more attractive to many customers is that they fly into major airports, unlike Ryanair. Aer Lingus also managed to resist two take-over bids from Ryanair due to its strong ties to the Government. During our research we found there to be no airline in the top 100 brands, however, the Aer Lingus brand is well established and something that Aer Lingus themselves view as a main resource. Their brand boasts low fares and good service. Something which may be viewed as a weakness is the fact that this year Aer Linus have vacated some of their slots at Gatwick airport. They have also taken two of their Airbus A320 s out of operation and reduced their fleet size to just three at Gatwick. They deferred two A320 aircraft from this year to next year. And also state there to be some savage pay cuts for the Irish flag carrier. This was a result of the cost and capacity management in 2009. The significantly higher than expected cost of terminal 2 at Dublin airport mean that Aer Lingus flight prices will also be higher than expected. This may cause a knock on effect to passenger numbers and ultimately profits. Evaluation Criteria: When we assessed Aer Lingus s profitability we found that their return on equity has deteriorated even further from 2008 when it was -14.4% to -18.4% in 2009. We then assessed the efficiency level of the airline by computing their sales to assets ratio. In 2008 the efficiency level was 0.64, this improved to 0.69 in 2009. Aer Lingus have the 16th largest market share in the European airline industry, with a weekly departing seat capacity of 300,000. Their main competitor, Ryanair, occupies the largest share of the European market with approximately 1,900,000 weekly departing seat capacities. With the introduction of the Greenfield cost reduction programme Aer Lingus were able to reduce their cost base by 7.4%, setting a benchmark for the European Airline Industry. At present the average price of an Aer Lingus ticket is 77 compared with Ryanair s average price of 44. Strategic Alternatives: One possible way for Aer Lingus would be to move more towards becoming a low cost carrier (LCC). In order to be able to compete with the players in this niche, Aer Lingus would have to make further adjustments to its business model. The Irish competitor Ryanair proves that there is great potential in the low cost carrier market, as they are still both growing in passenger numbers and revenues and maintaining to be profitable even in times of global economic crisis. But such bottom line figures are results of focused streamlining of the airline business model. Almost every complementary service is charged extra, operations are kept to a bare minimum or outsourced wherever this seem lucrative, flights are not interconnected but only point-to-point, and the costs for fleet maintenance and procurement is greatly reduced by the use of only a single type of aircraft. Also over the last few years there has been massive consolidation in the airline industry, especially with respect to LCCs. This underlines the fact that the pressure in this market segment is particularly high. To get into this segment Aer Lingus would have to restructure its flight network, personnel, fleet, and ground operations, but even then it is questionable whether or not Aer Lingus would be able to match or outperform close competitors such as Ryanair. In exhibit [no.B1] the current differences in cost structure between Aer Lingus and Ryanair can be observed. Although the general structure is fairly similar, especially with respect to staff costs, airplane maintenance and Airport and handling costs Aer Lingus faces much higher costs than Ryanair. Overall, this direction could prove to be a risky and somewhat too challenging endeavor. Too many, too important aspects would have to be changed, which is unlikely to happen when taking into consideration that there will be internal politics involved, particularly when it comes to cuts in the field of staff expenses, Aer Lingus biggest disadvantage. (S ee Appendix B.1) Aer Lingus could also try to move to the other end of the scale, namely that of the benefit-oriented former national flag carriers. These airlines maintain extensive hub-and-spoke networks which allow them offer a big variety of different connections. The flights are complemented with different amenities such as free meals and luggage. In addition to the sheer transport service, an overall experience is created and valued by the customers. Flag carriers generally make their money through business customers who are typically not very price sensitive. Aer Lingus already owns the necessary timeslots and connections to provide an extensive network and its fleet could also potentially be modified to provide the more enjoyable flight experience that luxury customers are used to (See Exhibit B2). Also it is questionable if Aer Lingus is actually large enough to maintain a network that can match the advantages of airlines competing with a similar model. Despite the fact that Aer Lingus may h ave some experience with the type of flight that the potential competitors offer, this knowledge might not transfer as easily throughout the whole business, excessive cost for the same amount of benefits might occur. Also with the general economic climate, which is likely to persist over the coming years, even business travellers are