Codes and conventions for media studies Essay Example

Codes and conventions for media studies Essay Example Codes and conventions for media studies Paper Codes and conventions for media studies Paper I will be comparing the 4 local newspapers to 1 broadsheet and 1 national tabloid, looking at the level of competition, from the internet TV and radio, and seeking to input the news the public want to feel in the community also the advertising to be to help the needs of everyone. I believe Kilburn Times has a heritage and has a red headline connoting its status of bold, big and classy to 2 local communities Camden and Brent. For my Media project I will be analyzing 4 (national tabloid, and national broadsheet) local newspapers. I will analyze the codes and conventions in order to identify the product efficiently. I intend to publish, The Kilburn Telegraph as part of my observation in forecasting the latest and most recent stories and reports of that particular week. The main features of Willesden Brent Times are that it has a distinctive colour of red on black, in my analysis I selected four newspapers, one representing red top and one mid-market. The Willesden Brent Times and the Kilburn Times tend to take a conservative stance; with a serif type face connotes formality and more educated. Whereas Harrow Observer and The Wembley Observer tend to prefer visual rather than a lot of text, it type face is sans-serif connotes formality and tend to target the less educated group in society. The language presented on the 4 local papers tends to be written informal everyday language concentrating on the dramatic, and the shocking aspects of stories. The Harrow and Wembley observer use a splash with the headline spread over 2 columns, although The Brent Times papers focuses on a small image from a separate story with a kiker to make it of interest to the public. The local newspapers I analysed all have eye catching stories The Willesden Times contained a caption of biker died in tragic crash. The Wembley and Harrow observer were more detailed papers. Whereas with The Wembley observer containing 2 bullet points of the headline to reinforce the story No Jail Term Is Long Enough. The Kilburn Times headline was 80 thugs on the streets conveying the negative, shocking and scary aspects of the story be taking up the central page spread. The red colour suggests (importance). The promotion is suite deal furnishers, Jacobs free wine, win tickets to see the yoga show which is not related to the story. Whereas the Harrow and Wembley observers have a red poppy in memory of the soldiers and a advertisement of i 36 million revamp of borough leisure centers planned, and the diwali special is important for the newspaper. Willesden Brent Times contains one main story which dominates the front page with a small colored image of the victim. It contains white on black usually for headline about the brutal murder of this young boy, the story written in 3 columns, contains colloquial language such as: Dont, also the strap line uses capital letters COPS DONT CARE, using sans-serif connoting informality type face. The next local tabloid I analysed was The Wembley Observer which covers more serious issues, with more detailed information a splash was used with the grieving parents of the murdered son Ian Page, the caption states: they hold a picture of their murdered son. The Harrow Observer story is ROGUE ROCKET RUINS HOUSE in regards to a house which has been blown away by fireworks, the editor Ian Proctor uses the seriousness of the sunlight reflecting on to the blown off roof top of Rose Fagan the fallen victim. This drama covers the whole bottom of the page with white on black, with an advertisement on top unveiling the new leisure centre. The paragraphs and syntax (sentence structure) is short and buoyant. At the top there is a symbol of a poppy commemorating the loved ones who died in war. I researched into the Observer of Wembley; this had a lot of colour and many diverse issues about its upcoming society of the 21st century especially with the new arena Wembley stadium. It has a blue heading colour and covered different stories being a larger print newspaper than Willesden and Kilburn times (local newspaper). I will analyze the new opening of Kilburn library, and tourists perception of London at the Marriott hotel, I will speak to a local police officer about crime violence, such as car robbery, anti-social behaviour, burglary, drugs, and gang crime. I will talk to a local MP in Brent asking for their opinion on the new wheelie bins and their opinion on getting more people to recycle to make Brent greener. Finally I want assurance of the health side (Back page) Willesden sports centre, I will mention their current facilities, its just over a year since it was re-designed (gym, karate hall, indoor badminton, outdoor running, and a swimming pool) I will make a report on findings from my local community.

Free Essays on The Problem With Modern Education

The Problem With Modern Education Mark Edmundson provides a graphic portrayal of his opinion of college students and professors. He states that after the baby boom, â€Å"College became a buyers market. What students and their parents wanted had to be taken more and more into account. That usually meant creating more comfortable, less challenging environments, places where almost no one failed, everything was enjoyable, and everyone was nice† (Edmundson 153). Other authors, such as Brent Staples and John Holt also support this opinion. The belief that college professors are getting soft and students are getting lazy is not a new idea. These thoughts have been progressing towards their current state since the late 1980’s. Brent Staples believes that many college departments, especially those in the humanities, shower students with higher grades in order to keep low-demand classes at the minimum enrollment. â€Å"As a result of the university’s widening elective leeway, students have more power over teachers† (Edmundson 153). For example, at Drexel University, and many universities across the country, they are doing away with tenure and more and more professors are part-time, and have no security in their job. This leads to professors tailoring their instruction to what the student, the â€Å"consumer† wants and needs. Though the pressure on the professors to lower standards is very strong, there is little pressure put on students to perform to the standards that college used to be defined by. John Holt insists that school does nothing but corrupt young students and make them less curious, wise, and intuitive than they were before. College used to be a rite of passage for the few chosen intellectuals who would choose to broaden their horizons by means of further education. Higher education no longer gives students the knowledge they will need to succeed in the real working world. College has become so lax that stu... Free Essays on The Problem With Modern Education Free Essays on The Problem With Modern Education The Problem With Modern Education Mark Edmundson provides a graphic portrayal of his opinion of college students and professors. He states that after the baby boom, â€Å"College became a buyers market. What students and their parents wanted had to be taken more and more into account. That usually meant creating more comfortable, less challenging environments, places where almost no one failed, everything was enjoyable, and everyone was nice† (Edmundson 153). Other authors, such as Brent Staples and John Holt also support this opinion. The belief that college professors are getting soft and students are getting lazy is not a new idea. These thoughts have been progressing towards their current state since the late 1980’s. Brent Staples believes that many college departments, especially those in the humanities, shower students with higher grades in order to keep low-demand classes at the minimum enrollment. â€Å"As a result of the university’s widening elective leeway, students have more power over teachers† (Edmundson 153). For example, at Drexel University, and many universities across the country, they are doing away with tenure and more and more professors are part-time, and have no security in their job. This leads to professors tailoring their instruction to what the student, the â€Å"consumer† wants and needs. Though the pressure on the professors to lower standards is very strong, there is little pressure put on students to perform to the standards that college used to be defined by. John Holt insists that school does nothing but corrupt young students and make them less curious, wise, and intuitive than they were before. College used to be a rite of passage for the few chosen intellectuals who would choose to broaden their horizons by means of further education. Higher education no longer gives students the knowledge they will need to succeed in the real working world. College has become so lax that stu...

