Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name Review Essay Example

Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name Review Paper Essay on Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name I know how many of you have probably grown quite fond of seryl Lost, so do not read this book, I just could not, and now I want to share my impressions. First, it is possible in general to say about the book? First UTB is not a retelling of the series, the book presents a new hero ill-fated airliner a young guy Dexter. The book is a essentially a love story istoriyu- Dexter to his girlfriend with a slight paraphrase of series 7 of the first season. And if the life story of Dexter, though (let this honest !!!) banal, but still it was interesting to read, here read those chapters where there is a retelling of the series was terribly skuchno- why? Because there is not disclosed anything new, even the main characters of the series are used as a panorama of the history of Dexter, which in many episodes for example, instead of playing Jack Dekster- such aircraft searched with trupami- the show climbed Jack and Dexter used here for the sake of the plot. We will write a custom essay sample on Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Staying Alive. Book 2. The secret name Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer What pleased the book has morals, moral, and UTB you will learn at the end of the book. Objectively secret name does not pull 4 points, but Im just a fan of the series, and after a few years after the end of the first season was again pleased to recall episodes of the series. A itat you or not, it all depends on how you are interested serialom- interested, read, and if not, then it is better to spend money on something more interesting. By the way, I bought this book at a discounted price of 5 times cheaper all due to cover defects, so my money spent on the book really match the quality of the work .

The understanding of nigerian women of maternal mortality including beliefs, cultural practice, and understanding of health literature. The WritePass Journal

The understanding of nigerian women of maternal mortality including beliefs, cultural practice, and understanding of health literature. Search Strategy The understanding of nigerian women of maternal mortality including beliefs, cultural practice, and understanding of health literature. , p. 1). Statistics Known of Maternal Mortality in Nigeria The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) was reported to be 608 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008 (Hogan, et al; 2010, pp. 1609-1623). Despite this, it also made clear in the report that maternal deaths have in fact reduced on a global level by 35% from 1980 to 2010, which seems to illustrate that maternal mortality is actually declining. This does not appear to be the case for Nigerian women, however, since the MMR in 1990 was 473 (Hogan, et al; 2010, pp. 1609-1623). As such, the elimination of maternal mortality has been slow (Hill et al; 2007, pp. 1311-1319). Many have questioned the accuracy of such figures, however, since it cannot be said that all deaths in Nigeria are actually registered (Schuitemaker et al; 1997, p. 78). Therefore, MMR does actually remain underreported which impacts the accuracy of these findings. Knowledge and Attitudes of Nigerian Women to Maternal Mortality Maternal mortality is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as â€Å"the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy† (WHO, 2004, p. 1). It is apparent that maternal mortality is one of the main causes of death in developing countries which is especially so in Nigeria where maternal mortality is prevalent amongst Nigerian women. Many challenges in relation to this thereby exist and it is thus believed that more should be done in order to tackle these problems and therefore reduce or even eliminate maternal mortality (Elijah, 2012, p. 1). Brabin et al; (2001, p. 6045) argue that anaemia is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality amongst Nigerian women which should therefore be dealt with first. Interventions   Given that the MMR in Nigeria has increased rather than decreased, it is evident that any interventions that have been made in order tackle this problem have been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the reduction of maternal mortality was in fact included into the Millennium Development   Goals (MDG 5) so that MMR can be reduced by 75% from 1990 to 2015 (United Nations General Assembly, 2000, p. 55). Whilst there are another two years to go, it is unlikely this figure will be attained. Research Question To establish what maternal mortality is; To determine whether maternal mortality us widespread; To consider the impact maternal mortality has on Nigerian women in comparison to those women from other jurisdictions; To consider the beliefs and cultural practices of maternal mortality within Nigeria; To determine the current attitudes towards maternal mortality within Nigeria; To review the steps already taken to tackle maternal mortality; To establish whether the interventions used to reduce maternal mortality have proven effective. Study Design Overview of the Study In undertaking this study, it is important to first review the statistics that currently exist on maternal mortality on a global level. This will help one to decide whether maternal mortality is a global phenomenon or whether it is just Nigerian women who appear to be suffering. Once this has been done, applicable data will then be collected from various States within Nigeria providing an overview of the MMR within Nigeria including an estimation of the risks associated with maternal death. The