increasingly price sensitive or do not fly at all, which makes this market segment significantly less attractive. (See Appendix B.2) A third strategic alternative Aer Lingus could consider is continuing with their current strategy and position of being in between an ultra low cost carrier and full service flag carrier in Europe while also adopting a low cost transatlantic model. Taking into consideration Air Asia s model of low cost, long haul flights between Asia and Europe, we feel that Aer Lingus could apply this same model to their transatlantic flights. They could implement a no frills approach on these flights by adopting an ancillary service. Passengers would pay a basic premium price for their flight ticket. Any extras on board the flight such as meals, the use of a TV, pillows, blankets, drinks etc. would incur an additional charge. We feel that by increasing the capacity of their current fleet, they could increase revenue, and potentially increase their market share. Both Aer Lingus and Air Asia use the same aircraft on long-haul flights, being the Airbus 330-300. However, Air Asia has managed their passenger numbers more efficiently. They have 12 business class seats, compared with Aer Lingus s 24 and 365 economy seats compared with Aer Lingus s 303. If Aer Lingus were to adopt Air Asia s more efficient method they could increase their seat capacity by 15%. (See Appendix B.3) Recommended strategic alternative and its execution: We have highlighted in the previous section three alternative strategies that Aer Lingus can take. We believe that shifting to a no-frills model is not convenient for Aer Lingus because of the greater bargaining power held by Ryanair, which is the European leader of no-frills carriers (it has reported a net profit after taxes of $612.2 million for the first quarter of 2010). Moreover Aer Lingus would not be able to reach the minimum efficient cost to make a profitable low-cost business because it would not be able to develop a learning curve in the short-term. On the other hand, shifting its business model to a western legacy carriers one is not a winning move because at the moment this business model is proving to be unprofitable (American airline has reported a net loss of $359 million for the third quarter 2009, which included the impact of approximately $94 million in non-recurring charges related to the sale of certain aircraft and the grounding of leased Airbus A300 aircraft pr ior to lease expiration. Excluding those non-recurring charges, the third quarter 2009 loss was $265 million or $0.93 per share). We think that Aer Lingus should continue with their current strategy while also incorporating a low cost transatlantic model based on that of Air Asia. In detail Aer Lingus Group Plc should offer enhancements including better food and faster check-in times to customers willing to pay more. In a switch that brings it closer to EasyJet Plc, which attracts a higher proportion of business flyers, Dublin-based Aer Lingus will adopt a hybrid model somewhere between a discount and full-service carrier. Aer Lingus also adds more short-haul routes through a franchise deal with smaller Irish carrier Aer Arann, while seeking to boost long-haul connections by increasing the number of code-share partners. Moreover the agreement with Aer Arann cover 12 routes, giving Aer Lingus new services to Bristol, Blackpool, Cardiff, Durham and Doncaster/Sheffield in England, together with Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. While the flights use by Aer Arann, being ATR 72 turboprop planes, are branded Aer Lingus Regional, with tickets sold through the larger carrier s Web site. Aer Lingus also needs to improve connections to Asia by finding a partner with daily flights to the region. The airline may rebuild its base at London s Gatwick airport should demand improve after paring services and cutting the number of planes stationed there. Luton, England-based EasyJet is the largest carrier at Gatwick, and has attracted more time-sensitive flyers than Ryanair by operating to airports that are generally closer to major European cities than those used by its rival. Aer Lingus is already reducing wages and slashing its workforce by almost a fifth, and more jobs may have to go as the airline braces for a decline in sales in what will be an extremely challenging. The Irish government holds 25 percent of the carrier s stock, with Ryanair owning about 29 percent following two failed takeover attempts. Likely Benefits and Limitations of Strategic Alternative: Aer Lingus has been hit harder than most as the Irish economy struggles to emerge from the worst recession since World War II. That is why a pure low-cost model was limiting its ability to maximize revenue. Through establishing a low cost transatlantic model, Aer Lingus will have access to a new market which has been created as a result of the economic struggle. Moreover since the recession in Ireland is to last longer than anywhere else world, it is impossible for Aer Lingus develop new routes on its own. Through agreements and alliances, Aer Lingus is able to reach new airports and acquire a new market share at a lower cost by sharing fixed costs. In that way the company will increase its profits by raising the number of its itineraries as well as by differentiating its customer target. In fact, Aer Lingus has joined