(Music) concert review Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The tempo changes from the initial slow walking pace at the start of the presentation to a more lively and quick pace before receding back to a normal walking pace and continues to toggle between the two paces. The melody of the recital can be described by a short but fast shifting motive. The composer uses about four notes that the shift rapidly from one set to another. At the introduction and throughout the piece the energy and vigor depicted in the melody gives the recital a jovial or celebratory atmosphere and mood. The vigor and strength that is depicted in the piece can be likened to the mood of a carnival or an active musical dance. The harmony of the recital is also varied between an interval and a chord. In the introduction of the piece, the general harmony is an interval sounding at most two notes at a time. In the later stages of the piece, it shifts to a chord but turns back the harmony back to the interval. At the intervals, there is an underlying melody that supports the harmony. We will write a custom essay sample on (Music) concert review or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now In the subsequent groups of chords, the melody is not very clear, and the progression is achieved in the recital. The variation between the interval and chords in the piece creates musical motion in the presentation. Musically it is expected that where the interval is supported by an underlying melody and the audience perceives a level of stability, the harmony is referred to as consonance. However, in the case of a turbulent and unstable set of chords, the harmony is referred to as a dissonance. The texture of this presentation can be described as both thick and thin. First, the texture can be described as monophonic. The description of the texture is because the presentation is a solo recital that is not accompanied by any vocals. A good example of thin texture is that which contains only one part like a solo voice that is not accompanied by anything. However, some composers might have the opinion that this piece does not have a thin texture. The argument would support the counterpoint composition. In this style of composition, the composer uses the underlying harmony which is overrun by the tone of the piece. This is a texture referred to as Melody and accompaniment. In this case the piece would be described as polyphonic in nature. The performer was able to link greatly with both the audience and the performance. The body movements indicated this during the performance. The performer gave a good and direct introduction to the audience and right from the start the audience would know what to expect.

Poverty, Equity, Human Rights, And Health - 1390 Words

Braveman and Gruskin, in their 2003 paper offer a review of the established cycle of poverty, equity, human rights, and health with an overview of the links between them; the history of past global efforts; and five recommendations to the health sector to focus its resources to gain maximum impact. Their paper stands on the shoulders of well-established research and theory. It is well established that there is a link between poverty and poor health, including decreased morbidity and mortality (Irwin Scali, 2007; Wagstaff, 2002). Likewise, that the cycle of the determinants of health can be broken by the attainment of education is well established (Braveman Gruskin, 2003; Maxwell, 1999; Wagstaff, 2002). That poverty itself is not a violation of human rights is, in and of itself, a surprise. However, following their argument that it is the government’s inequitable distribution of health resources or its failure to respond that produces the violation of human rights offers clar ity and a broader perspective (Braveman Gruskin, 2003). In his address to Congress on January 11, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asserted that the American people had â€Å"the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health† (Roosevelt, 1944). Never before had adequate medical care (never mind enjoying good health!) been stated as a right. â€Å"We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can beShow MoreRelatedThe Association Between Poverty, Equity, And Human Rights946 Words   |  4 PagesThe association between poverty and health outcomes is often overlooked. Attributable to a lack of structure which incorporates equity and human rights under the basic criteria’s of; institutionalizing, strengthening, and extending and implementing equitable health care to ensure adequate health services (Braveman Gruskin, 2003, p. 539). Strategies focused on identifying the correlation between poverty, equity, and human rights, in connection to health, have been difficult to assess, however, BravemanRead MoreCritical Reflection Of The Healthy People Healthy Places Reading Material And Consists Of Three Sections1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthree sections. It includes the definition of terms like health inequality and how does it relates to health equity. The first section states the importance of health inequalities and the necessity for a solution to decrease the health inequality gaps. Firstly, the term health inequality has a very broad definition and can be defined as the variations in health status or in the distribution of social determinants (Anonymous, 2012). Health inequality is also described as a condition which is avoidableRead MoreHuman Rights And Social Equity757 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Rights and Social Equity Thesis and Motive Human rights are vital to achieving and sustaining development, and while world leaders acknowledged the links between human rights and development, the MDGs did not reflect this as inequities faced by populations were not considered (UN Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR], 2015). For example, while some countries were able to achieve the MDGs, in many countries, particularly poor ones, individuals remain in extremeRead MoreHealth, Social And Social Policy1656 Words   |  7 PagesHEALTH, WELLBEING SOCIAL POLICY By [Name of Student] [Name of Instructor] [University] [Course] [Date] Health, Wellbeing Social Policy Introduction Citizens, businesses and interest groups alike continue to be concerned about poverty and related factors that deal with health and finance. However, human rights and availability are concepts that aren’t not taken seriously enough, in view of certain perspectives. Health inequalities refer to the differences in the quality of the healthcareRead MoreHealth Promotion And Its Effects On The Wellbeing1673 Words   |  7 PagesHealth is usually a complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of a disease or infirmity. In current century people inherits good health, or some may have sickness at times or some may have serious illness. As the lifestyle changes, so does the people’s health changes (Human Kinetics, n.d). By having good health helps people to fully get involved in their communities and also to participate in different activities among the community. Health promotion is the procedureRead MoreThe Medical Mission Trip Of Haiti1661 Words   |  7 PagesMy nursing practice has been affected by the medical mission trips that I have taken to Haiti. This course has further expanded my knowledge of global nursing and helped me to understand and envision new ways to improve health outcomes. I have been face to face with impoverished people who lacked access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation, nourishment and healthcare services. The life expectancy at birth in Haiti for women is 64 and in men is 61 (WHO, 2015). Haiti is the poorest countryRead MoreA Health Indicator Of Nepal Essay1488 Words   |  6 PagesPUBLC HEALTH INDICATOR SNAP OF NEPAL Nepal is a relatively small (population around 26.5 million) land-locked country, bordered by the two biggest countries in the world, India and China. Its renowned physical beauty makes it very fragmented and many parts are inaccessible by modern transport and communication facilities. There are few cities and 86% of the population lives in rural areas. The country is divided into 5 development regions, 14 zones and 75 districts. Despite its richness in biodiversityRead MorePoverty And Poverty802 Words   |  4 PagesPoverty is the worst form of violence (Gandhi). By definition, poverty impacts the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of individuals and societies. (United Nations). Without the intentional effort to eradicate poverty and its impact on societies, justice is impossible to attain. Poverty is defined as a human condition characterized sustained or chronic deprivation. The constant lack of resources is traumatic for individuals and societies alike. Poverty and other closely relatedRead MoreThe Rich Mans Debt : Ethical Obligations1537 Words   |  7 Pagesresources during international commerce the order violates their people’s human rights to â€Å"a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.†2 We thus have a positive duty to ensure the proper distribution of goods and resources. Countries like the United States have pledged to provide a tiny portion of their national income to poverty reduction. However, of the sum of money dedicated to this cause, only 21Read MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1727 Words   |  7 PagesPoverty defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is â€Å"lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts† (Hirokazu Yoshikawa, 2012). Poverty in the United States is an issue that is often times overlooked because the focus of poverty is on developing and struggling countr ies. People often think America does not experience poverty because it is such a thriving country. The problem with this is that America is indeed struggling with poverty: â€Å"there are currently 488 counties in America where

