Job Evaluation at Whole Foods Market Essay

Introduction The goal of any company is to attract and retain employees who share their core values. Whole Foods Core Values include selling the highest quality natural and organic products, satisfying and delighting customers, supporting their Team Members (Whole Food Employees) happiness and growth, creating wealth through profits and growth, caring about the communities and our environment, creating win-win partnerships with their suppliers and promoting the health of their stakeholders through healthy eating education. I will take these core values and apply them to the job analysis and prepared job descriptions when determining the job structure at Whole Foods. Evaluation of Jobs and Job Structure In looking at the job descriptions provided in the case study, I was able to assign job titles in the following manner: Job A- Prepared Foods Team Member Job B- Customer Service Team Member Job C- Prepared Foods Department Team Leader Job D- Prepared Foods Supervisor Job E- Dishwasher Job F-Customer Service Front End Supervisor Job G- Prepared Foods Associate Team Leader Job H- Associate Store Team Leader Job I-Grocery Retail Team Member The job structure that I came up with put the above jobs into two categories: Managerial and Store Support. In the Managerial structure I would place Job C, Job D, Job F, Job G and Job H. In the Store Support I would place Job A, Job B, Job E, and Job I. Process, Techniques and Factors The Job evaluation technique I used in my case study is the job ranking method. My reason for choosing this technique was simple. While looking at the Whole Foods website and their career paths page, the job opportunities  in each store appeared to be hierarchal in nature. While Whole Foods itself is quite a large corporation, per the information on the company website; there are less than thirty different job classifications. While this is the simplest method of job evaluation, Whole Foods themselves have placed the jobs in order, ranging from the highest, Store Team Leaders, Facility Team Leaders, Regional Presidents, and Presidents at the top and Team Members or Specialized Team Members at the lowest or entry level. The compensable factors that I used in determining these job rankings based on the job descriptions provided: job responsibility, skill, knowledge and ability. While Whole Foods does have various departments in their stores, with distinct job requirements, these types of jobs can be grouped into one classification and put into a predetermined grade. My meaning with this is that a Team Member in Bakery has the basic skills and knowledge as a Team Member in Meat. The respsonabilities may be different, bakery versus meat, but at Whole Foods the responsibilities and qualifications are the same. Excellent customer service and maintaining the departments that they are working are a few that come to mind. As Whole Foods is a team focused working environment, placing more value on one job versus another goes against their core values. Of course there will be different pay scales based on the person’s position in the hierarchy; it is not something that makes one person more important than another. Per their own company website, â€Å"Whole Foods seek individuals who believe in their mission of Whole Foods, Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet-people who are enthusiastic about food and our products, and who want to join a culture of shared fate† (Whole FoodsMarket.com). Therefore, individuals who work for Whole Food realize they are valued and with the training and development programs that are offered, a person can promote to a higher level with the experience, knowledge and skills they have obtained in their positions. Evaluation of Job Descriptions The job descriptions in this case study could use more structure. I found it very difficult to decipher some of the information within the job description. Even after going to the WholeFoodsMarket.com website to compare, I had difficulty giving a job title to some of the descriptions. While the job descriptions themselves did have most of the information  needed to help a person place a job title with the description, they could have been better written. These job descriptions did not give a very general position overview which would have been helpful. For example, for Job A, the position overview could have listed some of the tasks the job has. The following is taken from the Prepared Foods Team Member position description under the position overview: â€Å"Performs in the Prepared Food Department all of the following tasks: preparation, counter service, sanitation and stocking of products. Maintains a positive company image by providing courteous, friendly, and efficient Custome r Service. Supports team leader and regional coordinator in training and maintaining regional standards†. (WholeFoodsMarket.com) Instead of listing all of the job duties under â€Å"Kind of Work†, listing them out in a responsibilities section would have made it much easier for the reader. The requirements sections were sufficient. Listing out the reporting structure for each position also would have been helpful. All the information that was listed in the job descriptions I used to compare to the actual job descriptions on the Whole Foods Market website; it was just a difficult process without a better layout. The knowledge, skills and abilities needed for each job should have been listed in its own section for a proper job description. Having had these, it would have been a much smoother process in assigning job titles. Conclusion As this is my first attempt at assigning job titles and job structure, I found it to be a difficult process. When you do not have the best job descriptions available to you, or the opportunity to job shadow a person in the position, the realization that a lot of work needs to be done on the front end. It starts by collecting and summarizing all the job information for each position at a company. By having all the possible information needed to complete a proper job description, a compensation specialist can properly determine the value of the job, assess the relative value of the job and place it in a job structure that is clear and concise to all stakeholders. (Milovic, Newman and Gearhart) This case study showed me what happens when things are not done properly in the beginning. References http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/. Whole Foods Market http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/corevalues.php. Whole Foods Market core values http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/index.php. Whole Foods Marker careers Milkovich, Newman and Gerhart. Compensation, 10th Edition

How Dinosaurs Came to Disappear

In this regard, the paper is going to look at the different theories such as sex, drugs, and disaster.. Focusing on the theories used to determine the causes of extinction of these big mammals, one of the critical theories that Gould considers is sex. In this theory, it said that since testes function under low temperatures that are biologically friendly, the sudden increase in temperate during the cretaceous era may have caused the testes to become dysfunctional (Gould). As such dinosaurs disappeared from the earth due to lack of procreation.Another theoretical approach asserts that around the same time, vegetation produce contained contaminated agents which affected the survival of the animals. Additionally, the occurrence of certain disasters such as comet hitting the earth may have created a shade of powder in the sky thereby suppressing the photosynthesis process and fundamentally lowering globe temperature, which made dinosaurs to vanish. On account of logos appeal, the author of the author chooses a previous study that was conducted during the sass. This study focused on one of the close relatives of the dinosaur.The aim was to establish functional traits, especially those focusing on the biological attributes of the animal that can be associated with the dinosaur. In this regard, the study focused on the tolerance of the alligator to extreme heat. The study assessed the amount of heat that alligators can absorb and how this can affect their existence. As such, using an example of an alligator, Gould shows that temperature can cause them to loose the functionality of their physiological system, which is critical for maintaining their temperature.This implies that these creatures have experience suffering during the experience and this causes them to become dysfunctional. Still on the logos appeal, the study also focused on the experience of large mammals such as the dinosaur when there are extreme temperature fluctuations. Gould asserts that large mammal s that have fairly small areas can release heat through a gradual process that enables them to maintain constant temperatures. This only takes place when there are ordinary fluctuations of weather conditions.The author uses a logical appeal to convince the reader that the dinosaur hat became extinct years back had a hefty size, which was too big to be affected by temperature fluctuations. The author uses the study to support his claims. Gould also asserts that large dinosaurs lived in favorable climates where temperature was normal. In this regard, the author recommends that any rise in universal temperatures before the Cretaceous annihilation may have caused the dinosaurs to warm up than their premium tolerance.Since they were bulky, this surplus heat may not have been extreme to kill or even to hamper functionality of the great beasts. However, Gould seems to agree with the previous theoretical position regarding the impact of temperature on testes. Earlier, it was suggested that they work best within a slim range of temperature. As a result, this surplus heat may have sterilized all the male dinosaurs. As such, they were unable to procreate successfully and give rise to future off springs.On ethos appeal, the author brings into light the truth about the drug overdose theory, which claimed that dinosaurs disappeared because their nutrition was interfered with the growth of these bitter and toxic plants. The author agrees that indeed blossoming plants did not develop until tardy in the dinosaurs' regime. He adds that the shrubs produced pungent amino-acid-based alkaloids. However, to claim that these plants could have poisoned the dinosaurs and caused them to disappear was unethical. Gould claims that majority of mammals are able to use their instincts and taste preferences to avoid eating poisonous plants.Even though the plants may have been bitter, mammals have livers that are able to produce antidotes to attack the poison. Indeed, this claim makes sense be cause it is unethical to overlook the biological functionality of the body and its ability to protect the body against toxins. The original study by Siegel claimed that dinosaurs could neither accommodate the flavor of the bitter plants nor cure the food they ingested. Indeed, the only way these animals may have been poisoned was through an overdose. Is there such evidence of an overdose?On pathos appeal, the author attempts to appeal to the emotional centre of the reader by looking at the outer space probes that have a deep association on the literature of dinosaurs destruction, The argument rose yet again in 1979, after a long pause, when the father-son, physicist-geologist squad of Luis and Walter anticipated that an asteroid, some 13 km in thickness, struck the ground 66 million years ago. The strength of such a crash would be massive, greater by distant than the Jumbo tonnage of all the world's nuclear arms.In trying to rebuild a scenario that would elucidate the synchronized d isappearing of dinosaurs on terrain and so many creatures in the aquatic the team proposed that a gargantuan grime shade, caused by particles blown up in the illusion would so dim the earth that photosynthesis (growing of vegetation) would stop and temperatures drop abruptly. The single-celled photosynthetic marine plants, with existence cycles calculated in weeks, would expire completely, but land plants might stay breathing throughout due to the capability of their seeds.Dinosaurs would die by malnourishment and glacial atmosphere; miniature, warm- blooded mammals, with added humble necessities for food and better guideline of body hotness, would yelp through. Indeed, the author figuratively brings out the Lloyd destruction in a way that makes it look like an end of the existence of living things. The reader is left with a vivid image of a humongous object flying from the outers pace, coming at a great speed, and hitting directly on the habitat of dinosaurs.As such, the reader is able to associate this story to similar stories such as those found in the bible, for example, the destruction of the Babylon city. In conclusion, the author does a great Job of analyzing the theories by focusing on the background information, present belief system, application of science, and reality. The theories proposed by the scientists give rise to a number of questions such as how could we likely settle on whether the idea that the rise of temperatures caused testes of the dinosaurs to become dysfunctional and consequently unable to give rise to new offspring?Can this be applied in consideration to the biological realities that we know about? Indeed, this theory carries weight to make a logical appeal to the reader. Could they keep away from the high heat by staying in the shade or caves? On the other hand, the article leaves the reader wondering whether the dinosaurs had a pacific diet that they relied upon and whether this disappeared at the time the bitter shrubs were spro uting.

