Analysis of Troy Maxson Essay

The play â€Å"Fences† by Lloyd Richards is mostly the story of Troy Maxson. A man of many words, some of which although may not be particularly nice. He is an elderly, large black man who used to be a home run hitter in the Negro league, but by the time of the integration of professional Baseball, Troy was too old to benefit from it. This caused Troy to become the man he is today. Throughout the play the reader sees in depth of what kind of man Troy Maxson really is. Yes, he is far from a perfect man, but he has an inner strength that can inspire, which makes him, above all, memorable. As a result of having his dreams ultimately shattered Troy is vulnerable. Not just vulnerable to others, but by believing in the self-created illusions he has created to cope with his drastic fall from living his dream to working at a dead end job. While being so susceptible to his own created world Troy is more than comfortable with living in his fictitious fantasy. This is seen when Troy tries to convince his friend Bono that is relationship with a women called Alberta was nothing consensual, when in reality it is obvious he was having an affair with the lady (page 1703). Throughout the whole play the readers get an idea of where the Title â€Å"Fences† come from. Troy Maxson’s character causes conflicts with everyone else, and in doing so placing metaphorical â€Å"fences† around him and the ones that care about him. With these fences up all around him he rejects and puts down the dreams and desires of others because they differ from his own philosophy. There are many examples of this throughout the play, but the one that seems to stand out the most would be when he tries to completely tear down his son’s dream of playing professional football (page 1716-1717). Troy Maxson’s charter although represents more than just a man who is bitter from past experiences; he represents human nature’s unwillingness to adjust to social change. Just like how the white men viewed black people, even after segregation was in full swing, they still viewed them as inferior beings. The same concept can be seen in Troy. Troy constantly uses baseball to describe his actions as if baseball was still a major role in his day to day life. When he talks about facing death, he uses baseball terminology, comparing a face-off with the grim reaper to a duel between a pitcher and a  batter (1706). When he bullies his son Cory, he warns him: â€Å"You swung the bat and didn’t hit it. That’s strike one.† (1726). So with this Troy becomes the perfect example for a tragic hero. Doing what he sees fit through his own eyes even though the people around him tell him that his actions will have drastic side effects, but he still stubbornly stride s on pursuing his own course of action. As terrible as it may seem the experiences Troy went through were not uncommon. In fact drones of skilled African American players could not experience playing on the professional level. Sadly they were bound to the Negro leagues due to the color of their skin, thus for having their stats lost to legend. And according to Frank Deford only after about fifty years of the Negro leagues existence are the skills and talent of these Negro League players beginning honored by modern day baseball (Deford). References Deford, Frank. â€Å"Negro League Baseball.† Smithsonian 41.7 (2013): 73-76. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Richards, Lloyd. â€Å"Fences.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Sweig. 10th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012, 945-946. Print

Pip’s emotion Essay

Remembering this, the adult Pip says â€Å"I believe they were fat, though at the time I was undersized for my years and not string† This begins to give the reader an image of Pips physical appearance. The fact that he is undersized and weak could be because due to the lack of money in his family he is underfed. This creates sympathy for Pip because the reader can see this poor defenceless little child in this awful situation and as he seems so defenceless the readers are interested to know how or if he will get himself out of this situation. This also helps Dickens to project his reasons for writing great expectations to the reader as he is unhappy with the conditions that Pip and other children in this time period are living in. The fact that Pip is criticizing himself could reflect the way he is treated by other people and is unhappy with himself (which becomes clear later in the story with his longing to become a gentleman). This Quote also shows that this is the voice of the adult Pip as looking back on this scene he is very concerned about his appearance as a boy. This could make the reader wonder if Pop is not poor any longer because as a gentleman appearance would be very important. Yet again Pip’s tone is quite light which helps to give the impression that Pip does get out of this situation safely and that maybe the convict isn’t as bad as he seems. This gives makes it seem that Pip is keeping something from the reader which makes the reader interested and wanting to find out what they don’t know. Pip continues to say â€Å"I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn’t and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me partly to keep myself upon it and partly to keep myself from crying. † By the explanation it is clear to the reader that this is a past event because it sounds like the words of an adult who is now well educated not those of a young boy who is close to tears. This also shows that the convicts has no consideration for Pips feelings and no respect for him either as he places him on top of a gravestone which could be that of his parents. This lack of care and respect for children is what Dickens is trying to put across and wants changed. This also gives the impression that in contrast to his previous defencelessness appearance pip as a character is quite brave as he is trying to stay calm and not show that he is upset while most children would be in tears. This could be trying to show the audience that you should not judge people by class or appearance which is relevant later on in the story as the convict turns out to be a nice person of lower class while Estella is cruel and snobby because she thinks she is better than Pip because of the class she believes she belongs to. However although the adult Pip seems to be thinking he was brave the first phrase sounds quite light as if pip doesn’t want the reader to think he was weak and is making the tone less serious. This still creates sympathy for Pip because so many terrible things are happening to him. The convict wants to scare Pip into doing what he wants † A boy may lock his door may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open. â€Å"At this point Magwitch is being very manipulative and is scaring Pip into thinking that someone he cant see or hear can see and hear him. His description is so vivid that it may also make the reader feel uneasy as if they too are being watched. Dickens creates tension with the steady build up of short actions that result in him suddenly being killed. He lists every possible thing that Pip may try to do to escape and explaining how they won’t work and that Pip is unable to escape which will leave Pip feeling completely helpless. The fact that he uses Pip’s home as the setting for this grim death which is the one place Pip should feel safe will make Pip feel trapped and that he is in danger wherever he goes. The convict is looking into the mind of a child and has picked the scenario most children fear. This is very cruel which shows how desperate he is but could also show that magwitch has had contact with children as he knows what they fear. This concept is very disturbing and as was evident from previous descriptions Pip’s imagination is already going wild. The length of the detail could be because magwitch has done what he is describing or has seen someone else do it whilst in prison. Pip’s imagination and descriptions create more images of the convict † he looked into my young eyes as if he were eluding the hands of the dead people, stretching up cautiously out of their graves to get a twist upon his ankle and pull him in. † This is pips imagination exaggerating what he sees but still makes the reader picture magwitch as something out of a horror style text. It could be that the look on his face is like he is attempting to escape from the dead and recreates Pips earlier ideas of him coming for the graves. His appearance gives a feel of how much he has been through in the fact that he is covered in mud and starving to death. However the fact that he is not being pulled into the graves proves that he is strong and either not ready or refusing to die making the reader wonder if he has an important part to play later in the story, which he does. Dickens uses sentence structures to show distance â€Å"ours was the marsh country, down by the river, with as the river wound twenty miles from the sea† This creates an instant impression that his home is very far away. The word â€Å"wound† creates the image of distance and the repetition of river creates the feeling of length. Each comma between the descriptions could resemble a new twist or turn to the river. The fact that he is so far away from his home (and society) and the sea, makes him seem very isolated and alone. Not only is he trapped in the graveyard but his home seems to be in the middle of nowhere with no place to escape to this adds to the overall feeling of helplessness that the chapter creates around Pip. The commas themselves make the sentence more difficult to understand which symbolises the feeling of Pip being lost and trapped in this place completely separate from the rest of the world. Dickens uses sentence structures to show Pip’s emotions. Pip tells the reader † at such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard, and that Philip pirrip late of this parish, and also georgianna wife of the above were dead and buried and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias and roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried, and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard intersected with dykes and mounds and gates with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes and that the low leaden line beyond was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip. Here Dickens successfully; by use of sentence structure, captures the voice of the young Pip. † This sentence shows that Pip is getting increasingly upset with everything he is seeing. He is thinking about the deaths of his parents and brothers and beginning to realise how alone he is in the graveyard and in the world because almost his entire family is â€Å"dead and buried†. He seems to be looking around and taking in more and more at once which is shown by the fact that he keeps adding more and more descriptions to the sentence. He repeats the words â€Å"and that† after every semi-colon which effectively shows the voice of the young child as he is using limited vocabulary and making it sound like a list. This quote also how small and insignificant Pip is in his surroundings because it is such a long description until all that is left is pip. He is beginning to scare himself because he uses a metaphor describing the sea as a lair as the wind is rushing from it with such force like a wild animal waiting to attack him. This also shows a Childs imagination and fears and makes the reader want to protect Pip as he is a frightened innocent child. The sentence is extended with commas and semi-colons and everything is listed very quickly which makes Pip sound very panicky and this feeling is mirrored by the fact that the reader gets out of breath when reading it aloud. It shows a build up of all of his emotions and when the sentence ends the reader may get a sense of relief which is like the relief Pip feels when he begins to cry. Everything is described very negatively and Pip begins with the focus on the deaths of his family which shows what a depressing setting this is and makes the reader want to help Pip escape from it all. Dickens uses a long sentence to describe the convict. † A man who had been soaked in water and smothered in mud and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles and torn by briars, who limped and shivered and glared and growled; and who’s teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin. † Here Pip is getting panicked again which is shown by the fast pace of the list describing magwich’s appearance. This also captures the sense of a young boy through the adult pip because although this also sounds like the speech of a child with the repetition of the word â€Å"and† at the time pip was unlikely to have noticed everything about the convict. Therefore dickens writes as the adult Pip so as to give an effective description of the convict. It also emphasises how much the convict has been through and proves that he must be strong to have survived everything Pip describes and also that he must have a purpose in his life and in the story otherwise why put himself through so much. The alliteration focuses the reader’s attention on the words â€Å"glared and growled† giving an impression that the convict is some kind of wild animal which fits well with the metaphor â€Å"distant savage lair†.