We Can Lose Our Identity When Our Environment Changes free essay sample

A change in environment could cause us to lose our identity to some extent. Everyones identity is different to a certain extent due to our upbringing and physical appearance. A persons name for example would tell a lot about themselves. The culture and language they have been using and even the meaning to the name is also part of a persons identity. The little details and characteristics of a person influences a persons identity to a certain extent. Thus, how does one lose their identity when their environment changes? This intriguing question has no simple and definite answer. Furthermore, even though we are encouraged to be different and to be proud of who we are as individuals, society still has a whole list of social norms to abide to in order to be classified as normal. There is a large grey area on how different we can be in order to behave socially appropriately and yet be able to display our uniqueness as an individual. Therefore, it is easy to lose our original identity and conform to a new identity when our environment changes. In this essay, I would like to address this issue and also discuss some opposing thoughts on it. Some food for thought would be, is it always a negative effect to losing our identity? Perhaps if we thought about our identity as a piece of soft clay being moulded through a series of events and even a change of environment, it could be thought as a positive situation. A change in environment can definitely cause us to lose part of our identity. There are several instances in the study text Growing up Asian in Australia that shows us that it is easy to forget our roots. In one of the personal recounts, sticks and stones and such-like was accounted by Sunil Badami who clearly emotes that being a minority allows others to feel more superior compared to them. Thus, Sunil experiences severe physical and verbal bullying . As he was one in three Indian students in school, he was often called names such as curry muncher, towel-head, abo. etc. All Sunil ever wanted was to fit in and be popular in school instead of always being targeted at for having a hard name to pronounce. I couldnt stand it: it was hard enough not being able to catch, let alone being a darkie. If I couldnt be less black, surely I could get a name that made me feel less black? Being forced by his environment to make a change of his identity, Sunil decided to change his name to Neil, which helped him to become more liked by his peers. By changing his name, Sunil has modified his identity. Even though Neil was just a reference to how his friends were calling him, it made Sunil feel differ ent about himself. He could relate to himself being less black by a new name. A name that allowed everyone to view Sunil as if he had the same skin colour as everyone else and could be seen as having the same effect as Sunil scrubbing his right arm with the floor brush to make his skin colour less different from the rest. A name is important to our identity as it shows our background and our culture which separates us from everyone else. In the end, Sunil finally decided to revert to his original name after hearing how meaningful his name was thought to be. Despite the pressure to choose a name that would have been beneficial to him and to a name that was meaningful to his mother, Sunil decided to respect his mothers wishes of using his birth name. Secondly, we can lose our identity in a different type of change in environment. An article that was published recently about the growing number of young South Korean teenagers going through plastic surgery expresses the thought that our identity is being compromised due to an uprising adolescent trend where teenagers are looking up to Korean artists who have gone under the knife . Having plastic surgery can be considered as modifying a persons identity as their appearances does differentiate a persons identity. However as stated in the article, Its not uncommon for middle schoolers to get double eyelid surgery before going to high school, its also common to get surgery as a high school graduation gift from their parents. We can therefore lose our identity because of society and peer pressure which is part of the environment factor. However, identity is not always being lost when our environment changes. Instead, it could be thought of as a modification of identity when there is a change of our surroundings. In a very popular animation called Despicable Me, it shows a gradual transformation of the main characters identity as he invites 3 orphan girls to stay with him to help him complete his mission. Even though the protagonist was being portrayed as a self centred, arrogant evil villain at the beginning, a gradual change was being seen as he started to have feelings for the 3 girls in a fatherly manner. Identities should not be confined as a fixed structure, but instead a lump of soft clay that has yet to set. Every episode of life that we go through would be how our identity is moulded into. It can be said that it is only through multiple exposures to different environments that we can define our identity. Even though, Despicable Me is only an animation, it shows us that our identity can be improved when there is a change of environment and be related to in real life. In conclusion, I would like to state that it is possible to lose our identity due to a different environment, including peer pressure and expectations from the society a person lives in. Furthermore, a change in environment might not necessarily cause a negative impact on identity, instead it could be modifying the persons identity as identity can be seen as ever changing instead of being confined in a fixed idea. Year 12 English Identity amp; Belonging SAC Written Explanation Using the guidelines below, explain the decisions you made in writing your Context response. My audience for this piece is specifically written to students who have had to leave their home country in order to pursue a higher standard of education. My purpose in writing this piece is to show that a change in environment does not always result in losing in a persons identity and to let the students know that a change in environment could always turn out as a positive experience. The language I have used is appropriate for my audience because a mixture of informal and formal language because it is a hybrid of persuasive writing and a formal article. Some specific examples of these language choices are where I referenced Sunil in him telling the audience what the kids in school used to bully him with. For example he was being called curry muncher, towel-head, abo. etc My language choices help my audience relate to my ideas by the informal writing style that i have used in this essay. Through this form of writing, it would allow my audience to connect better to the essay and therefore agree to the points I stated in the essay that a persons identity would not be lost through an environment. I have structured this piece in this way because it is important to hear both sides of the argument. For the first paragraph, I have started off by agreeing to the topic sentence and giving an example from growing up Asian in Australia. And from the second and third paragraph onwards, I decided to introduce new opposing viewpoints which might help the readers have an all rounded perspective on this topic. My piece draws on the relevant ideas of the Context by relevant examples from the study text which is from Growing up Asian in Australia and the name of the story is Sticks and stones and such-like that was accounted by Sunil Badami. Another example that I used is from a popular animation called Despicable Me, it represents the possibility that a change of environment could do someones identity good. Lastly, I also referenced an article on Korean teenagers where there has been an uprising trend to do plastic surgery to improve their looks. It shows that the loss and modification in identity is not due solely to the change in environment.

Primates Essays - Lemurs, Capuchin Monkeys, Primate, Prosimian

Primates Since the beginning of time, man has evolved through primate evolution. Each primate has acquired different characteristics over a period of millions of years. The ecosystem has experienced an enormous change in this phase. Most major changes have occurred due to the phenomenon of continental drift. Other such factors are deforestation, natural calamities and, more recently, global warming. These changes have caused primates to become less arboreal and more and more terrestrial. In order to survive the pressures of natural selection, terrestrial life and other factors primates have developed more upright locomotion, changes in body configuration, increase in size and loss of hair. Over a period of millions of years, the planet has gone through a number of changes. To adjust to these changes the residents of this planet have also had to adapt. For the time span encompassing vertebrate evolution, there are three eras: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. The highly successful mammalian adaptive radiation is almost entirely within the most recent era of geological history, the Cenozoic. There are seven epochs in the Cenozoic - Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene. In Paleocene (65 m.y.a.), the Lemuroids were the group of primates that existed. The Ruffed Lemur originated in the tropical rainforests of Madagascar. They ate mostly fruits, flowers, and leaves. Lemurs feature a somewhat elongated snout with a slight overlap on their eyes. They are large in size and are adapted to the ground. That ahs made them slower and thus they find it to harder to escape from their predators. They have gaps between their teeth and are extremely loud because of their strong vocal cords. They have muzzled faces, which are pointed with whiskers, and wet noses making them look less like humans. The Coquerels Sifaka are another example from this era. They originated from the forests of Northwest Madagascar. They eat mostly leaves, flowers and fruits. They are the second largest lemurs. Sifakas have long legs, which enable them to jump from tree to tree in an upright position. Another primate belonging to this era is the Galago. They are bushed babies varying from cat to rat size. The most striking features of the Galago are its huge eyes, long tail and large hind legs. Brain size is average and their vision and hearing are well adapted to nocturnal insect hunting. Their limbs enable them to make rapid leaps from branch to branch. They claim territory with there scent leaving smelly footprints. The Crowned Lemur, which is also an example of this era, is found in extreme Madagascar. They eat fruits, flowers and leaves. They stay mainly in trees and are active during the day and at dusk. The crowns on their heads are furry head caps. Females have a lighter crown then males do. The second epoch is Eocene (53 m.y.a.). A group of primates called the tarsiers came into existence in this era. They came from Southeast Asia in the tropical forests. Tarsiers usually leap onto their preys from lower branches and shrubs. They classify as prosimians and are related to lemurs and lorises. The similarities are pertaining to their body size, large ears and grooming claws. They have very long toes and fingers and their fingertips seem to be composed of a rubbery and sticky membrane. The Tarsiers also seem to have very large eyes, which dominates manner. Tarsiers seem to have a combination of prosimians and anthropoids due to the similarities from both. The tamarins are another group that existed during the Eocene era and probably one of the last. Tamarins are the most primitive of monkeys. Tamarins are found in the forests of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Brazil. This is one of the species that is not much larger than a mouse and weighs only 2.5 oz (70 grams) to 2.2 lbs (1000 grams). They have claws instead of nails and usually give birth to twins. Their diet is composed of tree gum and fruit. Their locomotion is quadrupedal. Claws allow them to climb vertical tree trunks. They leap and cling as a form of travel. Tamarins are family oriented and the males are one of the few that participates in infant care. The third grade is the Oligocene

Understanding Developmental Psychology

Introduction With the increasing social, environmental and economic complexity in the world, there is need to understand developmental psychology. This paper recaps the highlights of the proposed research study.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Developmental Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By bringing out the application and benefits of psychology, this paper argues that developmental psychology need to be addressed in various developmental programs. It begins by defining developmental psychology; then it examines some of the application of developmental psychology in life and completes by reviewing the benefits of developmental psychology. Definition of developmental psychology In this section, the study will review some of definition of developmental psychology then incorporate these definition into one common definition. The study will base on Cooker-Greauter’s (2004) descriptio n of developmental psychology as a horizontal development and vertical development. According to him, horizontal development is a gradual accumulation of new knowledge and skills. It happens without universal overview of changes or people making meaning. Vertical development consists of the literal transformation of people’s perception of reality. As Kegan (2002) notes, as individual learns to think and look, they experience a â€Å"quantitative shift in the very shape of the window or lens† (p.148) from the universal perspective. Variables such as worldviews, stages of development, level of consciousness, logical actions and organizing principals are used as a measure to understand how people make meaning (McCauley et al., 2006, p.636).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Application of developmental psychology in life Development psychology can be used to explain how lead ers and managers interact with their environmental setting and their logical actions thus having a significant implication for leadership and management theories. Mainly, developmental psychology provides the most granular view to date how managers and leaders think and behave with respect to complex changing environment. Given the difficulty of societal, environmental and economic challenges faced in the world, there is an increasing need to develop capable leaders to help lead humanity into sustainable future. Therefore, considerable work using developmental psychology need to be addressed in developmental programs for tomorrow leaders. Besides the development of leaders, this section will examine some of the written literatures on different application of developmental psychology. The aim of this is to understand how developmental psychology can be applied in different life dimensions. Benefits of developmental psychology This section of the proposed study will basically focus on benefit of personal growth and development as a concept in developmental psychology. When people make a meaningful structural growth, they emerge into a new and improved capabilities. Developmental stages unfold into concrete, logical, invariant sequence from birth to adulthood. Each successive stage surpasses and incorporates the previous phase. The movement is often likened to an ever-widening spiral development (McCauley et al., 2006, p.636). In other words, people do not regress. Once a developmental order is constructed, the previous order loses its developmental functions yet remains as a considered perspective. People’s developmental stage influence how people notice and become aware of things and henceforth, what they define, reflect on, express, alter and impact (McCauley et al., 2006, p.636).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Developmental Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Cairns, R. B. (1992). The making of a developmental science: the contribution and intellectual heritage of James Mark Baldwin. Developmental Psychology, 28(1), 1-21. Colman, A. M. (2009). A dictionary of psychology (3rd ed.). Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press. Cooker-Greuter, S.R. (2004). Making the case for a developmental perspective. Industrial and Commercial Training, 36(7), 270-280. Kochanska, G. (2002). Committed compliance, moral self, and internalization: a mediational model. Developmental Psychology, 38(3), 339-351. McCauley, C.D., Drath, W.H., Palus, C.J., O’Connor, P.M.G., Baker, B.A. (2006). The use of constructive developmental theory to advance the understanding of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 629-640. Nielsen, M. (2006). Copying actions and copying outcomes: Social learning through the second year. Developmental Psychology, 42(3), 555-565. Riggs, N. R., Jahromi, L. B., Razza, R. P., Dillworth-Bart, J. E., Mueller, U. (2006). Exec utive function and the promotion of social-emotional competence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 27(4), 300-309.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on Understanding Developmental Psychology was written and submitted by user Axel C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Momen Fast Food Chain Penetrating A New International Market