Fast Food And Health Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fast Food And Health Problem - Essay Example This paper tells that lengthy cooking procedures are not necessary for fast foods and it can be prepared in no time. Fast foods are comparatively cheaper than conventional foods or organic foods. At the same time, there are many people who argue against fast food culture. In their opinion, fast foods contain a harmful ingredient to health. Many of the ingredients used to improve the taste of fast food have a detrimental effect on human health. Often, I function on very little sleep and to gain enough energy to power through my day, I eat fast foods that are high in carbohydrates. Even though we all need carbohydrates to survive, too many can cause impediments to a healthy diet and lifestyle. â€Å"The problem with fast foods in America is that Americans tend to be people who get extreme--they either like something and want it all the time or they don't like something at all and never want any of it† (Fast Food And Health Problem, n. d). The above attitude or lifestyle is not s o positive when we consider the long term problems associated with fast food. A healthy lifestyle includes a routine sleep pattern and an adequate amount of sleep so that energy and resilience are accessible throughout one's workday. Fast foods can make a person happier for a temporary period and in the long run, it can cause severe health problems. According to Sara Clark (2010), â€Å"The obvious advantages of fast food are its speed and its cost† (Clark, 2010). As mentioned earlier, the major advantage of fast foods is less time for cooking and a cheaper price. The lifestyles are changing rapidly at present and life at present is moving much faster than life in the past. In order to keep in pace with the rapidly moving life, people forced to change some of their traditional lifestyles including food habits. The kitchen was one area in which people spent a substantial portion of their lives in the past. The current generation has not much time for spending in kitchens. Unde r such circumstances, fast foods serve as a blessing to them. At the same time, many studies have pointed out that many of the ingredients in fast foods are causing damages to health. In other words, fast food culture is a big problem for human health even though it appears as a solution which avoids time wastages in the kitchen. Now the question is how to find an answer to this problem. One way of dealing with this problem is reducing the use of harmful ingredients in fast food so that the consumers may not develop any health problems. Oil, sugar and other food additives are used extensively in fast foods. Plenty of studies proved beyond doubt that these additives are causing health problems such as cholesterol, blood pressure, coronary problems, diabetes, obesity or overweight etc. At the same time, reduction of these ingredients may reduce the taste of fast foods. When the taste and life of fast foods become suspicious, people will naturally try to find more time for spending in kitchens for cooking conventional foods which is more nutritious than fast foods. A healthy lifestyle includes a balanced variety of carbohydrates and proteins so that muscle and fat are within reason based on height and weight recommendations. Only the conventional foods or organic foods can provide balanced variety of carbohydrates and proteins.  

The Linked of Democracy and Reason Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Linked of Democracy and Reason - Essay Example Therefore, the idea of democracy and reason are tightly linked and inseparable, since they affect human life concurrently. This is because in life man has to reason in order to make choices, since there is freedom of choice (among other human rights). An individual who believes in democracy also believes in the existence and need for proper reason in the society. The connection between the two notions is displayed in various scenarios as explained below. The Theban Messenger selects the extreme way to address his point on democracy. He likes the manner his boss rules people and considers it the perfect way to lead. He asserts that Theseus practices despotism. However, Theseus explains him the kind of leadership on his land where every person regardless of the social status is accorded an opportunity to rule yearly and in succession (Euripides 2). Thus, the city is not ruled by one person but by different people on a yearly basis. After being informed of the type of leadership in Theb es, the Theban herald describes the leadership style of King Creon. One person rules the country at a time, and no one is allowed to campaign and issue promises in order to be elected. Moreover, Creon does not allow the citizens to be twisted or used to one’s advantage. ... Theseus responds to the claims by asserting that the master of the herald practices despotism since there are no laws to be applied by everyone apart from the ruler, thus there is no democracy (Euripides 2). However, when such laws are written down, everybody respects and follows them, thereby ensuring equal justice. Moreover, the tyrant leader feels jealous of the young people and even kills them for fear of challenging his rule. Moreover, Theseus seeks to know the benefit of parents toiling for their kids while the king later kills them, thus enjoying the toil of the parents. Consequently, how can parents keep their virgin daughters when a tyrant king can rape them whenever he likes. Moreover, he wonders at the logic of raising children when a parent cannot protect them from destruction by the king. He concludes by claiming that he would prefer death if his children were treated in a similar manner (Euripides 2). Even though he might be having correct assertions, the Theban Messeng er should acknowledge the existence several ways of dealing with the issues he has raised concerning the subjects of his boss. For instance, he claims that the subjects lack proper education, which can aid them in making proper judgments (Euripides 2). However, the king can assist them by ensuring that everyone is accorded free and compulsory education, thereby ensuring that they make proper judgments on governance and democracy in their land. Consequently, he asserts that the subjects normally come from work when they are tired due to the strenuous time at work and thus, cannot participate in voting for leaders. However, the situation can be rectified by declaring the voting day a public holiday. This will ensure

American muscle cars (supercharged are better than turbocharged) Thesis

American muscle cars (supercharged are better than turbocharged) - Thesis Example Evolution of American muscle cars began during the 1960s. According to Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006), the development of V-8 engine technology played a substantial role in materializing the muscle car. The millions of baby boomers who entered the market during the middle of the 20th century were attracted toward V-8 engine. The American automobile customers behaved according as there curiosity and demand for the turbocharging and supercharging technologies of that time. They were not interested to create physical stereotypes for the car body. This is the reason behind the fact that diverse models of muscle cars were made available during the 1970s and 1980s. In this way, both the agile Camaro and powerful Roadrunner were accepted by the contemporary younger generations as muscle cars (Mueller, 2011). Contextually, an informative socio-technological analysis shows that muscle cars were no mere show items. Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006) have explored the characteristics of social acceptance of the powerful turbocharged and supercharged engine techniques that culminated at the reinvention of automobile design and use with global implications. Although the different companies like Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, etc. launched there own product categories and product line, the main objective of achieving more and more engine power remained in tact throughout the industry policy makers. And people were so obsessed with the different features of these cars that the companies continued to produce newer editions of the older models with certain new features. For example, some customers would love the sound of a turbocharged engine as it accelerated; while some other customers wished to have curves on the bonnet of the car they bought †¦ and so on! (Gunnell, 2005; McClurg, 2005). However, when the petroleum industry became turbulent due to certain international