European Integration

Since the day of its establishment it endeavourers to create prosperity and stability for its citizens – the citizens that are directly or indirectly affected by the Ex.'s policy and its actions. The aim of this Union is a Just society with an attitude of solidarity that promises to support economic prosperity and to create vacancy by making their enterprises more competitive and providing their employers with new abilities and skills. The European Union represents the world's greatest economic power and revised great financial and technical support to poorer countries. The EX. is still in progress when it comes to its composition.There are countries that are – due to their economic situation and their attitudes – a challenge when it comes to integration into the Union. On the other hand there are countries that do not want to be a member. Norway is one of them. The reasons why Norway rejected the membership to the EX., after being asked twice, may be discussed i n the following. The essay shall provide an overview of Norway pros and cons and the reasons why they still have not Joined the EX. as member. WoosГ Kola economies a management Lecturer: Peter Hamlet 2. History The human settlement of Norway goes back at least 11000 years.The first Norwegian lived by fishing, hunting and by farming. (see Allegorists) A period which was significant for expansion is called the Viking Age. During this period, Norwegian sailed to Scotland, England, Ireland, France and also Spain. The Danes and Swedes sailed abroad, too. This is the time when Scandinavia really became a part of Europe. The Vikings were famous for: strong warriors, prisoner taking, slaves dealing, efficient merchants, craftsmen and farmers. In the Freakish Empire they were known as the Northern. This name arose, when Norway and Denmark explored this area for trade and plunder.Norway gained more and more importance in this time. In the middle ages Norwegian population increased (about 400. 000). In the eleventh century the whole country were controlled by the church, the king and the overlords and they converted to Christianity. The inhabitants felt very unhappy in the next century and there were plenty of fighting in the inside of the country, that's why it is called the Civil War Period. Followed by the â€Å"Golden Age†, the king of Norway ever owned more Lana tan ever. One Tanta AT ten population was put on eat the â€Å"Black Death†, a plague in 1349. See Multiple) Between 1396 and 1536 Norway was part of Kalmia Union. The Union was formed in 1397 in the town of Kalmia on the Swedish east coast. A relative to Queen Margaret, Erik of Pomeranian, was elected king over Denmark, Sweden and Norway (see superstring) Sweden broke away 1523, but Norway remained united with Denmark. 1814 Denmark was forced to surrender Norway to Sweden. From now on, 1905, Norway is a free country, the union with Sweden ended and decided to give Prince Carl of Denmark th e throne. During the years 1914 till 1918, First World War period, Norway stayed neutral and also in the first time of the Second World War.In the late asses the Norwegian accepted Marshall Plan and Joined the NATAL, after abandoned their past neutrality. The current king, King Hookah, died and got replaced by Loaf V and he got replaced by his son, King Herald V. , in 1991. The economic policy was very important for the postwar history for Norway. In this time economic planning was introduced and several state-owned enterprises have been established. (see Inconsiderableness) 3. Norway – An Overview 3. 1. Economical With a GAP per capita of Ð ²?64,600 in 2008 (2nd highest in the EYE after Luxembourg) and an estimated national budget surplus the Norwegian economy is very sound.Norway belongs to the leading group of the richest countries in the world measured by GAP per capita. Public finances are boosted by significant revenues from the petroleum sector. Traditional economic a ctivities are shipping (fourth largest fleet in the world), fisheries and fish farming. The oil and gas sector constitutes around 25% of the Norwegian GAP and 52% of Norwegian exports (35 times higher than the export value of fish). Norway is a very important exporter of metals. Norwegian companies are major producers of ferry-alloys and, in particular, of aluminum.Norway is the main source for the EX. of primary aluminum. 60% of our total imports AT alloys Ana AT inwrought metal relegate In Norway. Norway Is rarely anew with natural resources such as oil and gas, hydrophone, fish, Marshall Plan: The Marshall Plan, known officially following its enactment as the European Recovery Program (ERP), was the main plan of the United States for the reconstruction of Europe following World War II. The initiative was named for United States Secretary f State George Marshall. NATO: Military alliance formed between 26 nations to enforce the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949.NATO was originally form ed to combat the spread of communism, but has grown since then to provide a mutual defense from external threats. 2 1 forests and minerals and timber. Despite intensive technological and industrial developments that have taken place in Norway, natural resources still account for the bulk of Norwegian exports. The construction and operation of the largest offshore installations on earth has led to the establishment of a substantial offshore technology industry. Traditional economic activities are shipping (fourth largest fleet in the world) and fisheries, along with fish farming.Shipping represents also an important source of export revenues for Norway. In addition, Norway is one of the top three seafood-exporting nations worldwide. Around 95% of production is exported. In recent decades, Norway has been in the forefront of Western countries' growth performance. Over the last decade, Norway sustained economic expansion was underpinned by strong macro-economic policies, the commitment to low inflation and fiscal restraint, and the strategy of investing the bulk of oil revenues abroad. The adoption of inflation targeting and fiscal policy guidelines, have further strengthened the policy framework.After having experienced a cyclical downturn of its economic growth due mainly to high wages, high interest rates and a strong currency, a very tight monetary policy made Norway recover. As expected, household demand is making a considerable contribution to the cyclical upturn as well as higher petroleum investment. In the period ahead, the global upturn will also stimulate Norway exports of traditional goods. The situation for internationally exposed industries has improved, not least thanks to what appears to be a stabilization of the crone exchange rate and a moderate wage settlement. (see European Commission) 3. . Political As mentioned in the first chapter and like you can extract from the Interpreting â€Å"Encyclopedia of the Nations†, Norway followed a pol icy of strict neutrality from 1905 until 1940. In 1940, Germany invaded Norway and carried out an exacting occupation until 1945. The German occupation left behind a bitter experience. That's the reason of Norway long dominant political sentiment for neutrality and let them Join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. (see Inconsiderableness) Norway is a constitutional monarchy. In the country the head of the state enjoys not unlimited power.The monarch has the power in the direction of Starting (Applicant), he designates the chief of the government (prime Minster). The parliament has the real power. The Starting has 165 seats, split among eight parties in the elections of 2001. Elections are held every four years. The parliamentary system is not like the most, an election is not called if a government loses a vote of confidence, although the prime minister may change. Due to the large number of parties and a system of proportional representation, coalition government s are the rule in Norwegian politics.Changes of government are a relatively frequent occurrence, even by the standards of European parliamentary systems, because most governments over the past decade have been minority governments. The ability to build consensus is thus a key to success for politicians and for parties. Ideological parties tend, therefore, to be small because they are often exclusive. Women play a greater role in Norwegian politics than in any other European country. For many years, a woman, Grog Harlem Borderland of the Labor Party, dominated Norwegian politics and served intermittently as prime minister. European Integration The following paper will provide an overview on the importance of the regional union of Balkans countries before joining European Union. Initially the paper will describe the main forms of integration and the main benefit for each of them. Furthermore, the paper will explain the main barriers of political integration of the Albania, Macedonia, Kosova and Montenegro. The essay will be based in the daily political development of the region and the theory given from deferent scholars of economics and business. Regional integration principlesRegional alliances to promote liberalization trade are important features in the second half of the 20th century. Today there are close to 100 agreements although not all of them have a practical implementation. Countries are trying to integrate their economies and open to new markets for their domestic firms and lower prices for their customers. According to Lundby & Jeffrey (2010), the characteristics of most important of international business are the extent of economic integration among the member countries.The economic integration affects exporting and investment opportunities among members and non-member countries. According to Warne &Nicholas (2005), there five different economic integration like free trade area, custom union, common market, economic union and political union. Following Bennett (2002), free trade area eliminates trade barriers among member countries like the NAFTA agreements between Canada, Mexico and United state. Custom union refers to the elimination of the trading barriers among members with common external trade policies for non-member countries.The best example of the custom union is the agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. According to Gelfand, & Brett (2004), common union has the same characteristics as the custom union with the additional element the elimination of the barriers that inhibit the movement of production factors labor, capital and technology among members. Econ omic union represents full integration among countries. It includes the common union integration with additional economic policies integration among members. The best example of economic integration is the European union.The last form of integration is the political integration where countries follow a full political and economic integration. The best example of political union is the united state of America. Regional integration between Albania, Montenegro, Kosova and Macedonia. Albania has a favorable geographical position since it links the west developed Europe with the postcommunist European countries, East Europe. According to INSTAT (2009), Albanian population is close to 2. 8 million inhabitants.Neighbor countries are Montenegro with 0. 7 million inhabitants; Kosova with 1.8 million inhabitants; Macedonia with 2 million inhabitants. All these countries separately are not attractive from global companies because of their small size. According to Krishna (2005), economic integ ration or trade blocs are preferential trade agreements between numbers of countries to reduce or completely remove the barriers between members. Trade blocs increase the market power for each of the trading members. It increases productivity and companies take advantage of economies of scale. Also, it increases the competition between members of the market.Low costs will make the member countries firms more competitive in the non-member countries market. Small countries are the ones who take more advantage from the trading blocs than the large members of the agreement, by opening their product to a larger market. Companies take the decision to expand the business in foreign countries by considering the trading blocs and its main benefits. However, elimination of the trade barriers exposes the firm's home market to competition of other member and non-member countries, thus threatening the less efficient firms.A regional economic integration attracts the foreign investments from non- member countries as firms outside the bloc seek the benefits of insider status by establishing manufacturing facilities within the bloc. In order for these countries, to attract global companies and increase the foreign direct investments needs and economic integration among all countries and effectively make them one country. Integration of Albania, Montenegro, Kosova and Macedonia will create a market of 6. 2 million customers.Also, the integration will standardize the import and taxation policy toward the non-member countries by eliminating the differences among countries. According to Yoshino & Rangan (1995), economic integration and opening to new markets there are challenges like differences in culture, political and economic environment, and regulation between countries. Cultural and economic changes product customization. In case of the economic integration between Albania and its neighbor countries, there are limited cultural differences. All countries have almost the same philosophy of the living, tradition and customs.The similarities between countries will help companies to minimize their costs by using the same brand, same advertising strategy and message across markets. Furthermore, countries show similarities in the economic situation. They are all low-income countries with the same needs and resources to accommodate those needs. This situation increases the demand for fast moving goods by representing big opportunities for global companies operating in these industries. There is not much to say about legal restriction since they do not exist.Legal and regulatory framework is in favor of foreign investment in the region. Typically, each form of economic integration confers benefits on the national economy but hurts particular sectors and communities within that economy. As a result, negotiating any form of the economic integration is not easy. According to Koyuturk et al. (2012), strategic alignments within a company are production, marketing, f inancial and research and development alliances. Production alliances happen when two different companies create a joint venture to produce a common product or facility.Marketing alliances between companies consist in sharing of the marketing services or consultancies. Financial alliances consist in sharing the risk of investment with other partners. R&D alliances refer to joint research with partners for developing new product or services. The above strategic alignment can be managed through shared management agreements where all the involved parties participate in the shared agreement fully and actively. Strategic alignments will decrease the company cost but will have an issue for the employees.Therefore, sharing of some of the functional services many companies will cut their labor force. Local government should create defense policies to mitigate the risks of the integration. Also, political instability, high level of corruption and previous conflicts are the most difficult int egration barriers. The suggested form of integration that will strengthen the position of these countries in the region and drive a competitive advantage is the political integration. It relates to cooperation between states and formation of state based regime.Also, it refers to the constitution of new political entities with a certain degree of independent from the individual states. Regional integration strengthens the political system the scope and the capacity of its decision making process. Furthermore, legal integration it is closely related to the political integration and involves the establishment of common legal rules and common legal systems for citizens of different states. The disadvantages of regional integration are, to begin with that to achieve it, you must sacrifice some degree of sovereignty.This could negatively affect conflict resolution. This loss of flexibility in creating solutions to problems is a huge disadvantage. Conclusion Following the main forms of int egration the political integration is the most efficient one for the analyzed countries. Political integration of Albania, Kosova, Macedonia, and Montenegro will create new opportunities for these countries. It will increase the market power for each of the trading members and increase productivity and companies take advantage of economies of scale.Also, it increases the competition between members of the market. Lower costs for the member countries will make the member countries firms more competitive than the non-member countries market. Also, regional integration allows strategic alignments within a company in production, marketing, financial and research and development alliances. However, the political integration will strengthen the position of these countries in the region and drive a competitive advantage for the group of countries. European Integration IntroductionThe following paper will provide an overview on the importance of the regional union of Balkans countries before joining European Union. Initially the paper will describe the main forms of integration and the main benefit for each of them. Furthermore, the paper will explain the main barriers of political integration of the Albania, Macedonia, Kosova and Montenegro. The essay will be based in the daily political development of the region and the theory given from deferent scholars of economics and business.Regional integration principlesRegional alliances to promote liberalization trade are important features in the second half of the 20th century. Today there are close to 100 agreements although not all of them have a practical implementation. Countries are trying to integrate their economies and open to new markets for their domestic firms and lower prices for their customers. According to Lundby & Jeffrey (2010), the characteristics of most important of international b usiness are the extent of economic integration among the member countries. The economic integration affects exporting and investment opportunities among members and non-member countries. According to Warne &Nicholas (2005), there five different economic integration like free trade area, custom union, common market, economic union and political union.Following Bennett (2002), free trade area eliminates trade barriers among member countries like the NAFTA agreements between Canada, Mexico and United state. Custom union refers to the elimination of the trading barriers among members with common external trade policies for non-member countries. The best example of the custom union is the agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.According to Gelfand, & Brett (2004), common union has the same characteristics as the custom union with the additional element the elimination of the barriers that inhibit the movement of production factors  labor, capital and technology among members.Economic union represents full integration among countries. It includes the common union integration with additional economic policies integration among members. The best example of economic integration is the European union. The last form of integration is the political integration where countries follow a full political and economic integration. The best example of political union is the united state of America.Regional integration between Albania, Montenegro, Kosova and Macedonia. Albania has a favorable geographical position since it links the west developed Europe with the postcommunist European countries, East Europe. According to INSTAT (2009), Albanian population is close to 2.8 million inhabitants. Neighbor countries are Montenegro with 0.7 million inhabitants; Kosova with 1.8 million inhabitants; Macedonia with 2 million inhabitants. All these countries separately are not attractive from global companies because of their small size.According to Krishna (2005), eco nomic integration or trade blocs are preferential trade agreements between numbers of countries to reduce or completely remove the barriers between members. Trade blocs increase the market power for each of the trading members. It increases productivity and companies take advantage of economies of scale. Also, it increases the competition between members of the market. Low costs will make the member countries firms more competitive in the non-member countries market. Small countries are the ones who take more advantage from the trading blocs than the large members of the agreement, by opening their product to a larger market. Companies take the decision to expand the business in foreign countries by considering the trading blocs and its main benefits.However, elimination of the trade barriers exposes the firm's home market to competition of other member and non-member countries, thus threatening the less efficient firms. A regional economic integration attracts the foreign investmen ts from non-member countries as firms outside the bloc seek the benefits of insider status by establishing manufacturing facilities within the bloc. In order for these countries, to attract global companies and increase the foreign direct investments needs and economic integration among all countries and effectively make them one country.Integration of Albania, Montenegro, Kosova and Macedonia will  create a market of 6.2 million customers. Also, the integration will standardize the import and taxation policy toward the non-member countries by eliminating the differences among countries.According to Yoshino & Rangan (1995), economic integration and opening to new markets there are challenges like differences in culture, political and economic environment, and regulation between countries. Cultural and economic changes product customization. In case of the economic integration between Albania and its neighbor countries, there are limited cultural differences. All countries have alm ost the same philosophy of the living, tradition and customs. The similarities between countries will help companies to minimize their costs by using the same brand, same advertising strategy and message across markets.Furthermore, countries show similarities in the economic situation.They are all low-income countries with the same needs and resources to accommodate those needs. This situation increases the demand for fast moving goods by representing big opportunities for global companies operating in these industries. There is not much to say about legal restriction since they do not exist. Legal and regulatory framework is in favor of foreign investment in the region.Typically, each form of economic integration confers benefits on the national economy but hurts particular sectors and communities within that economy. As a result, negotiating any form of the economic integration is not easy. According to Koyuturk et al. (2012), strategic alignments within a company are production, marketing, financial and research and development alliances.Production alliances happen when two different companies create a joint venture to produce a common product or facility. Marketing alliances between companies consist in sharing of the marketing services or consultancies. Financial alliances consist in sharing the risk of investment with other partners. R&D alliances refer to joint research with partners for developing new product or services. The above strategic alignment can be managed through shared management agreements where all the involved parties participate in the shared agreement fully and actively.Strategic alignments will decrease the company cost but will have an issue for the employees. Therefore, sharing of some of the functional services many companies will cut their labor force. Local government should create defense policies to mitigate the risks of the integration.Also, political  instability, high level of corruption and previous conflicts are the most difficult integration barriers.The suggested form of integration that will strengthen the position of these countries in the region and drive a competitive advantage is the political integration. It relates to cooperation between states and formation of state based regime. Also, it refers to the constitution of new political entities with a certain degree of independent from the individual states.Regional integration strengthens the political system the scope and the capacity of its decision making process. Furthermore, legal integration it is closely related to the political integration and involves the establishment of common legal rules and common legal systems for citizens of different states. The disadvantages of regional integration are, to begin with that to achieve it, you must sacrifice some degree of sovereignty. This could negatively affect conflict resolution. This loss of flexibility in creating solutions to problems is a huge disadvantage.ConclusionFollowing the main forms of integration the political integration is the most efficient one for the analyzed countries. Political integration of Albania, Kosova, Macedonia, and Montenegro will create new opportunities for these countries. It will increase the market power for each of the trading members and increase productivity and companies take advantage of economies of scale. Also, it increases the competition between members of the market.Lower costs for the member countries will make the member countries firms more competitive than the non-member countries market. Also, regional integration allows strategic alignments within a company in production, marketing, financial and research and development alliances. However, the political integration will strengthen the position of these countries in the region and drive a competitive advantage for the group of countries.