Read the article then write essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Read the article then write - Essay Example rk, headquartered in Melno Park, California, US., had over 8,350 employees in the same time with Mark Zuckerberg serving as chairman and CEO while Sheryl Sandberg stands in as the COO. The company is traded as NASDAQ:FB in the stock exchange market (Harvell, 24-30). Facebook was founded in February 4th 2004 and served only small regions in the United States in the next one year. However, in the following years, that is, from 2005 to date, the site has been operational worldwide (as it is now used by various individuals, organizations and governments) with its global presence ever increasing. The founders at the beginning had restricted membership only to students of Harvard but later allowed membership in neighboring colleges in Boston such as Stanford University and the Ivy League. Currently, through its webpage, www.facebook.com, the site permits persons over age 13 to register as members then create for themselves user profiles, add other users as friends, like other brands/ persons/ groups, post photos and status updates, receive numerous relevant notifications, share videos and exchange messages (Harvell, 65-81). I recently engaged and observed a few people in my quest to find out just how much the social network has changed people’s lives and dramatically revolutionized their ways of doing and seeing things. The results and views are quite frankly overwhelming with most persons able to cite with utmost confidence the numerous advantages and disadvantages of engaging the site. Mrs. Gordon, for instance, appreciates the fact that through Facebook, she has been able to successfully reconnect with long lost friends especially from her college years simply by typing their names, searching for them then sending them messages/ adding them as friends. She quips, â€Å"I have reacquired friends whose contacts I had lost long ago and dear people who I thought I would never see or talk to again through Facebook.† Moreover, Mrs. Gordon argues that Facebook is the most

Interactive Training of Hospitality Operations Personnel Essay

Interactive Training of Hospitality Operations Personnel - Essay Example The rise in employee turnover costs and the increased use of technology in the industry further emphasizes the need for training (Sheldon and Gee, 1987). Internet based 'interactive training' programs (an umbrella term that includes both computer based and multi-media training) of hospitality operations staff provides access to on-demand training, tracking of each trainees' progress, as well as in-depth reporting of each trainee (hotelonline.com, 2000). The training is provided with an interactive format that includes text, animation and audio. A successful interactive training program in the hospitality sector ensures consistency in providing a quality environment for employees, guests and visitors. It is a cost effective way of upgrading skills of hospitality personnel, the benefit of which can be visible from consistent and quality delivery of essential guest services and avoidance of any litigious situation. In the present age of IT dominance, interactive training of hospitality personnel is an integral part of the industry without which introduction of technologies in the hospitality sector would not have the desired result. ... With new innovations in the IT sector, more and more hotels are equipping themselves with the tools of modern technology to ensure global connectivity to their customers, particularly corporate executives. Without upgrading, the knowledge and skills of hospitality personnel rapidly gets outdated. In the competitive atmosphere of modern day hotels it is crucial to satisfy and win the loyalty of each customer. A satisfied customer apart from becoming prospective customer for the future may also bring in more customers through positive multiplier effect (Duprey & Kearsley, 2005). In the new e-economy, the value of human capital, meaning mainly employees' skills, competencies, and knowledge is greater than any other form of business capital and can crucially drive competitive advantage (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990). Increase in skills leads to improved performance which enables the employer to meet the needs of the employees also helping in retention of the precious talent. "No hotels can have excellent operations without excellent employees and that requires excellent human resource practices" (Siguaw & Enz, 2000, p.48). Human resource skills have always been an important element in the hospitality industry. "Friendliness and a willingness to serve others are the tools of the hotel trade, and training is the sharpener that refines the tools into hospitality machines" (Higley, 2004). Proper attitude starts with management and ends with diffusing it to all the staff of the hotel. It is of utmost importance to make right impression at the front desk which is reflected through a positive, outgoing and friendly attitude and also through efficient service. Increasingly intense competition, high customer expectations and retaining