methods adopted for assessing maternal mortality will thus be reviewed in order to illustrate the reliability of these statistics. Primary data that has been collected directly from women within Nigeria will also be used in order to attain an overview as to how effective the health system within Nigeria is. This will be followed by a review of secondary data in order to gain an insight into the current views and opinions of maternal mortality amongst Nigerian women. Consequently, part of this study will consist of a retrospective audit using a large population sample from an existing design. This will be based upon the most recent statistical data available including professional documentation as well as international standards. A retrospective audit will be more suitable for this study than a prospective audit since a prospective audit is based upon â€Å"the collection of information about patients during their process of care† (Optimal Blood Use Project, 2013, p. 1), whilst a retrospective audit is based on a review of the records of patients that have already been discharged. This type of information will be a lot easier to attain since it may consist of data from computer databases. In using this particular type of data, nonetheless, it is important that the quality is adequate since this will otherwise be detrimental to the outcome of the study. This is because, a pre-test, post-design is being used and if any of the information is not adequate, the overall results will be impaired which will affect the whole of the study. Essentially, because the study aims to provide a greater understanding of the maternal mortality in Nigerian women, it is important that a paired data analysis can be conducte d. Hence, as put by Bonate (2000, p. 1); â€Å"paired data arise when the same experimental unit, such as a person or laboratory animal is measured on some variable on two different occasions or at the same time under different testing conditions.† This will allow a determination to be made as to whether there is a difference from the first testing to the second testing which is necessary in order to decide whether the intervening measures aimed at tackling maternal mortality have been effective. It is important that information is attained from patient and public involvement (PPI) as this will enable a more accurate study to be conducted. Furthermore, PPI will also ensure that applicable changes are made to the ways in which women in Nigeria are being treated and will allow such women to have an influence in the ways in which they are being cared for and treated. They will also be able to â€Å"have a say in the way services are planned and run† and will thus â€Å"help bring about improvements to the way care is provided† (NHS, 2012, p. 1). This is important given that patients within Nigeria have not been receiving appropriate care. PPI is thus a significant element of any study relating to the health of indivi duals since it is vital that specific measures are being implemented which ultimately serve the public’s interest (Burton and Ormrod, 2011, p. 43). Sample Because it would be impossible to study every single woman within Nigeria who has an interest in maternal mortality, it is important that only a pool of participants is selected for this particular research. This is because; whilst it is essential that the findings do not merely consist of those participating in the study, it would be impracticable to study a large proportion of the population within Nigeria. This study will therefore investigate Nigerian women from four different Nigerian states using the so-called ‘sisterhood method’. The sisterhood method will be used in this assignment because of the problems that are associated with the collection of data from developing countries. This method consists of asking a woman four simple questions about her sister/s and then deciding whether maternal mortality is widespread. The Investigation of maternal mortality by the sisterhood method is an indirect approach and â€Å"entails asking respondents about ever-married sis ters: how many have died, and how many have died while they were pregnant or during childbirth or six weeks following the end of the pregnancy† (World Bank, 2006, p. 225). This is a frequently used method in this type of study and will help to provide a clear overview as to whether maternal mortality is increasing or decreasing. It also allows a greater amount of data to be collected from the person questioned. However, the downside to this method is that there is a danger of multiple results being produced where two sisters are asked the same questions. Approximately 400 women will need to be studied between the ages of 16 and 45 so that an accurate estimation of maternal mortality can be gathered. In deciding whether this is a sufficient amount of people however, a power and sample size estimation will need to be made in order to ensure that there is a sufficiently large amount of data subjects to embark upon the study in question. Consequently, it will need to be considered whether â€Å"there is the possibility of harmful effects from participating in the study† (Taylor and Kermode, 2006, p. 207). ‘Power’ thus relates to the likelihood that the study will achieve the desired outcome, whilst ‘sample size’ relates to the number of people needed to achieve this result. The data collected must be of the â€Å"same scale of measurement† and the sample size must not be extortionate since this would otherwise incur unnecessary expense and would evidently waste time. Since the data is of the same s cale of measurement and the sample size appears to be applicable for this assignment, it is evident that the sisterhood method is appropriate. This is a cheap and