Describe a place in which you are both familiar and interested Essay

Describe a place in which you are both familiar and interested - Essay Example Shah Jahan loved his wife Mumtaj Mahal so much, but was grief-stricken at her death during child birth. He wanted to keep her memory alive till eternity and so built the beautiful Taj which stands as India’s pride attracting tourists from far and near to revel in its beauty. The exotic Taj is situated in the lush green plains of Agra, behind which runs the sacred river Yamuna. It is made of huge slabs of creamy white marble and is studded with thousands of semi-precious stones. The pathway leading up to the monument is flanked by tall palm trees which act as a border to a moat of crystal clear water spurted out from dancing fountains. It has an impressive circular dome with four minarets, one in each corner. The structure is so impressive that it makes the beholder stare at it in awe before making an entrance. The arched entrance has a huge and heavily crafted wooden door with shiny brass door-knobs. It leads into a massive hall filled with archways and has a high ceiling which is intricately carved with patterns of flowering plants that adorn it, enhancing its magnificence. Right in the centre of the hall are the cold marble tombs of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal that are covered with floral patterns and embellished with precious stones which are a deep blue. An Octagonal screen made from perforated marble called â€Å"Jalis† form the border surrounding the two cenotaphs in the centre chamber. Each of these Jalis was carved with intricate and exquisite designs from a single slab of marble and allows not only air to circulate but also sunlight which scatters beautiful patterns over the cenotaphs. The eight faces of the jalis are decorated with flowering plants like lilies and poppies intrinsically embedded with colorful gemstones such as agate, sandstone and carnelian. From the centre of the dome, above the cenotaphs in the mausoleum, hangs a beautifully

Impact of IT on TQM in an Organization Research Proposal

Impact of IT on TQM in an Organization - Research Proposal Example IT today is a vehicle for making substantial changes in organizations, markets and the economy (Lucas, 2001). The basic purpose of any organization is to either manufacture a product or to provide a service to its customers. An organization is divided into various functions as per the task they perform to achieve the organizational goals. Organizations use various technologies for achieving this goal. However, IT is different from these technologies. Figure 1 below describes the role of IT as per Harold Leavitt. As per this model, IT is the central link between all parts of an organization (Lucas, 2001). It has a separate existence from the other technologies used by the firm. Thus, we can see that IT has taken a central role in today’s organization. Some very big organizations have been pioneers in using IT to revolutionize the way processes are run. Chrysler is one such example. The company is an excellent example of ‘lean’ production, a methodology of production that has revolutionized the manufacturing industry. This production system required the company to work with approximately 1600 external suppliers that shipped materials to 14 car and truck assembly plants in North America (Lucas, 2001). The key to lean production is the Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory system. The company used IT to set up Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for the efficient running of the JIT mechanism. This meant electronically linking all the suppliers to the company through the EDI and eliminating any manual or paper transactions (Lucas, 2001).  