Verification vs Validation Essay Example for Free

Verification vs Validation Essay Verification ensures that the system (software, hardware, documentation, and personnel) complies with an organization’s standards and processes, relying on review of non-executable methods. Validation physically ensures that the system operates according to plan by executing the system functions through a series of tests that can be observed and evaluated. Verification answers the question, â€Å"Did we build the right system?† while validation addresses, â€Å"Did we build the system right?† Verification requires several types of reviews, including requirements reviews, design reviews, code walkthroughs, code inspections, and test reviews. The system user should be involved in these reviews to find defects before they are built into the system. In the case of purchased systems, user input is needed to assure that the supplier makes the appropriate tests to eliminate defects. Validation is accomplished simply by executing a real-life function. This includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing and user acceptance testing. In this rigorous testing is conducted to validate if the system meets the functional requirement. The three most important skills that a system analysis should have are the same for any company. They should first and foremost have people skills. You have to be able to work with a variety of people and be able to work in teams. You should be an assertive person also. A good systems analysis should be able to take initiative and do things without being told. Also this person should have good reasoning and problem solving skills. These are all things that should be within the person naturally along with the actual computer skills necessary to analyze systems for a client. -are ability to work well with others, -good communication skills, -the ability to ask the right questions Bidder Responsibility Determination: To be determined responsible, a bidder must be successfully evaluated against the 7 following criteria: 1. Financial Resources. The bidder must have adequate financial resources to perform the contract, or the ability to obtain them (see FAR 9.104-3(a)—Ability to Obtain Resources). 2. Performance Schedule. The bidder must be able to comply with the performance schedule, required or proposed delivery, taking into consideration all existing commercial and governmental business commitments. 3. Performance Record. The bidder must have have a satisfactory performance history, if any (see FAR 9.104-3(b)—Satisfactory Performance Record and Experience Certificate). Nevertheless, a prospective contractor shall not be determined responsible or non-responsible solely because of a lack of relevant performance history, except when specified in a standard for special acquisitions. 4. Integrity and Ethics. The bidder must have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics including satisfactory compliance with laws related to taxes, labor and employment, environment, antitrust, and consumer protection (see FAR 9.406-2—Causes for debarment and FAR 9.407-2—Causes for suspension). 5. Organization and Skills. The bidder must have the necessary organization and skills, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills, or the ability to obtain them (see FAR 9.104-3(a)—Ability to Obtain Resources). 6. Equipment and Facilities. The bidder must have the necessary technical equipment and facilities for production or construction, or ability to obtain them (see FAR 9.104-3(a)—Ability to Obtain Resources); and 7. Other Qualification. The bidder must be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations. Systems Engineering V Model The system life cycle The system life cycle has seven phases: (1) discovering system requirements, (2) investigating alternatives, (3) full-scale engineering design, (4) implementation, (5) integration and test, (6) operation, maintenance and evaluation and (7) retirement, disposal and replacement. However, the system life cycle is different for different industries, products and customers. State the problem The problem statement starts with a description of the top-level function that the system must perform or the deficiency that must be ameliorated. It includes system requirements stated in terms of what must be done, not how to do it. It might be composed in words or as a model. Inputs come from end users, operators, bill payers, owners, regulatory agencies, victims, sponsors, Marketing, Manufacturing, etc. These are called stakeholders. In a modern business environment, the problem statement starts with a reason for change followed by vision and mission statements for the company. Understand customer needs Customers seldom know what they want or need. Systems Engineers must enter the customers environment and find out how the customer will use the system. Talking to your customers customer and your suppliers supplier can be very useful. Frameworks, such as the Zachman framework or the DoDAF, are useful for seeing how the system fits into the customers enterprise. Discover system requirements There are two types of system requirements: mandatory and tradeoff Mandatory requirements insure that the system satisfies the customers operational need, and must be passed or failed, there is no middle ground. The tradeoff requirements are evaluated to determine the preferred designs, and should state conditions that would make the customer happier. Verify and validate requirements Investigate alternatives Alternative designs are evaluated based on performance, cost, schedule and risk criteria. This analysis should be redone whenever more data are available. Define quantitative measures Performance and cost criteria show how well the system satisfies its requirements, e.g., In this test the car accelerated from 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds. Technical performance measures (TPMs) are made during the design and manufacturing process to evaluate the likelihood of satisfying the system requirements. Model the system Models will be developed for most alternative designs. Many types of system models are used, such as block diagrams, functional flow diagrams, object-oriented models, computer simulations. Design the system The overall system must be partitioned into subsystems, subsystems must be partitioned into assemblies, etc. Reusability should be considered in creating subsystems. For new designs, subsystems should be created so that they can be reused in future products. For redesign, subsystems should be created to maximize the use of existing, particularly commercially available, products. Systems engineers must also decide whether to make or buy the subsystems, first trying to use commercially available subsystems. If nothing satisfies all the requirements, then modification of an existing subsystem should be considered. If this proves unsatisfactory, then some subsystems will have to be designed in-house. Flexibility is more important than optimality. Hardware, software and bioware must be considered. Bioware (or wetware) means humans and other biological organisms that are a part of the system. For example, in designing a race track the horses or dogs are a part of the bioware. Create sequence diagrams Define system architecture Some choices that have to be made: (1) object-oriented design, structured analysis, or functional decomposition, (2) distributed or centralized computing, (3) commercial off the shelf (CoTS) or custom designed. Functional analysis Systems engineers do functional analysis on new systems (1) to map functions to physical components, thereby ensuring that each function has an acknowledged owner, (2) to map functions to system requirements, and (3) to ensure that all necessary tasks are listed and that no unnecessary tasks are requested. This list becomes the basis for the work breakdown structure. A work breakdown structure (WBS) breaks a project into smaller, more manageable components. Sensitivity analyses Sensitivity analyses can be used to point out the requirements and parameters that have the biggest effects on cost, schedule and performance. They are used to help allocate resources. Assess and manage risk There are two types of risk: risk of project failure (due to cost overruns, time overruns or failure to meet performance specifications) and risk of harm (usually called personnel safety). A failure modes and effects analysis and risk mitigation must be performed. Project risk can be reduced by supervising quality and timely delivery of purchased items. Reliability analysis Major failure modes must be analyzed for probability of occurrence and severity of occurrence. Integrate system components Integration means bringing things together so they work as a whole. System integration means bringing subsystems together to produce the desired result and ensure that the subsystems will interact to satisfy the customers needs. End users and engineers need to be taught to use the system with courses, manuals and training on the prototypes. Design and manage interfaces Interfaces between subsystems and interfaces between the main system and the external world must be designed. Well-designed subsystems send finished products to other subsystems. When designing subsystems and their interfaces be sure to consider reuse. Launch the system Launching the system means doing what the system was intended to do, e.g. running the system and producing outputs. Configuration management Configuration management (also called modification management) ensures that any changes in requirements, design or implementation are controlled, carefully identified, and accurately recorded. All stakeholders should have an opportunity to comment on proposed changes. Decisions to adopt a change must be captured in a baseline database. Baselines can only be changed at specified points in the life cycle. The phrase requirements tracking is now being used for an important subset of configuration management. Project management Project management is the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of company resources to meet specific goals and objectives within time, within cost and at the desired performance level. Project management creates the work breakdown structure, which provides structure for guiding team assignments and cost and tracking control. Documentation All of these Systems Engineering activities must be documented in a common repository, often called the Engineering Notebook. The stored information should be location, platform, and display independent: which means any person on any computer using any tool should be able to operate on the fundamental data. Assumptions, results of tradeoff studies and the reasons for making critical decisions should be recorded. These documents should be alive and growing. For example, at the end of the system life cycle there should be an accurate model of the existing system to help with retirement. Lead teams Complex systems cannot be designed by one person. Consequently engineers work on Integrated Product Development Teams (IPDTs). These teams are interdisciplinary with members from Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, Testing, etc. IPDTs are often led by Systems Engineers. Assess Performance During the operation and maintenance phase of the system life cycle the performance of the system must be measured. Initially these measurements will be used to verify that the system is in compliance with its requirements. Later they will be used to detect deterioration and initiate maintenance. Prescribe tests Early in the system life cycle Systems Engineering should describe the tests that will be used to prove compliance of the final system with its requirements. However, most testing should be performed by built-in self-test equipment. These self-tests should be used for initial testing, post-installation testing, power-up diagnostics, field service and depot repair. The recipient of each test result and the action to be taken if the system passes or fails each test must be stated. Conduct reviews Systems Engineering should ensure that the appropriate reviews are conducted and documented. The following set is common: Mission Concept Review, System Requirements Review (SRR), System Definition Review, Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Production Readiness Review (PRR), and System Test. Full-scale engineering design begins after the Preliminary Design Review. Manufacturing begins after the Critical Design Review. Total system test The system that is finally built must be tested to see (1) that it satisfies the mandatory requirements, and (2) how well it satisfies the tradeoff requirements. Re-evaluation Re-evaluation is arguably the most important task of Systems Engineering. For centuries engineers have used feedback to control systems and improve performance. It is one of the most fundamental engineering tools. Re-evaluation means observing outputs and using this information to modify the system inputs, the product or the process. Re-evaluation should be a continual process with many parallel loops. Everyone should continually re-evaluate the system looking for ways to improve quality. Tools used in this process include basic systems engineering, and the quality engineering techniques presented by, for example, Deming and Taguchi. Deming (1982); Bicknell and Bicknell (1994); Latzko and Saunders (1995). Near the end of the project, engineers should write a Lessons Learned document. These lessons learned should not be edited by management, because management could trivialize what they do not understand or omit management mistakes. Categories of Systems Engineers Many companies divide their Systems Engineers into three categories according to their major workflows: requirements definition, architectural design and testing and verification. Creating Systems Engineers The traditional method of creating Systems Engineers was to select well-organized engineers with lots of common sense and let them acquire 30 years of diverse engineering experience. But recently these traditional Systems Engineers have written books and standards that explain what they do and how they do it. So now that the tools, concepts and procedures have been formalized, in four years of undergraduate education we can teach Systems Engineers who will have performance levels 50% that of traditional Senior Systems Engineers. Ten years of systems engineering experience will improve performance to 80% and another ten years will increase it to 100%.