Mo’men International Marketing Research Plan A. Situation analysis: Definition of company & product. Mo’men is an Egyptian fast food chain, with branches all over Cairo, Alexandria and El Mansoura. The restaurant’s menu offers a selection of sandwiches, featuring mainly beef, chicken and seafood, in addition to an assortment of finger foods and side orders. B. Problem formulation. Mo’men is thinking of expanding internationally and is considering London, UK, for its new branch. The management needs to make a decision about the possibility of such a thing and how to proceed with the needed steps to make such a decision. C. What kind of information do we need. Generally, we need data to assess market potential and investment climate, as well as the risks and costs of operating in the UK market. The next step is to make an explicit evaluation of demand in the UK, specifically the London fast food market, which is important when considering initial market entry, because of the high costs and uncertainty associated with entering new markets. Consequently, the Mo’men management has to make an initial estimate of demand potential in the market. Secondary Data: Secondary data is particularly valuable in assessing opportunities in countries with which the management has little familiarity. We need secondary data to: 1. Develop estimates of demand in the UK, using lead-lag analysis and econometric forecasting models, but more preferably using surrogate indicators and barometric procedures. For the UK market, surrogate indicators are not appropriate, as they are useful in markets where little data is available, market potential is limited and relatively crude estimates will suffice. Barometric procedures, on the other hand, provide more precise estimates at both the aggregate market level and for specific market segments. 2. Assess the extent of market interconnectedness, using macroeconomic trade data, data concer... Free Essays on Mo'men Fast Food Chain Penetrating A New International Market Free Essays on Mo'men Fast Food Chain Penetrating A New International Market Mo’men International Marketing Research Plan A. Situation analysis: Definition of company & product. Mo’men is an Egyptian fast food chain, with branches all over Cairo, Alexandria and El Mansoura. The restaurant’s menu offers a selection of sandwiches, featuring mainly beef, chicken and seafood, in addition to an assortment of finger foods and side orders. B. Problem formulation. Mo’men is thinking of expanding internationally and is considering London, UK, for its new branch. The management needs to make a decision about the possibility of such a thing and how to proceed with the needed steps to make such a decision. C. What kind of information do we need. Generally, we need data to assess market potential and investment climate, as well as the risks and costs of operating in the UK market. The next step is to make an explicit evaluation of demand in the UK, specifically the London fast food market, which is important when considering initial market entry, because of the high costs and uncertainty associated with entering new markets. Consequently, the Mo’men management has to make an initial estimate of demand potential in the market. Secondary Data: Secondary data is particularly valuable in assessing opportunities in countries with which the management has little familiarity. We need secondary data to: 1. Develop estimates of demand in the UK, using lead-lag analysis and econometric forecasting models, but more preferably using surrogate indicators and barometric procedures. For the UK market, surrogate indicators are not appropriate, as they are useful in markets where little data is available, market potential is limited and relatively crude estimates will suffice. Barometric procedures, on the other hand, provide more precise estimates at both the aggregate market level and for specific market segments. 2. Assess the extent of market interconnectedness, using macroeconomic trade data, data concer...

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Information about Model 1 The best feature of this model is the compact size of its central processing unit; it looks more or less similar to a large hard-cover book with USB ports, as well as an optical drive, rather than a personal computer. Its design and small shape are deceiving, as within this small machine there is an adequate amount of power to keep up with other regular-sized systems. It offers a solid, â€Å"low-noise solution† (White & Downs, 2007) with an adequate amount of effectiveness, as well as speed to get the work completed. Another exclusive feature is that it can be laid flat or on its side by the stand supplied with it. The major constraint of its size is the lack of upgrading capacity. Nonetheless, it should be remembered that the ability for upgrading is not generally crucial for business PCs. It has all the necessary elements, together with â€Å"Intel's Core 2 Duo E6300 1.83GHz CPU, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB hard drive and a slot loading DVD burnerâ⠂¬  (White & Downs, 2007). The essential pre-installed Intel graphics chip will not be able to go well with games, but it is satisfactory for standard workplace chores. It also incorporates Intel's V-Pro technology, a distant administration tool to handle business task forces. This is intended to let information technology staff have an easy access to the computer, regardless of what its state of fitness and in spite of whether it is on or off. This technology is still new, and despite the fact that it is great in speculation, it has yet to achieve any serious momentum. Its casing never becomes very warm and it is much quieter as compared to the majority of PCs. Fan noise is negligible and the hot air produced gets blow out from the rear side, away from the user. The manufacturer believes that this PC is an environmentally friendly acquisition. Information about Model 2 This model uses the latest â€Å"Intel H57 chipset along with the Intel Core i7-860 processor† (Shelly & V ermaat, 2008) to offer a desktop system with a high quality performance, although at a more practical cost. This system in conjunction with the â€Å"4 GB of DDR3 memory† (Shelly & Vermaat, 2008) should let the PC to perform excellently in just about any sort of application together with the challenging desktop movie editing. The system has a comparatively small 500 gigabytes hard drive, as compared to the one terabyte sized in the majority of similarly grouped personal computers. It as well includes a â€Å"dual layer DVD burner which is not uncommon for many desktops† (Shelly & Vermaat, 2008). The manufacturer creates this by presenting an extensive choice of customization preferences where users can put in drives with more capacity or add additional drives in either â€Å"RAID 0 or 1 arrays for performance or redundancy. Blue-ray drives are also available. All of these options do increase the cost, of course† (Shelly & Vermaat, 2008). Graphics is, possibly, o ne of the weakest points of this model. The major cause for this is the comparatively tiny â€Å"350 watt power supply† (Shelly & Vermaat, 2008) that does not have a good deal of the performance considered necessary for the â€Å"high end 3D graphics cards†. â€Å"The default NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240 graphics card provides a mediocre experience with support up to 1650x1080 resolutions. Those wanting higher graphics

Written exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Written exam - Essay Example A good example is where giraffes with short necks die after short shrubs die out, and after some generations all the giraffes will have long necks. Mutation is the mechanism whereby a DNA gene structure in a species changes with some units being deleted, inserted or re-arranged in such a way that it affects or alters subsequent generations. An example is an albinism genetic anomaly (Wool, 67). Cladogenesis is the evolution that is brought about by the splitting of a lineage. This is the separation of a gene pool into two or more gene pools. Anagenesis, which is also known as phyletic evolution, is that which occurs within a lineage. It is basically the collective changes that completely alter a species into a new species with different characteristics (Wool, 74). The phylogenetic tree that uses ‘prosimian vs. anthropoid’ is different from the cladogram, which differentiates ‘strepsirhine vs. haplorhine’, in that it shows the ancestors together with the degrees of relationship and the time that the taxa lived contrary to cladograms, which only show the degree of relationship and a hypothetical ancestor (Jurmain et al., 68) A good example of this is propithecus diadema, also known as diademed sifaka. It is found in Madagascar. Its adaptation for grooming is what makes it special from other lemurs. It has a toothcomb and a toilet claw in its second toe mainly for grooming. The white-headed capuchin, which is a new world monkey found in Central and South America, is in the family of platyrrhines. This type of capuchin is special in the fact that it is dominated by both an alpha female and an alpha male. The Zanzibar red colobus found in the main island of Zanzibar, Unguja, is a good example of primates in this clade. The males of the Zanzibar red colobus are very social and defend their group in unison and even groom each other between meals. The gibbons are among the most endangered primates on earth and they fall under this

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Knowledge Management - Essay Example Coming to the skills and ethics that I have and the skills that are required for carrying out the research, it is clear that there is some amount of gap between my current skills and what is required. I have very good and promising plans for the research, but these ideas can come to fruition only if they follow the set path of academic data gathering and research and knowing how to write properly. I have to carefully follow ethics and maintain the required ethical behavior while conducting the research. The ethical behavior can be compromised in a number of factors such as bias, plagiarism, reuse of data, institutional review board, reviewing and reporting results. Bias can occur from actions of the researcher as well as the respondents. It is true that many of my colleagues would be ready to help me complete the research and I also would have sufficient organizational support. However, this should not lead to a situation where ethics are compromised. I should not wittingly or unwitt ingly attempt to goad and direct the research subjects to give responses that I want. In effect, the research should be clear, unbiased and be natural. It is also important that all instances of plagiarism be avoided and this extends to beyond citing sources used in the paper. Efforts should be taken to carefully avoid any previously published research and the research should be original in content, thoughts and spirit. Plagiarism can be avoided by paraphrasing; carefully rewriting the content but this is not observing the spirit.