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 10

Case Study Example Despite the fact that many retailers even close down during weak economic periods, Wal-Mart manages to maintain high profits due to huge volumes of sales it makes. It has succeeded due to its low cost strategy that attracts an array of consumers (Yang & Linowes, 2009). Significantly, this prompts it t enjoy cost advantage through controlling the market as the cost leaders. Despite its placement, it is therefore necessary to addresses the weaknesses and strengths Wal-Mart possess in order to maintain its position in market, which this case study will analyse the appropriate solutions to the weaknesses and enhancing its strengths. One major threat that Wal-Mart faces are varied pricey lawsuits filed against the company. Many employees and customers have complained of discrimination instances in the company. Due to these, the company has lost a lot of money as they pay off damages to those offended by the same. Approximately 815,000 employees of female gender and most often than not have experienced cases of unfair treatment (Reed, 2013). The unfairness is quite evident for they are sometimes underpaid compared to men whom they work together. It is quite ill-fated that the same females end up jobbing hard and for long to the extent of even surpassing the males but remain unrecognized (Reed, 2013). In addition, these women comprise the majority of employees but still do not get appear anywhere in assuming key positions meant for the enterprise’s managerial roles. As per 2010, most of its managers were men. Being the biggest retail company, this enterprise ought to set a pace for the smaller retail compan ies so that they embrace equality and not injustices. Evident from Duke Vs Wal-Mart case, 5 million females accused the enterprise of discrimination when it came to promotions as well as allocation of certain vital assignments (Reed, 2013). To add on, to date numerous people due to unfair experiences they have ever had are filling case suits with the intention

Organizational Behavior Final Project Research Paper

Organizational Behavior Final Project - Research Paper Example Organization culture deals with the code of work, belief and skills perspective in the organization and defines how things are done in the organization (Baker 2). In general, organizational culture is created to encourage the collective role by all the employees to meet set objectives and goals (Madu1). The leadership style used dictates the type of organizational culture in an organization. For a leader to develop a proper organizational culture, they first impose their, standards, expectations, beliefs and standards to the other employees to be applied in the organization. As leadership ideas become shared, and embedded in the organizations operations, the employees develop skills signals and work ethics as required. Proper culture can develop into deep into the organization, and if it is fully integrated, can lead to business success. This culture takes two levels of existence, and the first level deals with organizational behavior and artifacts. This relates to behavior that can be physically observed in the organization including the layout of organization environment, dressing code and the general behavior of people. The second level of organizational culture involves expressing the values of the organization that are not physically observable, but are appear in the general operations of the organization. For instance, the way the organizations related to the products and customers also is reflected by the organizational culture. Organizations can set their standards to become customer oriented in the operations, and through this, products and services are be tailored to meet the specific needs of customers (Madu 3). Organizational cultures can be evaluated on whether or not they are effective at a time when the organization is facing a crisis. If the culture is incapable of handling the crisis at that time, then the leadership needs to change their culture to handle it (Haworth 1). Furthermore, organizational culture plays a very important role in organi zations, and in many cases, it provides direction to the organization. This organizational culture provides employees with what is desired from them, and how they are to present themselves, or behave in the workplace environment. It also provides employees with a sense of communication in the organization, and in most cases it with a chain of command to be followed. It also provides a sense of order in the organization, and leadership together with the staff can be able to know how their roles and how they are to achieve this in organizations. Culture in an organization allows for strategic innovation of products and services, and shows, which methods organizations can follow; either product centered or market centered approaches. Organizational culture provides management with a means of managing the workforce in the organization, and helps set the roles and tasks for each member of the staff (Tharp 3). Organizational culture is very important in managing organizational change, whi ch may arise either internally or externally. This organizational change enables the management to gain competitive advantage from

Viacom Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Viacom Company - Case Study Example Beginning in 1970s as cable operator, Viacom has managed to become a global entertainment content company. Currently a major media conglomerate operates through two main segments: Media Networks and Filmed Entertainment, producing and distributing a huge variety of motion pictures. Collecting sufficient number of failures and losses during long period of its formation, in late 1980s the company was bought by Sumner M. Redstone, who managed to see great potential of his acquisition. Hence with a help of numerous successful projects of launching classic sitcoms, Showtime movie network, Ha! Channel a leading conglomerate was able to purchase five television and nine radio stations. However, a decline in popularity of pay-TV compelled the senior management of Viacom to switch the main sphere of its performance, setting new challenges. In this respect, Redstone decided to aim at video rental markets. In 1990s the company made the biggest and most profitable deal, purchasing oldest produce r of motion pictures, Paramount Communications Inc. Later on acquiring Blockbuster, suddenly Viacom became the owner of thousands of video and music stores.

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention Dissertation

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention - Dissertation Example It is so because the business environment in Oman is different from that of the western countries. Hence, to examine this argument, this research study focuses on the internationalisation approaches followed by the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Oman. The decision makers of four SMEs in Oman have been interviewed in this research study. The collected data from the interviews and other secondary researches have been analysed using two approaches namely, within case analysis and cross case analysis. The findings obtained from this research study has been compared with the relevant literature on internationalisation process that exists like the theoretical framework of international new ventures (INVs) and the Uppsala School's internationalisation process model (U-model). The findings of this research study suggest that the internationalisation behaviours of SMEs in Oman are not completely different from that of the firms in the western countries. The INVs framework and th e U-model cannot explain the internationalisation process of SMEs in Oman on its own. However both these models have explained the internationalisation patterns in different ways. ... 2.3.2Factors Responsible for Internationalisation by SMEs 22 2.4Internationalisation Procedures by SMEs 26 2.4.1The U-model 26 2.4.2INVs Framework 27 2.5Conclusion 28 CHAPTER 3: Research Methodology 28 2.6Introduction 28 2.7Types of Research 29 2.7.1Qualitative Methodology 29 2.7.2Case Study Research 30 2.7.3Semi-structured Interviews 30 2.8Sources of Data 31 2.9Research Design and Tools 33 2.9.1Construct Validity 33 2.9.2Internal Validity 34 2.9.3External Validity 34 2.9.4Reliability 36 2.10Conclusion 39 3.CHAPTER 4: Findings and Results 39 3.1Introduction 39 3.2Summary of Data 40 3.3Company Backgrounds 40 3.3.1Company A 40 3.3.2Company B 41 3.3.3Company C 42 3.3.4Company D 43 3.4Within Case Analysis 44 3.4.1Company A 45 3.4.2Company B 47 3.4.3Company C 48 3.4.4Company D 49 3.5Cross Case Analysis 50 3.5.1Motives for Internationalisation 50 3.5.2Factors Leading to Internationalisation 51 3.5.3Intensity of Internationalisation 52 3.5.4Resource Base Orientation 52 3.5.5Mechanism of Red ucing Uncertainty 53 3.6Propositions 53 3.7Conclusion 55 4.CHAPTER 5: Conclusion 55 4.1Introduction 55 4.2Conclusions 56 5.CHAPTER 6: Recommendations, Limitations and Scope for Future Study 58 5.1Introduction 58 5.2Limitations and Recommendations 58 5.3Future Scope of the Study 59 References 61 Bibliography 67 Appendices 68 Appendix – 1 (Interview Schedule) 68 1. CHAPTER 1: Introduction There has been an extensive study on the internationalisation process followed by different organisations worldwide. However, the internationalisation process followed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has not received such extensive attention in the 21st century (Forsman, Hinttu, & Kock, n.d.). Market globalization also has a significant impact on these SMEs (Asiedu, & Freeman, 2006, p.2). With

HUMAN RESOURCES IN ACTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HUMAN RESOURCES IN ACTION - Essay Example The link to career is very informative as all jobs contain company description, job description, department, and requirements. However, salary is not mentioned against any job which is one of the main factors users usually look for while finding and applying for a job. I think the website is perfect in everything. For example, navigation is easy for users to do, user interface is very user-friendly, and use of background and text colors is excellent as it makes easy for the users to read the material. However, one thing that I have noted is that the website is a little heavy as it takes some time to move on to the next page. May be this problem does not occur with fast internet connections but for average users, it does take some time. As a manager, the only improvement to the website that I would like to make will be enabling of the drop down list against each link which is not working at the moment for the links. This will definitely make content exploration easier for the users. C ompany 2: Caesars Entertainment The second company chosen for review is Caesars Entertainment which is the world’s premier casino entertainment providing hospitality company. ... Along with this, some links to ‘hot opening’ jobs are also given by default so that users can apply in those jobs directly. However, I did not find many jobs available in the company when I tried to search jobs based on my preferred criteria. I think the website provides sufficient information about everything. Navigation is also easy and takes very less time to open because of no heavy material inside. Use of background and front end text colors also make it easy for the users to read the material. However, the text size is small, which as a manager, I would like to increase in order to make the text easily readable for the users. B) Recruitment Methods for Starwood Hotels and Resorts For the Manager Food and Beverages Department, Starwood Hotels and Resorts can use internal sourcing to make existing employees aware of new job opportunities by publishing information about job vacancies within the company. Some of the main advantages of internal sourcing for the company will include reduced advertising fees, time saving related to candidates’ selection, no training costs for new employees, and increased employee dedication (Richason). Whereas, some disadvantages will include reduced motivation for employees who do not get promotion, no new ideas, and new vacancies left due to promotions (Riley). Starwood Hotels and Resorts can also use external sourcing to recruit employees by publishing job vacancies in magazines, newspapers, and other sources. The advantages of external sourcing for the company would be increased pool for selection, emergence of new cooking and management ideas, and wider range of department management experience. Some