Mechanical testing of metals and polymers Assignment

Mechanical testing of metals and polymers - Assignment Example 2. Experimental Procedure: Test Equipment Material Tested Test Speed mm/min Secant Tensile Strength-Metal Universal Tensile Testing machine 0.1% C Steel 0.4%C Steel 0.8%C Steel 1.15%C Steel Tensile Strength-Plastics Universal Tensile Testing machine HDPE, PP-PE, PVC, PC, Acetal (POM), Nylon (PA66), GRN (PA66+glass fibres) 10, 50 & 500 Pendulum Impact Tests Zwick/Roell Pendulum Impact Tester Polypropylene, PVC Vickers hardness Test Vickers Testing Machine 0.1% C Steel 0.2%C Steel 0.4%C Steel 0.85%C Steel 20 Kg load for () minutes 3. Results Figure 1 Stress-Strain Curve of steel Red 0.1% C Steel Green 0.4%C Steel Blue 0.8%C Steel Orange 1.15%C Steel Fmax Fmax dL at Fmax FBreak dL at break Nr N/mm? N mm N mm 1 414.53 8302.90 6.4 2020 10.7 2 691.64 13853.22 4.9 3930 8.1 3 896.10 17948.63 4.3 6720 5.6 4 1108.75 11098.39 2.7 4030 3.4 dL = Strain Group A and B Hardness of carbon steels (load 20Kg) 1st measurement 2nd measurement 3rd measurement 0.1% Carbon 146 148 153 0.2% Carbon 166 162 17 0 0.4% Carbon 209 213 217 0.85% Carbon 255 259 251 Zwick/Roell Pendulum Impact Tester. 1-Jun-15 M/c Model No 5113. Ref No A466690. ... 2 Pendulum Impact Test of Polypropylene Series Specimen width b0 Specimen thickness a0 Cross-section Impact energy Impact energy Impact resistance Work contents n = 5 mm mm mm? J % kJ/m? J x 14.53 3.092 44.87 1.50 19.99 33.49 7.50 s 1.015 0.1564 2.759 0.12 1.65 3.07 0.00 ? 6.98 5.06 6.15 8.28 8.28 9.17 0.00 Zwick/Roell Pendulum Impact Tester. 1-Jun-15 M/c Model No 5113. Ref No A466690. Force 7.5J Material: PVC 2nd Specimen width b0 Specimen thickness a0 Cross-section Impact energy Impact energy Impact resistance Type of test, PIT Work contents Legends Nr mm mm mm? J % kJ/m? J â€Å" 1 15.63 2.98 46.58 0.18 2.41 3.88 Charpy 7.50 â€Å" 2 15.98 2.98 47.62 0.57 7.65 12.05 Charpy 7.50 â€Å" 3 15.87 3.01 47.77 0.23 3.09 4.85 Charpy 7.50 â€Å" 4 15.96 2.95 47.08 0.44 5.91 9.41 Charpy 7.50 â€Å" 5 15.53 2.99 46.43 0.17 2.21 3.57 Charpy 7.50 Fig. 3 Pendulum Impact Test of PVC Series Specimen width b0 Specimen thickness a0 Cross-section Impact energy Impact energy Impact resistance Wo rk contents n = 5 mm mm mm? J % kJ/m? J x 15.79 2.982 47.1 0.32 4.25 6.75 7.50 s 0.2028 0.02168 0.5987 0.18 2.41 3.78 0.00 ? 1.28 0.73 1.27 56.62 56.62 55.96 0.00 4ET002 Thermoplastics 22-10-12 1-2 HDPE; 3-4 PP-PE; 5-7 PVC; 8-10 PC; 11-13Acetal (POM); 14-16 Nylon (PA66); 18-19 GRN (PA66+glass fibres) Nr Specimen width b0 mm Specimen thickness a0 mm S0 mm? Rp 0.2 MPa E-Modulus MPa RB MPa W up to Fmax. J W up to break J Rm MPa ? Fmax. % ? Break % Speed mm/min 1 9.96 3 30.5 16.05 1173.54 - 3.32 - 29.52 9.10 - 50 2 12.73 3.24 31 18.38 1109.57 14.54 3.14 5.04 30.76 8.42 12.11 500 3 9.86 2.98 29.88 17.66 1534.63 20.64 1.16 130.56 24.90 4.13 395.15 50 4 10.05 3.01 30.25 17.66 1425.01 19.50 1.83 52.05 25.46 5.77

Skill Plan - Management Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Skill Plan - Management Skills - Assignment Example Nonetheless, I have understanding that these goals are highly achievable, though not without required level of skills and competencies. Moreover, in order to facilitate achievement of these objectives there is need to develop a plan that can facilitate acquisition of complementary skills. Therefore, this paper will focus on discussing an outline of five-year skills development plan that can assist in fulfillment of my vision for my career or professional life. 2. Skills and Competencies Required to Fulfill this Vision Some of the skills and competencies that are required in order to fulfill this vision are determined through realization and identification of objectives involved Furthermore, I should focus on creasing self-awareness, which will serve as a pertinent element in good management and leadership in the future. In this case, I have to spend significant amount of time in acquiring experience in the field of business and fashion design. Most significant way of acquiring requir ed competence concern developing of substantial foundation of knowledge by understanding of basics from my degree program. Therefore, this competence will facilitate increase of ability to cope with rapidly changing business environment. Conversely, I will consider increased need for integration of business and advanced technology in order to increase efficiency in decision-making. Apparently, I find it necessary to have increased competence in application of technology in order to form a basis of developing competitive advantage in my future business. On the other hand, in order to achieve set objectives, there is need to develop significant understanding of required interpersonal skills (Johnson, 1999). In this case, interpersonal skills will assist in with dealing business associates and employees in order to facilitate successes. In fact, I have understanding that interpersonal skills that I will require as a manager include effective communication, listening, non-verbal skills (Eunson, 2008). Besides, these skills have a significant contribution to management of business in order to facilitate its success. I will also seek to develop other interpersonal skills that will enable formation and management of teams and groups that can facilitate effective implementation of business strategies (Honey, 2001). Moreover, some of the other relevant skills that will require for succeed include; time management, setting of objectives, decision-making, conflict management and effective negotiating (Thompson, 2001). For instance, after acquiring these interpersonal skills, I will have ability to resolve conflicts that would occur within the organization or with other business partners (Bolton, 1998). In addition, negotiation skills can also assist sealing significant deal with business associated that will improve performance of my business (Thompson, 2001). 3. Evaluation of Proficiency in these other skills and competences at the present time, and summary of progress made on your nominated skill this semester My interpersonal skills and individual’s awareness are the starting points required for management and leadership in a team. In order to realize the effort made towards achievement of set objectives, there is need for an evaluation of proficiency concerning the skills and competencies now, thereby giving summary of progress. Now, I have realized the significance of ensuring that I am up to date with relevant information regarding my field of study. I have been

Competitive Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competitive Intelligence - Essay Example The evolutions of new challenges like technological advancements and out sourcing have posed new challenges for the business operations. Understanding these challenges and acting according to the implications required an acute sense of understanding the situations and the analyzing to the best. The competitor analysis has diversified into more specific issues of planning, collection of more influential data, analysis and communication, which were undeniable influencers of success. The research is conducted by taking individual tasks and integrating it to the organizational concerns making the analysis more robust and to derive more refined facts. The country analysis gives a broad idea about the investment atmosphere prevailing in the country under consideration. The current position of the industrial sector under consideration, the amount of market capitalization existing in the country for the sector, the number of existing players competing and their presence in the market., the government approach for the development of the sector, the entry norms for the investors, the resources availability, the supportive industry presence for companies like the smaller parts manufacturers for automobile industries etc, The volume of the business to be explored, the number of years for turnaround to gain the considerable market reach, and the socio-economic factors of the country that may influence the business potential. The above factors may differ from one country to the other. For example a Canadian company is planning to enter new market in Ontario. The company has to know the feasibility of the business in the Ontario. The compa ny has taken help of a consulting company to know the market environment in the region. The consulting company has given details of components related to the competitors, recent trends fallowed by the competitors, the financial status. Comparison between New Zealand & Canada: New Zealand, competitor intelligence is a pioneering issue under consideration that has been given preference only after 90's (Craig S. Fleisher, 2004). The business elite group is not known of using the competitor intelligence tools as much. The study perceived by Procter revealed some interesting facts that the business environment was more inclined towards domestic markets rather than concentrating on the growing need to globalize (Craig S. Fleisher, 2004, P 43). The New Zealand business sectors are optimistic that competitor intelligence has more important role to play in the due of time. The New Zealand business sectors sensed the constraints they need to overcome to sustain in their respective business but they are yet to open to the implementation of competitor intelligence strategies to raise their business levels to globally acceptable level. The business sectors are not ready to face the realities like the constraints they need to know about their external environment they are into. To address these new business requirements the business entities need more resources like internet, product patent information etc (Patents and competitive intelligence). The modes of business education were only