Entry Modes In Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay

Entry Modes In Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Research carried by the author has pointed out the differences in the choice of entry mode of Accor in Thailand and China. According to interviews carried before the analysis, managers in Thailand assumed the foreign direct investment as the major choice for local market, which can intensify the network of hotel chains and avoiding financial constrains. According to Sass (2003), FDI is an entry mode which bounds the international business with the domestic ones. Thus, this choice is appreciated by the local government in Thailand, which may be too busy in political reconstruction to get into the rebooting of tourism and hospitality industry. Meanwhile, acquisition is applied by Accor Thailand in order to get acceleration in network expansion. This is mostly realized by management contract, which according to Esperanca (1992), can separating the ownership from the management. However, the long-term contract is related to the motivation systems for the owners, which also admitted by Thailand managers that credibility, trust mechanism are still needed to be constructed for the local owners. Different from this, the strategy in China, especially in the brand Ibis owns the unique characteristic. Although franchising is assumed to be the ideal choice for franchisor and franchisee by the assistance in operation system and the quicker mode to establish network (Pine . Zhang, 2000). It is the fact that many countries are lack of the stable environment which facilitates the process of franchising. As a consequence of this, the overall and diversify market in China is become the ideal choice for this attempt. After all, franchising is putting the reputation of the brand into danger. Once the operation in one point is facing crisis, the whole brand reputation will be called into question. 2.0 Reasons contributed to the different strategy 2.1 Relationship with local strength in host countries This element is viewed as an influential factor in the extension strategy for international hotel chains. While in consideration of the circumstances in those two countries, it is easy to find out the differences into this factor. The first fact is the leading position of Accor in Thailand, which make it more convenient to expand within that country without real competition. Meanwhile, Accor in Thailand is trying to develop better relationship with travel agencies, which can help the process of promotion in current downturns. Even though this efforts is turning unsatisfying results, which can be reflected by the merely 3% guests who claimed to be introduced into the hotel by travel agencies, this efforts in this area are still worthy. Since from long-term perspective, the markets in host countries, especially in new booming ones like Thailand, are more essential for the development of international hotel chains (Gammeltoft Pradhan, 2010). Cooperation with local strength may change the disappointing situation on the overall brand promotion for Accor in Thailand. However, in Chinese marketing, the most worthy way to cultivate is not the one of travel agency. Since many travel agencies in China are limited in moderate scales and not be trusted by travelers, especially native people. Due to the situation in China, that reflects as the relatively close relationship shared by Chinese among friends and family. The results of 23% interviewees who claimed their recognization of the brand is from friends and relatives have provided evidence to this aspect. As a consequence of this, it is understandable why Accor promotes Ibis, which is a economy hotel, widely in Chinese market. Since more local tourists will be attracted by the recommendation from friends. Besides the target group, the local brands and government can also be viewed as important strengths in China for Accor Group. Most MNCs, especially those indulged in service industry like Accor are attracted by China for the low cost of labor, since most of these industries are known as labor-consuming. However, the Chinese government is claiming the efforts they will put in the transformation in this area. Policies will be put more highlights on high-tech area. Thus, for Accor Group in China, it is not advisable to perceive the low cost of labor as an advantage. This is just be self-evident by the efforts Accor have put into the promotion of brands belongs to high class like Novotel as a sign of quality-provided chain. 2.2 Culture aspects Lake of cross-cultural awareness is the major reason which contributes to the frustration of MNCs in host countries. For Accor Group, which pursuit for the position in service industry, this awareness seems to be more essential. The analysis of visiting purpose of the guests can give the most obvious distance from Chinese and Thailand culture. Compared with 27% of guests who claimed to visit hotels on the purpose of relaxing in Thailand, the correspondence rate in China is revealed as merely 9 in 93 persons. This difference, if finding explanation from the culture side, can be understood as Chinese always value family concept more important than other cultures. That is, they will be less likely to choose relaxing places besides home. Thats can also be viewed as reason that contribute to the over 50% satisfaction with the facilities of the hotel in China, since most of them are travel on purpose of business or sightseeing, there needs in additional facilities are relatively lower than others. Thats the reason why Accor promotes brands like Novotel in China. As the business image of the Group, Novotel is just attractive for those international business people who pursue excellent quality service. And the expansion of lower brand Ibis is just suitable for the economical pursuit for sightseeing guests Different from this, Accor is trying to establish more brands in Thailand market. This strategy is also related with the recovery of the political situation. However, it is designed to satisfy the needs of multiple cultures in Thailand. 2.3 Geographical difference This element influence the control relationship between headquarter and subsidiaries abroad. Rodrigues (1995) has lighted the two choices for the headquarters-foreign subsidiary control relationship, included centralization or decentralization. However, the geographical circumstances in China have put a challenge on the centralization process. Thats also the major reason that Accor apply franchising mode in this country. Due to the large area and diversity in many elements, the centralization process will cause too much efforts of the headquarter company. Different from this, Accor Thailand is trying to introduce more brands designed for different groups of people. The higher class hotel like Novotel can not be promoted in methods expect from direct investment, thats partly due to the danger of quality maintain in mode like franchising. Meanwhile, in area like Thailand, whose economical centers are concentrated in the certain region of the country, decentralization will more easy to be realized 3.0 Recommendations in strategy improvement in Thailand and China A. Focusing on the promotion of overall brand. Even though the overall satisfying situation in the subject hotels of research carried by the author is highly evaluated over 50% countries, the recognization of the Accor Group is disappointing. As Punjaisri and Wilson (2007) defined the recognization of the brand for existing guests can give influence to other costumers. As a consequence of this, the disappointing current results will cause barriers when Accor introduce new brands into these two markets. B. Trying to attract different guest groups Business guests and sightseeing ones are two unique highlight in Thailand and China, which covered the largest part of the interviewees in those two markets separately. However, as a hot destination, Thailand owns the distinctive potential in tourism. Even though the Accor Thailand is witnessing 25% guests who claim to settle for sightseeing. It still has a great distance when compared with the booming of tourism industry in this country. Thus, it is advisable for Accor in Thailand to promote image as tourists choice. Different from Thailand, China has been long recognized as sightseeing attraction. As a consequence of this, most international hotel chains would be more likely to position themselves as types for tourists in this market, which also in turn make competition in this area. The 43% sightseeing group also verify this strategy of Accor in China. However, as a developing country who is in the acceleration development, the business guests in China will be increasing gradually in near future. Meanwhile, the location of China also makes it taking the role of economical hinterland for countries in Asia or the world. Thus, the business potential will worthy the efforts to promoting business hotels in Chinese market. C. Combination of entry modes Franchising owns the fastest expansion speed while direct invest witnesses highly control relationship. However, both of these methods own their cons and pros. Current situation is the separation of both modes in China and Thailand as major strategy for those markets. However, franchising can also be applied in Thailand, while franchising may facilitate the development of certain brands in China, Taking the All Seasons in Thailand as example, they are operated by the method of FDI, and only establish a network from Bangkok to Pattaya. The relatively slower speed just testifies the disadvantages of direct investment. Thus, in order to operate economy hotel more successfully in Thailand and set up the wildly net which can attract more tourism. Franchising, which is unique in Chinese market can also be used in All Seasons in Thailand. Higher class brand like Novotel can maintain in the way of direct investment which can ensure the quality of service. While in China, Accor is trying to expend as fast as possible in order to get more share of this booming market. Franchising as the most effective way in this aim is widely applied to expand the economy brand. However, when Accor moving forward in China, there must be attention paid on the choice of the city. The subjects which are chose in the research of author reflect the subtle difference Accor in brand operation among different cities in China. Dalian, as a city bordering on the sea, is always perceived as sightseeing destination in China, thus, Ibis here will position itself as economical choice for tourists. Different from this, Beijing, the capital of China, which is also the centre of economy, is the ideal choice for Novotel to settle. However, due to the larger area in China, the serves radius of a city here is limited. When putting into strategy consideration, it will be necessary to value how many cities exactly Novotel Beijing can provide service to. As a consequence of this, one city in China may shoulder two responsibilities, which can serve as tourism destination and economy centre in center region. Thats where the combination of entry modes should be applied. Meanwhile, the direct investment may be not suitable due to these characteristics, management service contracts can be applied as a replacement, since its a method which can be more decentralize than direct investment, meanwhile, owns more control than franchising. D. More emphasis on the Internet and media promotion This suggestion is merely based on the disappointing situation of Internet channel in both countries. According to the research, this is only 9% and 13% in Thailand and China of the guests who claim acknowledges of information of the hotels is from the Internet. Since Accor is trying to establish the network in both of these two markets, no channel can be more effective than Internet promotion. While at the same time, according to the development situation in both countries, the Internet has already become the major source of information for people It is advisable for Accor to fulfill the existing blanket area in this category. Besides the Internet, the media approach is also neglected in both countries. Even though the media can not be an effective way to promote service of the hotel or provide information details. It can be an efficient approach to the overall brand promotion, which is thought to be a failure for Accor in both markets. As a consequence of this, media can be used to promote the image of Accor and improve the recognization situation of this company among local people, while the Internet can convey the detail information to the target groups. Conclusion To sum up, despite the fact of expansion strategy in both markets, differences are also witnessed according to the various elements like culture, economy and relationship with strength in host countries. Meanwhile, in order to get more share in these two new booming markets, Accor has also to adjust details in its strategy in order to make it more appropriate to those two countries.