The Help Essay Example for Free

The Help Essay How did people use non-verbals to communicate their status and identities in The Help? (e. g. : artifacts used by wealthy/poor, language tones/volume, dress codes, appearance, rituals, etc. ) The lines between black and white are clearly delineated by more than color in this film. While the socialite white women, even on routine days for mundane activities, dress in pretty pressed dresses, manicured nails, stiffly styled hair, and nice jewelry (reminds me of June Cleaver), the maids must wear identical uniforms, have severe hairstyles, and little or no jewelry. Their greatest possession is the purse they carry this seems to be of great importance, especially to Yule Mae when she is arrested. The maids are disallowed to speak in company unless it involves serving of some kind and must always address white folks with â€Å"sir†, â€Å"ma’am†, or â€Å"miss†. The maids must submit to white authority in all things (for fear of job loss or worse) and keep their voices low and calm in order to avoid tension or stress. And sassing (verbal and nonverbal) is a punishable offense as seen when Minny uses Hilly’s bathroom during the storm. Hilly could not care less about Minny’s safety in going outside during the dangerous storm, but rather is more concerned about how â€Å"clean† her toilet remains. There are many facial expressions and body postures that convey status/identity as well as artifacts. Hilly’s consistently raised chin and haughty expression mark her as quite self-important and the self-appointed leader of the socialites. Conversely, the maids (with the exception of Minny) keep their eyes down, if not their heads, hands to their sides, unless working, and maintain a social distance (more than 4 or 5 feet) from white people. Skeeter and Celia are the two white exceptions since they both accept the black women as equals and treat them with respect and kindness. Can prejudice and discrimination be expressed nonverbally? How? Provide examples from The Help when prejudice and discrimination was expressed nonverbally. One of the physical ways used in this movie to express prejudice is the use of hand gestures by Hilly. She flicks her hand in an upward motion when she orders Minny to cut a slice of pie for Mrs. Walters. The wicked facial expression indicates her hate of the black woman, especially because of her refusal to obey an order. There were several instances when Skeeter was speaking with one of the maids and one of the Junior League women caught her that they reflected their disapproval and distaste for so personal an interaction between a white and a black person. A painful expression is worn by Aibileen as she is forced to overhear Hilly’s insulting speech about the need for separate bathrooms. Not only does the hurt show on Aibileen’s face but she also hides in the hallway rather than have to be present during the conversation, as if she should be ashamed of her skin. Another example, this one involving white rejecting white, is when Celia shows up at Elizabeth’s during the bridge club luncheon. Not only do they refuse to answer the door but make a half-hearted attempt to hide from her when she comes to the window. They are giggling, covering their mouths with their fingers (as if this is a grand joke or oh, so cute), and you can overhear rude remarks about her desperation and obvious lack of social etiquette. One last example was in the grocery store at the end of the movie. Aibileen and Minny are shopping, walking down the aisle side by side with their carts. However, when a white woman approaches Aibileen it is made clear that she is to move aside and let the white woman pass, which she does with an apologetic look and hanging of her head (as if she were ashamed for having been in the way). Give me an example of someone in The Help whose nonverbal behavior was insulting, ridiculing, or demeaning to others. Which character was not insulting or demeaning to others? Explain. There are more variations of prejudice in this movie than just between races. One of the painful moments, at least for me, was when Celia Foote shows up, uninvited, to the bridge club luncheon at Elizabeths house. Pie in hand, she is hoping to make friends and finally be included in the social circle of Jackson. However, at Hilly’s urging, the entire group â€Å"hides† and is â€Å"shushed† in a poor attempt to evade Celia, who is considered an outcast because of where she came from and how she grew up (poor). Celia’s face, when she realizes what is happening, is painful to see and as she comes up out of the flower bed, her short attempt to be brave dissolves into tears. I believe where Celia came from and how she grew up gives her a greater compassion and understanding of the maids’ lives. She seems childlike in her acceptance of them and is ignorant of â€Å"proper social etiquette†. She simply takes them as they are, respects them as human beings and fellow women, and bestows care and affection generously. She is also open-minded concerning Hilly’s behavior and tries to shed a kinder light on why there is conflict between them, even after the luncheon debacle. Have you ever made a prejudgement about someone because of their nonverbals? If so, provide an example. Anyone who says they have never prejudged another person is lying. It is, unfortunately, in our nature to judge others, especially when we think we are better than they are. Most of the time we are wrong, but, once in awhile, we get it right. I was hired at The Home Depot in Kansas several years ago as a cashier. Shortly after I finished my training and was put on the register another woman, about my age, came out of training and joined me up front. She, like me, was an extrovert and seemed happy and friendly, coaxing confidences out of all of us. Particularly me, since we shared (or at least I thought we did) a common faith. It wasn’t until later that I found out she was not only cheating on a husband and using a boyfriend for free shelter and food, she was also a liar and a backstabber. She had been telling others things we had shared in confidence, with a little embellishment for good measure. My mistake was giving her credit for being a good person because of her clean appearance, she was well-dressed and accessorized, she had a winning smile and bubbly laughter, and seemed so open with her life and beliefs. She cemented these nonverbals with proclamations of sincerity and Christian values. I suffered some very embarrassing moments over my misjudgment. Have you ever had a negative nonverbal experience? Tell me about it. It was Wednesday choir practice and I was sitting with the director’s wife on the front row waiting for rehearsal to begin. Her husband was on stage arranging his music and making small talk with us. I responded to one of his quips with a â€Å"cute†, and I though humorous, quip of my own. I found out immediately that she didn’t appreciate my comment and perceived it as a â€Å"territorial dispute† (him being the territory! when she stomped on my foot with extreme force (I limped for a couple days) and growled in my face, â€Å"He’s mine! † I was stunned and I’m sure it registered on my face. However, she was unapologetic and stomped away. I was mortified since we were not the only people in the auditorium. Clearly, she communicated her anger, resentment, disgust, and an unspoken threat to keep my hands of f her property (since I didn’t like him, my thought was she’d be the only one who’d have him anyway). Explain the differences in the usage of proximity between the two cultures in the movie. While the white socialites observed white rules of space (hugging, sitting close, touching, etc, though it is stiff and emotionless) the blacks were not allowed to engage white people this way. There was a social distance maintained, unless children were involved. The maids would stand a distance of more than 4 or 5 feet away from white people and wait to be commanded. It was rather humorous to me that the white women didn’t want the maids to touch their utensils, cups, dishes, skin, toilets, etc. ut were entirely at peace with them cooking (handling food), laundering (the clothes touched by blacks then touched their bodies), and mothering the children. Even when Skeeter goes to Aibileen’s own house, Aibileen has a difficult time sitting in Skeeter’s presence (she finally ends up sitting on the arm of a chair, the furthest place away from Skeeter) and, for a time, continues to act as if she’s waiting on the white woman. As we see the intimate times in Aibi e’s house between she, Skeeter, and Minny, it becomes clear that the black people share space much more than whites do. They touch one another, hug firmly (as opposed to a light, meaningless embrace), laugh loudly, and have much more passion in life than their white employers. Define culture shock. The friendships created between Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny broke societal rules during the 1960’s in Mississippi. How did people react when the secret friendships were revealed? Did people experience culture shock? Explain. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. There was an uproar, socially, about Skeeter’s relationship with the two maids. People were incensed that she would debase herself, her family, and her race in this way (by fraternizing with â€Å"the enemy†). However, as people began to read the book, I believe they were faced with the choice of what to do with this knowledge. The stories in the book revealed the truth about what happens behind the scenes to the black women that serve white families and raise white children. Many of these stories, I’m sure, were ugly, painful, and humiliating. Once everyone knows the truth, each person must choose how to deal with that truth. This creates a type of culture shock. Some, like Skeeter’s mama, chose to support her and confess fault. Others, like Stuart, openly denied the truth or validity of Skeeter’s stance and ended their relationship. Hilly is very obviously divided within herself when Aibileen asks her, â€Å"Aren’t you tired Miss Hilly? Aren’t you tired? † I think she meant tired of holding on to an outdated way of thinking, fighting the tides of change, and being such a sad, lonely, mean person. 8. How did Skeeter deal with cultural tension between both cultures? Provide an example. a. Skeeter started out the same way all the other young women did. The daughter of wealthy, respectable white families, and raised by a black nanny/maid. Upon arriving home from college, she integrates herself back into society by attending the various meeting, luncheons, and bridge club dates. However, as s he sees and hears the ugly, supremacist treatment of The Help, she begins to bite back at her friends, though small at first. The initial example of this is at bridge club when Hilly is discussing her ‘Home Health Sanitation Initiative’ and Skeeter finally busts out with, â€Å"Maybe we should build YOU a bathroom outside, Hilly! † As her incense grows, Skeeter begins to form friendships with the maids Aibileen and Minny in a hope to write a book and thereby, maybe, right a wrong. She lies about her conversation in the kitchen with Yule Mae and intentionally plays a joke on Hilly with the toilets on the lawn. These are Skeeter’s little ways of dealing with the racial situation she finds herself in. I was a bit disappointed in the indirect ways she chose to â€Å"voice† her disapproval but it was a dangerous time for black sympathizers as well as the blacks themselves. 9. Did the more powerful societal group in The Help establish the rules for communication? How? a. The power group, the white women, certainly set the rules on how, when, where, and to whom the maids could interact. Fear was the crux of their power. The maids chafed under the supreme rule of the white yet they were powerless to do anything about it or they would lose their jobs and be blacklisted. Or worse, imprisoned or killed. Because of white supremacy sentiments and Jim Crow laws, blacks could be mob-lynched (killed by hanging or dragging) for the smallest of infractions, even if they were imagined. So, the black women only voiced their feelings to one another, in private, and even then they whispered. Otherwise, they kept their heads down, did their work, and tolerated the abuse. Times have changed how we communicate with others. How can you improve your intercultural communication skills? Provide examples. a. One of the biggest obstacles to accepting and positively interacting with an other person is a closed-minded attitude. We must first be willing to accept the fact that our own way of thinking, believing, and doing things is not the only right way. So, an open-minded approach is always best when communicating with others. Another way to hone good skills is to look for ways to positively interact with others, especially those with whom you do not share a common culture. Volunteer work, random acts of kindness, being openly friendly, making eye contact, smiling, and even attempts at vocal niceties can open many avenues to deeper, more meaningful experiences.

Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Essay Example for Free

Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Essay Sources A, B and C all give information about what happened at the battle of Dunkirk and about the evacuation. All three sources were written by British people which means that the sources could be biased or contain incorrect information. Source A was written by Commander Thomas Kerr, a naval officer sent to organise the evacuation. Since the naval officer is British we can speculate that the source is biased. Thomas Kerr starts off by saying â€Å"What a terrible night that was, for we had got hold of the odds and ends of an army, not the fighting soldiers. †- this suggests to us that it was a horrible night, the soldiers they had got hold of were like the leftovers from the battle, they were depressed, hungry and they had low morale we know that this could be true because in the DVD we saw in class called ‘The Finest Hour’, a documentary about the evacuation of Dunkirk from a BBC television series, we see soldiers like Peter Vaux who hadn’t eaten for 5 days and was very tired. This source tells us that they weren’t fighting soldiers which we can say is true because if all the suggestions above are true, we can truly conclude that the soldiers weren’t ready to fight. Thomas Kerr goes on to say â€Å"There were hardly any officers, and the few present were useless†- this implies that there were hardly any officers left because they could have been killed or captured during the evacuation, and for the ones that were their they were probably so taken aback by the events going on that they could no longer instruct. It could also tell us that the officers there were tired or injured, so they couldn’t do much. This could be biased because Thomas Kerr could be trying to make us think that the officers were useless to try and make him or other naval commanders look good. Thomas Kerr then says â€Å"but our promise of safety, and the sight of our naval uniforms, resorted some order to the rabbleâ€Å"- this tells us that the navy was promising the soldiers safety and that their ‘glorious’ uniforms resorted some order to the rabble, this can be seen as biased because Thomas Kerr is making us think that the navy was powerful and saying it as if though the navy were the leaders, he himself is a part of the navy and just wants to make them look superior and heroic. Thomas Kerr lastly says â€Å"Their faith in the navy was pathetic; we could only do our best.†- this suggests that the soldiers didn’t really believe in the navy that they thought of them as they did everyone else, it then suggests that they could only do their best. Overall, this source gives us a lot of information on what happened in the evacuation of Dunkirk although quite a bit of the information is biased, in favour of the British and the navy there is some truth in the source.

Reward Management Theories

Reward Management Theories Reward management has been described as a key function in HRM systems in modern organizations, and it is often designed to attract, retain and motivate employees (Milkovich and Newman, 2004 cited in Yu, Ying ying and Angeles, 2011, pp 2). Because of the strategic nature of human resource in the attainment of corporate goals and organizational competitiveness (Wright and McMahan, 1992), many authors have discussed the subject of reward management from different perspectives. Some of these perspectives focus on dividing reward systems into two categories; Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic reward systems generally focus on offering performance-linked salary increases, monetary rewards, long term incentive plans, team-based rewards, and security benefits to employees (Laursen and Foss, 2003). These authors argue in favour of the values of these types of reward in boosting the morale of employees and improving their productivity as the same time. The result of this to the organization is better bottom line performance through increased revenue and profitability (Yu, Ying Yang and Angeles, 2011). Intrinsic rewards are non-monetary rewards and could come in form of enriching job responsibility and empowerment (Oldham and Cummings, 1996), providing training resources and comprehensive learning opportunities (Hennessey and Amabile, 1998), and maintaining good interpersonal relationships among employees (Ruppel and Harrington, 2000). Yu, Ying and Angeles (2011) identify two reward management perspectives based on the above classification and they call extrinsic reward systems, utilitarianism and intrinsic reward systems, romanticism. According to these authors, these are the two highly debatable theories of reward management in the HRM field. One of the basic assumptions underlying the theories of reward management is that the performance and motivation of employees can be improved by establishing a link between efforts and reward s through formalised and specific individual targets (Fay and Thompson, 2001). Although many authors and writers have established that there are enormous benefits for organizations in putting in a place an effective reward management system, some authors still warn against over-reliance on reward systems because of its potential to create several organizational issues which focus on fairness and diversity (Beer and Cannon, 2004). Many other authors have critically examined the underlying philosophies of reward management and the variables that make up a typical reward mix. Baeten (2008 cited in Jonathan and Clare, 2011, pp 2) provides a deeper insight into this when they argue that there are 34 different possible theories underlying a reward management system. Eisenhardt (1988 cited in Jonathan and Clare, 2011, pp 3) however limits reward management theories to two namely: The agency theory and the institutional theory. Agency theories of reward management basically seek to align organization and individual objectives. The main aim is to use incentives to direc t employees towards the interests of the owners of the business, and to design the reward mix to reflect that. On the other hand institutional reward management theory focuses on the formal and informal pressures exerted on organizations by other organizations with which it is connected. Some of these pressures could come in form of employment legislations, legal requirements, tax policies, and a desire to adopt the policies that others have adopted so as to gain the security that conformity is perceived to bring (DiMaggio and Powell , 1991). Finally other known theory of reward management under the institutional classification is normative pressure. This occurs when members of an organization collectively come together to define the conditions and methods of their works. 4 The design of policy and set of procedures HP operates in a highly competitive industry with a peculiar high staff turnover rates. Employees are often influenced by competitive reward policies that contribute to the attainment of their personal development goals and objectives. Kerr (1999) argues that rewards should be the third thing in an organization; measurements should be second, and clear articulation of the desired outcomes should be the first. In designing a reward policy for HP the following are the key objectives to be attained: 4.1 Policy statement HP`s goal is to attract and retain the most talented workforce which are strategically connected to the organization`s ability to meet its strategic goals and objectives. With this in mind we seek to offer a combination of the most competitive and flexible financial rewards in the US mobile and computer industry to all cadres of employees immediately they join us. We believe that this is important to the maintenance of our existing leadership position in the industry and we seek to pursue this policy as doggedly as possible with all fairness and equity. 4.1.1 Procedures Aim The central aim of this policy is to enable enhance HP`s ability to recruit the most talented experts in the US mobile and computer technology industry which we consider as strategic to the achievement of our corporate goals and objectives. Scope This financial reward policy shall apply to all regular full time and regular part time employees of HP immediately they join the company. Principles The entire reward policy of this company shall be built on a foundation of equality, commitment to diversity, fairness and a sense of good judgement The entire reward policy will be operated as transparently as possible and it will be made to comply with national regulatory frameworks for employee engagement in the computer and mobile technology industry All categories of employees that contribute more by measure of productivity shall be financially rewarded more. HP shall not take any extra contribution of any employee for granted. We believe that is crucial to fulfilling our commitment to equality and fairness. Responsibilities Role Accountability Rewards team Ensuring that financial policy reward activities are firmly in place and monitoring that the underlying principles of the reward are upheld HR Director and HR leadership team Providing control initiatives in situations where the principles of the policy are not upheld Senior management group Ensuring the proper alignment of HP`s corporate strategy and the reward policy 4.2 Correspondence to relevant national legislation The US department of labour has established regulations regarding employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ salaries and wages in place. One of such regulations is the fair labour standard Act of 1938 which is administered by the wages and hour division. This Act establishes standards for minimum wages, overtime, pay and record keeping. These standards affect over 130 million full time and part time employees at both private and public sectors of the US economy. This act promotes fairness, justice and equity and empowers employees to initiate a law suit against any employer who violates any of the principles and policies of the Act. This new policy thoroughly complies with the standards set out in the US department of labour Act of 1938 in all fairness and equity. The policy is also transparent enough to give employees the autonomy to institute law suits against HP if the companys policy is perceived to be contradictory to national legislations. 4.3 International implications The ILO (International Labour Organization) is the body in charge of administering labour standards and the organization presently comprises of 183 nations all around the world. The ILO has adopted 188 conventions which are treaties creating international labour law standards. The US has only adhered to two of these labour law standards which are the convention on the abolition of forced labour and the convention on the worst form of child labour. The US has resisted the adoption of the other parts of the convention including those that regulate remuneration and rewards to employees from an international perspective. Compensation and rewards at both executive and employee level have not been thoroughly developed in line with ILO standards. The US claims that its policies have been developed internally and competitively and do not need to be adjusted to reflect international standards. As competitive as the existing reward policy in HP is, it is still important to adopt an internation al view in its implementation. Source:http://www.iclg.co.uk/khadmin/Publications/pdf/4390.pdf-accessed on 30-04-2011 5 Evaluation of policy and procedures 5.1 Reward evaluation matrix Armstrong, Brown and Reilly (2009) prescribe six metrics for evaluating the success of any reward management policy. In view of this the procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of HP`s reward policy are set out below. Reward Aspect Measured By Reward strategy Clear reward strategy and annual plan in support of business strategy and plan Productivity and reward costs Profit, value added or sales per employee Total pay and reward costs compared with competition in the US computer industry Financial reward Financial recognition for behaviours in line with strategy and values Appropriate forms of rewarding performance and contribution in place Proportion of staffs covered by methods of rewarding performance and contribution Risk assessment of bonus plan design Clear demonstration of return on costs of bonus Employment Ratio of job offers to acceptances Staff involuntary turnover to resignation rates and retention of high performance to key skill staff Staff turnover and absence levels Reward management general Actual market position compared to desired Equal pay reviews carried out and acted upon Quantity, quality and frequency of reward communication Engagement and satisfaction with rewards Surveyed overall employee engagement levels Employee overall satisfaction with pay and rewards Employee opinions that rewards are competitive Employee opinion that performance is rewarded and managed effectively Employee opinion on level of understanding of reward Managers feel reward arrangements are flexible and meet their needs. 6 Conclusion Reward management is an integral part of the measure of the competitiveness of an organization. As a key component of the overall human resource strategy, reward management is central to the productivity of employees which is also linked to the overall profitability of an organization, as well as its long term survival. It is no longer plausible to think that a well crafted strategy can deliver an organization`s core values without involving the element of employee reward management. Available and existing research in this area suggests a strong link between the effectiveness of strategies with the involvement of an appropriate reward system (Richard and Ralph, 2001). Reward management is increasingly becoming a source of sustained competitive advantage for many organizations. The old pay structure which is based on job analyses, descriptions and specifications is no longer supporting the attainment of long term organizational goals and objectives (Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 1992). This report has established a clear link between reward management and the sustainable attainment of organization goals and objectives through the contribution of extrinsically and intrinsically motivated employees. Through an example of a world class organization the role of a reward policy and its evaluation criteria has been discussed with a view to establishing a link between efforts and rewards through formalised and specified targets (Kessler and Purcell, 1992, cited in Giovanni and Tommasso, 2011, pp 2). In establishing the reward policy for an organization, the organization`s corporate objectives are important inputs to the entire process, and an alignment between these aim and objectives and the reward policy is strategically important to the effectiveness of the reward policy