Constitutional Law Essays -- International Law

The royal prerogative is a source of constitutional law; it is derived from common law powers that have been handed down from the monarchy to the executive. The significance of the prerogative in constitutional law is that it provides the executive with considerable power to act without following ‘normal’ parliamentary procedures. As Dicey explained, the prerogative is ‘every act which the executive government can lawfully do without the authority of an Act of parliament’. In constitutional terms, it is therefore important to explore the means by which the UK constitution secures the accountability for the exercise of prerogative powers by the executives. Historically the prerogative was exercised by the monarchy, the majority of powers are now used by ministers, and very few remained the personal preserve of the sovereign. The extent to which the judiciary and the legislature are able to regulate the exercise of prerogative powers by the executive has increased. However, there are still some who are concerned by the lack of control that can be exerted by the other constitutional bodies. The challenges to the power of the Monarch was by the reign of James I (1603-25) the monarch was faced with an increasing effective Parliament, culminating in the temporary abolition of the monarchy in (1625). Consequently, the monarchy’s powers were eroded by both revolution and by legal challenges, which included the case of Proclamations (1611) , the monarchy could not change the law by proclamation. The law of the land, which required that the law be made by Parliament, limited the prerogative. In the case of Prohibitions Del Roy (1607) the Monarch had no right to act as a judge, and in the case of the Ship Money Case (1637), although th... ...(1994) QB 349 R v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs, ex parte Rees-Mogg (1994) QB 552 Full case R v Ministry of Defence Ex Parte Smith (1996) QB 517 Full case R (Abbasi) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Secretary of State for Home Department (2002) All ER (D) 70 Full case R (Al Rawi) v Foreign Secretary (2007) 2 WRL 1219 Full case CND v Prime Minister of United Kingdom(2002) All ER 245 Full case Attorney General v De Keysers Royal Hotel (1920) AC 508 Full case Laker airways v Secretary of state for trade (1977) Straw, J, ‘Abolish the royal prerogative’, in A. Barnett Ed., Power and the throne; the monarch Debate (1994) London: Vintage, p. 129. The Governance of Britain, presented to Parliament, by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, by Command of Her Majesty, July 2007.