transatlantic routes by deals with UNITED and Jet Blue carriers and regional routes by their agreement with Aer Arann. Question 2 GTSI From our reading of the GTSI case study we consider the main problem to be that the company expanded too quickly: The Company was too ambitious in implementing such complex systems such as the ERP and GEMs systems and similarly in its 007 strategy. The main reason for the failure of the ERP system was that instead of being run as a corporate project it was run as an IT project. The system was initially supposed to have cost them between $3-5 million and was to take between 12-24 months to complete. Instead the system ended up costing them $60 million and took 5 years to complete and in the process 3 CIO departed. The company seemed to have lost sight of the goal of implementing this system which was to act as a means of lowering costs when in fact by trying to complete this system they ended up driving up the costs which was inevitably detrimental to the profitability of the company. Instead of treating the ERP system as a sunk cost the company kept investing money into it and then e ventually in 2005 launched the system before they were certain if it would be effective or not, stating that the company could learn by trial and error . The launch of the ERP system coincided with the launch of the new GEMS system which in addition was a failure. Because the system failed there was a huge back log in orders and nothing was shipped for two months. In an attempt to rectify this problem GTSI solely concentrated on large orders which only accounted for 20% of their customers, leaving the other 80% extremely dissatisfied. This resulted in a huge increase in customer complaints which in turn lowered staff morale which lead to the increase in employee turnover and proved harmful to their reputation. The reason for the failure of the 007 strategy was that it was simply far too ambitious and it did not take into account the impact of doubling the sales force and revenue in such a short period of time would have on the organizational structure. Also because the company operated in a defined market the implementation of this strategy caused their operating expenses to increase significantly. The company undertook too much by trying to implement the 007 strategy and the GEMS and EPRS systems simultaneously. In being too ambitious with their plans they ignored the individual execution required for the strategy and systems therefore nothing was implemented effectively. The company was nearing bankruptcy when GTSI jumped from a net profit of $10.3 million in 2004 to a $16-million net loss by 2005. Moreover the Bank did not extend GTSIs credit facility leaving the executives at GTSI with two months to find a new credit facility. The reaction of its partners was not good. Some of its long-term partners are going to end their relationship as well as customers questioning whether they should continue to do business with GTSI. GTSI s reputation dropped as well as its stock price. In fact GTSI was quoted into NASDAQ Stock Exchange and when its assets and liabilities were degraded, its rating fell down. In this situation the best solution for the company is trying to retrieve its reputation, so it could increase its stock price. By selling some core assets, the firm could get back some liquidity to guarantee for its liabilities to the Bank. Moreover it could ask for some help from the Government which could acquire some of GTSI s stocks and enable it recover some of its past reputation; particularly, by becoming partly a public company, GTSI stocks rating rise as well as its market price. The second step which we consider very important is to develop a centralized training system to make the employees familiar with the new ERP system, so that the company can really exploit the potential of its investment in this IT system. Finally, we state that a common organization culture and strong leadership is necessary to overcome the attrition within the current organization and to make the coordination between GTSI s activities easier. Question 3 Shenzhen After studying the case of Shenzhen Filtroil, the main problems we have identified are the two dysfunctional relationships between (a) Liu and Qian and (b) The American owners, Randolph and Leahman and the Chinese partners, Liu and Qian. Communication is severed and the merged factory Dongwon Filtroil is not operating as a single team. Relationships are a key component of the business so once trust and communication were not there anymore problems occurred. The main reason is the fact that Liu does not feel appreciated and does not feel that his work is recognised. The firm have a huge reliance on Liu as he is the only one who knows the zinc formula. Liu therefore plays a crucial role in the business and once he recognizes just how important he is he becomes greedy. During a conversation with Qian, Liu demands to be paid (RMB) 15,000 a month, 30% commission instead of his current 5% and also to get a new company car. Qian fails to understand the change in Liu s attitude since they had been such good friends. They should be equals in their business relationship as they both own a stake in the company. However, Liu finds Qian too controlling and untrusting by the way that he checks his products when it is not even necessary. He tells Qian