The Soliloquies of Shakespeares Hamlet - To be or not to be Soliloquy :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet --   â€Å"To be or not to be† Soliloquy      Ã‚   When the Bard of Avon created Hamlet, he simultaneously created the famous soliloquy ever uttered by English-speaking men. Thus it is that literary critics rank Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy as the most notable ever penned. Let’s examine in this essay how such a high ranking is deserved, and what the soliloquy means.    In his essay â€Å"An Explication of the Player’s Speech,† Harry Levin refers to the fourth soliloquy as the most famous of them all:    Dwelling on gross details and imperfections of the flesh (â€Å"Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight†), Hamlet will admonish his mother that sense-perception is dulled by sensual indulgence. Here insensibility is communicated by a rhetorical assault upon the senses: primarily â€Å"the very faculties of eyes and ears,† but incidentally touch and even taste. Leaving the senseless Priam to the insensate Pyrrhus, after another hiatus of half a line (37), the speech addresses violent objurgations to the bitch-goddess Fortune, about whom Hamlet   has lately cracked ribald jokes with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; whose buffets and rewards he prizes Horatio for suffering with equanimity; against whom he will, in the most famous of all soliloquies [my italics], be tempted to take arms. (36)    Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes just how close the hero is to suicide while reciting his most famous soliloquy:      Hamlet enters, desperate enough by this time to be thinking of suicide. It seems to him that it would be such a sure way of escape from torment, just to cease existing, and he gives the famous speech on suicide that has never been worn thin by repetition. â€Å"To be, or not to be . . .† It would be easy to stop living.    To die, to sleep; No more. And by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to . . .    But Hamlet has never succeeded in deceiving himself, and he cannot do so now. . . . [He] will not . . . be able to kill himself. He has thought too much about it to be able to take any action. (39)    Considering the context of this most notable soliloquy, the speech appears to be a reaction from the determination which ended the â€Å"rogue and peasant slave† soliloquy. In fact, in the Quarto of 1603 the â€Å"To be† speech comes BEFORE the players’ scene and the nunnery scene – and is thus more logically positioned to show its emotional connection to the previous soliloquy (Nevo 46).

Women, Work And Public Policy :: essays research papers

Gender and the market are both concepts that carry tremendous power to shape society. Indeed, these institutions are so powerful within society that they can seem invisible and immutable. Each of these influential constructs has become the lens through which a theoretical approach defines and analyzes the world: feminist theory centering on gender, and economic theory centering on the market. Such a primary focus enables each theory to function as an invaluable tool in clarifying complex interactions. On the flip side, however, such a lens can also obscure the ability to enlarge understanding beyond that initial analysis. In this way, the strength of focus can become a weakness, setting one analytical approach as exclusively paramount, and inherently discrediting other approaches. This has often been the case with the disparate economic and feminist approaches to analyzing work and gender. A synthesis of the economic and feminist approaches, however, would provide a more complex, applicable, and efficient tool than the confrontational stance that often pervades discussion. The synthesis process would begin with realizing that, although both theories are extremely valuable methods of achieving an understanding of work, gender and society, neither theory provides a complete picture. Indeed, the very fact that they are such powerful tools, with defined focuses, makes it very difficult for each paradigm to comprehend and incorporate insights foreign to its bias. Such an effective synthesis would emphasize how the focus and methodology of these two stances can be complimentary, and result in the development of a more comprehensive, flexible analytical approach. The economic approach to society, including gender and work, focuses on the workings of an â€Å"invisible hand† which guides forces of supply and demand within a market constructed of aggregates. In this approach, human beings operate by a set of rational rules that are predictable, graphable, and individual. Using these behaviors, economic man weighs the opportunity costs involved in economic choices and makes decisions at the margin to maximize benefits. Deductive reasoning and empirical knowledge comprises the methodology used to explain the interactions of these market forces. Within this purely theoretical world, economics appears to hold no biases that would influence its approach to labor or gender, because it impersonally uses formal models to simply emphasize how wages influence the forces of supply and demand. Economics, however, was not designed to exist as a theoretical construct. Instead, this approach applies the lens of the market to view the intricacies of everyday life as a never-ending cycle of supply and demand interactions.

Metoric Rise of Tommy Hilfiger :: essays papers

Metoric Rise of Tommy Hilfiger The Meteoric Rise of Tommy Hilfiger As a Recognized Brand Name "The Four Great American Designers for Men Are: R---- L-----, P---- E----, C----- K----, T---- H-------". When this Wheel of Fortune-style advertisement was unveiled in 1985, the public easily identified the first three designers as Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, and Calvin Klein, but who was this fourth designer? The fourth designer, to whom the ad belonged to, was Tommy Hilfiger. At that time, Tommy Hilfiger and his recently begun company specializing in men's fashions were unknown. However, in less that a decade since that first advertisement appeared, Tommy Hilfiger has become a hugely successful company at the forefront of the fashion industry. As Jack Hyde, a Fashion Institute of Technology professor, has stated, "It's Hilfiger, Hilfiger, Hilfiger." Tommy Hilfiger, 48, founder, designer, and honorary chairman of the Hong Kong-based company that bears his name, was born and raised in the small town of Elmira, New York. He was one of nine children. Even at a young age, his fashion and artistic talents were shown through his dress. "He's always wearing a shirt or a pair of pants that was a little different than what everyone else was wearing" a friend of his remarked. In 1969, Hilfiger and two friends opened People's Place, a store specializing in trendy fashions and other items. The store grew and expanded with People's Places opening in various upstate New York towns such as Ithaca and Corning. Hilfiger, wanting to design clothes rather than purchase them from the manufacturer, began to consider becoming a designer. When his People's Place chain went bankrupt in 1977, Hilfiger moved to New York and worked as a designer, even though he had never attended design school, for various companies until 1984, when Tommy Hil figer the company was born. Today Tommy Hilfiger labels grace everyone from President Bill Clinton to rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and that wide range of clientele accounts for the company selling $756.9 million dollars' worth of merchandise each year. Last year, Tommy Hilfiger Corporation (TOM) was one of the top apparel firms traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Automated Inventory System and Pos Essay

