Strategic Marketing Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Strategic Marketing Plan - Case Study Example From its humble beginnings in 1980, Applebee International, Inc. has risen to become the largest casual dining restaurant chain in the United States based on size, market share, and revenue. Applebee is founded by Bill and TJ Palmer with their first restaurant TJ Applebee's Rx for Edibles and Elixirs changing the name to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar in 1986. Two years later, franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra bought the rights to the Applebee's concept from W.T. Grace. With the pursuit of its growth strategy, Applebee International is established, growing into 54 restaurants in 1998 when it opened for franchising Today, Applebee operates 1, 900 casual dining restaurants all over the world operating with the commitment of providing "attractive, friendly, neighborhood establishment featuring moderately priced, high-quality food and beverage items, table service and a comfortable atmosphere that speaks to all ages" (Company Overview, 2007). Applebee's global operation is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. The United States is the company's largest market where develops and operates 1,841 restaurants within 49 states and one U.S. territory while it also has 89 restaurants in 16 international counties. Of the 1,900 restaurant chains in the world, 1,409 (74%) are franchised operated leaving only 521 (26%) restaurants in its sole management. Specializing in casual dining, Applebee restaurants offer lunch and dinner made up of entrees of beef, chicken, pork, seafood and pasta dishes, desserts and appetizers which the company changes from time to time in response to the patrons' tastes and preferences. (Fast fact, 2007). The price of an average meal is $11. Aside from providing dine-in services, it also introduces Carside To Go which allows customers to consume their orders outside the store premises. Recognizing the clamor for a healthier lifestyle, it has teamed up with Weight Watchers International in offering the Weight Watchers selections. Geographically, it has the small market segment in rural areas under 25,000 in population while cornering larger market segments in the cities. (Horovitz, 2003). Under the leadership of Lloyd L. Hill, who became chief executive officer in 1998, the company has posted positive net earnings, despite a fluctuating growth trend in total operating revenues in the past ten years (Hoovers, 2007). The company's operations are grouped into three business divisions: 1. Company restaurant sales which is comprised of the sales of food and beverages; 2. Franchise royalties and fees from its franchisees (franchise royalty are generally 4% of the franchise restaurant's monthly gross sales while franchise fees are typically

Schooldays Time Essay Example for Free

Schooldays Time Essay According to a popular saying,schooldays are the happiest days of your life. Is there any truth in this? Answers to this question are bound to vary greatly from person to person. A person’s answer will depend on how happy the person’s schooldays actually were and on how happy the rest of his or her life has been since. To give a really true answer to this question you have to be fairly close to the end of your life. Hopefully,by this time you will have lived a long time. If this is the case,then you will have a long period of time to look back on.Will no other period of your life have made you happier than your schooldays? This seems rather unlikely. There are certain momentous times in a person’s life which are usually accompained by a great feeling of happiness,even of ecstasy. One of these is being in love. Another is a person’s wedding day. Yet another, and many parents would put this at the top of their happiness list, is the birth of a couple’s child. These are milestones in human life and they bring happinessto the majority of people who experience them. However, apart from these emotional milestones, there is a wide variation in what makes people happy. To a large extent what brings happiness to a person depends on what they are interested in. For example, athletes might well regard their period of supreme happiness as the time they won a major track or field event, especially an Olympic event. Footballers might regard the peak of their happiness as the time they played for a top-ranking team and scored a crucial goal in an important game. Ambitious businesspeople might be at the hightest point of their happiness when they bring off a particulary successful and shrewd business deal. If there are all these opportunities, and many more, for achieving happiness in life, how has the idea arise that schooldays are the happiest days of our life? It is at least partly because people’s memories, particularly older people’s memories, tend to be imperfect when they look back on the past. Not only that.Especially where childhood is concerned, older people tend to look back at past through rose-coloured spectacles. For example, they might remember the weather during the summer holidays as being much better than it is now. That has nothing whatsoever to do with modern climate change. It has to do with looking back on the past with affection and nostalagia-and a lack of realism. A few people’s schooldays might genuinely have been the happiest days of their lives. On the other hand, some people’s schooldays might have been an absolute nightmare with stern schoolteachers administering harsh punishments and fellow students teasing and bullying them, not to mention the often unbearable pressure of exams. For most people,neither of these extremes fits the bill.Their schooldays are the usual mixture of happiness and unhappiness,like the rest of their lives.Schooldays are not the happiest days of their lives.

Journal On Rapoport :: essays research papers fc

Human had a long history of showing their will to shape, control their surrounding and understanding the natural world. Thus, it is no surprise that mankind had gone this far in advanced technology. By improving our science and technology, we are able to understand and research the world. This will allow mankind to create more stability thus avoiding some of the effects from great fluctuations of nature forces explore the truth of myths. With this theme in mind, I find it to be a very common characteristic among the three articles by: Rapoport (Australian Aborigines And The Definition Of Place), Hertzberger (Lessons For Student In Architecture) and, Deyner (African Traditional Architecture), which could possibly explain the difference in the definition of place both by the author and the locale. It is not so much as the level of technology that these cultures exist in, but more relevantly, the period of technology improvement they are living in which defined their indigenous landscape architecture.Rapoport believes that Australian Aborigines, "cooperated with nature rather than to subdue it" (Rapoport, 1980:p.44.) I found this to be a point that is somewhat accurate but not precise. The fact that these Australian aborigines did not advance in technology, are forced to accept nature as it is. As a result, they live their lives primitively through myths and stories instead of research and development. This is evident when compared to Deyner's article, explaining that the more advanced (this advancement is draw from the fact that these less nomadic Africans do trade and had farms) Africans developed more permanent dwellings, practical buildings (huts) which created a clearer boundary to identify their territory. However, the Africans' minute building structures are still primitive and they are only constructed to serve a prime purpose like say, a small mud granary to store food. On the other hand, Hertzberger's "Lesson for student in Architecture" dwell deeper into concept of space and how we divide and articulate building structures when he mentioned, "question of sensing the required distance and proximity between people ...purpose of space." (Hertzberger, 1991:p.100)This level of division and detachment from natural dwelling showed a precise mentality of modern era human though I could not say that we are now in the 20th century and do not appreciate or dislike nature. But the point is that, modern era human had so much control and complex thought that enable us articulate our confinement (concept of space).

Pick n Pay’s Essay

What is your strategy to reverse Pick n Pay’s loss of market share? Pick n Pay lost market share in part because it opened materially less space than some of its major competitors. A significant proportion of its capex was invested in supply chain technology infrastructure in recent years, which by its nature doesn’t drive sales compared to stores. Our capital focus is now on new stores and refurbishment, which will drive sales and, in time, profitability. Over the past year we have refreshed, without substantively altering our strategy. Our overarching ambition is for the Group to become the â€Å"Retailer of choice for all South Africans†. This builds on Pick n Pay and Boxer’s brand strength and strong store portfolio. Importantly this refreshed strategy does not represent a major departure from the strategy that has been followed for the past five years. We have seven themes geared to ensure that the business can grow sustainably and profitably. There is a balance of growth-driven priorities, focusing on space, customer, franchise and product, and those largely focused on improving efficiency such as replenishment and store operations. The â€Å"One Pick n Pay† initiative ties these together to ensure that the business works well as a unified whole. Strategic priority: Grow selling space ahead of the market There is substantial competition for retail space both within South Africa and in other African markets. Ensuring that Pick n Pay increases its overall share of trading space over the long term is an important strategic priority. Over the past three years our space growth has lagged that of our competition particularly into the faster growing lower income areas and small stores. This not only directly reduces our market share but also puts pressure on like-for-like sales growth. We will continue to develop store formats and channels that meet customers’ changing needs both in Pick n Pay and Boxer, in South Africa and beyond. Additionally we continue to build a pipeline of new sites, whether greenfield or through acquisition that will ensure we meet our aspirations. Strategic priority: Build deep customer relationships The launch of our customer rewards programme Smartshopper gives us a  significant opportunity to get to know our customers’ shopping habits and preferences substantially better than we do today. Since its launch in March 2011 the programme has been a great success. After just one year we now have over five million active cardholders, exceeding our initial target by two million. This enables us not only to know and understand each customer a great deal better, but to communicate with our customers in a different and more engaging manner. We have direct access to the vast majority of Smartshopper customers by either sms or email, which means that we can send targeted marketing communications directly to them. We can also ask for feedback directly from them. All of this translates into a very valuable two-way dialogue with our customers. As a result we are designing and executing marketing campaigns which are more relevant to our customers. We are extracting insights from their shopping habits data in order to tailor our product ranges and more accurately serve them. All of this will assist us in growing our sales volumes significantly. Strategic priority: Revolutionise Pick n Pay’s product offer During the past 12 months we have invested considerable time and resources in building a single specialised category buying division. Prior to the establishment of this division, Pick n Pay’s sourcing activities were distributed across the operating regions. This led to fragmentation of the Group’s buying scale, with each buyer having a wide range of products to source. Our new specialised category buying division is made up of category teams each of which is responsible for the end-to-end profitability of a specific product category. They are tasked with developing a product range that meets all customer needs, sourcing those products at the lowest possible cost, constructing shelf layouts that help customers find what they are looking for easily, building a promotional plan that generates customer excitement, increased volumes and higher margins, and ensuring that Pick n Pay’s prices remain hig hly competitive. Included in their responsibilities is the task of improving our Pick n Pay branded offer.