convenient way of gathering information from developing countries and is a useful way of attaining relevant information. Hence, the studies will be undertaken a number of years subsequent to maternal mortality surveys being carried out which will allow greater accuracy to be provided. This method also enables small sample sizes to be used and is widely effective when it comes to sampling from large families were the respondents are likely to have a number of siblings. The processing of data is also relatively simple which ensures that the calculation of estimates is also simple (Maternal Mortality Measurement Resource, 2007, p. 1). Conversely, the sisterhood method does have some drawbacks and problems often emerge in those states were families have fewer siblings. Furthermore, it also â€Å"gives retrospective estimates, it assumes no major trends in family, it is difficult to get additional information about deaths and there are no established demographic techniques to permit evaluation and adjustment† (Maternal Mortality Measurement Resource, 2007, p. 1). Arguably, it is evident that whilst t he sisterhood method is applicable for this study, caution should also be made in light of the problems that are associated with this since the findings may not be as accurate as first anticipated. Data Collection Applicable secondary data for this study will be collected from journal articles, text books, online databases and governmental reports which will be attained by undertaking online and paper-based research. This will require a search of library and online databases, which is considered to be the quickest form of data collection required for this study. Secondary research for this assignment is integral in finding out what the current attitudes and opinions are in relation to maternal mortality of Nigerian women. Furthermore, any changes and interventions that have been made over the years will also be capable of being identified as well as any previous statistics. In addition, censuses, organisational records and both qualitative and quantitative data will be included under this method of research and will thus reduce time and expense. The data collected will also be of a higher quality and will support the findings that will have been acquired through primary research. Secondary dat a is also important in helping to determine the changes that have been made over the years, which is vital in deciding whether maternal mortality is being tackled adequately.   In order to collect data using the sisterhood method, however, primary research will also need to be utilised which will be accomplished through the conduction of a questionnaire as well as direct observations. Questionnaires are highly advantageous in addressing the specific issues surrounding maternal mortality and will allow a proper assessment to be made as to whether changes to the healthcare of Nigerian women are still needed. Greater flexibility as to the ways in which the information is to be collected will also be ascertained which will enable the researcher to decide on the most applicable research approaches to take. Nevertheless, it is important that both secondary and primary research is used for this study since the â€Å"secondary research can be done from outside a Third World country and then followed up with primary research adapted for local cultural and material circumstances† (Luck et al, 2000, p. 280). This will ensure that the findings are accurate and will enable a proper estimation of the population attributes to be made through the undertaking of a sample survey. Because of the fact that the population in Nigeria is large, it is necessary for a mere sample s urvey to be carried out since this will reduce the costs that would be incorporated from the collection of census data. Problems associated with sample surveys include interference since the respondents may be chosen according to the desired outcome. As a result certain respondents may be specifically chosen which could cause problems and affect the data that is produced. Data Analysis Once all of the data has been collected, it will then be analysed in order to decide which data is more applicable for the study in question to ensure a proper conclusion can be drawn. Essentially, it is important at this stage to clean the data by inspecting each source thoroughly and then deciding whether or not it ought to be used. Hence, â€Å"the quality of the research should be judged in relation to the resources available and the effectiveness with which those resources have been used to investigate the particular topic in question† (Denscombe, 2009, p. 53). Since both quantitative and qualitative research methods will be used for this study, it is important to analyse both types of research thoroughly in order to prevent inaccuracies from transpiring. Quantitative methods of research are those methods which are concerned mainly with numbers and frequencies, whilst qualitative methods are more concerned with meaning and experience. These provide a more in-depth analysi s into the subject matter and will therefore enable a proper determination to be made as to the effects maternal mortality has on Nigerian women. Whilst some prefer one method over another, it is more effective to adopt a combination of the two as this will allow â€Å"statistically reliable information obtained from numerical measurement to be backed up by and enriched by information about the research participants’ explanations† (Holah, 2012, p. 1). Consequently, by incorporating both methods of research into the assignment, a more in-depth account of maternal mortality will be provided. Ethical Issues Whilst it is important for any study to undertake both secondary and primary research, there