that he needs to stop worrying about his workers and concentrate on his own workers. Due to these issues their relationship becomes more and more dysfunctional. Another reason for their relationship problems is that Qian sees Liu as someone who was in a lot of debt and could barely feed his family. He is of the opinion that Liu should be happy that the merged factory Dongwon Filtroil has enabled Liu to live a better life and send his daughter to a good school. Realistically Qian always felt that Liu should be appreciative of anything he has gained from the merger. He didn t value the important role Liu plays in the company s success with his zinc formula. The relationship between the American owners and the Chinese partners is strained because Randolph and Leahman were kept in the dark for a long time about the tension that was building in the Chinese factory between Liu and Qain. The lack of communication meant that problems were left unsolved and the Chinese partners were left dwelling in the difficult task of keeping the business going. We have considered two solutions to the above problems. The first involves fixing the internal relationship issues without any changes to who works in the business. This can be done by improving communication. Liu and Qain need to become more aware of their responsibilities to the business and stop relying on the American owners to fix their relationship problems. They could put contractual agreements in place that tackle the hold-up issue that Liu has created. This would then establish potential to reinstate trust in the company. At the end of the day we have realised that it is not money that Liu really cares about it is about his work being appreciated. If he had a greater stake it would improve communication and also allow both Liu and Qain to act as equal partners as opposed to one controlling the other. This solution will take time and will need the dedication of everyone involved in the business. Another solution is one proposed at the end of the case. Continue working with Liu and give him the raise he requested. Then hire someone to learn Liu s trade secrets. This would then allow Qain and the American owners to make the zinc formula themselves. They could then get rid of Liu by offering to buy him our or force his resignation if necessary. This solution means that they do not have to address the current major issue that is Qain and Liu s relationship.

Slaves will be Slaves Essay -- essays research papers

Petronius Arbiter, in Trimalchio's Dinner Party, the third chapter of his book Satyricon, mocks the nature of slaves. He was a top official in Rome, namely the "Judge of Taste" in Nero's court (129). Regardless of the responsibilities he had, he was an aristocrat. The history of Rome was written from an aristocratic perspective because they were the ones who had the money, ambition and free time to document history. Petronius believed that slaves are low class, and that a slave that has been set free, id est a freedmen, is still a slave at heart, ergo worthless. Not with all the money in the world could he develop the taste of the upper class. In ancient and modern times alike, money cannot buy a good personality or social sophistication. While the freeborn Roman boy went to school to learn rhetoric, math, et cetera, the slave boy worked from a very young age. Whether they worked physically, mathematically or sexually, they still worked, which is a prime difference between them and the freeborn (although the poor freeborn worked, they often were displaced by slaves because slaves were free labor). Sarah Ruden, the translator of this edition of Satyricon, comments that freedmen were like immigrants in America today. Only the particularly ambitious won their freedom. This process has a modern equivalent in which only the most ambitious immigrants tend to make it to American soil. This process of "self-selection" weeds out the lazy (155). Slaves that had won their freedom had worked very hard from a very early age and thus had the experience needed to be successful and amass fortunes. However, what the freedmen could not possibly have learned from that kind of experience is the behavior and manners of a respect ful Roman aristocrat. Personality is naturally instilled by living among others in your social class. One cannot completely learn a foreign culture unless he is adopted at an early age by a family in that culture. Although slaves lived with families, they performed completely different functions ergo had completely difference experiences and upbringings. Unfortunately for the freedmen who that made it and became rich, they were still socially inferior to the freeborn. Petronius shows that the host of the dinner party, Trimalchio is a crude freedman. He has no respectable virtues. He is cruel to his slaves despite the fact that he was ... ...laying in the funeral procession were too loud and it sounded like a fire alarm. The commotion is taken advantage of and they make their escape (60). At Trimalchio's dinner party the theme was drunk and disorderly as opposed to relaxed and enjoyable, the nature of the traditional Roman dinner parties (166). It is though this story that Petronius tells us the aristocracy's views on uneducated slaves and freedmen. Comparisons can be drawn to its modern equivalent of ‘new money.’ Exempli gratia, when the latest rap artist from a ghetto makes an album and subsequently gets rich, there is no moral improvement. Money cannot buy character change. It cannot change behavior, improve social skills or refine the personality. Lacking a warm childhood upbringing to set in good manners, as well as protection from sexual predators, slaves never came close to matching the behavior, values, virtues, morals and decency of the "Good Roman Citizen." In this ancient equivalent to the verse from a Snoop Dogg song, â€Å"You can take the boy out [of] the ‘hood,’ but you can’t take the ‘hood’ out [ of] the ‘Homeboy,’† no matter how much money and freedom slaves gained, they still are slaves at heart.