A lot of companies and organizations needed the help of computers because of its speed, precision and productivity. Moreover, many businesses flourished because production was increased and human errors were lessened and management decisions were facilitated through accurate and reliable information generated by software applications. The business world has become dependent to the massive use of computers and electronics. Nowadays, almost every corporate and company, great or small, enhances their business success rates and profitability through the use of computers. In Inventory System with POS whether automated or manual, comprises of machines, people, and/or methods organized to process, disseminate and transmit data that represent user information. An Inventory System with POS is a system that supports a business in the monitoring of items and sales. Also, it is a computer processing in which the computer responds immediately to user requests. Thus, Malaya and Lumber Construction Supply, the subject of this study, is in need of an inventory and sales software to help them identify inventory requirements, set targets, and report actual and projected inventory status. The introduction of an automated system hopes to optimize the inventory levels and eliminate stock-outs. BRIEF HISTORY Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply has been a recognized name in the Makati Hardware industry for over 40 years. Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply carry a wide range of construction supply to suit every need. The Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply range includes industry renowned hardware equipment’s from leading manufacturers including YELE, CEMEX, ABOY, etc. Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply, supply a range of electrical, sand, cement, steel, plywood, sink, toilets, plumbing and tiles to suit every budget. 1.1 Statement of the Problem Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply are having difficulty in monitoring their inventory and sales. * How to design and develop a module to monitor the availability of their items. * How to generate reports as per client needs, for e.g. Sales Report, Inventory Sales Report. * How to track the return/exchange of the items. 1.2 Current State of the Technology Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply are currently using a labor-intensive process in inventory, calculating of sales and producing reports. Listed below are classifications of internal operations that enable the company to do business with the public. Purchase OrdersSales Inventory Re-OrderBack-OrderReports These classifications are done by hand and most of the information is stored on a ‘Logbook’ and with sales transaction is completed thru a pre-printed numbered blank receipt. The needed reports are mostly encoded by a managerial level employee thru Microsoft Excel. Problems like misplace files of records are minimized and will help them alleviate deluge track of work done by existing age-old use of the hand system and logbook based record keeping. The proposed Inventory System with Point of Sale will make daily operations effective and convenient to use as well. 1.3 Objective 1.3.1 General Objective The proponents aim to develop a computerized Inventory System with Point-of-Sale for the Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply that will aid their daily operations regarding their inventory and sales function. 1.3.2 Specific Objectives * To provide a monitoring module that will track the availability of items in the inventory. * To create a module that will generate reports for Inventory and Sales. * To develop a module that will track the record of the return and exchange of the items. 1.3.3 Scope and Limitations Scope This study is exclusively developed for Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply. This study is concerned to develop an Inventory System with Point of Sale for Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply which covers sale transactions and monitoring stocks. The system provides the following functionalities: 1. Display inventory conditions of the products, including stock, out-of-stock, back-ordered or pre-orderable. 2. Filter product listing to show only those products that are currently available in stock. 3. Decrement inventory levels when orders are processed. 4. Receive notifications when inventory levels reach an out-of-stock threshold. * The system has the capability to keep track customer and supplier information. * A delivery module that monitors products delivered by the supplier and products delivered to the costumers. * The system has the capability to create a back-up copy of database file. * The system has a security to keep all information secured for unauthorized users. * The system has a module that will prompt the user if a particular item has reach its critical level. * The system will be implemented in a LAN based network. * Report Module generates hard copy of record data in a daily, quarterly and annually basis. Limitation * The system will not support bar -coding for items. * The system is incapable of accepting credit cards as payment. * There is no record entry in computation of tax payment for submission in BIR. * The system does not support schedule of delivery for the clients. Chapter 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Introduction Every computer system should be supported by theories. Given that the proponents intend to develop a sales and inventory system, theories concerning inventory control and transaction processing system should be studied. Computer related topics, such as database, GUIs and others, is also studied. These theories will eventually lead to the overall structure and design of a system. The theories mentioned in this chapter will be the foundation of the propose system. 2.2 Inventory Control System Some of the best inventory management software is equipped with a low-level warning system that will alert you when your stock is getting low so you don’t run out of something that is selling well. You also have the ability to see in real time what stock you have on hand at another location and keep track of it. If you offer item kits it’s important to use a program that will allow you to keep an eye on your sales and inventory so that your kits are all accounted for. [TOPT2013] 2.3 Software Prototyping Prototyping is the process of building a model of a system. In terms of an information system, prototypes are employed to help system designers build an information system that intuitive and easy to manipulate for end users. Prototyping is an iterative process that is part of the analysis phase of the systems development life cycle. [UMSL2012] 2.3 Transaction Processing System A transaction process system (TPS) is an information processing system for business transactions involving the collection, modification and retrieval of all transaction data. Characteristics of a TPS include performance, reliability and consistency. [TECH2013] 2.4 Graphic User Interface A graphical user interface (GUI) is a human-computer interface (i.e., a way for humans to interact with computers) that uses windows, icons and menus and which can be manipulated by a mouse (and often to a limited extent by a keyboard as well). GUIs stand in sharp contrast to command line interfaces (CLIs), which use only text and are accessed solely by a keyboard. The most familiar example of a CLI too many people is MS-DOS. Another example is Linux when it is used in console mode (i.e., the entire screen shows text only). [LINF2004] 2.5 Database A database is a set of data that has a regular structure and that is organized in such a way that a computer can easily find the desired information. Data is a collection of distinct pieces of information, particularly information that has been formatted (i.e., organized) in some specific way for use in analysis or making decisions. A database can generally be looked at as being a collection of records, each of which contains one or more fields (i.e., pieces of data) about some entity (i.e., object), such as a person, organization, city, product, work of art, recipe, chemical, or sequence of DNA. For example, the fields for a database that is about people who work for a specific company might include the name, employee identification number, address, telephone number, date employment started, position and salary for each worker. [LINF2006] 2.6 Database Normalization Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database. This includes creating tables and establishing relationships between those tables according to rules designed both to protect the data and to make the database more flexible by eliminating redundancy and inconsistent dependency. [MICR2013] 2.7 Computer Network A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that are linked together through communication channels to facilitate communication and resource-sharing among a wide range of users. Networks are commonly categorized based on their characteristics. [TECH2013] 2.8 Back-up In the computer world, a backup is a copy of some data. This copy could be used to restore the original data when the original information is lost or damaged. You can make backups of your data manually, by copying your files to another place: a CD, another disc, another machine, to a tape device, etc. Ideally, the copy should be stored on another physical place and should not be stored on the same room where the original is. In case of disaster, like a fire, having both the original data and the backup on the same physical place could be fatal. I recommend you to make multiple copies of your valuable data: for example, you can have a copy stored on another hard drive and another copy on some remote FTP server, for maximum security. [COBI2009] 2.8 Summary Different theories the proponents have taken to consideration to develop our sales and inventory system. The proponents studied the inventory and transaction theory so that we can have of idea on how this concept works. The software prototyping will help the proponents and the customer to have overview of the outline of the system. The database normalization theory will play a huge role in an inventory system. The inventory system will handle numerous amounts of data so it will be hard to have the database normalized properly. Back-up theory will help to ensure the safety of the data. For internal cooperation on the company, the system will be implemented in a LAN environment. The graphical user interface theory will help in making the design more user-friendly. Chapter 4 Performance Analysis 4.1 Introduction This chapter gives the procedures on how the proponents used to analyze and test the performance of the system. The proponent’s objective was to provide a monitoring module and to create a module that generate reports and to develop a module that will tract the record. The group conducted proper testing procedures to prove that the system is capable of doing necessary requirements. The intended users of the system are the sales representative, purchaser, cashier and the administrator. The sales representative manages all the walk-in orders and delivery orders. The purchaser manages all the transaction in ordering products and monitoring of inventory. The cashier manages the payment of the customers. The administrator is the one who updates the file maintenance, process the access level, makes backup and restores the database of their system. 4.2 Experimental List of testing procedures below are the aspects used by the proponents to measure all functions accurately according to the specific objectives of the systems. 4.2.1 Unit Testing Refers to test that verify the functionality of specific section code, usually at the function level. The proponents conducted an intensive testing of all validation rules implemented. Using the system, proponents entered some values to all data entry forms to check all valid, invalid and limit of all input. In addition to that, the proponents checked what are the result, kind of value and attributes will return if it was called. Overall consistency of system’s application is also check on this experimentation. 4.2.2 Integration testing It is any type of software testing that seeks to verify the interfaces between components against a software design. Software components may be integrated in an iterative way or all together. In this part of experiment, the objective of proponents was to expose defects in the interface and interaction between integrated components. The proponents studied all the areas of inventory and sales to make sure if every module and its functions are integrated properly, specially the computation of commission and generations of all necessary reports. 4.2.3 System testing The proponents examined a complete integrated system to verify that it meets its requirements. The accuracy and consistency of the computerize system was very effective rather than the old business process hence the proponents realize the opposite of new process and old convention of their business. 4.2.3 Alpha testing Alpha testing is simulate or actual operational testing by the prospective user or an independent test team at the developers site. Alpha testing was conducted at the developers’ site by the sales rep. to make sure if there’s a problem when using the said system. Therefore, the sales rep. gave some suggestions and comments about the process of the system to enable the proponents to gain more information. 4.3 Results and Analysis The proponents had finished the experimental and proceeds to the analysis of all problems encountered. The following are the errors and the proponents’ actions during the experimental of the system. * Logic Errors The types of errors occur when incorrect judgment and reason used during system development. This usually occurred when loops were not properly terminated, incorrect assignments were done, and incorrect comparison made during filtering operations. * Syntax Errors Syntax errors occur when typographical errors and incorrect usage of object properties and other keywords were used. The group has ensured that all syntax errors have been eliminated. * An updateable Query This error occurred when fields in the tables of the system’s database were being update while the database was currently in a read only mode. * Expected Statement Error (End If without If) This error occurs when the End If of the If Statement is placed wrongly or the If Statement does not have a corresponding End If. * Integrity Constrains This error occurs when a record having child record are being deleted or a record that is being added contains a similar primary key code as an existing record in database. * 4.4 Summary The result of series of testing and analysis proved to be satisfactory for both the proponents and customers. The system was able to perform the processes that it is intended to do. The system was able to efficiently record and monitor sales and products of the company therefor making it for the administrator and the sales representative to monitor items and sales. It also made the sales rep. work easier because the system provided them with a file maintenance module that enables to add, edit, delete and back-up files. The system was also able automatically print all the important reports that customers needed. Shifting the process of Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply from unorganized to well organize system by automating it is a big help out to the company. Since the system has been tested thoroughly, it was able to perform well thus making a processes a lot easier for the Malaya personnel. Chapter 5 CONCLUSION The proponents have to complete all the requirements and specifications of the system which include a monitoring module, report generating and a module that will tract the record. The developers have successfully met the objectives of the study. Specifically, the system was able to secure all the records from unauthorized personnel to maintain data integrity to be generated using Log-in featured of the system. For payment and cashiering, with the use of the system, producing receipts were easier and faster without miscalculating of service rendered of every employee. With the used of Computerized Sales and Inventory for Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply, sales, delivery and inventory of products are efficiently monitored and recorded. Also, fast and accurate generation of reports is provided. Therefore, the proponents conclude that the produce outputs and operation of Computerized Sales and Inventory System for Malaya Lumber and Construction Supply are proven enhance and better than the company’s current labor intensive system. BIBLIOGRAPHY World Wide Web: [TOPT1013]toptenreviews (2013), ‘Inventory Control System’ http://inventory-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ [UMSL2012]umsl (2012), ‘Software Prototyping’ http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/prototyping/proto.html [TECH2013]techopedia (2013), ‘Transaction Processing System’ http://www.techopedia.com/definition/707/transaction-process-system-tps [LINF2004]linfo (2004), ‘Graphic User Interface’ http://www.linfo.org/gui.html [LINF2006]linfo (2006), ‘Database’ http://www.linfo.org/database.html [MICR2013]support.microsoft (2013), ‘Database Normalization’ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283878 [TECH2013]techopedia (2013), ‘Computer Network’ http://www.techopedia.com/definition/25597/computer-network [COBI2009]cobiansoft (2009), ‘Back-up’ http://www.cobiansoft.com/backuptheory.htm ACKNOWLEDGEMENT APENDICES