Employe Search Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employe Search Process - Assignment Example This approach increases the chances of drawing potential candidates from a wide pool of professionals. The vacancy’s details in advertisements will include the positions available, applicants educational requirements, and skill levels required from potential employees. Interested parties can then send in their applications by e-mail to reduce the potential candidates to those proficient with electronic communications. The company’s expansion process requires it to have an intricate knowledge of the current trends in the US welding industry. Demand for welding and welded products fell from $6.113 billion in 2006 to $6 billion in 2011, and this drop was attributed to reduced demand in the construction and repair and maintenance markets (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 5). According to the League Park Advisors report (2013), demand is expected to rise to $8.067 billion by 2016 as companies increase their production capabilities to meet growing market demand (p. 5). The labor availability in the welding industry is set to increase as industry players such as the manufacturing sector adopt automation for repetitive and hazardous tasks, but the demand for welding specialists will increase due to the need to monitor and direct these automation processes (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 5). Due to these changes in the market’s demands, labor availability will see a likely shift from the manufacturing industry as it increasingly adopts automation, towards sectors such as repair and maintenance and construction. Manufacturing services may also move from China as wages in that market increase, and this could increase demand for the US manufacturing market (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 8). Projected annual growth rates of 6.8% and 11.8% for the repair and maintenance and construction markets respectively also dwarf the manufacturing market’s growth rate of 5.7% and also proposes reactionary shifts in the labor market (League

Cost and Price Analysis for Interagency Agreements Article

Cost and Price Analysis for Interagency Agreements - Article Example In the first section of the article, the author describes details about the cost and pricing analysis, and the various aspects of its differentiation. The author clearly marks that price is the birds-eye view while cost can be understood as the element by element review. Alongside, the author also states that price analysis can be used singly while cost analysis has to always involve price analysis. The ultimate outcome, as the author states, is to have the justification of fairness and reasonability of the analyses. The author also puts forth the idea for the sources of objective data coming from Historical Costs/Prices, Catalog or Market prices, Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs), Government Estimates, and Government Costs/Prices. Alongside this, further information regarding the value and program value has been given that clarifies any thoughts of the utility of the cost and price program. This section of the article gives a very good idea of the importance associated with the c ost and price analysis. The second section of the article is very much specific to the cost and pricing activity and practices in the inter-agency agreements. The article states that it is a common practice to have the price divided into cost components and have each justified with a written statement. The generally and widely used cost components include personnel, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, construction, other costs, and the indirect costs.

The Help Essay Example for Free

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

The play “Macbeth” Essay Example for Free

The play â€Å"Macbeth† Essay At the beginning of this exam we read through the play entitled â€Å"Macbeth† so we had an idea of the plot of the play I think this helped us all as most of the class had not read this play before and this made us want to learn more of Macbeth. Response Phase. Using still images and narration after we had read the play helped me to understand the play better than when I read it as you had a visual aid and could see exactly what was going on and having narration in Modern English made it easier to understand as we are used to Modern English. In order to create three still images with narration successfully we had to think about the relationships between characters within the play to make sure that the way in which we performed was as accurate as possible as then it made it easier for the audience to understand. When we performed the three still images with narration I found that putting emotion in your voice for the narration and using conscious movement when changing images was hard and we needed some more work on that however I feel that showing who we were acting towards other characters was easy and the audience knew who we were trying to act as. In the exam we did an exercise called â€Å"the mirror exercise† in this we got into pairs and had to stand facing each other and we had to copy our partner’s actions and movements to create an atmosphere and we compared this to characters in the play for example: When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are arguing about killing the king in our movement piece we showed how the control of the two switched until Lady Macbeth wins the argument and we showed her higher in this piece showing that she had won the argument. In act 1 scene 3 we learnt through the mirror exercise that Macbeth is easily lead by Lady Macbeth in which he is willing to kill the king to make his wife happy and to make him self king this also shows that he is a greedy man. This exercise reflected upon me greatly as I got to see a different sides to lots of characters which I fell gave our performances a little more and we could perform better having done this. Hotseating Macbeth helped my understanding of the character much more as you could ask any questions which are unanswered within the text and you could also develop more of a background to the character and that meant you knew more about Macbeth so you could add more into your performances and this was much better than just being told about the character. What we discovered about Macbeth as a result of hotseating: He is a greedy man. A power thirsty man. Looks out for him self. Trusts his wife. Is loyal to whom he chooses. Is very deceiving. In act 1 scene 7 we used thought tracking, soundscape’s and abstract movement to explore the thoughts and inner turmoil in Macbeth’s mind and I fell that all f these strategies helped my understanding as I could discover more sides to Macbeth’s character which enhanced my performance when I was in his role. I discovered in this that Macbeth is a greedy man as he wants to kill a friend and a loyal boss just so he can have more power and be crowned king. In groups of three we identified and marked the moment that represented the struggle in Macbeths mind, we identified this moment by reading extracts and finding that moment, we found it as it was significant as it showed Macbeth talking to himself arguing with his conscious not knowing what to do that’s why we chose this scene. Following on from this we all created a short movement piece without dialogue to highlight this moment this deepened my understanding and effectiveness of the piece without dialogue as you got to watch Macbeths facial expressions and how he felt reflected upon them also you got to think for yourself what he may have been thinking so this helps to understand. Within this whole exam I feel that â€Å"the mirror exercise† helped me most to gain an insight into the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. I think that this whole experience has helped me to understand the life and times that William Shakespeare wrote this as I can see that it is easy to get away with murders as there was no authorities like the police like we have today which shows it was a dangerous time and a lot has changed since then. Empathy to see and feel someone else’s point of view is so important not only for an actor but for society in general as if you do not always see eye to eye and you cannot compromise friction between people enter and this is when fights and disagreements all break out so it is important as you can then have a conversation and the tone of your voice can reflect upon that which helps keep the peace. Development Phase. We looked at act 1 scene 3, this is when Macbeth meets the three witches for the first time and also when he is told that he will be Thane of Cawdor and the king, here is how I think Macbeth would have felt about this, his thoughts on this life changing news: Thane of Cawdor? How can that be there is already a Thane of Cawdor. To be king wow that would be great but how do I achieve that? These women cannot speak truth there is no way this can come true, but what if they speak true and I can become Thane then king ? I must tell my wife! From the above in which I have just written I will now bullet point how I feel I would perform the extract above: My facial expression would be tense and confused. I would look down just glancing up every so often looking at people until the line beginning â€Å"These women† then look up. Once looking up stare at the three witches. Look at them angrily. Look out in the distance when â€Å"but what if† starts. Confused look again. Return to the atmosphere of the room quickly as you say â€Å"I must tell my wife†. We used drama to create our own version of act 1 scene 3 we used props symbolically within this scene for example: Drums to create the drum sound in the text, black cloth to show the darkness of the witch’s growing closer towards Macbeth. In this scene we tried to replicate Macbeths temptation when the weird sisters are telling him all him becoming Thane of Cawdor and king as in our group we felt that it was important to show his lust for the titles of Thane and King so we tried to show that the weird sisters are making his lust worse as they say he can be Thane and king so in a group we felt that the weird sisters were responsible for his temptation but also he controls this so in a way they are both responsible for the temptation towards the titles and thought that somehow they could be like a mirror to his own soul as he wants to be Thane and king but does not show it only deep in his soul so they are showing him this and he knows that it what he wants and what he lusts for in his soul. I feel that a twenty first century interpretation of the text would be very different to that of Shakespeare’s age when witch’s were considered to be real as today people would think nothing of someone saying that they would be Thane and king as there is no such thing as witches known in present times so Macbeth in present time would not be as spooked and as tempted as there is no fear in what they say today. If I could develop this drama through the use of costume, stage design, special effects and props I would have used lighting so that every so often when the witches finished a sentence they flashed so it gave the effect of lighting and mystery and to give the atmosphere of storm I would also use black clothes with were ripped and look dirty and for Macbeth I would wear battle clothes like armor as they had just come from battle in this scene. When creating this movement piece from act 1 scene 7 I feel it gave a great sense of how Macbeth was feeling and gave an idea of the thoughts going through his mind as he is drawn to what the witches are saying but backs away when in his mind he thinks it may happen and he becomes overwhelmed with the thought. I feel we could have developed this further by the speed in which Macbeths walks toward the witches and when he backs away as the tempo and rhythm of that could make the audience engage more with his thoughts, also using contrasts as in the stillness when Macbeth backs away to when he was all excited to hear he will be king when he is very active, using spoken language in this piece may have made this better as some members of the audience may not have fully understood what was going on within this piece. If we were to use our movement piece and turn it into a naturalistic role-play I would design the stage as a dark stormy sky as the witches bring storms and the blackness can symbolize evil being the witches. Within this role-play I would have to think about spoken language between the characters including gestures and how they should show how they really feel with body language and where the climax of the whole scene should be in order to make it work. Acting out the text using Shakespeare’s language was very challenging and difficult to master and I would need a lot of time to get it perfect. If I had a week to rehearse a scene I would pick the very first one in the play when you meet the witches for the first time as I think this sets the scene for the rest of the play, in this I would use my voice to project over the whole of the stage when needed to create a sense of the witches being mysterious and my body language would be very bizarre as the witches move like this to create a strange atmosphere.