are a number of ethical considerations that need to be taken into account. Essentially, whilst fewer problems arise with secondary research because of the fact that the data already exists, the re-using of data can cause problems in itself. This is because informed consent is often required and compliance with the data protection rules must be ensured. Primary research essentially causes greater concern than secondary research because of the fact it involves the collection of data from individuals. This is certainly the case for this study and because of this it is vital that care is taken when gathering information. Hence, the data that is being gathered is highly sensitive and in order to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of the individuals concerned, all participants need to be fully informed of how the data will be used so that their direct consent can be provided (Dawson, 2009, p. 150). In addition, an assurance that the ethical rules of conduct is being complied with also needs to be made which means that any data which is produced must be â€Å"honest, unbiased, sincere, free from errors or negligence, open to critique and it must protect confidential communications† (Rensik, 2011, p. 1). Arguably, in order to ensure that the ethical rules of conduct are being utilised, a risk-analysis approach will be adopted and all participants will be made aware of how any data being collected will be used and their permission will be obtained. The approval of the College Research Ethics Panel will also be obtained so that any ethical issues can be avoided. Conclusion If the study works and the desired outcome is achieved it is likely that changes to the healthcare of Nigerian women will be made. This is because at present it seems as though there are a number of risks associated with the health of female Nigerians which leads to maternal mortality and in order to eliminate this problem, it is vital that the health system is vastly improved. In conducting this study, the problems associated with the health of Nigerian women will be highlighted and the ways in which this can be tackled will be elucidated. This may lead to the reduction of maternal mortality and will ensure that the beliefs and cultural practices of Nigerian women are respected. Accordingly, the lives of Nigerian women should be improved by these findings as a greater emphasis will be placed upon the Nigerian health system as well as any interventionist techniques that will be likely to reduce maternal mortality. References Bonate, P. L. (2000) Analysis of Pretest-Posttest Designs, CRC Press. Brabin, B. J. Hakimi, M. and Pelletier, D. (2001) An Analysis of Anemia and Pregnancy Related Maternal Mortality, The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, The Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 131, no. 2. Burton, R. and Ormrod, G. (2011) Nursing: Transition to Professional Practice, Oxford University Press. CASP. (2012) Welcome to the CASP UK Website, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, [Online] Available: casp-uk.net/ [03 January 2013]. Dawson, C. (2009) Introduction to Research Methods: A Practical Guide for Anyone Undertaking a Research Project, How to Books Ltd, 4th Edition. Denscombe, M. (2009) Ground Rules for Social Research: Guidelines for Good Practice. 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill International. Eliijah, S. (2012) Nigeria Tackles Maternal Mortality, Voice of America, [Online] Available: voanews.com/content/nigeria-tackles-maternal-mortality/1534984.html [04 January 2013]. Hill, K. Thomas, K. and AbouZahr, C. (2007) Estimates of Maternal Mortality Worldwide Between 1990 and 2005: An Assessment of Available Data, The Lancet, Vol. 370, no. 9595. Hogan, M. C. Foreman, K. J. Naghavi, M. (2010) Maternal Mortality for 181 Countries, 1980-2008: A Systematic Analysis of Progress Towards Millennium Development Goals 5, The Lancet, Vol. 375, no. 9726. Holah, K. (2012) Quantitative and Qualitative Data, [Online] Available: holah.karoo.net/quantitativequalitative.htm [04 January 2013]. Luck, M. Pocock, R. and Tricker, M. J. (2000) Market Research in Health and Social Care, Psychology Press. Maternal Mortality Measurement Resources. (2007) Indirect Sisterhood Method, [Online] Available: maternal-mortality-measurement.org.uk/MMMResource_Tool_IndirectSisterhoodMethod.html [04 January 2013]. NHS. (2012) What is Patient and Public Involvement? NHS Foundation Trust, [Online] Available: wwl.nhs.uk/Internet/public_involvment/what_is_PPI.asp [04 January 2013]. Optimal Blood Use. (2013) Planning and Setting up the Clinical Audit, Promoting and Sharing Best Practice Across the EU, [Online] Available: optimalblooduse.eu/audit/planningandsettingup.ashx [04 January 2013]. Resnik, D. B. (2011) What is Ethics in Research and Why is it Important?’ [Online] Available: niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/ [04 January 2013]. Scuitemaker, N. Roosmalen, J. V. Dekker, G. Dongen, P. Geijen, H. and Gravenhorst, J. B. (1997) Underreporting of Maternal Mortality in the Netherlands, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 90, no. 1.    Taylor, B. and Kermode, S. (2006) Nursing Research 3e, Cengage Learning in Australia, 3rd Edition. United Nations General Assembly. (2000) United Nations Millennium Declaration.   United Nations, New York USA, A/RES/55/2. WHO. (2004) Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100, 000 live births), Health Statistics and Health Information Systems, World Health Organisation, [Online] Available: who.int/healthinfo/statistics/indmaternalmortality/en/index.html [03 January 2013]. World Bank. (2006) Disease and Mortality in Sub-Sahara Africa, World Bank Publications, 2nd Edition.