Analysis on Eastern European HRM Model

Many Western firms are rapidly investing in, or forming joint ventures with, firms in Eastern European countries. Despite the growth in Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) in Eastern Europe, Western managers know relatively little about the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices of these countries. In this paper HRM practices are discussed in Eastern European states, such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Russia. Although there are both historical and cultural differences between these countries, these countries will be dealt with together, as they all have numerous elements in common that enable managers or researchers to see them as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to analyze if an Eastern European HRM model can be constructed on the basis of an analysis of Eastern Europe on several areas. First, the environment is analyzed, in which several aspects are covered, such as political context and history. The emphasis lies on culture and (possible) implications for business, and HRM specifically. Secondly, specific Eastern European HR practices are dealt with in chapter three. Here too, several topics are analyzed. In the fourth chapter the implications of EU enlargement are considered in relation to Eastern Europe. As many of these countries are potential candidates for a membership of the EU, the necessary changes and implications are investigated. Based on all the forgoing, an attempt is made to establish an Eastern European HRM model in the fifth chapter. Finally, in chapter six, conclusions are given followed by directions for future research. The analysis of the environmental aspects of Eastern Europe include the following aspects: Looking at Eastern Europe's history, several main events can be identified that have an impact on today's business or cultural situation. First, the two World Wars had a major impact on the creation of the political and economic gap between Eastern and Western Europe, especially the Second World War. Eastern Europe came under the influence of the former Soviet Union, which implied that all countries were under direct political, military and economic control resulting in a very centralized economy. This type of economy had a profound impact on the HRM practices that were used in those countries, which is further explained in the next chapter. Secondly, under Gorbatsjov as the president of the former Soviet Union, contact with Western Europe was sought, resulting in the break-up of the Soviet Union and the start of a new era for Eastern Europe. Slowly, but gradually a shift was realized from a central towards a market economy, again with the necessary implications for (HR) management. The qualities that were required by managers of Eastern European enterprises were the ability to bargain, the possession of a network of suppliers and purchasers, and the ability to manipulate production and financial data. This style of management was driven by the response to the allocation of resources by a centralized bureaucracy in which rivalry between enterprises for resources led to unnecessary hoarding of materials. The history of Eastern Europe still impacts today's business operations. Many personnel directors and executives have their jobs because of Party connections rather than technical expertise. Creativity and original thinking was not encouraged or reinforced under the centralized government control. Top down communication was the norm. Common US practices such as MBO or 360-degree feedback, or Western European structures such as strong employee involvement or self-management work teams will not be easily transferred to the Eastern European work environment. Business practices that stem from political corruption or organized crime activities are still realities and may violate other countries' laws and ethical norms. Despite the great changes that have occurred in Eastern Europe, western managers must patiently accept these differences and strive to form successful business relationships given environmental and political constraints. As mentioned before, the dominant political system in Eastern Europe was communism. This implied that a lot of the large companies were state-owned and the government heavily influenced trade unions. The view projected to the outside world by communist governments, was that of in a worker's state, such as the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites, the interest of the workers were as one with the government, because the government was controlled by a dictatorship of the proletariat. The problem with such a unitarist system is that it allows for little realistic criticism that might afford changes and reforms to meet real challenges. In theory trade unions were a separate entity from the Communist Party, but in reality they were often controlled by Party members. This meant that under communism, unemployment was unknown due to manipulation with statistical data and hidden unemployment (a certain job is being done by more people than necessary, just in order to provide more people with a job). The transition from a central to a market economy was initiated together with the transition from a communist to a capitalist political regime, and was started in 1989 after the fall of ‘the iron curtain'. This transition had several consequences. First, due to the hidden unemployment and in an attempt to make organizations more efficient and to cut costs, unemployment rose. Still now a major problem faced by Eastern European countries is persistent structural unemployment. Secondly, after a couple of years a lot of state-owned companies were privatized. In these companies usually an employee culture of the planned economy remained. The educational system has been and still is rather good. An analysis of 256 Russian CEO's from all over the country, the overwhelming majority (91,4 %) of them had college or graduate degrees. In the Eastern European labor markets a clear emphasis is put on a technical background, more than a formal management education. This was also backed up by the analysis: about 60 % had engineering and other technical backgrounds, whereas only around 20 % had a formal management degree. However, due to this strong emphasis on a technical background, there is a significant shortage of local executive talent. Expatriates remain a key component of the management market – an estimated 25 percent of all managers in Eastern European firms are expatriates. On the other hand, this lack in education is rapidly changing. Also due to the efforts to prepare for EU enlargement, a shift in education is clearly noticeable. More and more professional management studies are initiated and further developed, sometime through the help of an exchange program (for instance CEMS). Therefore, we also see a shift in recruitment: more sophisticated methods of attracting managers – such as the use of university recruiting and executive search – are on the upswing for senior-level managers, gradually replacing newspaper advertising and word-of-mouth. Â   Regarding Eastern European managers, Hofstede hypothesized that they would be characterized by a high power distance (in other words, they would display high tolerance toward inequality in the society and business relationships), high uncertainty avoidance, medium individualism, and low masculinity. As a comparison point, the United States are characterized by a low power distance, high individualism, high masculinity and low uncertainty avoidance. These hypothesizes were further backed up by study performed by Bollinger, who found the exact same results. Analyzing these results, we see that the Eastern European culture differs from Western cultures, depending on what country. For instance Western European countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands have more similarities with this culture than United States culture or Japanese culture. In order to develop and manage adequate HR policies, the factor culture plays an important role in this process. This Eastern European culture is still influenced by the past of communism and central economy. The eastern European business environment is very complex and very different from the western business environment. Despite Eastern Europe's large consumer base and natural resources, western businesses have not been very eager to invest in these countries on a large scale, such as in China. As knowledge increases about Eastern Europe and its business opportunities, and as countries in this region join the EU, increasing western attention will focus on conducting business in this region. Yet, relatively little has been written to guide western managers in Eastern Europe. The system of Human Resource Management and industrial relations in Eastern Europe has been undergoing enormous change since 1989 and will continue to do so for some time to come. The fundamental problem is the transition from a unitarist system, very tightly controlled by communist governments that influenced every corner of the economy, to a more pluralist system operating in some type of free market. It is obvious to most observers that some form of pluralistic balance needs to be achieved to contain uncontrolled free market forces. At present most Eastern European countries are stuck in the transitional phase between these two states. For instance, work habits have changed dramatically – with 50-hour weeks and taking work home more and more the norm. At the same time, absenteeism is low, indicating a strong commitment to the job. In this chapter the following current Eastern European HR practices are analyzed: recruitment and compensation. Attempts by Eastern European firms to modernize their workforces by recruiting young graduates and contract staff have left older employees on the side. Underqualified graduates and disabled people are also suffering as a result of Eastern Europe's drive for free-market flexibility. Firms in former socialist nations need to embrace diversity if they are to avoid repeating Western bad employment practices. In comparison to the West, Eastern European HR practices are not mature. Eastern European countries focus more on personnel practices than the integration of HR practices with corporate strategy. At the same time, managerial practices are becoming more westernized – an ‘East Goes West' trend that is expected to continue. The sleepy, bureaucratic firm of pre-reform days is a thing of the past. On this area we see a dual path. In the lesser-developed Eastern European countries, such as Russia and Rumania, foreign investors usually enjoy special privilege to import whatever materials and products they may need in their operations, and thus are more able to obtain these luxury products than domestic firms. These imports may be used to recruit, retain, and motivate workers. Therefore, western managers accustomed to providing challenging work and learning opportunities to motivate high level employees instead emphasize material over intrinsic rewards due to the lower standard of living in these countries. On the other hand, in the Eastern European countries that have a relatively high standard of living, salary increases for local talent are high – even in the lowest categories (state-owned and manufacturing firms), they have grown by more than 25 percent in a two-year period, and in the new private firms they have nearly doubled. These increasing salaries are dictated by the difficulty in attracting good local managers. In this fluid market, many firms review salaries twice a year or more – and benefits for local managers are approaching the levels of expatriates. But, according to a new EIU report, cash alone is not the key to retention. Staff in crisis-prone countries remains fixated on salaries. But where market economies have been starting to develop, a fair salary will suffice, provided employers deliver on a package of other rewards, incentives and working conditions. Benefits packages vary from country to country, but certain perks have emerged as key motivators across the region: cars and life & health insurance. Increasing stress is being laid on enhanced job satisfaction.

External environment of Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited Essay