What Is Philosophy

There are many different kinds of philosophy and almost anything and everything has its own philosophy. Philosophy is the inquiring of existence, to find out what it s meaning is. It is the search for truth and understanding. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, not only in oneself but also in others. When asking for a philosophy on something it is mainly picking at one s brain to figure out the most inner thoughts and beliefs that one has on a subject. The idea of philosophy and the way that it works is mainly dependant on a person’s interpretive skill; it is a person’s thoughts on a certain subject in an analytical and exploratory manner. It is different levels of meaning. It is a search for some kind of general understanding of values and reality by a primarily speculative way rather than a merely observational way. Extensively speaking the purpose of philosophy is to study and find a reflective view of certainties, genuine concerns and general beliefs. Philosophy is like a classification of different theories on the disposition of things and what they are about. The branch of philosophy concerned with identifying the ultimate reality of nature of the universe is known as metaphysics. It is like a system of principles underlying a particular subject or study. Metaphysics was originally used to refer to the writings done by Aristotle on Physics. Now, it is better known for its attempt to understand the fundamental nature of all reality, if something is visible or not visible at all. Metaphysics seeks an explanation so basic and simple to everything that is, from what is human to what is spiritual and religious to what anything else really is. It is an argument that tries to figure out the things that actually exist and are truly real against the things that just seem to be real. There is a primary component of metaphysics and that component is ontology. Ontology is the theory of existence and being. It is pretty much concerned with identifying the things of the universe that are basic. Also. It takes a look at if something is composed of many diverse elements or if it plainly consists of only one fundamental compound. Ontology is usually compared with metaphysics proper. Metaphysics proper is more concerned with the general principles and traits of the world. It assumes that the general principles and traits of reality are simple and general and that because they are so general that they will apply to any kind of universe. Another way that metaphysics is divided is by a theoretical way and an applied way. Each describe a different way, one way just simply describes while the other way applies the description to practical problems. It puts knowledge to work and then gathers the knowledge for further examination. The branch of philosophy that studies knowledge is epistemology. Epistemology is a study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity. It seeks to define knowledge, identify its sources and establish its limits. Epistemology is derived from the Greek words Episteme and Theoria. According to the Greek language Episteme means knowledge and Theoria means theory. It addresses the philosophical problems surrounding the theory of knowledge. It attempts to answer the basic question of whether or not knowledge is true or false. What distinguishes true knowledge? What distinguishes false knowledge? These questions translates into issues of scientific methodology, it also forms one of the pillars of the new sciences of cognition. Epistemology is known for being the central area pf philosophy because philosophy is the quest for wisdom and truth. If you take a look at the history of epistemology, you see a clear trend, even though there is much confusion of many seemingly contradictory positions. The first theories of knowledge stressed its absolute, permanent character, while later theories put the emphasis on its relativity, its continuous development or evolution, and its active interference with the world and its subjects and objects. The whole trend seemingly moves from a static, passive view of knowledge towards a more and more adaptive and active one. What Is Philosophy Most definitions of philosophy have been fairly controversial partly because what has been called philosophy has changed drastically in the course of history. What used to be a part of the philosophical inquiries detached themselves from it. This is why most academic subject began as some aspect as philosophy and branched off into knowledge and became specialized. The word philosophy originated from Greek words philia (love) and sophia (wisdom) carrying the meaning love of wisdom. The essential part of being a good philosopher is the faculty of wonder. Philosophy searches for the truth and questioning the unquestionable. Intrinsically it satisfies, or seeks to satisfy, the intellectual desire for comprehensive knowledge and understanding. Philosophers need to be open-minded and never closing door. They have to be accepting and be able to accept changes. A philosopher is curious, reflective and critical. Big philosophical questions like Who is god? , Where does the world come from? , What is life? has remained unanswered. Questions of this genre are asked in every culture, every religion and through every period of time. The quest of philosophy is to answer these questions. Philosophy makes people doubt their beliefs. They make people query their cultural norms and what they have been putting faith into and brought up believing. People who are easily influence might think twice about their beliefs and those who hold true faith in what they already belief think philosophy is a load of rubbish and immature. They ignore the big questions and are too occupied searching for material things. They ignore the fact that these questions are yet to be answered but opt to remaine oblivious to it. By philosophizing, people reflect and criticize their most deeply held conceptions and beliefs. Essentially, the sole purpose of a normal life is to perpetuate and thrive to expand and fill the world galaxy with it. When we humans have gotten past a certain level or mark and into higher sentience. Then comes the aesthetic values, that we currently enjoy. however, the modern day society prevents most from doing so because the earth is overcrowded, and there’s the fight for resources. Philosophy attempts to search the evidence of all beliefs. It takes a second look at cultural norms. They attempt to think through a variety of life problems. It leads the mind to a critical evaluation of things, but critical evaluations often differ from person to person for their personal expierences, cultural background may vary widely. In this changing universe, some people are responsive to it and some are not. Some cling on to old tradtions passed down decads ago and declare that they are final. Often those who are unresponsive to it are old, narrow minded, stubborn people. Philosophy tries to relate reality to belief. It tries to find evidence and speculates the truth behind our daily assumptions. Due to this, some people think philosophy is dangerous. Socrates was accused for corrupting the mind of the youth in Athens. In this epoch, people think philosophy is nonsense and too corrupts the youth. It deters the youth from their original beliefs and confuses them even more that they already are. By philosophizing, people ask questions. They ask questions to get closer to the truth. But in fact, most of the time, they do not get closer to the truth but end up with even more unanswerable questions. Babies and young kids have this faculty of wonder. They ask adults a lot of questions Why is the sky so high? and many adults cannot answer that question because they themselves can t answer those questions. Shallowness, incompleteness, poor reasoning, and assertions with flimsy foundations prevent a truly enlightened person. When a person comes up with a philosophy or theory of his own, he persuades other people and influences them. Orators sways minds and hearts and thereby wage wars, gain control and seduce an unsuspecting public. To illustrate this point, lets say a nobody comes out and questions the government and influences the rest of the public to do so, with enough questioning citizens the government will be overpowered by the overwhelming demand of inquiries and thus cause chaos in a country†¦ Those who advocate total control or even economists philosophy like Carl Marx and his views on social reform can change the whole values of society, which means every single unit of society (us) will be affected even if we resist the next generation will grow up already brainwashed and in their minds that this is good, that is bad. This is why some people say philosophy is dangerous Philosophy can also change a way a person thinks. It can change peoples mind set especially those who are fickle and are not sure about their own true identities. These people change as they get influenced and cannot decide which is right and which is wrong. In our age of confusion and uncertainty, we need a sense of identity. Unaware of the complexities of an issue, unfamiliarity of certain issues, and unable to distinguish valid and invalid reasoning, these disoriented people might give in to authoritarian approaches to sacrifice their lives for certain values and ideas. And if people start philosopizing about things that are dangerous, it might baffle a person of their till then perception of things. People then turn to religion for a sense of direction. But once they start questioning the veracity of the religion, they are then deterred away again from their search of identity. Leaving them profound and doubtful. Philosophy is dangerous because it threatens to change or lives. But then again, because philosophy precedes the faculty of wonder, many things that were assumed have been justified. The world is not all sleight of hand and deception. A lot of old age enigmas have now been explained by science. What the dark side of the moon look likes was once shrouded in mystery but now we know exactly how it looks like. Philosophy leads to evolution. Because of that people improve. If it weren t because of the curiousness of scientists, we wouldn t have new inventions of machinery, of mathematical formulae, and wouldn t have the technology we now have in our lives. We would still be living in the dark, not knowing where to turn to. With this use, we cannot entirely say that philosophy is dangerous since it brings us so many advantages. Humanity has acquired a great new power in science and technology. We obtain numerous techniques for gaining greater security and comforts have been developed. Philosophy, in conjunction with other disciplines, plays a central in guiding us toward new desires and aspirations. It guides us to a clearer more assuring road into life. Philosophizing leads us to seek more knowledge and thus making a person wiser. It guides us to make more knowledgeable and wiser choices in life. The exploration of the possible, reasonable solution clarifies the options open to thoughtful persons. The usefulness of choosing from the reasoned, researched alternatives rather than from bigoted, impulsive, and unclear claims is apparent inn all dimension of our lives. Ideally, the study of philosophy nurtures our capacity for making informed choices. Ultimately, there isn t really a definite answer to the question whether philosophy is dangerous. This is due to the fact that philosophy brought humanity to evolve and improve yet making people feel anxious and insecure because they are uncertain about the meaning of life and which direction they should take life in. What Is Philosophy Most definitions of philosophy have been fairly controversial partly because what has been called philosophy has changed drastically in the course of history. What used to be a part of the philosophical inquiries detached themselves from it. This is why most academic subject began as some aspect as philosophy and branched off into knowledge and became specialized. The word philosophy originated from Greek words philia (love) and sophia (wisdom) carrying the meaning love of wisdom. The essential part of being a good philosopher is the faculty of wonder. Philosophy searches for the truth and questioning the unquestionable. Intrinsically it satisfies, or seeks to satisfy, the intellectual desire for comprehensive knowledge and understanding. Philosophers need to be open-minded and never closing door. They have to be accepting and be able to accept changes. A philosopher is curious, reflective and critical. Big philosophical questions like Who is god? , Where does the world come from? , What is life? has remained unanswered. Questions of this genre are asked in every culture, every religion and through every period of time. The quest of philosophy is to answer these questions. Philosophy makes people doubt their beliefs. They make people query their cultural norms and what they have been putting faith into and brought up believing. People who are easily influence might think twice about their beliefs and those who hold true faith in what they already belief think philosophy is a load of rubbish and immature. They ignore the big questions and are too occupied searching for material things. They ignore the fact that these questions are yet to be answered but opt to remaine oblivious to it. By philosophizing, people reflect and criticize their most deeply held conceptions and beliefs. Essentially, the sole purpose of a normal life is to perpetuate and thrive to expand and fill the world galaxy with it. When we humans have gotten past a certain level or mark and into higher sentience. Then comes the aesthetic values, that we currently enjoy. however, the modern day society prevents most from doing so because the earth is overcrowded, and there’s the fight for resources. Philosophy attempts to search the evidence of all beliefs. It takes a second look at cultural norms. They attempt to think through a variety of life problems. It leads the mind to a critical evaluation of things, but critical evaluations often differ from person to person for their personal expierences, cultural background may vary widely. In this changing universe, some people are responsive to it and some are not. Some cling on to old tradtions passed down decads ago and declare that they are final. Often those who are unresponsive to it are old, narrow minded, stubborn people. Philosophy tries to relate reality to belief. It tries to find evidence and speculates the truth behind our daily assumptions. Due to this, some people think philosophy is dangerous. Socrates was accused for corrupting the mind of the youth in Athens. In this epoch, people think philosophy is nonsense and too corrupts the youth. It deters the youth from their original beliefs and confuses them even more that they already are. By philosophizing, people ask questions. They ask questions to get closer to the truth. But in fact, most of the time, they do not get closer to the truth but end up with even more unanswerable questions. Babies and young kids have this faculty of wonder. They ask adults a lot of questions Why is the sky so high? and many adults cannot answer that question because they themselves can t answer those questions. Shallowness, incompleteness, poor reasoning, and assertions with flimsy foundations prevent a truly enlightened person. When a person comes up with a philosophy or theory of his own, he persuades other people and influences them. Orators sways minds and hearts and thereby wage wars, gain control and seduce an unsuspecting public. To illustrate this point, lets say a nobody comes out and questions the government and influences the rest of the public to do so, with enough questioning citizens the government will be overpowered by the overwhelming demand of inquiries and thus cause chaos in a country†¦ Those who advocate total control or even economists philosophy like Carl Marx and his views on social reform can change the whole values of society, which means every single unit of society (us) will be affected even if we resist the next generation will grow up already brainwashed and in their minds that this is good, that is bad. This is why some people say philosophy is dangerous Philosophy can also change a way a person thinks. It can change peoples mind set especially those who are fickle and are not sure about their own true identities. These people change as they get influenced and cannot decide which is right and which is wrong. In our age of confusion and uncertainty, we need a sense of identity. Unaware of the complexities of an issue, unfamiliarity of certain issues, and unable to distinguish valid and invalid reasoning, these disoriented people might give in to authoritarian approaches to sacrifice their lives for certain values and ideas. And if people start philosopizing about things that are dangerous, it might baffle a person of their till then perception of things. People then turn to religion for a sense of direction. But once they start questioning the veracity of the religion, they are then deterred away again from their search of identity. Leaving them profound and doubtful. Philosophy is dangerous because it threatens to change or lives. But then again, because philosophy precedes the faculty of wonder, many things that were assumed have been justified. The world is not all sleight of hand and deception. A lot of old age enigmas have now been explained by science. What the dark side of the moon look likes was once shrouded in mystery but now we know exactly how it looks like. Philosophy leads to evolution. Because of that people improve. If it weren t because of the curiousness of scientists, we wouldn t have new inventions of machinery, of mathematical formulae, and wouldn t have the technology we now have in our lives. We would still be living in the dark, not knowing where to turn to. With this use, we cannot entirely say that philosophy is dangerous since it brings us so many advantages. Humanity has acquired a great new power in science and technology. We obtain numerous techniques for gaining greater security and comforts have been developed. Philosophy, in conjunction with other disciplines, plays a central in guiding us toward new desires and aspirations. It guides us to a clearer more assuring road into life. Philosophizing leads us to seek more knowledge and thus making a person wiser. It guides us to make more knowledgeable and wiser choices in life. The exploration of the possible, reasonable solution clarifies the options open to thoughtful persons. The usefulness of choosing from the reasoned, researched alternatives rather than from bigoted, impulsive, and unclear claims is apparent inn all dimension of our lives. Ideally, the study of philosophy nurtures our capacity for making informed choices. Ultimately, there isn t really a definite answer to the question whether philosophy is dangerous. This is due to the fact that philosophy brought humanity to evolve and improve yet making people feel anxious and insecure because they are uncertain about the meaning of life and which direction they should take life in.

Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, Chapter 1 Questions Essays

Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, Chapter 1 Questions Essays Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, Chapter 1 Questions Essay Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, Chapter 1 Questions Essay PROC 5850 Week 1 Homework: Ch1 Question 1,2,6 1. Consider the supply chain for a domestic automobile. a. What are the components of the supply chain for an automobile? The components of the supply chain for an automobile are as follows: First you have the supplying industries. These include components such as steel and other metals, rubber, electronics, plastic, glass, and textiles. These raw components are fabricated into car bodies, mechanical and electrical subcomponents as well as engines and transmissions. These subassemblies are assembled during final assembly and then distributed to dealership for the consumer market. b. What are the different firms involved in the supply chain? The following are a selection of firms involved in the supply chain: Suppliers, Manufactures, Transportation companies, Warehouses and distributions centers, sub-contractors, dealerships, and customers. c. What are the objectives of these firms? The simple objective of these firms is to maximize market share and make a profit. Every challenge to operate the supply chain supports these two primary goals. d. Provide examples of conflicting objectives in this supply chain? The supplying industries would like the automobile manufacture to commit themselves to purchasing large quantities with stable volumes with flexible (long-lead) dates. On the manufacture’s side, they need to be flexible to their customers’ need and the change in demands. So what we have is a direct conflict of interest between the suppliers’ and manufactures’ desire for flexibility. The ability to optimally match supply and demand is just as much an art and it is a science. Other conflicts arise with transportation of smaller batches versus larger batches of supplies. Usually the smaller and faster a batch of supply is required, the cost of transportation increase; another conflicting objective. e. What are the risks that rare or unexpected events pose to this supply chain? An unexpected risk such as a natural disaster can bring the supply chain to a stand still. However, such events can almost never be managed. There are some challenges such as matching supply and demand risks, lead times, forecasts, transportation times and costs, which can be â€Å"managed† or operational risk management used to minimize risks. 2. Consider a consumer mortgage offered by a bank. f. What are the components of the supply chain for a mortgage? There are several components of the supply chain for a consumer mortgage offered by a bank. First, there are marketing companies that solicit to prospective customers. Secondly, the bank needs to be able to evaluate potential customers by using credit-reporting companies. Thirdly, usually a third party bank that extends the mortgage loans. Lastly, the bank requires mortgage brokers that distribute the loans. g. Is there more than one firm involved in the supply chain? What are the objectives of the firm or firms? Marketing companies try to increase the responses from prospective homebuyers to maximize their returns. The banks try to find customers that are a relatively low risk, on-time payments, and low average maturity date; i. e. , maximize profits. The mortgage broker is all about maximizing his commission of the sell of the property. . What are the similarities between product and service supply chains, what are the differences? Both product and service supply chains provide a need. The difference is the type of service, instead of the physical product†¦ faster, better, cheaper all apply. Some of the differences between the two types of supply chains are as follows: * With the product supply chain there is both the flow of physical and infor mational products. However, in the service supply chain, the product is mostly information. Unlike the service supply chain, inventory and transportation of goods are a major costs of product supply chains. * Since service supply chains usually don’t carry inventory, coordinating capacity with demand is usually more important. * The cost of information is more often higher than in a product supply chain. Consider the cost of a credit report or hiring a consultant. 6. Consider the supply chain for canned peaches sold by a major food-processing company. What are the sources of uncertainty in this supply chain? Some of the sources of uncertainty are as follows: The first factor to consider is the peach crop and the factors that effect it†¦ weather, disease, and disasters. * Number if migrant workers available to harvest the crop†¦ spoilage. * Lead times from field to processing plant†¦ spoilage. * Processing time, storage, and transportation times and costs. * Dem and is not know beforehand. CASE: Meditech Surgical 1. What are Meditech’s problems in introducing new products? In manufacturing ALL products? Meditech has two major issues with introducing new products. * It has poor service levels for new products The inventory levels are higher than necessary for all of its products 2. What is diving these problems, both systematically and organizationally? There are seven major areas in which Meditech is driving these problems: * In the planning system, there are too many built-in delays and monthly buckets. This leads to inefficacies, unneeded delays, and high inventory levels. * There is no tracking of forecasting errors. * Product demand is poorly studied. * The Info Systems used to record and monitor inventory are not integrated and inadequately designed. Because Meditech does not normally see the end-customer, it has to overcome failures of communications with them†¦ hording/panic orders is one example of this failure to commu nicate with end-customers. * The poor planning system is use magnifies variations in demand. * Panic ordering. 3. Why is the customer service manager the first person to recognize the major issues? He was the person who directly received customer complaints. In his position he was able to determine the scope of the problems. Other managers were not in positions to be aware of customer satisfaction. 4. How would you fix these problems? There are several ways to fix the problems Meditech is facing. The first and most important is improving communications with customers†¦ Five â€Å"Y†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s. Another way to improve their SCM is to develop better demand forecasting systems and accountability for their forecasts. Furthermore, Meditech needs to integrate, implement, and improve their information systems. They could easily eliminate bulk inventory by putting assembly within the pull system; i. e. , get rid of the â€Å"push-pull† system. Lastly, they could implement a planning system to decrease planning delays (or just use M. S. Project) and reduce system time buckets.