Respiratory Diseases :: Nursing

Respiratory Diseases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respiration is the process of taking in and using oxygen. There are three different phases of respiration: external respiration, internal respiration, and cellular respiration. External respiration is the intake of oxygen from the environment and the release of carbon dioxide. In internal respiration, oxygen is carried to the cells and carbon dioxide is carried away from the cells. In cellular respiration, oxygen is used in chemical reactions within the cells. Some Diseases of the respiratory system are: bronchial asthma, the common cold, and diphtheria. Bronchial asthma is a disease in which the bronchial passages are made smaller and swelling of the mucous lining causes blockage of breathing, usually due to dust, animal fur or feathers, or pollen. Many people have asthma which is caused by allergies, called extrinsic asthma, usually suffer from hay fever. Non allergic asthma, which adults usually have, is called intrinsic asthma. Intrinsic asthma is usually caused by respiratory infections and emotional upsets. A typical asthma attack begins with coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Some people have dry coughing as the only symptom. Attacks usually last only a couple hours. An attack may happen again in hours to even years after the first attack. Asthma attacks can be treated and prevented by the use of drugs. Albuterol or terbutaline, which can bring relief within minutes, is the usual treatment. The common cold is another disease of the respiratory system. The cold affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. It causes nasal congestion, sore throat, and coughing. A cold usually lasts up to an average of seven days. There is no known cure for the common cold yet. Diphtheria is another respiratory disease that, most of the time, affects