Assignment Find an example of strategic management in an organisation in your country or region, from your own experience or from your reading. The example can relate to either a big or small business, or even to a public sector organisation. Which aspects of the example do you consider to be good or bad examples of some aspects of strategic management, using the principles covered in this subject as your guide? For example, you might discuss the good and bad examples in one or more of these areas: handling stakeholder expectations; communicating organisational purposes; external environment (PESTEL framework, five forces, opportunities and threats); strategic capability (value chain and value network, strengths and weaknesses); SWOT analysis; formulating a business’ strategy (bases of competitive advantage); implementing a business’ strategy (structural types, managing people); and/or corporate strategy (the two main portfolio approaches and extent of corporate diversity). THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK Executive summary Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited (Singh’s) was established in 1972 with a small fleet of only five (5) vehicles for rental. Singh’s hybrid corporate strategy embraces cost and differentiation in a market that is highly competitive, having expanded its customer base to incorporate the corporate society, the international sector and the community sector. The company has grown and is now one of the preferred clients of the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago, offering a wide range of high-end vehicles and SUV’s for rental, buses for tours and retreats, executive cars with drivers for wedding parties and seven (7) seater vehicles for the family oriented customer. Business level challenges have over the years forced Singh’s to refocus their objectives on their MOST, with intense market development and penetration orientation, in an aggressive attempt to win market share, increase volume gains and build position quickly. In this assignment the external environment encompassing Porter’s 5 Forces and PESTEL are examined along with its’ impact and influence on Singh’s SWOT and stakeholders expectation. Examples of the good and bad of the external environment will also be highlighted to describe how the company can increase their competitive advantage and profitability. Table of Contents 1.Introduction â€Å"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.† ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War In discussing the positive and negative aspects of the external environment, the PESTEL, the SWOT and Porter’s 5 forces will be used to analyse where Singh’s Auto Rentals is at in the industry and where the company can hope to be in the next five (5) years. The car rental industry is a competitive industry and Singh’s competencies and capabilities will definitely keep them in the market and make them into leaders once they follow their objectives and tactics. â€Å"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved†. ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War 2.Company overview: Singh’s 2.1 Vision We aspire to become the leading light in the Auto Rentals industry through continuous service innovation and the expansion of our distribution networks. 2.2 Mission Utilizing our group’s strengths we aim to become a major force in the Car Rentals industry by offering innovative products, effective processes, extensive networks, and the recruitment of the brightest talent, we strive to achieve impressive profitability. 2.3 Objectives From the vision/mission statements given, it would seem that the objective of Singh’s Auto Rentals is to become leaders in the industry. It can also be derived that this company seeks to achieve the following objectives; To increase market share Remain close to its competitors Increase clientele Increase the fleet of vehicles To establish leadership in the market 2.4 Strategies Singh’s strategy for achieving these objectives might be a business strategy. Business strategy is concerned with deciding which markets and activities  the business should be involved in; where it wants to be; and how it is going to get there. Singh’s strategies may include; Satisfying customers (meeting customer needs) Running the business (organising resources in the most efficient and effective way) Beating the competition (strategies and tactics to gain competitive advantage) Achieving corporate objectives 2.5 Tactics Methods this company uses to achieve strategies, as written in the mission, are the introduction of support and complimentary services they provide namely; 24 hr FREE Roadside assistance Guarantee competitive rates and seasonal discounts A wide range of vehicles to choose from including the economy and SUV range. Free maintenance on all vehicles Air conditioned comfort 3. PESTEL analysis of Singh’s Awareness of the external environment and how they impact on the company can be summarised using the PESTEL framework. The PESTEL can define the key drivers of change. These key drivers of change have differential impacts on industries, markets and organisations. 3.1 Political Singh’s is a privately owned company but because the company buys and rents vehicles they would be involved with few governmental organizations for various purposes. Ministry of Transport for licensing of new vehicles For vehicle transfers Ministry of Finance To approve any tariffs Duties or charges for purchases Taxes (including staff salaries) Customs and Excise Importing, duties and clearance of all vehicles Ministry of Legal Affairs To register the company legally To ensure all licenses to operate as a limited liability company 3.2 Economical As a private owned company, Singh’s has to watch for what affect his company financially from the external environment. Key factors can be; Fuel rates – have rates gone increased or decreased, this would determine how to price the rentals. Exchange rates for foreign currency. Salary negotiations in the country- would the employees demand high wages as a result of salary negotiations for government workers. Available and accepted methods of payment – cheque, cash, VISA, MasterCard. Unemployment rates in the country . 3.3 Social These influences the length of time a vehicle would be rented for. Singh’s offers long term rentals (6 months to 3 years) and short term rentals (1 day to 6 months). Social factors include; Changing cultures – peak periods for local rentals (wedding and carnival) and peak periods for foreign rentals (tourists are drawn to the Caribbean during winter and summer). Demographics – age groups of drivers. Community interests – lobby groups, charitable organisations etc†¦ 3.4 Technological In a business such as Singh’s one would encourage technology to play a role in the data collection, storage and distribution of the company’s fleet of vehicles. Technological factors include’ Computerised scanning of vehicles under maintenance. Computerised database systems used for documentation, data collection, billing, accounting and ordering. Communication methods have to be of the highest quality in order to reach out to customers (the business to customer approach). Updated websites, facebook pages or other social search engines used to advertise the company. 3.5 Environmental Influences from the direct environment that may affect Singh’s might be Waste disposal – for waste disposal from the garage (oil, parts etc†¦) Energy consumption –the amount of energy or power used in a process or system. Weather conditions- may only affect the infrastructural aspect of Singh’s in terms of weathering on vehicles which are not kept covered over a long period. 3.6 Legal The legal aspects of the company and how it influences the strategies and objectives. Governmental laws – a law might state that no one under the age of 18 is allowed to drive. Policies – policies put in place by the board of directors and the key shareholders to determine how the business is going to operate. Rental contracts have to be done up and signed by each party for every transaction. Insurance companies vying to insure the fleet of vehicles. 4. Stakeholders Stakeholders can exist both internally and externally. In an industry such as the vehicle rental industry the stakeholders are very important. The expectations of the stakeholders are equally important to the development of Singh’s (see appendix III) 4.1 Internal: Board Of Directors or Management Investors/ Shareholders Employees Suppliers-contractors Service providers – maintenance crews, specialist garage crew 4.2 External: Business to business Clients Domestic Clients International Clients Government and regulatory industries Industry Associations Local Communities 5. SWOT (Internal / External Analysis of Singh’s) In an effort to ascertain its competitive environment a SWOT analysis of Singh’s can assist to devise a sound strategic plan. The intent is to exploit and maximize the strengths and opportunities; avert threatening circumstances through tactical responses and provide institutional upgrade to lessen weaknesses; all these towards a position of profitability and value creation. As defined by (Alzoubi 2004) SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is a general framework for directing and assisting strategic planners to identify the appropriate organizational strategies to achieve their goals. Managers look at SWOT analysis as a technique to help managers to identify and plan the business goals, and draw the strategies to achieve them (Alzoubi 2013 p.126). Internal Analysis Strengths Focused management and staff Location advantage Efficient customer service Skilled car care specialist and technicians. Weaknesses Lack of Human Resource best practices No clear strategic direction Lack of continuous training and development for staff Poor marketing skills External Analysis Opportunities To gain large profits To be a house hold name in the car rental business To serve a large customer group Potential for new services or products to be offered Threats Companies offering similar services coming on stream Turnover due to other companies offering better packages Loss of customers due poor service experience new and existing regulations new and existing competitors new technologies unstable political and legal systems in foreign markets External opportunities and threats can work both ways for the organisation for example new technologies can make one aspect of the company obsolete but enhance another aspect of the company all at the same time. 6. Singh’s Strategic Based Units (SBU’s) SBU’s allow large corporations such as Singh’s and SSS to vary their strategies according to the different needs of the various external markets they serve. For example- Corporate Leasing – leasing to companies on a special contract Short term and long term rental – to both corporate clients and immediate clients Executive driver services – airport to hotel and return, weddings, seminars Pre-owned vehicle sales- new to the company but very effective and brings in more profits Bus and driver tours for tourists 7. The effect of Porter’s 5 Forces on Singh’s Porter’s 5 forces analysis can be applied to Singh’s as a tool to analyse the competitive advantages of the company. According to Porter (1980), rivalry (competition) on the market is result of the five variables or main forces: rivalry level, bargaining power of customers and that of suppliers, the threat from new entrants and substitute products. The following was deduced from the analysis of the five forces: 7.1. Threat of New Entry Due to lack of policies to prevent new entry, the market is open for new entrants. Singh’s will now have to develop and maintain a cost advantage and differentiation of its services, to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Economies of scale – it would be expensive to for new entrants to match Singh’s because of the level the company has reached in the industry, it would be difficult for new entrants to match them. Experience – new entrants would be inexperienced in most of the ‘know how’ of this industry and that lack of experience can give Singh’s the advantage over a new entrant (See Appendix II). 7.2. Threat of Substitution Substitutes can come not only from within the industry but also from outside. Managers often focus on their own industry and neglect the threat posed by substitutes for the product or service. The price/performance ratio is critical. Even if the substitute is more expensive the substitute is still effective (see appendix II). 7.3. Buyer Power Singh’s needs to pay attention to the customers and the price they pay for the service. If the price is too high customers may seek to do business elsewhere which will force the company to drop prices, thus losing revenue (see appendix II). 7.4 Suppliers Power- It was recognised that the business can be adversely affected if suppliers drive up their prices, then the concept of low cost to gain competitive advantage will be affected (see appendix I1) 7.5 Competitive Rivalry- From the analysis it was evident that the company had rivals performing a similar service. To prevent customers from moving from Singh’s to the competitors, the company will need to provide unique services to its customers (see appendix II). 8. Competitors Singh’s entered the market as an entrepreneur in 1972, competitors from then to now would be companies established around or before that time penetrating the same market with similar objectives. One such example would be Southern Sales and Service Company Limited (SSS). Both companies entered the corporate market to try to gain market share. SSS has a larger vehicle fleet than Singh’s but SSS does not provide some of the tour guide services or 25 seat bus retreat services that Singh’s caters for. Even though they are in similar industries, they each cater to a different sector within the market. Refer to Appendix III for a visual on how competitive advantage works in an industry as Singh’s. 9. Competitive advantage Singh’s has over SSS: SSS Caters for company rentals and corporate rentals Provides car and driver services Provides maintenance for some vehicles and outsources the rest Cost- mostly high priced unit rental Energy consumption is high Singh’s Caters for tour groups and tourist transportation Provides car and driver services Provides transportation services from airport to hotel and return Provides rental packages for weddings with a driver Prices are relatively low and are negotiable Various branches throughout the country so customers can do business from any branch Customer service is ranked very high 10. Conclusion A strong networking capability (Strength) has lead to an expansion in the business activities of Singh’s (opportunity) and this has resulted in increased profits due to long term leasing by various ministries (strength). The strength of networking was cultivated over a period of time and once established, it can sustain Singh’s for the next five (5) years. Singh’s  external environment has room for new entrants and a lot of possible threats and opportunities that can arise, however, with proper strategic management and well trained staff this company can continue to push forward in this market and even make a breakthrough in a new one. Recommendations Continue to evaluate Singh’s regularly. Always know where the company is in relation to its competitors. Capitalise on new technologies and trade in old techniques. Monitor staff and their talents, do regular training to update them on the current techniques being used by competitors so that they can be brought up to speed or even one step ahead. Increase profitability by looking into marketing and advertising to the larger companies such as energy companies (BPTT and Atlantic LNG) to try to gain greater market share, this is an opportunity within their SWOT analysis. Consider upgrading the fleet and maybe adding some luxury type vehicles, look at the threat of buyers and see what the customers are asking for. Customers may be willing to spend their money on luxury cars from a rental company they trust. References Johnson, G, Whittington, R and Scholes, K 2011, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 9th edn, Pearson Education, London. Alzoubi, majed R. 2004, Strategic planning and building innovative organizations. Unpublished, PhD thesis, Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies, Jordan. Alzoubi, majed R. 2013, The Impact of Intellectual Capital or SWOT Analysis among Jordanian Banking Industry â€Å"Empirical Study† : International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 4 No. 2 pp. 123-137. Singh’s auto rental company limited, viewed 7 July 2014, http://www.singhs.com/about.html Southern Sales and Service Company Limited, about us, viewed on 7 July 2014, http://www.southernsalestt.com/corp_history.php Tutor2U, viewed on 9july 2014, http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate_objectives_strategy.html Slideshare.com, http://www.slideshare.net/milesweaver/analysing-the-external-environment-of-business-ie-general-competitive, viewed on 12 July 2014