Profiles of Famous Black Scientists

Profiles of Famous Black Scientists Black scientists, engineers, and inventors have made important contributions to society. These profiles of famous people will help you learn about black scientists, engineers, inventors and their projects. Key Takeaways: Famous Black Scientists Famous black scientists include Mae Jemison, George Washington Carver, and Charles Drew.Although these scientists often faced discrimination, both men and women made significant contributions to science.Black scientists were innovators, inventors, and pioneers who made astounding discoveries. Patricia Bath In 1988, Patricia Bath invented the Cataract Laser Probe, a device that painlessly removes cataracts. Prior to this invention, cataracts were surgically removed. Patricia Bath founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. In 1988, Patricia Bath invented the Cataract Laser Probe, a device that painlessly removes cataracts. Prior to this invention, cataracts were surgically removed. Patricia Bath founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Melvin Oatis and Dr. Patricia Bath attend TIME Celebrates FIRSTS on September 12, 2017 in New York City. Ben Gabbe / Getty Images George Washington Carver George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who discovered industrial uses for crop plants such as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soybeans. He developed methods for improving the soil. Carver recognized that legumes return nitrates to the soil. His work led to crop rotation. Carver was born a slave in Missouri. He struggled to gain an education, eventually graduating from what was to become Iowa State University. He joined the faculty of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1986. Tuskegee is where he performed his famous experiments. George Washington Carver in Laboratory. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images Marie Daly In 1947, Marie Daly became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry. The majority of her career was spent as a college professor. In addition to her research, she developed programs to attract and aid minority students in medical and graduate school. Mae Jemison Mae Jemison is a retired medical doctor and American astronaut. In 1992, she became the first black woman in space. She holds a degree in chemical engineering from Stanford and a degree in medicine from Cornell. She remains very active in science and technology. Mae Jemison speaks to students at Woodrow Wilson High School on March 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images Percy Julian Percy Julian developed the anti-glaucoma drug physostigmine. Dr. Julian was born in Montgomery, Alabama, but educational opportunities for African Americans were limited in the South at that time, so he received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. His research was conducted at DePauw University. Samuel Massie Jr. In 1966, Massie became the first black professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, making him the first black to teach full-time at any US military academy. Massie received a masters degree in chemistry from Fisk University and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Iowa State University. Massie was a professor of chemistry at the Naval Academy, became the chairman of the department of chemistry and co-founded the Black Studies program. Garrett Morgan Garrett Morgan is responsible for several inventions. Garret Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1877. His first invention was a hair straightening solution. October 13, 1914, he patented a Breathing Device which was the first gas mask. The patent described a hood attached to a long tube that had an opening for air and the second tube with a valve that allowed air to be exhaled. On November 20, 1923, Morgan patented the first traffic signal in the U.S. He later patented the traffic signal in England and Canada. Norbert Rillieux Norbert Rillieux invented a revolutionary new process for refining sugar. Rillieux’s most famous invention was a multiple effect evaporator, which harnessed steam energy from boiling sugarcane juice, greatly reducing refining costs. One of Rillieuxs patents was initially declined because it was believed he was a slave and therefore not a US citizen (Rillieux was free). Katherine Johnson Katherine Johnson (born August 26, 1918) made major contributions to the United States space program in the field of digital electronic computers. The book and movie Hidden Figures feature the significance of her work. Katherine Johnson (middle) at the 89th Annual Academy Awards. FilmMagic / Getty Images James West James West (born February 10, 1931) invented the microphone in the 1960s. He holds 47 US patents and over 200 foreign patents for microphones and polymer foil electrets. Wests transducers are used in over 90 percent of microphones in use today. Ernest Everett Just Ernest Just (1883-1941) was an African-American scientist and teacher. He pioneered research into cell development and fertilization. Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a self-educated astronomer and mathematician. He surveyed the land that became the nations capitol. Banneker exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson to further the cause of racial equality.

How to Conjugate Regular 3rd Conjugation Latin Verbs

How to Conjugate Regular 3rd Conjugation Latin Verbs Third conjugation verbs end in -ere in the infinitive (the second principal part). In the third conjugation, a three-syllable infinitive stresses the first syllable. Our model Latin third conjugation verb below is gero, so its second principal part would be pronounced GEreh-reh, where the g is hard, as in get. [See Latin Discussion.] Distinguishing 3rd Conjugation Verbs From Other Conjugations Like the third declension, the third conjugation seems to have more than its share of different types, since it actually has a subtype, the -io verbs. It may also seem hard to distinguish verbs of the third conjugation from other conjugations. If this is something you have problems with, please read the following; otherwise, skip to the paradigm. The other conjugation with an -ere as the second principal part is actually different because it has a long -e that you may see marked with a macron (- ). The second conjugation syllable with a long -e is stressed. If you see the complete paradigm, you can tell a second from a third conjugation because the future has a -b-, just like the imperfect. Third conjugation verbs do not have a -b- in the future. You need to pay attention to the differences between the future indicative and the present subjunctive. If you want to know whether a verb is in the third conjugation, you can look at the first two principal parts. The conjugations in the running are the second and fourth, but the first principal part distinguishes the second conjugation from the third, and the second principal part distinguishes the fourth conjugation from the third conjugation -io subtype of verbs. Endings for the four Latin conjugations shown with macrons: 1st: -o, -Ä re | 2nd: -eo, -Ä“re | 3rd: -o, -ere / -io, -ere | 4th: -io, Ä «re The Paradigm of Gero With Notes Principal parts for the 3rd conjugation verb gerere, to manage gero, gerere, gessi, gestus. Infinitives Active Voice Present - gererePerfect - gessisseFuture - gesturus esse Passive Voice See conjugation of sum for use with the passive. Present - geriPerfect - gestus esseFuture - gestum iri Participles Active Present - gerensFuture - gesturus Passive Voice Perfect - gestusFuture - gerendus Active Voice and Indicative Mood Present Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gero gerimus 2 geris geritis 3 gerit gerunt Imperfect Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gerebam gerebamus 2 gerebas gerebatis 3 gerebat gerebant Future Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 geram geremus 2 geres geretis 3 geret gerent Perfect Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gessi gessimus 2 gessisti gessistis 3 gessit gesserunt Pluperfect Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gesseram gesseramus 2 gesseras gesseratis 3 gesserat gesserant Future Perfect Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gessero gesserimus 2 gesseris gesseritis 3 gesserit gesserint Passive Voice and Indicative Mood Present Tense, Passive Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 geror gerimur 2 gereris gerimini 3 geritur geruntur Imperfect Tense, Passive Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gerebar gerebamur 2 gerebaris gerebamini 3 gerebatur gerebantur Future Tense, Passive Voice, Indicative Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gerar geremur 2 gereris geremini 3 geretur gerentur The perfect tense is a tense showing completed action. That is the meaning of perfect in terms of tenses. Imperfect means incomplete. A future perfect is an action that will have been completed at some point in the future. Perfect - gestus sum ​etc.Pluperfect - gestus eram etc.Future Perfect -gestus ero etc. Active Voice and Subjunctive Mood Present Tense, Active Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 geram geramus 2 geras geratis 3 gerat gerant Imperfect Tense, Active Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gererem gereremus 2 gereres gereretis 3 gereret gererent Perfect Tense, Active Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gesserim gesserimus 2 gesseris gesseritis 3 gesserit gesserint Pluperfect Tense, Active Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gessissem gessissemus 2 gessisses gessissetis 3 gessisset gessissent Passive Voice and Subjunctive Mood Present Tense, Passive Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gerar geramur 2 geraris geramini 3 geratur gerantur Imperfect Tense, Passive Voice, Subjunctive Mood Person SINGULAR PLURAL 1 gererer gereremur 2 gerereris gereremini 3 gereretur gererentur Perfect Tense, Passive Voice, Subjunctive Mood - gestus sim Pluperfect Tense, Passive Voice, Subjunctive Mood - gestus essem Active Voice and Imperative Mood Present Tense 2d person - gere gerite Future Tense 2d person - gerito geritote3d person - gerito gerunto Passive Voice and Imperative Mood Present Tense 2d person - gerere gerimini Future Tense 2d person - geritor3d person - geritor geruntor

Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western Civilization - Essay Example This brief analysis will consider the similarities as well as the divergence that is exhibited by these two authors as a function of the books they wrote and the views they espoused. Although a great many factors can be said to differentiate the understandings of Erasmus and Machiavelli, perhaps the greatest one revolves around the root â€Å"good† that each of the authors is hoping their leadership will effect. Machiavelli puts forward that the ultimate â€Å"good† is to achieve and maintain power. As a means to this end, the nature of moral choices that are undertaken become of a secondary nature. What this means is that to Machiavelli, the ultimate goal is the expansion and retention of the leader’s power. This can be effected through a variety of means that Machiavelli discusses. However, for the purposes of brevity, these means can be broken down into the nature of being feared versus being loved. To Machiavelli, humanity is duplicitous and untrustworthy. As such, Machiavelli believes that it is necessary for a leader to exhibit fearful attributes so that the subjects will seek to honor his will to power based on a healthy amount of fear for the different types of punitive actions the leader might effect. Although Machiavelli states that the leader should be feared and loved, this is oftentimes not entirely possible to exist at the same time for the same leader. In this way Machiavelli upholds to the reader that the most important concept to uphold would be that of overall fear due to the fact that of these two mechanisms, only fear has the ability to increase power of the ruler of the notions of fealty that love might induce. Conversely, Erasmus approaches the issue from a different perspective entirely. Rather than choosing to argue with Machiavelli over which of the two functions most dramatically increase the power of the leader in question, Erasmus chooses to focus instead on which approach entails the higher application of morali ty; or the greater good with reference to the Christian virtue. Obviously, with respect to Erasmus Christian humanism, the answer to this question is concentric around the â€Å"love of the leader†. In this way, Erasmus seeks to maximize the good while minimizing the evil. In a contrasting way to Machiavelli, Erasmus’ point of view is concentric upon the ways in which the leader can work to improve their kingdom both morally and spiritually. In this way, it is morally reprehensible for Erasmus to consider a point of view that employs devious or â€Å"evil† means to satisfy a given end. Although it is not the point of this analysis to break down Machiavelli’s approach into one that can be described by the simple â€Å"ends justifies the means† cliche, it does help the reader to gain a firm handle on the subject matter and attempt to understand the nuances of how Erasmus and Machiavelli both approach the same subject matter with widely different inte rpretations of how the leader can maximize his ultimate utility based upon these. Says Erasmus of the moral imperative that he attempts to relate to the reader, â€Å"If you cannot defend your realm without violating justice, without wanton loss of human life, without great loss to religion, give up and yield to the importunities of the age† (Erasmus 17)! Such a view is of course contradicted by the very realistic utilitarian methods that Machiavelli puts forward in his own treatise. Says Machiavelli, â€Å"Whenever you have to kill someone, make sure you have a suitable excuse and an obvious reason; but, above all else, keep your hands off other people’s property; for men are quicker to forget the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance. Moreover, there are always reasons why you might