Importance of Marketing Essay

Marketing helps guide businesses in making strategic decisions by identifying growth opportunities and developing creative ways to approach those opportunities. Through successful marketing, a business will conduct extensive research, strategize and plan, brand the product, conduct product development, train the sales force, establish points of purchase, use public relations, and follow-up with good customer service. Marketing is the activity of a business organization that identifies customers, markets, as well as market segments and develops products or services to meet the needs of the customers by offering value of a product or service in exchange for profits and revenues for the business. In brief, marketing informs, educates, and persuades and it is paramount to the achievement of business success2. INTRODUCTION 2.1. BackgroundMarketing can be described as advertising a product. Marketing occurs when a company is trying to persuade costumers to buy the product that they produce over another company’s product. Marketing includes intensive research so that the company can get an outlook at what is the current trend in the marketplace. The problem is that marketing in theory contains these following activities also known as the 4-Ps which are developing the product, pricing the product, promoting the product and deciding what people to sell the product. 2.2. Purpose of the reportThis report aims to give basics of marketing comcept that is the most vital fact in business life for success. This report will tell why marketing has become so important in business life. 2.3. Statement of the problemAn organization cannot be successful unless the organization is satisfying its customers’ needs. This is because a product cannot simply be produced and expected to be sold. Although the idea for most is to create a product or service that â€Å"sells itself,† the product or service must create some consumer satisfaction to be able to sell itself. In order for there to be consumer satisfaction, economic utility must be derived from the product or service3. METHODOLOGY Information has been gathered through research of websites, journals and books as well as own interpretation and ideas on how marketing is seen important in contributing to the profitability of any company. 4. FINDINGS4.1. What is marketing?Marketing is a very general term that has no specific definition to it. However, it is best described as â€Å"A social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). It is an understanding of how the company works with its consumers and how it generates in the society. Marketing is seen to be the process of ‘bringing in the businesses’. It is not seen to be an alternative, but a necessity (Forsyth, 2004). Many people consider marketing as a tactic. However it is more than just a tactic. Marketing is analysis. According to Allen Weiss (2002), marketing is the analysis of customers, competitors, and a company by incorporating the understanding of competitive analysis and company capabilities into a general understanding of what the existing segments are. 4.2. Impact of MarketingMarketing deals with identifying and meeting human and social needs. Marketing can be defined as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. (Kotler, 2004) According to the American Marketing Association defines marketing as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stake holders. (Kotler, 2004)According to the Marketing Principals book marketing can be defined as an organizational philosophy has been based on the marketing concept. This concept consists of three interrelated principles such as:†¢An organization’s basic purpose is to satisfy customer needs. †¢Satisfying customer needs requires integrated and coordinated efforts throughout the organization. †¢Organizations should focus on long-term success. Based on these definitions, explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. Marketing is important in an organization success. Marketing is a broad topic that covers a range of aspects, including advertising, public relations, sales, and promotions. Marketing is important because it creates the core for the company. Marketing helps provide a service for the customer. Making the customer happy is the goal of the company. If a company does not know what the client wants the company will not survive. The strategy in which the company uses is important to the company success. Marketing is the key for an organization to succeed. First, marketers create a need in the mind of consumers. If they do not have a need for the product, they won’t buy it. Then they have to come up with a product which will delight the consumers, and keep them coming back again and again. This is needed to build a long-term relationship with consumers. If marketing gets them to purchase the product once, this would be a good outcome, but marketing should work to make them into lifelong loyal customers. A company is coming out with a new produce which will revolutionize the building industry. It makes building homes effortless. Sales of the product are lower than predicted. Research has found that many people are unaware of the product. One has made an idea to have a campaign marketing the benefits of the new product. Customers began to realize that there was a great need for the product which was being advertised. So, the customers began to purchase the product. No awareness is equated to any sales. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)An established brand of toothpaste is seeing its sale’s drop. No one can understand why. The product has been used for years; however, the company has done little advertising in the past few years because the product was so well established. Once a new ad campaign hit the waves, sales increased once more. Why? Well customers forget about products if they are not reminded. To maintain long-term customers, they need to be continues reminded of the product and they need to remember how much the product delights them, and how well the product performs. But re-establishing advertising, one must reinforce the communication link with customers. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)A person is looking to buy a luxury car. They have the money, and one has the knowledge about the many competitors. What decision should the guy make? The guy ends up buying a car with the company that has the best customer relations. They buy it at the place where they are treated with respect and class, where they feel involved in every step of the journey, where they know they made the right decision. After they buy the car, their relationship with the company does not end there; the customer can join clubs, attend financial seminars, attend wine and cheese events. All things build customer relationships which are strong and make the consumer happy. And the next time the consumer is in the market for a new car, they won’t shop around – they will return to the same dealership. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)Marketing is more than just a company trying to sell the product. Marketing involves a great deal of research. Marketing also includes developing the product, pricing the product, promoting the product and deciding what people to sell the product. One has to be able to understand marketing so that it can be used in real life situations. 4.3. Why Marketing is Importantâ€Å"Marketing management is accomplished by carrying out marketing research, planning, implementation, and control† (Kotler, 2004). Marketing plays a major role in every business. It is very important as it contributes to the profitability of the company itself. â€Å"Relationship marketing involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong, value-laden relationship with customers and other stakeholders. â€Å"They must build strong economic and social ties by promising and consistently delivering high quality products, good service and fair prices,† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Furthermore, when both customers and producers are mutually beneficial from this relationship, profitable transactions will follow. Knowledge of marketing strategy and market research is crucial in order to excel in marketing. 4.3.1 Five key factors to an effective marketingForsyth (2004) stated five factors which summarizes the effectiveness of marketing. a)Customer oriented. Company needs to focus on the wants and demands of the consumers. Profits come only after the consumers are satisfied. b)Continuously deployed. Marketing must be ready all the time as the company operates. c)Effective coordination. Marketing must logically co-ordinate its activities with the involvement of other departments and senior management team. d)Creativeness. Creativeness is needed during competitive times. By adding creativeness, marketing will be stronger. e)Underpinning culture. What makes marketing possible is not only depended on the people in marketing, but also the contributions from professional staffs in other departments are indeed needed (Forsyth, 2004). 4.3.2 Market Researchâ€Å"Marketing Research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information–information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). â€Å"By 1957 †¦ as markets moved from seller to buyer, new ideas of ‘marketing were taking hold. Companies began to grasp the importance of understanding what the consumers really wanted; it could no longer be assumed to be the same as it always had,† (V alentine & Gordon, 2000)Marketing research is basically the function that connects the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information. There are four steps of market research. The first step is defining the problem; this is the hardest step of market research. If an inexperience manager define the problem wrongly, the whole market research will be affected hence the information will be inappropriate. Once, the problem has defined, the manager should determine, the research objectives which may fall in the three categories such as exploratory, descriptive or casual research. The second step is designing the research which will consist of determining what information should be gathered and how data will be collected. In this case, the data can be primary data collection or secondary data collection. The third step is implementing the plan which usually can be done by the internal staff or external firm. After the plan has implemented, the raw data will be prepared in order to get the information. The last step is interpreting the data; the researches will need to present the overall information to the marketing manager to be carried out to the next marketing process. 4.3.3 Marketing EnvironmentIt is important to determine the environment that the company is working in. The marketing environment refers to the actors and forces outside the marketing management’s skills to cultivate as well as maintain successful transactions with targeted customers (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Certain environmental complications and issues can severely affect the profitability of the company. Environmental complications and issues include the breakdown of economy (local economy and international economy), inflation, boom, trend, customer’s dissatisfaction and others. The company should be able to adapt to such changes of the environment, or else the company’s profit will significantly decrease. This would affect the company’s growth as well as driving o ff loyal customers. 4.3.3.1 The micro-environmentIt could simply be defined as the forces nearest to the company, which affect the company’s capability of serving its customers. Certain types of micro-environments that the company needs to take notice of are, for example, other departments, major suppliers, marketing representatives, customers and competitors (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Most of these environments can be ‘controlled’ by the company itself. 4.3.3.2 The Macro-environmentâ€Å"The macro-environment consists of the larger societal forces that affect the whole micro-environment – demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural forces,† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Most of these cannot be ‘controlled’ by the company. 4.3.4 Marketing Segmenting, Targeting, Positioningâ€Å"Market segmentation is the act of grouping customers in markets with some heterogeneity into smaller, more similar or homogene ous segments† (Dibb and Simkin, 2001). There are four variables that the business can choose to segment their markets; geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. The business can choose to segment in one variable or a combination between two or three variables. However, in order to achieve an effective segmentation, the business should have the characteristic of measurability, accessibility, and substantiality and action ability. The next step, the business has to decide on which market segment they should target on, which classified of undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing or concentrated marketing. Once a business has decided which segments of the market it will enter, they must decide which ‘positions’ they want to occupy in those segments. Product position means â€Å"the way the product is defined by consumers on important attributes; the place product occupies in consumers’ minds relative to competing product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). They can position their products according to specific product attributes, benefits, users’ occasions, certain classes of users, against a competitor, away from competitor and product classes. In brief, by dividing market into a group of consumers who have a similar needs and wants, the business can achieve consumers’ satisfaction easier rather than if they concentrate on broadly market. Hence, when the business can satisfy the consumers, the consumers will develop a brand loyalty. â€Å"Customers can’t fully give loyalty until they believe a company genuinely cares about them and cares about their needs† (Hein, 2004). Moreover, as brand loyalty has formed, the business will be able to receive a profit, which should be supported with accurate product positioning. 4.3.5 Marketing MixMarketing mix is a set of â€Å"controllable marketing variables that the company combines to produce the feedback it wants in the targeted market† (Kotler, Brown, Adam a nd Armstrong, 2004). Marketing mix consists of 4Ps – Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Product is defined as â€Å"anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004).In order to produce a product, a business has to concern about the level of product; core, actual and augmented product. The core product is â€Å"the problem solving services or core benefits that the consumers are really buying when they obtained the product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Actual product is â€Å"product’s part, styling, features, brand name, packaging a d other attributes that combine to deliver core product benefits† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Whereas the augmented product is â€Å"additional consumer services and benefits build around the core and actual products† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). The second element of marketin g mix is price. Price is â€Å"the amount of money charged for a product or the sum of value consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using a product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). There two factors that the business should apply before set up the price; internal and external factors. Then, they can choose which type of pricing that suit the product; cost-plus, value-based, competitive or relationship-based pricing. The third element is Place, which is defined as â€Å"making products available in the right quantities and locations when customers want them† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). It includes physical distributions, inventory, location, transport, and channels. Intermediaries (marketing channel) are the one which distribute the product from the producer to consumer. The last element is Promotion. It simply means the transmitting merits of the products and persuading target consumers to buy them. At the start of the products lifecycle, promotion is necessary so that potential customers know of the existence of the product. Once the product grows, promotion must become more persuasive and encourage consumers to make a purchase. 4.3.6 ImplementationMarketing implementing is to translate the plans into actions. For the successful marketing implementation, â€Å"company has to blend these elements: action programs, organization structure, decision and reward system, human resources and company culture – into a cohesive program that supports its strategies† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). 4.3.7 ControllingMarketing control referred as â€Å"the process of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans, and taking corrective action to ensure that marketing objectives are attained† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). The manager should control the marketing implementation by setting a goal , measure and evaluate the performance and also correcting the error of implementation. 4.4. Marketing and BrandingProduct is the core of marketing, which including tangible goods like food or drinks or intangible services, as it is the major way to embody customers requirements; and, branding is directly associated with it. In fact, branding is all about decisio ns of products, like brand names or trademarks. Stork (2007) asserted that a brand is a unique business identity which represents the personality, quality or origin of products. And, such a product which added value by branding would appear in every activity of marketing, namely, branding is actually react on the whole marketing system directly and indirectly. In addition, Stork (2007) also argued that branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. This is significant, as it accords with the objective of marketing, and it is the first step to attract customers. By contrast with those basic branding factors, brand loyalty is more complicated but significant. Attracting customers is not enough, organizations demand loyalty of customers to brands to make them competitive among others. Therefore, based on the analysis of theories above, branding and brand loyalty is vital to successful marketing, but there are still many other factors could affect their importance within the dynamic environment, like the different industry will have different types of marketing and branding. Subsequently, the further and deeper investigation will be conducted with examples of Virgin Atlantic Airway, which is a super brand in airline industry. Virtually, Design Council of UK (2007) defined that the airline industry is difficult to operate. Fixed costs are high, demand can fluctuate quite dramatically and shortages of key airport infrastructure all make it difficult for airlines to operate profitably. Relatively, the marketing for airline industry is not easy as well; the promotion or pricing would be totally different to other industries like food or drink, because its products are distinctive. However, Virgin Atlantic is doing quite well in general, it is famous on its branding and its services and it did won many rewards on that, like it came out on top in a consumer survey of travel brands in 2006. (Business Source Premier, 2006) As discussed before, a brand is a unique business identity, and a well managed one would be the asset of an organization, and the marketing and financial value associated with its strength in a market is so-called brand equity. (Dibb et al, 2001) According to Dibb et al (2001), there are four main elements underlie the brand equity, which are brand name awareness, brand loyalty, perceived brand quality and brand associations. It is good for customers to know the brand names of products which they do or do not like, thereby, they can recognize and purchase products that satisfy their needs simply. Otherwise, the product selection would be complicated or even wrongly selection. At the same time, it is clear that brand name awareness is the very first step for sellers, which would cause familiarity; and a unique brand name or logo may reinforce the familiarity to be memorable, which will strongly remain custom ers to come again. Due to that, organizations should promote their brand names or logos as much as possible within this stage, to gain awareness of their brands from customers. For example, one of marketing techniques of Virgin Atlantic is to advertising activity in the UK includes TV, press, magazines, outdoor posters and taxi sides, all featuring their distinctive logo. Advertising is used to encourage people to try the airline, to raise awareness of new product developments and new routes. (Virgin Atlantic, 2007)The perceived brand quality means certain perception of customers over the brand quality. This sort of perception mainly depends on consumers’ using experiences or the way organizations branded. Well marketed brands would become the indicators of quality or choice making for consumers as they have less or no ideas about the quality of certain goods in some case. As branded of its services, Virgin Atlantic is giving their customers what they want, by offering limousine services, full m eal catering, multi-class services, and entertainment consoles on every seat-back. (Stealing Share, 2006) Thus, the perceived brand quality of Virgin aircrafts is quite high; customers probably would consider it firstly or secondly while they are choosing an airline that is good at customer services. Thirdly, the brand would be more attractive and memorable if it associated with certain lifestyle or other characteristics. Virgin is one of the best choices for illustrating this point. As one of extended brands of Virgin Group, Virgin Atlantic is absolutely under the organizational culture as well, which characterized by Richard Branson, the founder of the company. Virgin’s brand values are really Branson style, which are innovative, competitive challenging, fun and so on and this also embodies in Virgin Atlantic. For instance, Virgin’s design teams always working on challenging new technologies or services, like the design of its upper class suite. (Design Council, 2007) Or, the entertainment consoles on every seat-back shows their focus on providing fun to customers. Like other three elements discussed above, brand loyalty is also valued to brand equity thanks to its function. Dibb et al (2001) defined that brand loyalty is a strongly motivated and long standing decision to purchase a particular product or service. Once customers loyal to one specific product, the market share of that product for the company would be relatively stable, allowing the company to use its resources more effectively or obtain premium prices. In line with what discussed before, organizations could be competitive with a relative stable market share among their competitors through brand loyalty, and meanwhile companies can diminish certain costs like the cost of attracting new customers. Moreover, brand loyalty has three degrees that are recognition, preference and insistence. The recognition is just alike as awareness of brand name; customers realize that brand is an alternative to purchase. Brand preference is stronger than recognition, as customers is showing certainly prefers on one brand over others, but they would accept substitutes wh ile the brand is not available. The last degree is the strongest one as consumers would insistent on the particular brand and will accept no substitutes. (Dibb et al, 2001) Though, it is less to happen due to various reasons, like in the airline industry, it is difficult for customers to insistent on one brand thanks to limitation of airline routes and destinations. 5. CONCLUSION Marketing is a unique and vast area of business. All the success of a business depends on a successful marketing campaign. There is also much more to marketing than what is discussed here. One fundamental of any marketing program is that it work toward meeting the wants and needs of customers in the target area. Trying to force feed a product or service to an unwanting public is seldom successful and is very expensive. Which is why it is very important to research and develop all new marketing ideas so that they fit the product being offered. Do you sell ice cold lemonade on a freezing winter day? A better suggestion would be hot chocolate. However, innovation and new marketing techniques can be offered where you can do both at their respective seasons. Its all about marketing. The challenges and obstacles involved with corporate longevity are faced and championed through marketing and its strategies. Important aspects of marketing are the acquisition of new clients, branding, and influencing behaviors that encourage sales. Each of these categories promotes business expansion and prosperity. Each organization has their own recipe for marketing and succes. 6. REFERENCESD ibb, Simkin, Pride, Ferrell (2001), Marketing—Concepts and Strategies, Houghton Mifflin CompanyEleven lessons: Managing design in eleven global brands (Virgin Atlantic), (2007), In: Design Council [online]. Available from: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/managingdesign/Design-at-Virgin-Atlantic-Airways/Virgin-Atlantic-case-study-designing-the-upper-class-suite/Marcia Yudkin, Head Stork (2005-2007), the Benefits of Branding, In: Name At Last [online]. Available from: http://www.namedatlast.com/branding3.htmStealing Share (10/10/2006), Global Branding: Virgin Atlantic gets it Right, In: Stealing Share—Beyond Theory [online]. Available from: http://www.stealingshare.com/content/1160504877375.htmVirgin Atlantic (2007), Student Information Pack—Marketing, In: Virgin Atlantic Website [online]. Available from: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp#marketingVirgin tops loyalty league (2006), Travel Weekly: The Choice of Travel Professionals (00494577), 00494577, 2006, Issue 1806 [online], In: Business Source Primer [online]. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com.chain.kent.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=102&sid=a0e44807-1ff0-44bf-bf32-80e054ac90da%40sessionmgr104Forsyth, P (2004) ‘Marketing is a must’, IEE Engineering ManagementKotler, P., Adam, S., Armstrong, G.,