How Does the Pavilion Store In Winchester Use Intangible Experiences Assignment

How Does the Pavilion Store In Winchester Use Intangible Experiences to Keep Customer Loyalty - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the Pavilion Clothing Limited is one of the internationally recognized fashion retailers that meet its customers on a face-to-face basis. The Pavilion Clothing Limited has been in existence for the last seven years. The pavilion is a private fashion and clothing entity that was established in 2007 by private investors. Currently, the Pavilion Clothing Limited is rated as one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the United Kingdom. The company is located in Winchester, Hants in the United Kingdom. The company deals with precious and up to date men and women fashions. A part of dealing with male and female clothes, the company deals with other products that include: bubblers, water pipes, rolling papers, cleaning suppliers, hookahs, vaporizers, and hand pipes. The prices of Pavilion’s products depend on the quality of the product as well as the existing market value. The Pavilion Clothing Limited’s main customers ar e middle class young and old people who have sufficient amount of resources to cater for the price of its high-quality products. The essay will start off by explaining the manner in which Pavilion Clothing Limited conducts the promotion of its products as well as the price, quality, and potential customers of Pavilion Clothing Limited’s products. Secondly, the essay will also explain the internal and external aspects of the Pavilion Clothing Limited and its effects on the success of the company. The essay will further define the meaning of intangible and tangible experiences and its application in Pavilion Clothing Company. The negative side of intangible experience in a company will also be expounded in the essay. Finally, the essay will explain how the intangible experiences add value to the company’s products as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the entire process. The Pavilion Clothing Limited’s success is to a greater extent brought about by its commo nly known high-quality products and services. The Pavilion Clothing Limited has developed effective models of connecting the company’s products to its customers’ emotional needs.

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Entrepreneurship&Change Assignment - Essay Example There is need for entrepreneurship therefore to accept this change management considering that it has been a field that is significantly growing over the years. Flexibility therefore is fundamental to put up with this change. Entrepreneurs are individuals who are involved in innovation and creation of new ideas and therefore need to be in line with the current states in order to attain success in their innovation. The only way that they can be in line with the current state is by accepting to adopt change management. Flexibility will allow them to be able to leave behind the ideas that are not successful and adopt new ones that are more consistent with the present conditions and operations (Charantimath 2006). Accepting change management is an important step in achieving success in entrepreneurship. One of the reasons why change management should be accepted in entrepreneurship is because it increases the need for entrepreneurs to explore new opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a field that involves creation of new ideas and considering the changes that occur in the global world, there is need for entrepreneurs to accept change in order to be able to put up with the changing business environment. According to Charantimath (2006), change management will require the entrepreneurs to be flexible enough therefore for them to be able to analyze new opportunities that the global changes expose them to. Change management is crucial to helping the entrepreneurs to discover the opportunities that the global changes expose to them. The ability to explore new opportunities is therefore an indication of successful entrepreneurship. Another reason why accepting change leads to successful entrepreneursh ip is that change management results to success in dealing with harsh competition at the local as well as global levels. This competition can be attributed to globalisation, which results to change in the business environment exposing the business organisations harsh conditions

Visual rhetoric and web based communication Research Proposal

Visual rhetoric and web based communication - Research Proposal Example hnologies, we can evidence many forms of visual appearance related with web-based communication such as video conferencing, Avatars, emoticons and so on (Konijn, 2008). These visual appearances of communication play a crucial role in delivering the intended messages along with creating attractions for the users. Due to the massive usage of web based communicated; more work is done on visual appearances of communication. With the support of visual appearances of message deliverance, the message becomes more interesting and understandable as it is said that pictorial presentation of an object is much more comprehensible than words. Web- based communication is also employed for educational purposes. Jarvela and Hakkinen (2002) inform, â€Å"Today, communication technologies make possible various kinds of mediated communication, which increasingly has become part of instructional and educational communication† (1-2). For educational and instructional purposes, teachers are making use of different kinds of web-based communications, which include visual communication on web as well. Teachers think that web-based communication and visual rhetoric keep the capacity of enabling today’s children to understand the world in a global phenomenon. Students are able to obtain quality educatio n that is up to the mark. The teenagers are making usage of technological communication much more as compared to face-to-face communication. According to Pierce (2009), technological communication, which corresponds communication on internet is gaining maximum ground because of its interest creation, social bondage and ease with which, it is done. Nowadays, many visual communication strategies are employed to attract users towards internet and every day, we witness some innovation. There are different kinds of avatars, cartoon graphics, emoticons, moving pictures, video conferencing, web cam and much more technological development that are attention gaining for the teenagers and aged as