International business & institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International business & institutions - Essay Example Key Findings Regarding Market Opportunities in China China is one of the strongest economies of the world. According to statistics on the Chinese market, the number of urban households owning a computer stood at 27.8% in 2003 compared to just 2.6% in 1997. Speaking of white good manufacturing, it’s something that’s being carried out on a very grand stage in China for a vast amount of time now (Access Asia Limited 2006). White goods like washing machines and refrigerators have been possessed by most of urban Chinese population since the mid of 1990s. However, as such they haven’t been found in much quantity in the rural areas of China even though the according to the recent studies, the rate of such purchases by rural households has witnessed a sharp increase. The Porter’s diamond is often used to explain why certain countries enjoy an exceptional reputation for certain goods and services they produce. We all know Germany is famous for car manufacturing, Ja pan for its cameras and game stations the UK for its financial services. The Porter’s diamond helps us explain why all this happens. One of the determinant factors of the Porter’s diamond is factor conditions. China is an over populated country. The population of the country has increased so much that there are a lot of people roaming around jobless. In such a demand supply mismatch, labor can usually be hired at cheap rates. Refrigerator manufacturing usually requires labor to interconnect parts and oversee the running of machinery. A lot of money can be saved in term of hiring cheap labor. Another of the factor conditions that favors the production of electronics like refrigerators in China is the weather. The warm Chinese weather is perfect for the condensed gas found in the refrigerator’s condenser. Too hot or too cold weather often causes problems in the condenser and extra cost has to be incurred to refill the leaked gas. Demand conditions are the second f actor in Porter’s diamond. There would be obviously no reason to produce goods and services where there isn’t a demand for such products. China is the most populous country in the world and with an ever increasing population, the demand for refrigerators can be foreseen to be high in the future. In such circumstances setting up a refrigerator manufacturing plant directly in China would result in an increase in profit and lowering of costs. Cost would be lowered as they refrigerators be manufactured locally and therefore wouldn’t have to imported and hence cost reduction could be experienced in the form of saving on import related duties and taxes. Hubei is a probable location for our European based company to set up a refrigeration plant. The Hubei province is located in the middle of China and is also referred to as the natural distribution hub of China. The province of Hubei has slightly more skilled labor as compared to other parts of the country and has alre ady well-established supply chains. The province is already home to a lot of companies ranging from telecom sector to electronic appliance and computer equipment makers (Joint Environmental Markets 2000). Another factor from the Porter’s diamond is whether there are related or supporting industries or not. It is a generally well known fact that that industries often benefit from each other if they are located in the vicinity of related and supporting indust

Globalization and Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Globalization and Music - Research Paper Example In numerous regions across the world, the first few decades of the 20th century marked the immense movement of music across the world. One notable group that profited from the upsurge of technological innovation was the Beatles whose performance was the first to be satellite broadcast all over the world. The Beatles had also travelled all over the world and had made records in different languages. Arguably, the Beatles in many ways represented the first globalization of music and entertainment. This group had travelled to countries in Asia and Europe where they had performances. Another example is that of Bob Marley who became an internationally renowned music star in the 1970’s (Achterberg et al. 5). This wave of world music is as a result of the numerous waves of distribution, exchange, appropriation and movement. Notably, the changes in technology have also brought about the evolution of music through the advent of novel hybrid styles of music. These technologies are almost in all regions of the world and have allowed musicians and producers to reproduce music that appeals to all.

Control and simulation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Control and simulation - Coursework Example is equilibrium position is hard to achieve as their always remains a difference among the two values owing to the mechanical and personnel errors in conducting the experiment and taking readings. Considering the efficiency and flow rate curve; here the efficiency of the pump (E) first increases and then after a point, it starts decreasing. The similar pattern and shape as seen in characteristic curve in graph. This happens because calculation of efficiency includes division of hydraulic power by the mechanical power. First, when the mechanical power of the pump remains below the hydraulic power the efficiency increases. But as time passes, the mechanical power increases and exceeds the hydraulic power value and thus the efficiency starts decreasing. Thus, the curve first shows a rise and then a decline. These graphs also give an idea about the pump capacity at which the pump would be most efficient. The value of flow rate at which the efficiency is highest or the value one step less than the point at which the efficiency starts falling is the peak value and corresponding most productive flow rate of the pump. Clearly with increasing flow rate, elevation head remains constant, velocity head increases and the static head decreases also the energy lost to friction increases which in all decreases the total head of the pump. The BEP values are known by interpolating the E-Q curve at varied pump speeds, which is further used to make performance curve of the pump at that speed. These performance curves can be plotted by varying the flow rates and also by varying the diameter of the inlet pipe and then compare the curves obtained with the standard ones. The performance curves play a crucial role for the pump manufacturers who can actually analyse the working of their pumps from these curves and any deviations found are appropriately followed by complementing improvements in the pump

Women of the Bible Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women of the Bible - Dissertation Example However, lack of adequate literature focusing on this particular aspect has forced its conclusion to remain unresolved. In the discussion henceforth, women of the Bible will be elaborated. Eve Since the beginning of life on earth, as per the Biblical narrations, distinctions between the gender roles of men and women were made clear by God when he had given life to Adam and Eve – who is the first woman on earth. As God had spoken, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man†. The narration in Bible states about her calm life filled with all sorts of pleasure a human mind can think of, with her husband Adam, until both were banished from Eden on doubting God. It was since then that God has punished the womankind with all the miseries in life and that she shall be ruled by the mankind – â€Å"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing: with pain, you will give birth to chil dren. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you†. The inspiration that can be drawn from Eve’s life is rather a caution to those who refuse to accept the authority of God. Nevertheless, although God had banished her from heaven, he had also promised a just avenge by her offspring to demolish her enemies. Sarah The narrations of the Bible depict Sarah as a much more complicated character than Eve was, while it also illustrates her as a right-doer and a wise-chooser between the right and the wrong.

The Business Relationship between Nathan and Frank Essay

The Business Relationship between Nathan and Frank - Essay Example Ethical codes seek to set standards of fair and reasonable behavior throughout the supply chain, or in the attitude towards the employee or customer. Application: Application of the law is complicated by reality, because as the case of Frank and Nathan shows, a business is by nature made up of many different individuals. Moral and economic values differ from person to person within a business situation. A business is a large organizational structure, and within this structure, there may be individuals who are inspired to behave unethically for any number of reasons—here, we are not given Frank’s reasons, but he is clearly going back on his word and breaking his promise about payment, which is unethical. He has his own reasons. Many of these reasons have to do with the goals of the individual. For example, if a person views monetary gain as their main purpose, they may be willing to put ethical issues aside in order to reach their goal with maximum efficiency, to reach their short term goals and gain advantage. They may not pay attention to the code of ethics at all, and I think this is something Frank did in the cas e. Conclusion: One potential obstacle to a strictly legal solution is that, despite the prevalence of scientific and then panoptic programs throughout the twentieth century, corruption has continued to be a strong force in the business landscape including restaurant supply and services. Part of this may be habitual: much of the graft that goes on in this environment is accepted as a sort of ritual that is basically harmless, or â€Å"honest graft.† Issue 1: Frank is certainly not showing appropriate management in his conduct towards a valued customer who is supposed to receive a discount. Then again, it could also be argued that Nathan was not being ethical either, because he did not double check, get a paper

Women of the Bible Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women of the Bible - Dissertation Example However, lack of adequate literature focusing on this particular aspect has forced its conclusion to remain unresolved. In the discussion henceforth, women of the Bible will be elaborated. Eve Since the beginning of life on earth, as per the Biblical narrations, distinctions between the gender roles of men and women were made clear by God when he had given life to Adam and Eve – who is the first woman on earth. As God had spoken, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’, for she was taken out of man†. The narration in Bible states about her calm life filled with all sorts of pleasure a human mind can think of, with her husband Adam, until both were banished from Eden on doubting God. It was since then that God has punished the womankind with all the miseries in life and that she shall be ruled by the mankind – â€Å"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing: with pain, you will give birth to chil dren. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you†. The inspiration that can be drawn from Eve’s life is rather a caution to those who refuse to accept the authority of God. Nevertheless, although God had banished her from heaven, he had also promised a just avenge by her offspring to demolish her enemies. Sarah The narrations of the Bible depict Sarah as a much more complicated character than Eve was, while it also illustrates her as a right-doer and a wise-chooser between the right and the wrong.

The Extent To Which States can Cooperate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Extent To Which States can Cooperate - Essay Example Cooperation between States It must also be noted that according to Hoffmann (2009: 245), constructivism has come up as an alternative to the shortcomings of Realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Some of the thinkers in international relations and politics such as Michael Barnett see social constructivism as being occupied with the manner in which ideas construct international structure, the manner in which such structures the identities and interests of these states, and the manner in which states and non-state entities act to produce this structure. Constructivists see international relations as being underpinned and defined by tenable and persuasive ideas, social ideas, forces of acculturation and collective values. Against this backdrop, there are many who have championed for the triumphing of constructivism in international relations over ideals such as realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Many relations exist between or among states in the international arena and can be see n to have been underpinned by ideals of constructivism. In the first place, it is important to note that the era in which states started to cooperate among themselves does not only date back to as far as when the concept of a state was realised, but also expressly convey elements of constructivism. One can clearly see the manner in which the French Revolution (1789-1799) set off precedence towards cordial interstate cooperation. Seeking to maintain the balance of power; to restore legitimacy of rule; and to quash the revolutionary spirit from suffusing into the rest of Europe, the Concert of Europe was formed among Prussia, Britain, the Russian Empire and... The research notes that according to Hoffmann, constructivism has come up as an alternative to the shortcomings of Realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Some of the thinkers in international relations and politics such as Michael Barnett see social constructivism as being occupied with the manner in which ideas construct international structure, the manner in which such structures the identities and interests of these states, and the manner in which states and non-state entities act to produce this structure. Constructivists see international relations as being underpinned and defined by tenable and persuasive ideas, social ideas, forces of acculturation and collective values. Against this backdrop, there are many who have championed for the triumphing of constructivism in international relations over ideals such as realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Many relations exist between or among states in the international arena and can be seen to have been underpinned by ideals of co nstructivism. In the first place, it is important to note that the era in which states started to cooperate among themselves does not only date back to as far as when the concept of a state was realised, but also expressly convey elements of constructivism. One can clearly see the manner in which the French Revolution (1789-1799) set off precedence towards cordial interstate cooperation. Seeking to maintain the balance of power; to restore legitimacy of rule; and to quash the revolutionary spirit from suffusing into the rest of Europe, the Concert of Europe was formed among Prussia, Britain, the Russian Empire and Austria.