To Be a Successful Learning Team

To Be Successful Learning Team Foundations of University Studies/ GEN/195 Laura Elsner 1/2/2013 To Be Successful as a Learning Team Cooperation and communication are the main ingredients when it comes to a successful learning team. Effective team management is a vital part of becoming a successful learning team. â€Å"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage (Thomas, E 2012) says it best. Just because we are successful on one project, does not mean failure will not revisit us. It is the trust and confidence that we put in to each other that makes failure obsolete.Being in a learning team at the University of Phoenix has really been a great experience. When working in a group, it is important to first get a feel for your group members. In our learning team, we are extremely lucky that we get along and gel great together. When working in a team, that is one of the most important pieces to this puzzle. Also, we have had an opportunity to get together for a non Univ ersity of Phoenix related activity and it has also given us a chance to get a feel for each other outside of the school type atmosphere.We felt that was a very important piece of the team bonding experience. We also understand that we all have different learning styles but luckily there not too far off from one another. When we first formed our group, we understood how much more important it is to get together and meet as opposed to trying to do a conference call with one another. We decided that at least once a week, we will meet at the Kalamazoo Public Library to do our learning team assignments so there is no confusion with what needs to be done and what our individual responsibilities are.Trusting your team members is another vital piece to the learning team puzzle. If you cannot trust the members of your learning team, it will be difficult for everyone to participate and it can also deter the group in whatever assignment that needs to be completed. Although, trust is earned and not given, every group member needs to understand that the most important thing is the completion of the assignment and every group member needs to pull his or her own weight. â€Å"Less ssertive team members will be encouraged by the atmosphere of trust in an effective learning team to take on a more directive, custodial role on occasions. The more assertive will learn that their success depends on the success of the entire team, and they will become more aware of the value of team work and joint effort in achieving goals† (Baker University Handbook, 2010 ). When assigning tasks to different group members in your learning team, you want to assign the tasks that will appeal to a person’s strengths.If you have a member that is not very familiar with a computer or someone that is not very proficient at typing, then you do not want to put that person in charge of typing your project. You want to try to cater to everyone’s strengths, while at the same time, working to strengthen some of their weaknesses. If you have the opportunity to choose your group members, it is important to choose people that you are able to get along with. Also, you want to try to bring some diversity to the group. Different people bring different things to the table, both good and bad.It is not always a good idea to bring someone in to your group because they are your friend or you like hanging out with them. Remember, the main goal of the learning team is to have maximum participation and most of all, completing the assignment, the right way. By understanding what you need to accomplish and the steps you need to take in order to accomplish your mission, working as a learning team can be extremely beneficial to all parties involved. â€Å"Those who want success should think like a planter.They should understand that having the right seed is an essential key to success, but they must also understand that the soil that they entrust to the seed is just as vital†¦ C an you honestly say the environment(s) you are in will yield the kind of harvest you are expecting? † (Thomas, E 2012). References https://twitter. com/EricThomasQuote http://www. bakeru. edu/images/pdf/AC_schools/Learning-Team-Handbook. pdf http://www. thegreatnessmind. com/2011/12/28/inspiring-quotes-from-eric-thomas-et-the-hip-hop-preacher-and-the-secrets-to-success/

Power vs Corruption essays