Baking Soda Molecular Formula - Sodium Bicarbonate

Baking Soda Molecular Formula - Sodium Bicarbonate Baking soda is the common name for the chemical sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate. The molecular formula of sodium bicarbonate is NaHCO3. The compound is a salt that dissociates into sodium (Na) cation and carbonate (CO3-) anions in water. Baking soda is an alkaline white crystalline solid, usually sold as a powder. It has a slightly salty flavor. Decomposition Into Sodium Carbonate At temperature higher than 50  Ã‚ °C (122  Ã‚ °F), baking soda decomposes into washing soda or sodium carbonate, along with water and carbon dioxide. The speed of the decomposition depends on temperature and proceeds rapidly at ordinary baking temperatures. The dehydration reaction is: 2 NaHCO3  Ã¢â€ â€™ Na2CO3   H2O CO2 At still higher temperatures (over   850  Ã‚ °C or 1560  Ã‚ °F), the carbonate becomes the oxide. The reaction is: Na2CO3  Ã¢â€ â€™ Na2O CO2 This reaction is used in dry powder fire extinguishers based on baking soda. The carbon dioxide helps to suffocate the flame. History French chemist Nicolas Leblanc produced sodium carbonate or soda ash in 1791. In the early 1800s, fishermen used sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate (collectively called saleratus) to preserve fresh fish. In 1846, American bakers Austin Church and John Dwight built the first factory in the United States that made baking soda from sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide.

Helping ESL Students Understand and Participate in Small Talk

Helping ESL Students Understand and Participate in Small Talk The ability to make small talk comfortably is one of the most desired objectives  of almost any English student. This is especially true for business English learners but applies to all. The function of small talk is the same the world over. However, which topics are appropriate for small talk can vary from culture to culture. This lesson plan focuses on helping students develop their small talk skills and addresses the issue of appropriate subjects. Difficulties in small talk skills can arise from a number of factors including grammar uncertainties, comprehension problems, lack of topic-specific vocabulary, and a general lack of confidence. The lesson introduces a discussion of appropriate small talk topics. Make sure to give students ample time to delve into the subjects if they seem particularly interested. Aim: Improving small talk skills Activity: Discussion of appropriate small talk subjects followed by a game to be played in small groups Level: Intermediate to Advanced Small Talk Lesson Outline Write Small Talk on the board. Brainstorm as a class to define small talk. Write examples on the board.Discuss the importance of small talk skills with the class.Divide students into groups of 3 - 5.Give students the small talk worksheet.Students begin by reviewing key functions and grammar by matching purpose,  expression, and form. Review as a class. Discuss any questions in usage.Ask students to discuss  whether the topics provided in the second section  are appropriate for making small talk. Students can also decide that some topics are appropriate in certain situations  but not in others.  Once students have discussed the various situations, solicit responses on the various subjects from the class as a whole. Make sure to ask for examples of comments on appropriate subjects, as well as  explanations for those topics which students feel are not appropriate. Feel free to let students debate their opinions to help develop  conversational skills.Have students get back into their groups and play the small talk game in the third section. Circulate around the room helping  students when they run into difficulties. Take notes on subjects that students find difficult. As a class,  brainstorm on appropriate comments. Understanding Forms Used in Small Talk Match the conversational purpose to the expression in the second column. Identify the appropriate grammar structure in the third column. Purpose Expression Structure Ask about experienceGive adviceMake a suggestionExpress an opinionImagine a situationProvide instructionsOffer somethingConfirm informationAsk for more detailsAgree or disagree Open the package. Fill out the Forms.Where can I find out more?Im afraid I dont see it that way.Have you ever visited Rome?Lets go for a walk.To me, that seems like a waste of time.You live in San Francisco, dont you?Would you like something to drink?If you were the boss, what would you do?You should visit Mt. Hood. Conditional formQuestion tagUse of some in questions rather than anyTo me, In my opinion, I thinkInformation questionModal verbs such as should, ought to, and had betterImperative formLets, Why dont you, How about Present perfect for experienceIm afraid I dont see / think / feel that way. Hit Your Small Talk Target Which Topics are  Appropriate? Which topics are appropriate for small talk discussions? For  topics which are appropriate, think of one interesting comment to make when the teacher calls on you. For topics which are not appropriate, explain why you believe they are not appropriate for small talk. The latest filmsThe One True Path to Eternal LifeThe local basketball teamCarsA product you would like to sell to everyoneThe Death PenaltyYour hometownHow much you makeYour last holidayYour favorite movie-starThe correct political partyThe weatherGardeningYour health problemsYour family Small Talk Game Throw one die to move forward from one subject to the next. When you get to the end, return to the beginning to start again. You have 30 seconds to make a comment about the suggested subject. If you dont, you lose your turn! Your best friendThe last film you sawPetsRock and rollA magazineLearning a languagePlaying tennisYour current jobAn interesting excursion nearbyThe InternetMarilyn MonroeKeeping healthyHuman cloningYour favorite foodFinding a job in your countryThe last book you readYour worst holidaySomething youve never done, but would like to doTeachers - what you likeTeachers - what you dont like

Catcher in the Rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Catcher in the Rye - Essay Example He allowed Holden to use a lot jargon or street lingo to give an uncanny realism to the novel. The novel seems to have an overwhelming sense of doom and gloom. The character of Holden Caulfield wants to get out of his familiar surroundings because he was not satisfied. In a sense, he seems to be going somewhere else but with no definite direction or destination. Holden feels an unsettled spirit, he wants to go from here to there and is always in the habit of saying goodbye to someone or someplace he had been to before. His restless spirit wants to be always on the go but he lacks a certain motivation, like he is lost to the world. â€Å" . . . I mean Ive left schools and places I didnt even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I dont care if its a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know Im leaving it. If you dont, you feel even worse.† This line sets the tone for the rest of a story that is one of unmitigated ennui. Boredom, restlessness, insecurity and emptiness had pervaded the novel all throughout except when Holden is with children whom he is fond of. â€Å"I dont even know what I was running for – I guess I just felt like it.† With this line, it is quite obvious that Holden wants to get away from something but he just cannot put his finger on it or what he was running away from. Perhaps he was running away from himself as he is mostly disgusted with the ways things are in his life, especially with the death of brother Allie to sickness (leukemia). He is merely ambivalent with anything and everything, from his own father, himself and also with the whole world itself. Holden had been traumatized by this death but he does not even know it or will admit to it (Bloom 8); he is haunted by it. In a sense, Holden wants to disappear from this world, perhaps to stop his worrying. He is always worried, â€Å"when I really worry about