The Hounds of the Baskervilles Essay Example for Free

The Hounds of the Baskervilles Essay Dr Watson is Sherlocks companion which was common in those days. He is a middle class citizen and is polite and formal. He retired from the Army and is now living on his Army pension. He admires Holmes and looks up to him, this is evident as he wants Sherlocks approval Has anything escaped me? . Sherlock sees Watson not as an equal but someone who he can patronise which is apparent when Watson is analysing a scene most of your conclusions were erroneous and you are not yourself luminous. This is caused by the differences in classes. However Watson (when not needed by Sherlock) spends his day at a Gentlemens club that he belongs to, which was a common way for men to entertain themselves in the Victorian times. As he can afford to join the club then he must be comfortable financially, nevertheless not as wealthy as Holmes. Watsons wealth is also obvious as Watson smokes cigarettes which are bought from the same expensive shop as Holmess tobacco in Oxford Street. Watson (like most Victorian Men) has strict beliefs in what is right and wrong and how to behave. This is seen when he comes across an unarmed suspect whom he has a chance to shoot, however he refuses to because he says he only has the gun to defend himself and not to shoot an unarmed man. Sir Henry Baskerville is a titled aristocracy who inherits Baskerville Hall but has to return to England from America. His appearance is seen as different to other upper class men as he has the .. weather beaten look of a man who is unused to the English countryside which is very formal compared to America and Canada which is where he spent most of his life I have got a little careless in my ways out West. However he is still referred to as an upper class gentleman. He appears uncomfortable to the strict opinion of the community in Victorian England however knows he has to behave in an appropriate way. Sir Henry is amazed when he first sees Baskerville Hall To think that this should be the same hall in which for five hundred years my people have lived! It strikes me solemn to think of it. In this Era it was extremely popular for big houses to be passed down by generations of the same family. In the Victorian times Servants were extremely popular in the upper class households. The amount of servants per household depended on the size of the house and their wealth. Within the bigger houses the servants who usually lived in the house would be arranged into a hierarchy of servants with the butler (male) at the top (which is ironic as this reflects the patriarchal system of Victorian England). In Baskervilles hall, Mr Barrymore is the butler subdued manner of a well-trained servant and Mrs Barrymore is the housekeeper large, impassive, heavy featured. Commonly in those days the servants would stay with the family for years and show great respect and loyalty. Sometimes servants would work in the same households as their relatives, Mrs Barrymore and her brother were bought up in Baskerville Hall. Frequently the servants children would grow up in the household too and would start working there at a young age. However when Mrs Barrymore is told of her brothers death, Mr and Mrs Barrymore announce to Sir Henry that they wish to leave Baskerville Hall and his reaction is I should be sorry to begin my life here by breaking an old family connection. The loyalty of the relationships between the owners and servants is highlighted with the Barrymores reasoning for leaving Baskerville Hall .. we were both very much attached to Sir Charles.. I fear that we shall never again be easy in our minds at Baskerville Hall.

Role and Significance of Budgetary Control

Role and Significance of Budgetary Control Introduction: Enterprise is a complex man-made running coupling system and a contractual association with body; it is very necessary to the business activities of its process and implements control. According to the modern management guru Robert  Simons theory, management control achieve management objectives. Through the implementation of a series of management control lever, so it should increase the importance of budgetary control and devote energies to the management of budgetary control to ensure that business objectives and performance management of the smooth realization. The essay will first give an overview of budget control. Secondly, it will introduce the Performance Management Overview. Thirdly, it will discuss How to improve the effectiveness of budgetary control. Finally, it will give a short conclusion. An overview of budget control The meaning of budgetary control Budgetary control has the existence of broad and narrow sense. Broad budgetary control sees the entire budget system as a control system, which it is the formation of a prior, during and after the whole process control system (David E.W. Marginsona, 1999). Through the budget preparation, budget evaluation, reward and punishment by monitoring of budget execution. Narrow budgetary control prepares a good budget as a basis for performance management and standards on a regular basis to compare actual performance with the budget analyze differences in the results and take corrective measures, which is mainly referring to something in the process of budget implementation in the monitoring of behavior. According to control activities, budget control includes target control, process control and system control, while the budget as the primary means of corporate internal controls provides a comprehensive management platform. Budget target of control is that Budget management through strategic planning to determine the annual business objectives; then through the decomposition of indicators to clarify the responsibility of the objectives of the responsibility of the budget units as a basis for evaluation. Budget program control is that Budget management achieves complete control over the purpose through the division of budget management decision-making authority and authorization controls, segregation of duties control is incompatible with the budget organization, budget, audit, budget monitoring and internal audit characteristics (John K. Christiansen and Peter Skà ¦rbà ¦k, 1997). Budgetary control regulates businesses and peoples behavior through a series of system control and enhances enterprise rule of law capacity, at the same time improves the enterprises core competitiveness. Budgetary control is the core of enterprise management control and a business management system, a very important control system. Budgetary control is a comprehensive system of budgetary control, That budgetary control infiltrates to the various business processes of enterprises. At the same time, it is still the core of internal control. Science and the implementation of budgetary control is an important guarantee for the effective implementation of budget management The role and significance of budgetary control Budgetary control mainly refers to the budget during the execution of the budget implementation of the routine supervision and control; it is the budget target to achieve the necessary guarantees. Control functions are the basic functions of management of the budget in the analysis of the implementation of enterprise budget management; Control effect of budget management throughout the management process. Budgeting is a pre-budget control, budget execution is a matter of control, budget evaluation is a kind of ex post control. As the enterprises own internal and external conditions change, sometimes business strategy need to make corresponding adjustments, though corporate budget management must change in accordance with the strategic objectives of changes in the future management of operational activities to achieve feed forward control (Peter Brownell ,1985). In the budget execution process, from budget management, budgetary control organizations in the field and promptly discovered that the actual deviations from the budget differences, and took the necessary measures to eliminate weaknesses and achieve process control. Budget management functions In the budget- feedback control, budget management, budget management and the implementation of the main functions keep the actual results to compare with budget targets in time, and deviations occur message to budget management and the main body so that adjust it timely to ensure the budget goals. In short, the advance control focuses on the corporate budget management and budgeting. Things in the process control focuses on each link to control the implementation of a business, and afterwards , feedback control focuses on the feedback according to deviate from the budget target follow-up control of information. Because of the combination, only the budget to strengthen all-round management and control capabilities, it enables Enterprises strategic objectives to be refined to implement. Budgetary control is not only a wide range of control, but also a full range of control; budget control must penetrate to the enterprise in all business processes and the business links, which is covering all business sectors and positions. On the one hand, the application of accounting measurement accounting methods reflect implementation of the budget process and oversight for accounting control and budget management for the basic values to provide the required information. On the other hand, in-depth into the origin of the value of management activities, the daily operations of specific business areas, such as procurement, production, sales and so on, to carry out management control. Enterprise Budget Management of the main needs of the accounting department and co-ordination between business units and communication account control and management control together. Budget management involves many factors, the breadth of the decision of the board of directors and the boards of supervisors only grasp what is important in order to take into account the overall situation, but also decided to encourage the implementation of the budget, the main body of self-control is particularly necessary. Performance Management Overview Performance Management connotation Performance management is developed on the basis of a management concept and management models in the traditional management ideas (David Otleya, 1999). Performance management objectives promote the responsible people accountable for results to achieve organizational behavior efficient; it could through the design of organizational activities and achieves the objective evaluation of the effects. Compared with traditional management, performance management activities of the organization is advocating relaxation of process management and rules of control, the management focus from a rules-based accountability to performance-based accountability, the entire management process demonstrates the activities of the organization goals and achieve its objectives effectiveness concerns. We must establish a performance-based accountability, it is necessary for organizations and individuals to evaluate the performance of activities which result in the activities of the organization and individual performance evaluation. By designing a set of performance evaluation index system of scientific, it reflect the objectives of organizations and individuals to achieve results, and it provide a basis for incentive and restraint and the allocation of resources for managers Performance appraisal is an important technology tool for performance management that improve the efficiency and it is the key factors of organizational behavior, thus constitute the core content of performance management An overview of Performance Budgeting The performance management concepts for budget management practices produced a performance budgeting. According to the Ministry of Finance Budget Division of the definition of performance budgeting, performance budgeting is a goal-oriented budget, it is based on achievement of the governments public sector objectives and it is in budget preparation, control and evaluation of a budget management model( Robert Dransfield,2000). In contrast with the traditional budget management, performance budget, focuses the effectiveness of fiscal spending in the stresses, at the same time it advocated to give managers sufficient autonomy in budget management and reporting system through the public sector, public sector reporting system in the traditional budget system to inject a kinds of incentive and restraint mechanisms to effectively contribute the organizational goals. In the performance budget management, budget expenditure performance evaluation as a management control tool, which is a core content in performance budget management. The so-called budget expenditure performance evaluation refers to the use of certain assessment methods, quantitative indicators and appraisal criteria and functions of the department to achieve its performance goals established by the realization of the extent, as well as to achieve this goal; the implementation of the budget was carried out by the results of a comprehensive assessment and evaluation. The aim of the department of performance objectives is rational allocation of resources, optimizing effectiveness and efficiency of the use of budgetary funds through a comprehensive evaluation. Performance evaluation of scientific conclusions of the performance of expenditure is the key to the successful implementation of performance management. This relates to how to organize the implementation, how to choose the scope of evaluation, how to determine the performance objectives, performance indicators and evaluation methods and so on; in order to obtain one scientific conclusion question on public expenditure in the economic, efficiency and effectiveness of the Three. From the definition of performance budgeting, performance budget has two core elements, one is performance evaluation to solve how to set up performance evaluation system of science to arrive at the performance of scientific information; second is performance information and budget integration to solve performance information (PI) how to combine of management and budget issues, which is how to combine the performance information and budget preparation, execution and reporting system in order to achieve the efficient budget management and the promotion of organizational performance improvement (Jack Diamond,2003). Both of these two aspects are interlinked and mutually distinction, which constitute a complete performance of the budget system. How to improve the effectiveness of budgetary control Sometimes, the implementation of the budget alone to assess a business operation in the period may be good or bad business lacks flexibility, and thus induce businesses to focus only on some short-term, and immediate interests, rather than from a long-term, strategic point of view thinking. Therefore, we should budget for the traditional appraisal methods to do some improvements and make control tools with some other combine, so as to achieve the optimum. Drawing on balanced scorecard thinking Balanced scorecard help us from the level of multi-dimensional performance of the integrated assessment managers, it both on the organizations financial indicators for evaluation and the organizations customers, internal operations, the learning and growth aspects of assessment. Incentive and constraint mechanism to conduct innovation Budgetary control get people to complete it, they have to take into account peoples behavior and psychological factors, so the incentive and restrictive mechanism in the budget management is most importance (Michel J. Lebasa, 1995). Enterprises should be based on objective circumstances to develop a series of truly value-creating linkages with the staff of the incentive and restraint mechanisms to fully and effectively mobilize the enthusiasm of staff performance and creativity, so that employees consciously enterprise business objectives into their own development to be achieved goals, and actively take the initiative to complete the business plan to develop a budget, so that the budget management companies could be more active and effective implementation. Dynamic evaluation Dynamic evaluation refers to the budget implementation process, the budget of the implementation of dynamic and tracking of evaluation of the budget in the implementation, the timely detection of the budget in the implementation of the problems found and processing and adjustment of the budget in time. Through dynamic evaluation, we can more timely control the budget management and ensure its effective implementation. Conclusion Some companies focus only on practical preparation of the budget and ignore the control of the budget implementation process. In fact, the control of budget management play a key role in the budget; if there is no budget control, the budget would be a mere formality lose control. Budget management control system is adopted by various government departments and budget implementation of the relevant series of internal control procedures and the adjustment mechanism, whose main function prevent errors and fraud to ensure the correct implementation of the budget, as well as the efficient realization of organizational goals. Budget management and budgetary control systems also known as the internal control system, which constitute a complete budget control system together with the budget and external control systems.