Pros and cons of PPPs models

Pros and cons of PPPs models Introduction to Public Private Partnership Public private partnership is a cooperative venture between the public and private sector in which the public and privates sector carry out a particular project on the basis of agreed task and risks, each party retaining its tasks and responsibility. The interest in PPPs is growing day by day because it is an efficient way of delivering the public services to the masses. The rudimentary principal behind public private partnership is that, Although Public sector entities may need to be responsible for the delivery of public services, but it is not necessary that it must be actually responsible for providing or undertaking the investment themselves. In this way all actors in public private partnership can concentrate on doing what they are likely to do in the best possible way by utilizing their resources and skills. In order to under take any public private partnership for a particular venture we have different modes or model for PPPs, Which are described briefly as under. A brief overview of Prominent Models of PPPs Operation and management contracts In these agreements the responsibility for asset operation and management is passed on to the private sector entities. The duration for these contracts is generally short ranging from 3 to 5 years, but can normally be extended. The private party is remunerated on a fixed fee basis or on an Incentive basis with premiums linked to specific performance targets. Under this agreement the public party still bears the financial and investment risk associated with the projects. This type of contract is an efficient way to undertake a project because the private sector has enough skills and have strong interest in improving the service quality. This model of PPPs contract is suited for transaction phases which finally lead to privatization. Potential strengths of management The profound advantage of management contract is that many operational benefits that result from private sector can be availed without transferring the assets to the private party. Management contract are less thorny to develop as compared to others and are considered less controversial. Theses contracts are also less expensive as compared to others because fewer but efficient staff can be used to carryout the task. They can also be seen as interim arrangements, allowing for modest improvements while more comprehensive contracts and structures are developed. Similarly, a management contract can be structured to phase-in increasingly extensive involvement of the private sector over time and as progress is demonstrated. Potential weaknesses Despite of the aforesaid advantages of management contract it also embodies some drawbacks one of the key disadvantage of this contract is that in this contract the private sector entity who is managing a particular project does not enjoy the autonomy. This is important to achieve deep and lasting change also the division between the obligation for service and management, on one hand, and financing and expansion planning, on the other, is a tricky one. Service contracts It is a limited type of PPPs model in this agreement the Private party procure, operate an assets for a short span of time mostly for 2 to 5 years. In this contract the public sector is responsible for investment and management of the project which bears the financial and residual value risks. While the public sector entity provide the services. It is suited for simple and operational requirments.it is often used for toll collections. Potential strengths of Service Contract This contract is best suitable when the services are clearly defined in the agreement, the demand is reasonably certain and the performance of the project can easily be monitored. One of the the gigantic advantage of service contract is that it provides us relatively low-risk option for the expansion of private sector which in return brings efficiency in the system operation. It is a less expensive way to delivery the public services and due to low barrier to competition it encourage competition which in return enhance the public service delivery and it is also a good source of technology transfer and for the development of managerial capacity. The other prominent advantages include Decrease in operation cost Access to cheaper labor Cut up in labor training cost Access to advance technology at minimum cost Enhance service delivery Potential weaknesses Service contracts are used for simple and short term project in this the private sector only provide their services not the capital investment. But this contract is not suitable for such situation in which the objective is to pool up capital. An other important drawback of this contract is that of loss of managerial control because it is much difficult to manage the outside service provider as compared to own employees. Also other draw backs include the loss of flexibility in reacting to changing the business condition, lake of internal and external focus, loss of competitive edge, problem in contract renewal and contractual misunderstanding. In this it is difficult to calculate the hidden cost associated with the contract like legal cost and the time require to put the contract into action. Leasing agreements It is a financial arrangement in which the owner of a facility sells it to another entity, and subsequently leases it back from the new owner. In this contract both public and private sectors entities may enter into sale/leaseback arrangements for a variety of reasons. An innovative application of the sale/leaseback technique is the sale of a public facility to a public or private holding company for the purposes of limiting governmental liability under certain statues. Under this arrangement, the government that sold the facility leases it back and continues to operate