Automation System Implementation in manual process of a company Research Paper

Automation System Implementation in manual process of a company - Research Paper Example It has however stuck to the manual way of piecing together buildings. The construction of a building is a typical assembly process. It involves piecing together a number of standard items in order to come up with a customized product. The customized product is a building that is constructed according to the specifications of the owner. It could be a tall skyscraper towering above all the rest in the vicinity; a cylindrical structure; a dome shaped structure; an arc shaped structure or even a basic one roomed house. There are several standard items that form part of a house. A standard item is one which is produced in denominations of equal sizes. They are used everywhere in accordance to the pre set size denominations. Standard items are strategically positioned in order to assemble a complete house. They include doors, window frames, window panes, plumbing pipes, electric wires, taps, sinks, bath tabs, floor tiles, nails, bolts, screws, roofing tiles, water garters, building blocks, door latches, door locks, iron sheets among others. These are produced in common sizes that are universally acknowledged. A typical building assembles these standard items in accordance to a well laid out design. This makes the construction of a building a typical assembly process. For the sake of this extract, a single building is considered. A single self contained one roomed bedsitter. This bedsitter’s walls are made of standard building blocks. The roof is made of standard corrugated iron sheets and roofing tiles. It is a building with no storey. It is a square shaped building, 15feet by 15feet. The roof if flat but inclined towards the back of the building. It has one main door and another that leads to the washroom. The washroom is a single rectangular room, 4feet by 8feet. It is complete with a toilet seat, a shower head and a tap on a sink. The building has two windows, one in the front and another small one leading from the washroom behind the house. A 5000liters pl astic tank is on the roof. Metallic pipes are used for plumbing. Plastic pipes through the walls create passages for electric wiring. Standard ceiling boards are below the roof in the house interior. The floor is done with standard square tiles. The building requires several materials to be able to put up. The bill of materials in the next page categorically outlines the material that is required for each portion of the building. The building is divided into eight key portions for proper analysis of the materials required. These portions are the foundation, floor system, wall system, roof system, plumbing system, electric system, finishing and the miscellaneous. Bill of Materials PORTION NAME MATERIAL Foundation Building blocks Ballast, Sand, Cement, Water Building rocks Rocks Sand Sand Cement Cement Murram Murram Gravel Gravel Floor system Sand Sand Cement Cement Wall System Building Blocks Ballast, Sand, Cement, Water Sand Sand Cement Cement Twisted Metal Bars Steel Door Frames Wo od Window Frames Steel Roof System Trusses Wood Cross Members Wood Iron Sheet Galvanized Iron Roofing Tiles Ceramics Eaves Wood Gutters Galvanized Iron Plumbing System Sink Vitreous China Shower Head Galvanized Iron Toilet Seat Vitreous China Metal Pipes Galvanized Iron Plastic Pipes PVC Taps Brass Elbow Joints PVC and Galvanized Iron Electrical System Cables Copper Switches Plastic Sockets Plastic Bulbs Glass and Iron Meter Box Steel, Plastics and Copper Finishing Doors Wood Windows Steel Ceiling Boards

Pubic speaking paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pubic speaking paper - Essay Example Our forefathers had a dream of building a great nation. Our country has made this large strides which can be traced back to the foundation of the dreams our forefathers had for this nation. They were ready to give their life for something they thought was greater than their individual interests. They wanted nothing but the best for our great nation. The United States of America remains one of the great and globally influental country and we hope to remain so for generations to come. We have been and we will always be so long we remain patriotic to our ideals and value the strength of our diversity. As a leader of this great country, I believe we will be able to achieve our millenium goals by being an exemplary global leader in investing in educating the young generation that will lead to globally competent leaders of the societies to come and offer lasting a lasting solution to global war crisis. There is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining to ones character than giving one’s all to a difficult task. United States of America is a far more diverse country than any other country in the world. We remain the most powerful nation because we have chosen the strength and the bonding we gain from our socio-cultural differences to be our driving impetus into the building of our great nation. The advancements we have achieved in providing globally competetive learning institutions and technological advancements are the prime indicators of our nation as the global harbour of knowledge for generations to come. Thats why we strive to make America a destination for the validity of any child’s dreams from any country in the world. This will go along way in academically financing children from needy backgrounds in the world by provision of fully of partially funded academic and merit based scholarship to study in our institutions of higher learning so that they ca n give back and change the leadership in

Socio-Political Life and Key Values of the British Society Essay Example for Free

Socio-Political Life and Key Values of the British Society Essay The United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the constitutional monarchy. The head of the state is the Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is the personification of the U. K. By law, she is the head of the executive branch, an integral part of the legislature, the head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Crown and the temporal head of the established Church of England. But I want to emphasize that in practice, as a result of a long evolutionary process, these powers have changed. Today, the queen acts only on the advice of her Ministers which she cannot constitutionally ignore. In fact she reigns but she doesn’t rule. However, I want to add that the monarchy has more power than is commonly supposed. There remain certain powers in the hands of the monarch, known as the Royal Prerogative. The organs of government in the Great Britain are: 1. The legislature, which consists of the Queen in Parliament and is the supreme authority of the realm. 2. The executive, which consists of the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown, government departments, local authorities. 3. The judiciary which determines common law and interprets statues. Parliament In principle, the â€Å"Crown in Parliament† is supreme. This means that legislation passed by Parliament, which consists of the House of Commons (elected directly by the people) and the House of Lords (made up of hereditary peers and appointive members—archbishops, senior bishops, law lords, and life peers) becomes law upon royal assent. In practice, legislation is dominated by the prime minister and the cabinet, who initiate all proposed bills and who are politically responsible for the administration of the law and the affairs of the nation. The main functions of Parliament are: to pass laws; to provide, by voting taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government; to scrutinise government policy and administration; to debate the major issues of the day. In carrying out these functions Parliament helps to bring the relevant facts and issues before the electorate. By custom, Parliament is also informed before all-important international treaties and agreements are ratified. A Parliament has a maximum duration of five years, but in practice general elections are usually held before the end of this term. Parliament is dissolved and rights for a general election are ordered by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The life of a Parliament is divided into sessions. Each usually lasts for one year – normally beginning and ending in October or November. At the start of each session the Queens speech to Parliament outlines the Government’s policies and proposed legislative programme. The houses of Parliament in London, known also as the Palace of Westminster is the place where members of Parliament gather to make laws. The members of each Houses meet in sessions which begin at the end of October and last for about one hundred and sixty days. The sittings usually begin at 10 o’clock in the morning and end in the late afternoon. All the time Parliament is in session, a flag can be seen over the building. The members of the House of Commons sit on two sides of the hall. The Speaker is the chairperson at all the debates in the House of Commons, and it is duty to keep order. The Speaker is elected by all the members of the House of Commons. He belongs to one of the political parties in Parliament, but he never votes. The chairperson of the House of Lords is Lord Chancellor. He sits on the Woolsack, a large bag of wool covered with red cloth. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary peers and peeresses, 2 Anglican archbishops, and 24 bishops and life peers whose titles are not hereditary. Life peers include lords of appeal, who make up the court of last resort on matters that can be brought to the House of Lords. Bills from the House of Commons are passed to the House of Lords for discussion. Although no vote from the House of Lords is necessary to pass legislation, the body often suggests revisions and provides a forum for debate free from party politics. Members of the House of Commons are elected from geographical constituencies. The voting age for British subjects was lowered to 18 in 1969. Total membership of the Commons now numbers 651. Once the British Empire included a large number of countries all over the world ruled by Britain. The process of decolonisation began in 1947 with the independence of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. Now there is no Empire and only few small islands belong to Britain. In 1997 the last colony, Hong Kong, was given to China. But the British ruling classes tried not to lose influence over the former colonies of the British Empire. An association of former members of the British Empire and Britain was founded in 1949. It is called the Commonwealth. It includes many countries such as Ireland, Burma, the Sudan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The Queen of Great Britain is also a Head of the Commonwealth, and also the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Now some words about the British Constitution. The British Constitution is a product of many historical events. Unlike the constitutions of most other countries, it is not set out in any single document. Instead it is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The constitution can be changed by Act of Parliament, or by general agreement to alter a convention. Cabinet of ministers The Cabinet is a small body (of about 20 persons) of ministers selected by the Prime Minister. Cabinet never votes – the Prime Minister’s decision is final. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen, and all other ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Most ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The Prime Minister is, by tradition, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. The Prime Minister’s unique position of authority derives from majority support in the House of Commons and from the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the House of Commons. The Prime is responsible for the allocation of functions among ministers and informs the Queen at regular meetings of the general business of the Government. The Prime Ministers Office is situated at 11 Downing Street. The functions of the Cabinet are initiating and deciding on policy, the supreme control of government and the co-ordination of government departments. The Cabinet meets in private and its proceedings are confidential. Its members are bound by their oath as Privy Counsellors not to disclose information about its proceedings, although after 30 years Cabinet papers may be made available for inspection. So Great Britain is the constitutional monarchy. Monarch is the Head of the State. But Queen or King rules with the support of the parliament. And practically monarch has no real political power. The main political decisions are made by the Parliament and Cabinet. And the House of Commons are more powerful.