Difference Between Takaful And Conventional Insurance Economics Essay

Difference Between Takaful And Conventional Insurance Economics Essay Takaful is an Arabic word which explains as guaranteeing each other (Tan Kin Lian, 2006). Haemala Thanasegaran (2008) also defined Takaful as mutual insurance in the Islamic system with compliant with principles of Shariah which is known as Islamic law. Shariah is attributing to direct Muslims by following principle which is: (W. Jean Kwon, 2007) Fard or wajib also known as halal which is obligation strictly enforced by Islamic law. Haram or mamu related to absolutely prohibition or unlawful activities. Mandub or mustahub which means that what is suggested or the activities that individuals are ought to do as own advantages. Makruh refer to what is discouraged or the activities that individuals are need to deny due to own benefits. Muhab is about permissibility or the activities that under the Islamic law is neutral. Besides, Alsadek Gait Andrew Worthington (2008) agreed that Takaful is a type of collaborate self-help program. Moreover, Ramin Cooper Maysami W.Jean Kwon (1999) who are stated that Takaful is establish on the law of large number whereby in the form of joint guarantee insurance mechanism. It means that a flock of public gathers their capital resource to prevent certain risk of losses. Takaful is an arrangement among a group of people with collective interests which aim to insure or defend each other from certain regulation of misfortunes instance of premature death, disability and property damages (Obaidulllah, 2005). Therefore, Faizal Manjoo (2007) said that Takaful is elicitation by the aqilah and diyah systems which is someone who is among a group of people are aim to financial salvage is possibility confronted with unexpected liability instance of paying for the blood money which means diyah. Takaful is an alternative form of financial instrument to guarantee assets, liabilities and other interests of individuals and organizations. (Zuriah Abdul Rahman, 2009) Therefore, Muhammad Ayub (2009) supported that the alternative of Takaful is according to the concept of social solidarity, cooperation and at the same time indemnification the losses of participants. Indeed, Haemala Thanasegaran (2008) pointed out that Takaful is similar with conventional insurance which is include the distribution of the risk and it is become play an important role as part of our professional and livelihood. As a result, Jamie Reid (2008) suggested that Takaful become a significant role to worldwide financial institution which is widely establish in Asian and Middle East currently and also has an opportunity advance to the western country. Present years, there are a lot of international insurance industries are interest participate in Islamic insurance market. Although, Takaful insurance is mainly expanded at Islamic countries for the sake of the advent of Islamic banking and it has presented its potential as an innovation financial instrument over the past decade. (Haemala Thanasegaran, 2008) Whereas, Ramin Cooper Maysami W.Jean Kwon (1999) examined that Takaful has also grown on religion principle which processes unique characteristic besides grown as an innovation financial instrument. 2.1.1 Concept of Takaful The concept of Islamic insurance which is known as Takaful was first introduced in Sudan in 1979 and the main concept is an alternative to conventional insurance whereas according to principle of Shariah. (Kassar, 2008) Takaful as a concept compliant the principles of Shariah which is Islamic law thereby it is essentially to a system of mutual help which refers to the pooling of resources to help the needy (Browne and Kim, 1993). Therefore, according to Tan Kin Lian (2006), who is examined that before the advent of Islam 14 centuries ago there is possibility that the concept of mutual cooperation among tribal members in the Arabian Peninsula already started. The instance in pre-Islamic history which to prove the argument is: Aqila which is the Pooling System Daman Khatr Al-Tariq defined as Surety System Al Hlif which is utilized by Trade Alliance Confederation Nevertheless, Catherine Stagg-Macey (2007) summarize that Islamic insurance also known as Takaful is a mutual insurance that establish with the concept of tabarru (donation) which means that everyone will be take advantage from a share of investment returns since they are contributes to a fund. It is the combination of guaranteeing each other and mutual or cooperative insurance and there are necessarily to including in Takaful. However, Dawood Yousef Taylor (2005) stated that according to Fiqh Academy in 1985 who judged that conventional commercial insurance was haram (forbidden) which contravened the rules of Shariah and Islamic insurance which is Takaful was halal (acceptable). Accordingly, Haemala Thanasegaran (2008) pointed out that the reason is the operation of conventional insurance is against the principle of Shariah which is involve the elements of Al-gharar (uncertainties in the operation of the insurance contract), Al-maisir (gambling as a consequence of the presence of uncertainty), and Al-riba (interest). Gharar (uncertainty) Gharar is means that uncertainty or ambiguity of the theme of the contract by the insured such as the occurrence of indemnity, the sources and the amount for compensation and the timing of uncertainty (Anwar, 1994). Maisir (gambling) Islamic law is prohibiting speculation or receiving return without effort. Since the policy holders of insurance are look like to bet premiums on the condition that the insurer will make compensation when arise specified accident thereby it is forbidden based on principle Shariah. (Anwar, 1994) Riba (usury or interest) Riba is prohibit by Islamic law which refer to unequal exchange of the same things and also can defined as difference amount and quantity between insurer and insured when transactions. (Anwar, 2004) 2.1.2 Type of Takaful In Malaysia, there is providing two different types of Takaful insurance services which consist of General Takaful and Family Takaful. Family Takaful The family Takaful is a long-term investment and saving. The function of family Takaful is providing protection to the participants family by mutual fund while participant involve in the event of death. Furthermore, the goal of designed this plan is to: Regularity save the contribution of fund during a fixed period which is long term Utilize fund that contribution by participant as investment to gaining profit or return under the rule or principle Shariah, and Assistance in financial while unexpected death of participant prior to the maturity of the plan Commonly, family Takaful can recognize to several form such as: Ordinary family which is composing from endowment, temporary, medical and health. Takaful endowment is same kind with the life insurance. However, there is also has combine with education plan which respond by public is enthusiastically. Investment-linked Takaful is providing participant protection and also get chance earn profit or return in future depend on value underlying assets. Takaful Annuity is attribute to guarantee participant future retirement life by provide periodic income. (Hendon Redzuan, Zuriah, Sharifah Sakinah, 2009) On the other hand, Haemala Thanasegaran (2008) stated that maturity period, amount and the frequency of annual contribution of family Takaful are determinant by participant as well as the fund contribution will save into the Participants Account (PA) which is for savings and investment and the Participants Special Account (PSA) which is for Tabarru or donation. General Takaful A general takaful plan is commonly standing in the period of 12 months which is known as short term mutual financial help. Generally, it is assuring for property, engineering, miscellaneous accident, marine, motor and others. Moreover, general takaful attribute to scheme that purpose to provide compensation to someone who is suffering losses such as destruction or disaster inflicted upon asset of the participant. Method of payment for general takaful is based on tabarru which is donation aim to mutually help and jointly guarantee each others with using the fund compensate for participants who are facing losses. (Hendon Redzuan, Zuriah, Sharifah Sakinah, 2009) Although, Mohd. Masum Billah (1996) suggest that general Takaful should identify as al-Musahamah (contribution) which replace al-Tabarru (donation) due to aim the participant has no against the rule of Shariah which in the risk on the theme of the policy while make a claim. In other words, participants are making a claim or gain return over their own contribute fund. As evidence, under Quran sanction of mutual co-operation has described that Help you another in righteousness and piety. 2.2 Development of Takaful Malaysia Islamic insurance which is also known as Takaful is a new industry compare with conventional insurance. Despite the origin of Takaful was beginning from 14 centuries ago, the first time that Malaysia started operating Takaful was in 1984 which is Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd. (Dawood Yousef Taylor, 2005) Whether or not, Sudan was the first introduced the modern Islamic insurance initially based on cooperative model which similar with conventional mutual insurer in 1979. However, majority of the countries include Malaysia and Saudi Arabia implemented commercial models of Takaful afterward. (IFSB IAIS, 2006) Masum Billah (1996) concluded that Takaful in Malaysia is currently thrives. Nevertheless, Malaysia is the leader which has the largest market in Takaful insurance among non-Arab countries. For instance, Takaful occupy 27% of the total insurance market in Malaysia parallel to Asia Pacific countries which have approximately 9% market, Europe and US are about 1% market and Arab countries which is the head of Takaful insurance hold about 63% market. (Salihuddin Ahmad, 2007) In the Far East, Malaysia was the forefront of Takaful development who conducted by Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) enact Takaful regulations with separate regulations that enable the prosperity of Takaful insurance. Alter of the regulation is compulsory as to compete with conventional insurance industry. Thus, Malaysia administer Takaful compete with the conventional insurance impartiality. There is possibility that the changes of the Takaful Act and regulations in Malaysia bring on prosperous of Takaful Malaysia and Takaful Nasional which are two major composite Takaful operators. It is lead to development of general and life insurance rather than general Takaful insurance. (Dawood Yousef Taylor, 2005) In addition, in term of Takaful in Malaysia successfully, there are new operators were intent to involve in Takaful industry on several countries such as: Brunei Takaful IBB Bhd and Takaful Taib Sdn Bhd Indonesia PT Syarikat Takaful Keluarga which transacting in family (life) business PT Syarikat Takaful Umum which transacting in general business Singapore Islamic Insurance Pte (Mohd. Masum Billah, 1996) Moreover, Takaful operators of Malaysia have establish joint-ventures in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka which aim to provided technical expertise to the Asian countries especially Indonesia, Brunei, Australia, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Algeria and so on. (Yusof, 2001) Nonetheless, Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) and the Takaful operators continued struggling to expand Takaful industry as assume in the Financial Sector Masterplan during 2002 which were focused on financial infrastructure development, institutional capacity enhancement as well as product and market development. (Central bank of Malaysia, 2002) On the other hand, Takaful has gradually develop as viable alternative to conventional insurance and may appeal to Muslim and non-Muslim which is a wide range of customers. (IFSB IAIS, 2006) Therefore, Malaysia as multi-racial country which is differences religious and cultural was able to attracted many consumers to purchase Takaful insurance. In Malaysia, Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad (PruBSN) has attracted more than 40% of non-Muslim customers among participant. (Mohamad Salihuddin Ahmad, 2007) Nevertheless, the corporate sector and multinationals in Malaysia are also preferred to select Takaful compare with conventional insurance. Although, there is no enough to promote and expanded Takaful thereby it was a challenges to the development and expanded of the local and global Takaful industry. (Mohamad Salihuddin Ahmad, 2007) Takaful is now implemented by over 60 companies in 23 countries and trend to promptly expanding. Recently, Malaysia initial offer Re-Takaful services in Labuan and also significant develops Re-Takaful which is the equivalent of conventional reinsurance. Presently, majority of Takaful operators reinsure to conventional reinsurers despite it is considered acceptable as long as there is no feasible that Shariah obey alternative. (IFSB IAIS, 2006) Since February 2008, Malaysia already has eight Takaful operators with license which is Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Berhad, CIMB Aviva Takaful Bhd., Hong Leong Tokio Marine Takaful Bhd., MAA Takaful Berhad, Takaful Ikhlas Sdn. Bhd., Prudential BSN Takaful Bhd., HSBC Amanah Takaful (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Etiqa Takaful Bhd., as well as two Re-Takaful companies which is Munich Re and MNRB Holding Bhd. (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2006) 2.3 Difference between Takaful and conventional insurance Takaful Conventional insurance It is a co-operative institution according to the principles of contract which is mutual co-operation (taawun). (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) It is a business institutions operated upon the principles of contract which is exchange. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) Based on the principle, participants as insured and insurers their own self. Moreover, not insurance operators bearing the losses and risk of transfer whereas are shared by the participants each other. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) The insured is uncertainly due to the transfer of the indeterminate fortuitous economic losses related with the prescribed risks in return for a pre-determined payment which is known as premium. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) There are not endue with involve in the profits generated by the insurance operators. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) Main objective is to gain profit or return from the insurance transactions for the shareholders. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) All participants who pay a certain prescribed premiums are available to vote in the elections of the directors of the company or to check the companys annual accounts. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) The policy-holder has no right to vote in the elections of the directors of the company or to check the annual accounts of the company. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) Exchanging money with money in itself thereby no discrepancy in the amount or time. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) Contribution of participants is attributed to Tabarru which means donation. (Mohd Tarmidzi, 2007) Both premium and claim being exchanged are different and takes place at different times. (Ahmad Ali Khan, 2003) Contribution from participants is due to investment. (Mohd Tarmidzi, 2007) Surplus in the fund will be distributed to participants. (Mohammed Musabah, 2008) Surplus in the fund is belong company as profit. (Mohammed Musabah, 2008) 2.4 Perception As to improve customers perception, companies should frequently adopt customers oriented and considering customers need in their position. Moreover, fully understand, elaborately configure, effectively manage, and exceed customers expectations already as a significant key to improve customers perception. (Frank Yao, 2007) On the other hand, according to Mohd Tarmidzi (2007), who is suggested that Takaful operators need respect the perception of the customers whether their criticism is truth or not. 2.4.1 Services Recently, providing better service quality already as a vital objective for companies to satisfy customers demand and compete with other same trade companies. (Izah Nor Mazlina, 2007) Thus, there is importance of service quality perceptions and the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. (Haque, 2009) Indeed, services are definitely related to the total quality management (TQM). Presently, a lot of global company services are adopted TQM as management paradigm since they realized that TQM also may effective in services as such in manufacturing. It is obviously that companies are emphasize to quality of services (Feng Jie, 2009) Regarding to Frank Yao (2007), who is defined that customer perception is very important to measure qualified services such as in operation execution layer, business development layer and others. It is due to adopt customers expectations and requirements will more efficiency to satisfy customers need. Thus, customer perception become a central topic and also as a key consideration. However, Dagmar Recklies (2006) studied that companies only able to develop appropriate strategies as they understand features of the services that consumers need and expectation. Therefore, customers perception considered as most important to the companies which is not merely strengthening relationship between customers but also achieves services improvement. 2.4.2 Reliability According to Arasli (2005), he stated that customers satisfaction may highest influence by the reliability of the products or services which priority had a statistically significant impact from customers perception. Furthermore, Haque (2009) concluded that reliability was primary related to the result of service. Despite, customers satisfaction not merely estimate on customers experiences on service delivery process whereas also the exactitude and reliability of the delivered service. Besides that, Asmak (2008) also suggested that majority of the customers while intend to purchase insurance, they will considered insurance companies in terms of assets and reliability. In the other words, customers perception and decision adoption will influence by reliability of the specified company. Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd (STMB) stated that the reliability of the management information systems is very important which relying to Information System Security Policy (ISSP) Manual due to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, duplication, negligence error, modification, diversion, destruction, loss, abuse or steal of STMB information systems. (Takaful Malaysia annual report, 2009) 2.4.3 Demographic According to Wilkie (1990) indicated that demographic will affect what kind of products or services customer will purchase, how much that customer willing to pay as people achieve higher education. As a result, customer with higher education may enhance their ability to process more complicated information and decisions making. Nevertheless, Asmak (2008) who is pointed out that the demographic characteristics of a customer which is knowledge regarding the policy, income status household and customer antipathy to risk may influence customers decision or even indeed changing their policies. Regarding to Schiffman and Kanuk (2000), conclude that customers with better education alike to income higher which may affect their expected life-style. Therefore, customers will more willing to consume because power purchasing of them are higher due to their level imposable income better than general labor. Lastly, marketer may redesign, reposition and re-price the services in term of changing demographic attribute to fulfill customer requirement and satisfaction. (Kotler, 2000) In other hand, Lamb (2000) stated that income level which may give impact to customer consumption is significant in demographic variable due to segmenting market.