An Analysis of Frosts Tree at my Window Essay example -- Tree at my W

  An Analysis of Frost's "Tree at my Window"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   The poem "Tree at my Window" was written by Robert Frost, an America poet who was born in 1874 and died in 1963 (DiYanni 624). The narrator in this poem appears to be speaking to the "tree at my window"; then, repeating the phrase in reverse order, he calls it the "window tree," as if to emphasize the location and nearness of the tree. Calling the tree a "window tree," might also suggest that this tree is something he sees through, perhaps to some higher truth, to something beyond the mere physical presence of the tree.    As night approaches, the "sash" or movable portion of the window is lowered, perhaps to prevent the air, cooled from lack of the sun's warmth, from entering the house (Webster 1026). The narrator continues, "But let there never be curtain drawn / Between you and me." Literally, this statement could imply that he does not want a drape to cover the window betwen them. A sense of foreboding arises if one looks at additional definitions. "Curtain" can refer to death and "drawn" can refer to being brought about by inducement or being allured (Webster 280, 346).    The narrator begins the second stanza mentioning a dream that is unclear. He then stops short and continues, seemingly describing the appearance of the tree. Referring to "head lifted out of the ground, / Not all your light tonuges taliking aloud / could be profound." Perhaps the speaker could be describing the vastness of the tree's height and width along with the magnitude of leaves. Comparing tongues to leaves is a possibility because, as the wind rushes through them, it causes a distinct sound. The speaker may even believe that the tree has insight to his feelings (Webster ... ...four, the speaker compares "outer" and "inner" lives.    "Tree at my Window" contains descriptions and comparisons that almost bring an image to one's mind. Perhaps I have been able to relate to this poem because I have often looked out of the window at the trees and mountains in the distance and contemplated some dilemma. Perhaps we could all learn from nature not to be so anxious about things that in the long run run do not really even matter.    Works Cited Cox, James, M. Robert Frost: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1962. DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994. Thompson, Lawrence. Robert Frost: The Early Years 1874-1915 New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Massachusetts: G&C Merriam, 1977.   

Greek Crisis

The Greek crisis: opportunity for Greek to rebirth The dubious distinction of history’s first recorded sovereign default belongs to Greece—the same nation at the forefront of the world’s second major financial crisis in five years. The crisis raised a question: Whether the crisis is a tragedy or opportunity for Greek? I believe even Greek have taken measures to reform, this crisis would continue until Greek government come up with solutions which are not created by other countries and international institutions to protect their benefits. Trouble in Public Finance Greece faced deep economic problems.Most notorious was public-sector deficit. (See Exhibit 1) The debt-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s ability to pay off the entire debt with one year’s income, regardless of the nation’s wealth or total debt outstanding. Exhibit 4 shows the possibility that Greeck default is increasing. Two most outsized component of government expenditure were emp loyee compensation and pensions. Greek government has taken austerity measures to reduce the deficit and meet the request of the international institutions who provide financial aid to Greece. The weaknesses of the economic modelThe global economic crisis of 2008 has found the Greek economy with several fundamental weaknesses: †¢ Reliance on ‘easy money’ (such as from the stock market or property), as well as on over-inflated private consumption, which has in turn relied on loans in recent years. †¢ The disproportionately central role of construction as the ‘driving force of the economy’ dating back to the 1960s. †¢ Particularly high public debt, which remains undiminished despite the widespread privatisations of the last 20 years. †¢ Over-reliance on sectors directly affected by the international crisis, such as tourism and shipping. Excessive dependence on oil consumption, an energy-wasting, pollution-generating energy model and the pr ospect of high-cost ‘emissions rights’ from 2012 onwards. †¢ Abandonment of mountainous and disadvantaged regions, which represent two thirds of the country, and overcrowding and overuse in the remaining third. †¢ An absence of genuine protection of natural resources in sectors such as water, forest land, fisheries resources and the countryside and biodiversity. proposals to exit the crisis A fundamental priority is TO SIMULTANEOUSLY INVEST IN THE EXIT FROM ALL THREE ASPECTS OF THE CRISIS: the economic, the social and the environmental.We focus on three basic priorities in parallel with the efforts for fiscal viability and the fight against corruption and tax evasion: †¢ Sustainable revitalisation of the countryside, with emphasis in the production of biological agricultural goods, and resurgence of the local and regional level economy, including the abandoned mountainous and disadvantaged areas. †¢ Promotion and upgrade of collective goods and servi ces as compensation for the loss of purchasing power of people, in order for quality of life to become again a right for everyone as a kind of ‘parallel social wage’. Urgent turn in the energy sector to eliminate the dependence on oil and lignite, promotion of solutions alternative to car use, but also investments in energy saving and in renewable energy sources, drawn so that they offer additional incomes for the maximum possible number of households. Specific policies having these priorities need to be developed and applied in order to create funds and engage creative social forces: †¢ A just tax reform that will use the taxes as tools for encouragement or not of activities depending on their repercussions on the environment and the society. Measures for transparency and fight against corruption and tax evasion should aim at the re-establishment of a sense of social justice. †¢ Reduction of military spending and negotiations withTurkey for even larger mutual reductions. Given the Turkish candidacy for integration into the EU, it is logical to ssume that the EU should become more involved in the efforts to resolve Greek-Turkish differences. †¢ The promotion of a social and solidarity economy is of central importance to us. The reconnection with the tradition of the ‘ecology of the poor’ becomes again particularly relevant. Exhibit 1