Power vs Corruption essays Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely I will proceed to argue for this statement in essay form referring to three sources. These three sources will support my view on this topic. Power does not just corrupt those ones who hold power but can also turn someone who wants power so badly to turn corrupt. In Lord of the Flies Ralph get voted for chief, this makes the other contender, Jack, very angry and anxious for power. His want for power eventually turns himself corrupt by convincing the other boys not to listen and cooperate with the leader Ralph but instead to come and have fun and big feasts in his tribe. He does this by bribing them and telling them lies. He gives them a feast from pigs that he has caught. Also he tells them that only he and his hunters can protect them from the beast. There fore this proves that not only having power but also wanting power can also corrupt someone. Mark Waugh is an international cricketer who has a great reputation and batting record. In his position he has a lot of knowledge about the game of cricket. It is said against him that he used his knowledge and powerful position dishonestly by providing information to Indian bookmakers to help them predict the result of the cricket matches and make money illegally by using this information. It is also said that Mark Waugh had taken $36,000 from Gupta an Indian bookmaker. This matter is still being investigated and if found true would be a good example of how being in a powerful position and using that position has made him use it corruptly to make personal gain. Richard Nixon was another great leader who fell to corruption. He had relations with communist powers. Supported Chinas admission to United Nations. The first U.S President to visit China and Russia while in office and pioneered SALT treaties on arms limitations with USSR. Public opinion led him to end direct U.S participation i ...

Good Writing Habits Of Successful Writers

Good Writing Habits Of Successful Writers If I were to write a post about good writing habits with the usual angle, I would tell you to get up early and start writing. I would tell you to have a system in place for curation and social media broadcasting that involved reading your RSS feeds and sharing the best. I would tell you to take part in conversations on those same blog posts and social media feeds. I would tell you to read more books, for that is where your ideas come from. This is not that post. This is a post about successful writing, not platform-building or blogging or building an audience. Though there is overlap, they are not exactly the same. You had better be able to write if youre going to be successful at any of those other things. Here Is The Secret To Writing Success I enjoy  reading interviews with writers  where they talk about their writing process. Their responses surprise me, and I learn less about writing formulas and more about the differences each person brings to the craft. E.B. White wasnt a big reader. Hemingway wrote early in the morning,  stopping before he had written all that he could. Kurt Vonnegut advocated vigorous exercise.  Jodi Picoult  doesnt believe writers block exists.  Maya Angelou writes in a hotel room  with just a  Roget’s Thesaurus, a dictionary, and the Bible. Barbara Kingsolver  gets up too early  and has to be pulled away from her writing desk. Nathan Englander  turns off his cell phone  and avoids social media. Karen Russell  doesnt care about word counts. A. J. Jacobs loves to  use outlines and writes while on a treadmill. Do you see a pattern here?  Its that there isnt one. The main thing these successful writers have in common is that they write. And, despite the differences in how they go about it, they all have formed a writing habit  that  comes down to: You must write. You must actively work against anything that would keep you from writing. No excuses. Some did this through setting, or time, or place. Some did this through physiology with food and exercise. Some did this through asceticism. But they all, in whatever shape or form, did it. Through trial and error, they found what worked for them. Photo of E. B. white from Tilbury House, from Minneapolis Star Tribune Applying This To Yourself You might not be looking to write a novel, but you still need to be able to write and produce quality content regularly. If youre a blogger, youre a writer. So yes, this means you. But how do you apply what these writers are saying about the process to yourself? Im not an early morning person. In fact, my creativity kicks in full steam after 11 pm. Instead of taking advantage of that, unfortunately, Ive spent years trying to fight against my natural strengths. Why? Besides the fact that the working world requires you to get up early and go to bed reasonably, and the most common message Ive heard is that early morning is when the work gets done. I dont know if early morning people have a tendency to write the self-help books that proclaim this while us night owls stay silent, or if that really does make up the huge majority of the world. We are not all the same.  Early mornings are ugly, dead times for some. If your writing happens midday, or late at night, so be it. If you know how and when you can write and not get distracted, thats how and when you should. The best way to figure out what works best is to work. Write. Notice what you gravitate to. Notice what causes you to trip up, and make adjustments. You dont really get a rulebook before diving in; you must dive in, and figure out your own rulebook. What are the daily habits of successful writers?  They write daily, and make it their habit.