Goethes Faust - Mocking Religion :: Faust Essays

Faust:   Mocking Religion  Ã‚  Ã‚      The play Faust by Goethe is subtitled a tragedy. There's nothing in the play like Romeo and Juliet. So why would it be subtitled a tragedy? Well I don't know who or why they call it a tragedy, but I know why I would call it a tragedy. Some things in the play are very tragic: for example the mocking of religion (lines 290-295) the pregnancy of the girl, the loss of faith (line 388) the intelligent Faust losing hope (line 381) and though we didn't read this, the fact that Faust goes to Heaven after all he died (the very end of the play)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout this play religion is constantly mocked. The Devil and God are pretty buddy buddy. I mean they make bets, they have casual conversation (lines 275-302) They are just kind of friends. I am not the most religious person, but I know that the Devil and God are not friends. They do not talk, make bets, or hang out together. An obvious mocking right there. Also it seems that the powerful Devil is not powerful at all. He is repeatedly outsmarted by a mere mortal (line 2715) and has many limitation. If you grow up going to church and being taught religion you are under the impression that the Devil is so powerful, always tempting us mortals and finally buying our souls. God and the Devil are made fun of by showing how much little power they have. God over the Devil and the devil over mortals. The girl, Grethen, getting pregnant is a tragedy for the simple fact that she and Faust are in love and would probably be in love for ever and ever had it not been for the Devil. Faust loves this girl and would love to be with her forever, but the Devil says that Faust can sleep with any girl without staying with her. So the Devil convinces Faust to tarnish this innocent girl. He sleeps with her getting her pregnant and thus sending her to jail (it is a crime back then for a woman to get pregnant without being married) Faust knows that the women he loves is in jail, possibly forever and he wants to help, but the Devil convinces him otherwise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Faust's loss of faith is another issue in this play that I feel was a tragedy.