Jackson Surname Meaning and Origin

Jackson Surname Meaning and Origin The  patronymic surname  Jackson means son of Jack. The personal/given name Jack may have derived from one of several sources: Derived from the name Jackin, a medieval diminutive of the name John, which is an  English form of  Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name  ÃŽâ„¢Ãâ€°ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ·Ãâ€šÃ‚  (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name  Ã—™×•Ö ¹Ã—â€"Ö ¸Ã—  Ã– ¸Ã—ŸÂ  (Yohanan),  meaning Jehovah has favored, or more loosely gift of God. See also the surname Johnson.Possibly a derivation of the Old French given name Jacque, the French form of the English name Jacob. The name derives from the Latin Jacobus which, in turn, derives from the  Hebrew personal name ×™Ö ·Ã— ¢Ã– ²Ã— §Ã– ¹Ã—‘  (Yaaqov). Surname Origin:  English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:  JACKS Where Is the JACKSON Surname Found? According to  WorldNames public profiler, the Jackson surname is found in the greatest numbers in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is most prevalent in northern England, especially Cumbria county. The name is also popular in the United States, especially in the District of Columbia and the southeastern states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Famous People with the Surname JACKSON Andrew Jackson - 7th President of the United StatesMichael Jackson - American pop singerAugustus Jackson - creator of several ice cream recipes and inventor of an improved method of manufacturing ice cream c. 1832.Quinton Rampage Jackson - American professional mixed martial arts fighterThomas Stonewall Jackson - Confederate general in the U.S. Civil WarConrad Feger Jackson -  Union Army general in the American Civil War Genealogy Resources for the Surname JACKSON 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames and Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Jackson Family GenealogyA Web site dedicated to the descendants of Robert Jackson, who arrived in Massachusetts with his father circa 1630. Jackson Family Tree DNA ProjectRead biographies, check out DNA results, or submit your own DNA to learn more about your own Jackson ancestors. Jackson Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Jackson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Jackson query. FamilySearch - JACKSON GenealogyExplore over 12 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Jackson surname and its variations on this free website sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. JACKSON Surname and Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Jackson surname. DistantCousin.com - JACKSON Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Jackson. The Jackson Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Jackson surname from the website of Genealogy Today. References: Surname Meanings and Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Three Nations Make a Strong Case for Being the Oldest