Jazz History-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jazz History-2 - Essay Example Finally, in the post-War era, jazz had become an art form and not simply an instrument of low/pop culture. However, bebop was too abstract and improvised for many not only in the 1950s but also today. Some forms of jazz still have popular appeal, despite the near 60 years that have passed since their recording. Cool jazz is one of few jazz movements that retain popular appeal even today; its enduring quality seems to be in the perfect mean it finds between the artfulness of bebop and the catchiness of pre-War Swing jazz. Cool jazz is said to have begun during the Second World War, during which predominantly white Californian jazz musicians migrated to New York City, where they integrated with bebop styles being played in the clubs such as Milton’s Playhouse. Many of these musicians were trained and educated in formal schools. The Californian styles tended to mediate the sharp edges of traditional bebop, and created a new fusion of approaches to arrangements in the jazz composition. Bringing back this emphasis on arrangements harkened back to the old days of Swing jazz (Giola 51), when big bands required knowledge of the song’s form across the different instrument sections. Although cool jazz did not reintroduce the concept of the big band to the mainstream, what it did do was reemphasize the need for consistent instrumentation across performances, and lessening the need for elaborate improvisations. But nailing down a definition of Cool jazz, and jazz in general, seems to be a futile practice. As Ted Giola writes, â€Å"Jazz writers learned long ago, for example, that it is almost impossible to come up with a good, succinct, widely accepted definition of jazz itself† (Giola 360). Coming up with definitions, that is, is a waste of time because art grows organically through changes in its shape and texture, independent of critics’ generalizations. Because it

The relationship between internal and external customer service Essay - 1

The relationship between internal and external customer service - Essay Example Therefore, the recognition of the important relationship between internal and external customer service is increasing. More and more firms and international companies have publicly asserted that their business success is a result of their strong relationships with their employees. Thus, it is already widely accepted that internal customer service quality leads to both internal and internal customer satisfaction (Minjoon & Shaohan 2010). On the other hand, claims of the companies that their success is a result of internal relationships with employees often are not taken seriously by different stakeholders (Herington, Johnson, and Scott, 2006). The aim of this research is to provide a more detailed analysis of customer service excellence and to evaluate critically the role played by internal customer service in the delivery of external customer service excellence. Customer service increasingly becomes a priority item in agenda of many organizations. It is widely recognized that customer service is a great opportunity for gaining competitive advantage for any type of business. Customer service enables the organization to â€Å"win customers† especially in today’s highly competitive and globalized market (Cook, 2008). Customer service quality is a widely known driver of a company’s profit. The more satisfied the customers are, the more benefits the company gains. In addition to improved profitability, customer-centred organizations enjoy the following benefits: differentiation from competitors; increased customer satisfaction and retention; improved image in the customer’s eyes; minimized price sensitivity; enhanced reputation; improved staff morale; reduced costs; increased productivity; good internal customer/supplier relationships; encourage participation among employees; continuous improvements to the companyâ₠¬â„¢s operations (Cook, 2008). That is why many organizations have recognized this opportunity and focused their