Identifying Heroes: The Godfather and Pulp Fiction Essay -- essays res

Identifying Heroes: The Godfather and Pulp Fiction The form of Classical Hollywood films is, first and foremost, invisible. In a Classical Hollywood film, the narrative is foremost, and style serves the narrative. Camera angles, lighting and editing patterns such as the shot/reverse-shot pattern aim to give us the best possible perspective on the unfolding events(1). These events are arranged in a strongly causality-oriented linear narrative, with one event causing the next. This narrative is arranged around a central, active protagonist, whose decisions and actions are the key to the pattern of cause and effect that drives the story(2). This pattern seems so logical, so natural, that the audience of the classical Hollywood film is supposed to feel that they are receiving the material without the mediating intervention of the filmmaker. The link between heroes and the spectator under this model is therefore one of relatively unproblematic identification. Even films that featured anti-social heroes, such as the thirties gangster genre , modified the pattern only through imposing the strongly moral, tragic sequence of rise and fall; the audience's identification remained firmly with the central protagonist(3). Such a situation, under these assumptions, puts the audience in an apparently perverse situation, and it is therefore hardly surprising that the infamous Hays code of the thirties moved to ensure that "the sympathy of the audience shall never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin(4)." The assumption of audience identity with the hero was never unproblematic, and of course the classical Hollywood model of filmmaking partially outlined above never existed entirely without challenge. Nevertheless, it is clear that up to the fifties the classical Hollywood model was relatively applicable and that challenges to it were largely ineffective. However, beyond the fifties, the model became increasingly irrelevant. The reasons for the downfall of the classical paradigm are complex, and related to economic changes within the industry (the forced dismantling of the vertically integrated studio system that placed production, distribution and exhibition roles under the one organisation) as well as wider cultural shifts that occurred during the sixties (the widespread social upheaval and increasing prominence of counter-cultural challenges ... ...he coffee shop scene around the body of the film isolates one couple at the exact moment they make the wrong choice. The cleverness of Tarantino's approach is in isolating the artificiality of his heroes' persona, and using that as an approach with which to undermine the audience's admiration of that hero. Just as Coppola's attempts to alienate the viewer from Michael Corleone were only partially successful, so Tarantino's approach is flawed: Tarantino was accused of glorifying his criminal heroes, and audiences do still see Vincent Vega as a modern day Fonze, the embodiment of coolness. A subtext is still, after all, a subtext, and not everybody can be in the ironic audience. Perhaps, though, the real reason that both Coppola and Tarantino still have problems in avoiding the audience identification with their heroes is the astonishing persuasiveness of classical Hollywood forms. The learned patterns of classical Hollywood narratives and the associated identification with a strong central protagonist are likely to take over if given even the slightest chance. This is the price Coppola and Tarantino must pay if they wish to harness this form of filmmaking for commercial advantage.

philhealths indigent program :: essays research papers

CHAPTER I. RATIONALE Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation was created by Republic Act No. 7875 to administer the National Health Insurance Program which is designed to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable, acceptable and health services for all Filipinos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Enhanced â€Å"PCSO Greater Medicare Access (GMA) Program† is a partnership forged by four important agencies of the government: the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Local Government Unit (LGU), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and other national government agencies (NGAs) such as DILG, DSWD, DAR, DOH. The Enhanced PCSO GMA Program is a realization of the common goals of PCSO, PhilHealth, DBM and the LGUs of the intention to enroll 5 million indigent families nationwide institutionalizing an integrated health care financing and delivery mechanism that ensures accessible, affordable and quality health care to all underprivileged Filipinos. The Program started its enrollment on February 2004 and ended on May 2004. The validity of this card is for a year and can be renewed through the Local Government Units (LGUs).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the implementation of the Program, PCSO allocated P1.5 billion as assistance for the payment of the local government unit (LGU) premium counterpart to PhilHealth for 2004, initially utilized the P1 billion â€Å"Stand By Fund† approved by the PCSO Board. DBM, on the other hand, assured the release of P1.5 billion to PhilHealth for the national government (NG) premium counterpart for the would be indigent. CHAPTER II. OBEJCTIVES 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to identify the qualified members 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to know the membership process 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to identify the program benefits 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able know the number of indigents enrolled in Region VIII. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be able to identify the number of claims from the enrolled members. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To determine the controversies behind the card CHAPTER III. SCOPE AND LIMITATION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study is confined only to Region VIII which composes the provinces of: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte and Western Samar. Chapter IV. Methodology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The primary data were gathered through interviews with the Membership & Marketing Division, Finance Division, Claims Division and Management Information System of PhilHealth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the secondary data, the researcher used the information from PhilHealth, news clippings from the newspapers and the Internet. CHAPTER V. DATA ANALYSIS Table I. Number of Indigents Enrolled In Eastern Samar Municipality  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No. Of Indigents Enrolled  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Percentage   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arteche  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,142  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.27% Balangiga  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  686  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.96% Balangkayan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  991  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.84% Borongan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5,398  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15.46% Can-avid  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,909  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5.47% Dolores  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3,575  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10.24% Gen. Macarthur  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  505  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.45% Giporlos  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,092  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.13% Guiuan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2,933  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8.40% Hernani  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  869  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.49% Jipapad  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  315  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.90% Lawaan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  953  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.73% Llorente  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,309  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.75% Maslog  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  40  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.11% Maydolong  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,154  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.31% Mercedes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  459  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.31% Oras  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3,121  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8.94% Quinapondan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,489  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.26% Salcedo  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,015  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.91% San Julian  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,220  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.49% San Policarpo  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,888  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5.41% Sulat  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,311  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.75% Taft  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1,540  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.41% TOTAL  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  34,914  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  100.00%   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Eastern Samar, the highest number of indigents enrolled was the Municipality of Borongan with a total of 5, 398 or 15.

A Strategy To Reach The Unchurced Essay

Jesus commanded us to go and tell. The passage in Matthew 10 gives us words of conviction, instruction, preparation and finally expectation. We need to absorb this and as we do I believe that it will become clear what we are to do. And ways to reach the unchurch is making strategy. There are many church now answering the call to reach the Unchurch but to how to reach it we will find in the next paragraph. Giving Time The strategy of Sunset Presbyterian Church take the time needed to keep their circle of unchurch friends. Feil states, â€Å"I think everyone on our pastoral staff places a high priority on giving our people the time and the freedom to maintain their connections with their workplace, their marketplace, with nonchurched neighbors and friends. That is a high priority for us. They have to keep that circle of influence, that network of friends. We try to communicate clearly that we want to partner with them in reaching those people for Christ. And the primary way we want to partner with them is make our church a place where those people can come. Not just for some special evangelistic event but any Sunday and to any program or ministry. † (Feil, 2001). Start New Ministry The American Missionary Fellowship(2006) develop new ministries in every community possible using our new evangelistic tool, the Learning Community. A Learning Community is an evangelistic effort to bring together unchurched people with common interests in order to study the Bible and to equip lay teachers/leaders. Start New Bible Study Groups The LifeWay Church Resources ( 2005) Churches will be able to accommodate new people and the return of non-attending members primarily by enlarging the tent (Isaiah 54:2-3) of its open groups strategy through the expansion of its Sunday School ministry. These groups and classes usually are designed to target persons who ordinarily do not participate in church; many of these new units become the entry point for unchurched persons into the church and a relationship with Jesus Christ. This training will also help focus on the need and opportunities to start new churches in locations where people are not being reached by existing churches. Reaching people in crisis One factor is certain about the leaders of these churches that reach the unchurched: they are highly creative in their attempts to reach the unchurched. A Baptist church in West Virginia has a hospital ministry to new mothers, an attempt to reach these young families in their â€Å"positive crisis. † A West Coast Evangelical Free Church has reached more unchurched through its crisis pregnancy ministry than any another approach. And a Wesleyan church in the Midwest offers its beautiful sanctuary to prospective newlyweds at a very modest fee — but only if they agree to four sessions of premarital counseling. The lesson is clear: the unchurched are more likely to seek a church at a point of crisis. Innovative churches have discovered ways to have a presence in these crisis moments. ( Rainer,Thom S. ) Welcoming Atmosphere Creating a welcoming atmosphere by encouraging everyone, including the pastoral staff, to wear â€Å"stick on† name tags. They also pass a â€Å"Friendship Register† down the aisle each week, allowing members and visitors to sign in. Visitors usually sign-in this way, first, in order to let themselves be known. Visitors are also invited to identify themselves in the public worship services by simply raising their hand so that the ushers can give them a tape and brochure. â€Å"Our regular people know that the reason we are asking people to raise their hands is so they can identify them,† explains Pastor Feil. â€Å"I have had many first time visitors tell me that when they raised their hand three or four people around them said ‘hello, I’m so and so, who are you and welcome, we’re glad you are here, can I answer any questions. ’ So, they have been greeted as a result of that. That has worked for us. † (Barbara Feil. 2001). Reaching the unchurched through quality childcare â€Å"Parents today want the best for their children,† said an independent Baptist pastor from Louisiana. â€Å"It is amazing how much they care for the spiritual well-being of their children but neglect themselves in this area,† he said. â€Å"We decided to allocate heavy dollar resources into updating our preschool and children’s wing. Boy, has it paid off! We’re now reaching many of these young families who have no church background,† he exclaimed. ( Rainer,Thom S. ) Reaching through Shepherding and Discipleship Throughout all the ministries the focus is on shepherding and discipleship—the whole culture is aimed at this process. Feil states, â€Å"From the time someone becomes a believer here at Sunset the rest of what we do is aimed at that, to help them grow in their faith. That’s what we are concerned about, that everyone grows in his or her faith. So the purpose of every ministry, across the board, is to help disciple people. † (Barbara Feil. 2001). Focus Evangelistic Efforts on Children and Youth The Central Church † don’t neglect the adults,† said a nondenominational church pastor from Minnesota, â€Å"but we have seven specific ministries a year designed to reach teens and children. † More than one-half of the pastors indicated that their churches had specific strategies to reach children and youth, the largest unchurched group in America. ( Rainer,Thom S. )