Three Nations Make a Strong Case for Being the Oldest Although empires existed in ancient China, Japan, Iran (Persia), Greece, Rome, Egypt, Korea, Mexico, and India, to name a few, the starting dates of these entities dont correlate with their modern counterparts as nations, even though the empires did have central governments ruling over their territory. The makeup of these ancient empires largely consisted of an agglomeration of city-states or fiefdoms, which overlapped jurisdictions with the imperial government. Much territory of empires was temporary (with fluid boundaries) and won through war or marriage alliances of monarchs, making them not unified entities, even if the lands were considered part of an empires territory by its emperor. Empires were not the equivalent of the modern nation-state, which emerged in the 19th century. Often, in fact, todays nation-states arose from the dissolution of empires, around communities that shared a common geography, language, or culture. The following three countries are most often cited as being the worlds oldest. San Marino By many accounts, The Republic of San Marino, one of the worlds smallest countries, is the worlds oldest country. San Marino, which is completely surrounded by Italy, was founded on Sept. 3 in the year 301 BCE. A monastery at the top of Mount Titano, likely the center of the community there, was constructed during the sixth century BCE. However, the nation wasnt recognized as independent until CE 1631 by the pope, who at that time controlled much of central Italy politically. San Marinos constitution is the worlds oldest, having been first written in the year 1600. San Marino was aided in its continued independence by the fact that it sits isolated amid fortresses in high, mountainous terrain. Japan According to Japanese history, the countrys first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, founded Japan in 660 BCE. However, it was not until at least the eighth century CE that Japanese culture and Buddhism spread across the islands. Over its long history, Japan has had many different types of governments and leaders. While the country celebrates 660 BCE as the year of its founding, it wasnt until the Meiji Restoration of 1868 that modern Japan emerged. China The first recorded dynasty in Chinese history existed more than 3,500 years ago when the feudal Shang dynasty ruled from the 17th century BCE to the 11th century BCE. However, China celebrates 221 BCE as the founding of the modern country, the year Qin Shi Huang proclaimed himself the first emperor of China. In the third century CE, the Han dynasty unified Chinese culture and tradition. In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded China, decimating the population and culture. Chinas Qing Dynasty was overthrown during a revolution in 1912, leading to the creation of the Republic of China. However, in 1949 the Republic of China itself was overthrown by Mao Tse Tungs communist rebels, and the Peoples Republic of China was created. It exists to this day. Other Contenders Modern countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Greece, and India bear little resemblance to their ancient counterparts. All of these countries except Iran trace their modern roots only as far back as the 19th century. Iran traces its modern independence to 1501, with the founding of the Shia Islamic state. Other countries that consider their founding to be prior to Irans include: France (CE 843)Austria (CE 976)Hungary (CE 1001)Portugal (CE 1143)Mongolia (CE 1206)Thailand (CE 1238)Andorra (CE 1278)Switzerland (CE 1291) All of these countries have a long and impressive history, which allows them to maintain their place as some of the oldest nation-states on the planet. Ultimately, it is difficult to judge which country is the worlds oldest due to a variety of complex factors, but you could easily argue for San Marino, Japan, or China and be considered right.

Critically discuss the use of low glycaemic index diets in the Literature review

Critically discuss the use of low glycaemic index diets in the treatment of diabetes mellitus - Literature review Example 2010). The number of individuals suffering from diabetes is increasing and by 2030, the number of patients suffering from the chronic condition is expected to increase to three hundred and sixty million patients worldwide (American Diabetes Association 2012, 64). It is a major world threat as the annual health care expenditures for patients with diabetes is 11.5 percent of all the health care expenditure (Drouin et al. 2013, 68). According to Drouin et al. (2009), the condition has been associated with significant mortality and morbidity accounting for 7 to 9 percent of all deaths resulting from all comorbidities thus; it has become a top health care priority. The literature review focuses on the use of low glycemic index diets in diabetes mellitus treatment. The main reason for diabetes control is normalizing and stabilizing the levels of blood glucose, as glucose control has been linked to a decline of complications associated with the disorder. Common treatment remedies for diabetes include diet and weight control as well as physical activity. If the blood glucose levels remain relatively, high diabetes tables can be administered and in other cases, insulin injections and islets cell transplants are required (Kashikar & Tejaswita 2011, 23). According to Zhang et al. (2010), nutritional factors are key in affecting the blood glucose levels. Despite of the research conducted, there is no any recommended way for optimal diabetes dietary strategy. According to Thomas & Elliott (2009), the improvement in glycemic control that can be achieved through dietary interventions is fundamental in decreasing the diabetic complications, improving life among the affected, minimizing the expenses associated with diabetic medications, as well as increa sing their life expectancy. There are different carbohydrates each with different effects on

World War I Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World War I Propaganda - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in April 1917, the U.S.A. entered World War I and within no time produced many propaganda posters.   These posters were to encourage the civilians to take the war seriously and to encourage them to support their soldiers for their small requirements so that they can fight at the front with ample of resources and with peace of mind. These posters were made to motivate the mass of America to eat those food products that cannot be given to the soldiers and therefore the posters encouraged the civilians to eat cheese and save the more energy giving food like wheat to the soldiers, they encouraged the civilians to eat less and save more food and long-lasting food products for their soldiers. The paper tells that the posters encouraged the civilians to make more ships and ammunition which are required for the war. The posters were motivating people to participate in the war by joining the American army/ navy and also motivating to inculcat e the thought in the minds of civilians that â€Å"together we win†. The posters were loaded with the patriotic messages and actions to inspire the people of America to work for their countrymen and to be helping hands for each other and moreover for the soldiers. The author has rightly presented that the posters carried the messages of President and all the big leaders to make people aware of the happenings in the country.