Chapter 25 the Grapes of Wrath

THE SPRING IS BEAUTIFUL in California. Valleys in which the fruit blossoms are fragrant pink and white waters in a shallow sea. Then the first tendrils of the grapes swelling from the old gnarled vines, cascade down to cover the trunks. The full green hills are round and soft as breasts. And on the level vegetable lands are the mile-long rows of pale green lettuce and the spindly little cauliflowers, the gray-green unearthly artichoke plants. And then the leaves break out on the trees, and the petals drop from the fruit trees and carpet the earth with pink and white.The centers of the blossoms swell and grow and color: cherries and apples, peaches and pears, figs which close the flower in the fruit. All California quickens with produce, and the fruit grows heavy, and the limbs bend gradually under the fruit so that little crutches must be placed under them to support the weight. Behind the fruitfulness are men of understanding and knowledge, and skill, men who experiment with seed, e ndlessly developing the techniques for greater crops of plants whose roots will resist the million enemies of the earth: the molds, the insects, the rusts, the blights.These men work carefully and endlessly to perfect the seed, theroots. And there are the men of chemistry who spray the trees against pests, who sulphur the grapes, who cut out disease and rots, mildews and sicknesses. Doctors of preventive medicine, men at the borders who look for fruit flies, for Japanese beetle, men who quarantine the sick trees and root them out and burn them, men of knowledge.The men who graft the young trees, the little vines, are the cleverest of all, for theirs is a surgeon's job, as tender and delicate; and these men must have surgeons' hands and surgeons' hearts to slit the bark, to place the grafts, to bind the wounds and cover them from the air. These are great men. Along the rows, the cultivators move, tearing the spring grass and turning it under to make a fertile earth, breaking the grou nd to hold the water up near the surface, ridging the ground in little pools for the irrigation, destroying the weed roots that may drink the water away from the trees.And all the time the fruit swells and the flowers break out in long clusters on the vines. And in the growing year the warmth grows and the leaves turn dark green. The prunes lengthen like little green bird's eggs, and the limbs sag down against the crutches under the weight. And the hard little pears take shape, and the beginning of the fuzz comes out on the peaches. Grape blossoms shed their tiny petals and the hard little beads become green buttons, and the buttons grow heavy. The men who work in the fields, the owners of the little orchards, watch and calculate.The year is heavy with produce. And the men are proud, for of their knowledge they can make the year heavy. They have transformed the world with their knowledge. The short, lean wheat has been made big and productive. Little sour apples have grown large and sweet, and that old grape that grew among the trees and fed the birds its tiny fruit has mothered a thousand varieties, red and black, green and pale pink, purple and yellow; and each variety with its own flavor. The men who work in the experimental farms have made new fruits: nectarines and forty kinds of plums, walnuts with paper shells.And always they work, selecting, grafting, changing, driving themselves, driving the earth to produce. And first the cherries ripen. Cent and a half a pound. Hell, we can't pick 'em for that. Black cherries and red cherries, full and sweet, and the birds eat half of each cherry and the yellowjackets buzz into the holes the birds made. And on the ground the seeds drop and dry with black shreds hanging from them. The purple prunes soften and sweeten. My God, we can't pick them and dry and sulphur them. We can't pay wages, no matter what wages. And the purple prunes carpet the ground.And first the skins wrinkle a little and swarms of flies come to fe ast, and the valley is filled with the odor of sweet decay. The meat turns dark and the crop shrivels on the ground. And the pears grow yellow and soft. Five dollars a ton. Five dollars for forty fiftypound boxes; trees pruned and sprayed, orchards cultivated—pick the fruit, put it in boxes, load the trucks, deliver the fruit to the cannery—forty boxes for five dollars. We can't do it. And the yellow fruit falls heavily to the ground and splashes on the ground. The yellowjackets dig into the soft meat, and there is a smell of ferment and rot.Then the grapes—we can't make good wine. People can't buy good wine. Rip the grapes from the vines, good grapes, rotten grapes, wasp-stung grapes. Press stems, press dirt and rot. But there's mildew and formic acid in the vats. Add sulphur and tannic acid. The smell from the ferment is not the rich odor of wine, but the smell of decay and chemicals. Oh, well. It has alcohol in it, anyway. They can get drunk. The little farme rs watched debt creep up on them like the tide. They sprayed the trees and sold no crop, they pruned and grafted and could not pick the crop.And the men of knowledge have worked, have considered, and the fruit is rotting on the ground, and the decaying mash in the wine vat is poisoning the air. And taste the wine—no grape flavor at all, just sulphur and tannic acid and alcohol. This little orchard will be a part of a great holding next year, for the debt will have choked the owner. This vineyard will belong to the bank. Only the great owners can survive, for they own the canneries, too. And four pears peeled and cut in half, cooked and canned, still cost fifteen cents. And the canned pears do not spoil.They will last for years. The decay spreads over the State, and the sweet smell is a great sorrow on the land. Men who can graft the trees and make the seed fertile and big can find no way to let the hungry people eat their produce. Men who have created new fruits in the world cannot create a system whereby their fruits may be eaten. And the failure hangs over the State like a great sorrow. The works of the roots of the vines, of the trees, must be destroyed to keep up the price, and this is the saddest, bitterest thing of all. Carloads of oranges dumped on the ground.The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them up? And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit—and kerosene sprayed over the golden mountains. And the smell of rot fills the country. Burn coffee for fuel in the ships. Burn corn to keep warm, it makes a hot fire. Dump potatoes in the rivers and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing them out.Slaughter the pigs and bury them, and let the putrescence drip down into th e earth. There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificate—died of malnutrition—because the food must rot, must be forced to rot.The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but the kerosene is sprayed. And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quick-lime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath a re filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. Chapter 25 the Grapes of Wrath THE SPRING IS BEAUTIFUL in California. Valleys in which the fruit blossoms are fragrant pink and white waters in a shallow sea. Then the first tendrils of the grapes swelling from the old gnarled vines, cascade down to cover the trunks. The full green hills are round and soft as breasts. And on the level vegetable lands are the mile-long rows of pale green lettuce and the spindly little cauliflowers, the gray-green unearthly artichoke plants. And then the leaves break out on the trees, and the petals drop from the fruit trees and carpet the earth with pink and white.The centers of the blossoms swell and grow and color: cherries and apples, peaches and pears, figs which close the flower in the fruit. All California quickens with produce, and the fruit grows heavy, and the limbs bend gradually under the fruit so that little crutches must be placed under them to support the weight. Behind the fruitfulness are men of understanding and knowledge, and skill, men who experiment with seed, e ndlessly developing the techniques for greater crops of plants whose roots will resist the million enemies of the earth: the molds, the insects, the rusts, the blights.These men work carefully and endlessly to perfect the seed, theroots. And there are the men of chemistry who spray the trees against pests, who sulphur the grapes, who cut out disease and rots, mildews and sicknesses. Doctors of preventive medicine, men at the borders who look for fruit flies, for Japanese beetle, men who quarantine the sick trees and root them out and burn them, men of knowledge.The men who graft the young trees, the little vines, are the cleverest of all, for theirs is a surgeon's job, as tender and delicate; and these men must have surgeons' hands and surgeons' hearts to slit the bark, to place the grafts, to bind the wounds and cover them from the air. These are great men. Along the rows, the cultivators move, tearing the spring grass and turning it under to make a fertile earth, breaking the grou nd to hold the water up near the surface, ridging the ground in little pools for the irrigation, destroying the weed roots that may drink the water away from the trees.And all the time the fruit swells and the flowers break out in long clusters on the vines. And in the growing year the warmth grows and the leaves turn dark green. The prunes lengthen like little green bird's eggs, and the limbs sag down against the crutches under the weight. And the hard little pears take shape, and the beginning of the fuzz comes out on the peaches. Grape blossoms shed their tiny petals and the hard little beads become green buttons, and the buttons grow heavy. The men who work in the fields, the owners of the little orchards, watch and calculate.The year is heavy with produce. And the men are proud, for of their knowledge they can make the year heavy. They have transformed the world with their knowledge. The short, lean wheat has been made big and productive. Little sour apples have grown large and sweet, and that old grape that grew among the trees and fed the birds its tiny fruit has mothered a thousand varieties, red and black, green and pale pink, purple and yellow; and each variety with its own flavor. The men who work in the experimental farms have made new fruits: nectarines and forty kinds of plums, walnuts with paper shells.And always they work, selecting, grafting, changing, driving themselves, driving the earth to produce. And first the cherries ripen. Cent and a half a pound. Hell, we can't pick 'em for that. Black cherries and red cherries, full and sweet, and the birds eat half of each cherry and the yellowjackets buzz into the holes the birds made. And on the ground the seeds drop and dry with black shreds hanging from them. The purple prunes soften and sweeten. My God, we can't pick them and dry and sulphur them. We can't pay wages, no matter what wages. And the purple prunes carpet the ground.And first the skins wrinkle a little and swarms of flies come to fe ast, and the valley is filled with the odor of sweet decay. The meat turns dark and the crop shrivels on the ground. And the pears grow yellow and soft. Five dollars a ton. Five dollars for forty fiftypound boxes; trees pruned and sprayed, orchards cultivated—pick the fruit, put it in boxes, load the trucks, deliver the fruit to the cannery—forty boxes for five dollars. We can't do it. And the yellow fruit falls heavily to the ground and splashes on the ground. The yellowjackets dig into the soft meat, and there is a smell of ferment and rot.Then the grapes—we can't make good wine. People can't buy good wine. Rip the grapes from the vines, good grapes, rotten grapes, wasp-stung grapes. Press stems, press dirt and rot. But there's mildew and formic acid in the vats. Add sulphur and tannic acid. The smell from the ferment is not the rich odor of wine, but the smell of decay and chemicals. Oh, well. It has alcohol in it, anyway. They can get drunk. The little farme rs watched debt creep up on them like the tide. They sprayed the trees and sold no crop, they pruned and grafted and could not pick the crop.And the men of knowledge have worked, have considered, and the fruit is rotting on the ground, and the decaying mash in the wine vat is poisoning the air. And taste the wine—no grape flavor at all, just sulphur and tannic acid and alcohol. This little orchard will be a part of a great holding next year, for the debt will have choked the owner. This vineyard will belong to the bank. Only the great owners can survive, for they own the canneries, too. And four pears peeled and cut in half, cooked and canned, still cost fifteen cents. And the canned pears do not spoil.They will last for years. The decay spreads over the State, and the sweet smell is a great sorrow on the land. Men who can graft the trees and make the seed fertile and big can find no way to let the hungry people eat their produce. Men who have created new fruits in the world cannot create a system whereby their fruits may be eaten. And the failure hangs over the State like a great sorrow. The works of the roots of the vines, of the trees, must be destroyed to keep up the price, and this is the saddest, bitterest thing of all. Carloads of oranges dumped on the ground.The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them up? And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit—and kerosene sprayed over the golden mountains. And the smell of rot fills the country. Burn coffee for fuel in the ships. Burn corn to keep warm, it makes a hot fire. Dump potatoes in the rivers and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing them out.Slaughter the pigs and bury them, and let the putrescence drip down into th e earth. There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificate—died of malnutrition—because the food must rot, must be forced to rot.The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but the kerosene is sprayed. And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quick-lime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath a re filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.