Online Business And Internet Strategies Essay

network presence for a art organisation is a powerful communication and ad tool. Using a website to contend a physical product, a service or an intellectual property, becomes an incredibly bell- competent ancestry sector tool. Online dividing linees argon environmentally friendly and a sign of professionalism today. poleup through Internet plenty help to increase the communicate r flat upues for any(prenominal) product that can be conceived. Marketing over the mesh withal means that in that location would non be any worries around the attrition of employees or inventory liability. Potential buyers are break in expected to find a website of your agate line than close to you or your country.Choice of BusinessFocusing on a rail room line sector same the suppliers of corrugated- cover boxes to large occupationes, would be great idea to start. With its uniqueness, this type of online work organisation venture will also realize that online competition is mini mal. Of course they are nigh a(prenominal) prospects that are untapped in this field. The luff market for placing online orders of cover boxes would be pear-shaped fast-food chains that are expanding their businesses in saucily liberalized economies of Eastern europium. (UNCTAD, 2005)Small and large messenger companies that rely on huge quantities of paper boxes for every kind of ravishment.Businesses and shops of any scurf and any location would fill efficient packaging material.Other online businesses that anticipate to ship physical products to their customers like online art auctions, portray sellers and gad move showcases, may require displace quantities of paper boxes. Since they cannot stock such an feature as packaging material, the best choice would be to purchase the required bill online.Capital and InfrastructureThe main improvement of position up this online business would require minimal enthronization at the invasion just as in any another(prenominal ) online venture. Another positive is that the customers unremarkably pay upfront in online businesses, so the cash conversion cycle would endlessly livelihood the business with cash-in-hand. Major amass of initial investment would be towards acquire a suitable ground bod that either resembles paper box or the region where the latent customers are located. For authority if McDonalds from USA is meanning to set-up in the buff outlets in Eastern europium, then the domain name could be www.boxesineurope.com (this domain is available) purchasing a suitable website hosting service provider (hosting companion for website space and website human body) by checking that companys website. One should be extreme about a web-hosting providers integrity and background as many of them stoop to blackmail their clients if they see a profit-making business. So, it is imperative for the safety and security of my business as good likely clients. terms of front engine optimization of w ebsites should be taken care of at the design stage itself. Websites that are bring out optimized for hunt club engines, appear at a high rank than other when a hunt club of a actuateicular term is pass by on the popular search engines like Google. close to importantly, all the results with the term paper box providers in Eastern Europe, apart from my website, would be my competitors. So I would be pro-active in spending some amount getting a better ranking on search engines.there would be random costs knotty that include the cost of getting a high speed internet connection, move up communication network with topical anesthetic manufacturers of paper boxes, office equipment etc of course my sustain basement will serve as office.Strategic AlliancesThe most important business partners could be located online and the best way to check their authenticity, shade and service would be to set up meeting with them, if they are geographically approachable. Otherwise, unconstipated through acceptable business proposition email, any business would like to expand and extend their network. (NFIB, 2002) Most important allies for my website www.boxesineurope.com would be quality manufacturers of boxes. Again, their website, portfolio and background would be a grave measure of their reliability.Marketing My Online BusinessWebsite Promoting a website means to increase the number of visitors scope the webpages. Larger the number of visitors, higher would be the probability that their visits would convert into potential business or purchase. So increasing website handicraft would be the main aim of any online business including mine. Here are a couple of(prenominal) options that I would explore to improve the visibility and accessibility of www.boxesineurope.comIn order to get the most of search engines, I would keep the website search engine optimized and updated. A part of revenue will be diverted to professaional optimizers. For instance Google recenlty annou ced that more than 5 one thousand million searches took place on their search engine in a month of 2005 even a conversion rate of 5% can give huge returns on the amount of money spend on search engine optimization. To put it simply, even if 5 out snow visitors on my website, turn into actual customers, then cost accrued in bringing those 100 visitors bears huge profits. (Gonsalves, 2006)I would use online advertizements, banners and sponsored link on the websites that my potential customers are seeming to visit. Since, the target market is widely distri simplyed, sales professionals or procurement personnel of my potential customers are likely to search for fewer specific terms. (NCC Ltd 2007)Websites that are non-competitors for my business but show on such search results, became an ideal business partners for exchanging website links. As volume who likely to be their customers may draw my website and potential buyers of paper boxes may scope their website.Sponsored links through search engines can help me to generate revenue even if I do not sell the product showcased on my website. So, its an alternate(a) tool to generate capital that could be invested in online advertizements.To keep customers coming back the concentre would to upgrade/update the website frequently. I would keep changing product flick and text design without compromising on the sober looks of the webpages. Posting periodic latessheet on the site would be a good idea to to provide something new to read for the visitors.Once the website popularity improves, I would focus on building a database of my consumers or those who simply enquired about the products. Such a database will provde invaluable and dividing visitors into segments will be very expedient for launching targeted market campaigns. There are also mature software to help in purgation online selling to different sets of customers. (Business Link, 2007) electronic mail Since the online business marketing is for the net users, emails would provide useful for building relationships and keeping my acquaintances aware about my business. Periodic emails, popularly known as newsletters can assist to update the customers about offers. Email is a less curious mode than tele bid marketing. I would be searching the liason offices and business personnel of potential customer and send them personalized emails. Hiring a third party for doing email marketing may prove illegal in case they try to spam. (Prodesk, 1999)Short communicate Service Marketing via text communicate is a viable option as almost everybody carries a mobile phone these days. However, I would be careful to not to invade privacy by direct unsolicited and unexpected messages to unknown people.though equipped technically and planned well ahead of time, even an online business would require certain ethics that I would neer violate. I would ensure thatcustomers get just what they order and in the promised time.website visitors will ever be secure regarding their personal info and banking credentials like credit cards, debit entry cards or any other mode of transaction.there would be stark filtering for spam, viruses and any other security threats for the website visitors and customers alike.investment would be timely to keep the engineering science and the content of the website updated to real time ie an outdated or irrelevant discipline would never be displayed.With these marketing strategies and plan for online business, I am confident of setting up a viable internet business enterprise.REFERENCESUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2005) Report Eastern Europe remains top FDI destination. obtainable on http//www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eastern-europe-remains-top-fdi-destination/article-143913 national Federation of supreme Business. (2002). Benefits of Online Services to Independent Business NFIB. Available on http//www.nfib.com/ prey/1583715.htmlGonsalves, Antone. (2006). Google Gra bs Half Of Booming Web seek Market TechWeb NewsNational work out Centre. (2007)Available on http//www.nccmembership.co.uk/Business Link. (2007). virtual(a) advice for businessAvailable on http//www.businesslink.gov.uk/Prodesk. (1999). Email Marketing Strategies Revealed www.prodesk.comBIBLIOGRAPHYWoodhead, Robert. (2007) www.selfpromotion.com 2007Simpson, Gemma. (2006).UK small businesses set to progress IT budgets ZDNet.co.ukAvailable on http//news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39285382,00.htm