it. Under this agreement the private party better off only if it manages to reduce operating costs while meeting the designated service level. On the other hand the public sector bears the risks associated with the network expansion, capital improvement and financing. Its life ranges from 12 to 16 years, this type of agreement is best suited for infrastructure. Other prominent leasing contract include Buy-build-operate (BBO) Lease-develop-operate (LDO) Wrap-around addition (WAA) Potential strengths One of the main advantage of this contract is that it brings efficiency in the public service delivery .Also in this contract the commercial risk is borne by the private sector which give a strong performance incentive and which coax the private sector to perform well. Under this contract the private sector competitively bid for providing the services which in return enhance the delivery of public services. Potential weaknesses As we know that in lease agreement the contractor revenue is based on the revenue stream of the customers payments so in such situation the question of tariff levels is of sensitive nature which can lead to possible conflict between the public and private parties. Also under this agreement the responsibility of capital investment is of public sector and the financial risk is borne by the public sector so in this contract no capital is mobilized from the private sector entity and also labour issues are of more sensitive nature as compared to other PPPs contracts. Concession Contract It is a type of leasing contract in which the ownership remain with the government while the private party not only provide capital investment but also responsible for the maintenance of the assets. After the completion of the project the government pays the agreed sum of money to the private party and gets the assets. It is suited for the construction and its life is from 15 to 30 years. Potential strengths of concession contract One of key advantage of Concessions is that it helps to mobilize capital from private sector for the construction or rehabilitation of existing projects. As we know that under this agreement the private sector also contribute capital for the project so it coax the private sector (concessionaire) to bring efficiency and effectiveness in order to increase his return in the project. It also encourages the private party to bring innovation in the delivery of public services. Potential weaknesses One of the major drawback of this contract is that the complexity of defining the activities of private sector entity. One of the major disadvantage of this contract rises in case of long-term projects i.e. more than 25 years because this complicate the bidding process and the contract design which hinder in anticipating the events of the project. Also due to its long term tenure it is deemed politically controversial and difficult to organize. Another drawback of this contract is that it limit the competition because of limited number of qualified contractors are available. Green field Contracts This type of agreement is mostly used for the development of new projects. Such projects are often demanded by engineers. Examples of Greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch. Those facilities which are modified/ upgraded are called Brownfield projects. Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) In this the private party is responsible for designing, construction and operation of the assets. In this public party bears the financial risks but it has control on important phases of the life cycle of the project. This type of contract bring efficiency in the projects and removes the important maintenance issues from public budget This integrated scheme obliges the private operator to take into account the cost of operating the asset during the design and operation phase and therefore stimulates a better planning and management of the service itself It include the following types Build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) Build-rent-own-transfer (BROT) Build-transfer-operate (BTO) Build-lease-operate-transfer (BLOT) Potential strengths As we know that BOTs have been mostly used to attract private funding to the construction or renovation of infrastructure. Hence one of the key advantage of BOT agreements is that it reduces commercial risk for the private partner because there is often only one customer, i.e. public sector (government) .The following are some of the major advantages of BOT contract Due to the efficiency of private sector the public services can be delivered with minimum cost As the private sector directly involved in this so it reduces the public debit, balancing the beget deficit and reduce the role of public sector. It also facility the transfer of advance technology by intruding international contractors in the host country. Potential weaknesses The following are some of the major disadvantages of BOT contract The transaction cost in this case is higher as compared to other contracts Not suitable for small projects. The success of this project depends upon the successful raising of funds. BOT projects are successful only when substantial revenues are generated during the operation phase. A CASE STUDY This case study is one of the best example of public private partnership (service contract) which is contributing to the overall economic development of Pakistan. Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) This is one of the classical of PPP (service contract) .In this contract the government of Punjab provided funds and the private sector were assigned the task to develop two industrial estates at Faisalabad by contributing there services on voluntary basis. This company constitutes of 21 members in its board 5 from public and 16 from private sector. Under this agreement the private sector will contribute their expertise to develop a world standard industrial estate in order to use the public money in a fruitful way. The following two prominent projects were undertaken under this agreement. Value Addition City. This industrial city was basically established in order to address the need for SMEs and to provide land on small scale to the industrialist. This estate consists of 200 acres land .where all utilities and facilities to the industrialist and a great emphasis is given to the security, further more The VAC offers facilities like a state of the art road network, electricification, natural gas, optic fiber telecommunication network, hospital, commercial area and extensive landscaping for environmental friendly atmosphere. M-3 Industrial city (M-31C) This is a larger project as compared to value added city with a vast area of 4500 acres. This industrial city is catering for the needs of all business sectors both industrial and services It entails the fulfillment the needs and wants of the prospective investors. This industrial city provides the important facilities according to world standards including, state of the art telecommunication system, transport facilities and labor colonies to the labor. This industrial city constitute of all kinds of textile industries, high quality chemical units, engineering including automobile and agricultural machinery firms and construction material firms. It will also cater the needs of pharmaceutical companies and food processing units. Other industries include IT equipment manufacture and software industry, electrical devices, electronics and other value added products. This is one of the classical example of PPP models in which the private party provides their services in the shape of their expertise to boost industries in Pakistan and it will boost the Pakistani economy. A Failure of PP Project (Metronet UK) The London underground rail system is the world first underground system which was established in 1863 and up to early twenty century it was operated by six private operators. But due to their substandard services its activities was directly or indirectly classified by the UK authorities by 1933. In February 2002 it was decided to bring improvement in the public service delivery by entering into a PFI contract with the private sector .Under this arrangement it was decided that maintenance and renewal of London underground infrastructure would be incorporated through three PPP contracts Under this agreement the Responsibility for stations, train operations, signaling and safety remained in the Public sector, being run by London Underground Limited, a new operating company set up for the purpose. It also had responsibility for determining service patterns and setting fares. Under this PPP project there were three private sectors companies which were called infracos namely Infraco BCV Bakerloo, Central, Victoria, Waterloo City. Infraco JNP Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly. Infraco SSL Circle, District, East London, Hammersmith City, Metropolitan. To improve the Services and to ensure long-term assets management a 30 year contract was signed which is divided into 7.5 year segment. In this arrangement an Arbiter was also appointed whose role was to resolve the disputes between the London Under Ground Limited and an infaco regarding the payment and other issues. On December 31 2002 Tube Line acquired Infraco JNP and on April 2003 Metronet acquired the other two infracos.The PPP contract give legal ownership of London Underground infrastructure during the term of the contracting In July 2007 the work of modernization of London Underground Infrastructure was entrusted to Metronet BCV and Metronet SSL.and the fund was provided by the Government under PPP. But Metronet was unable to complete their task in the agreed time and estimated cost of bid. By March 2005 Metronet had not completed any of the eight stations due. Only 11 out of 35 stations were accepted as delivered by March and finally the London Underground Limited purchased 95% of Metrones outstaniding debt obligations from its private sector lenders in February 2008 rather than repaying this debt over the 30 years of the contract. The Department for Transport (DfT) made  £1.7 billion of grant available to help London Underground do so. Causes of Failure of this Debacle of PPP The following are some of the main reason for the debacle of this PPP contract. Poor Corporate Governance and Leadership structure of Metronet and tied Supply chain management Supplier was failed to give timely information to Metronet management about the costs against delivery. Ambiguities in the scope of the project and poor program management. Also it was found that it was unable to execute the the operation in the best possible way and lake of efficiencies in business administration activities. Conclusions From the aforesaid discussion on various prominent types of PPPs models we conclude that It is not always fruitful to enter to a PPP agreement .So the government should not enter into such contract without accurate and comprehensive assessment of the risk transferred to the private sector and a firm idea that what would constitute an appropriate price for taking such level of risk. If it does not transfer an appropriate level of risk to the private sector then it should not be availed. PPPs can be very helpful for the public service delivery if the underlying drawbacks are minimized and to minimize the risk associated with these models we must apply each model according to the type of problem we are solving. For instance if we need for Capital then BOT/BOO/Divestiture can be used. In case if we need for Expertise and Performance then Management Contract can be the best option. But if we need for Expertise only then Service Contract is the best option. Or if we are facing a complex pr oblem which can not be solved with one model then a combination of these models can be used. References www.ncppp.org/howpart/ppptypes.shtml Article by By Brig.Ahmad Riaz Siddiqi (Retd), X-Chief operating officer FIEDMC (Dawn Saturday, December 20, 2008) PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Models and Trends in the European Union Authors: Andrea RENDA (Senior Research Fellow, CEPS) and Lorna SCHREFLER (Research Assistant, CEPS) India time.com http://www.cyfuture.com/disadvantages-of-outsourcing.htm http://www.investorwords.com The failure of Metronet REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL | HC 512 Session 2008-2009 5 June 2009 Department Of Management Sciences Ciit Islamabad

Adjustment Essay -- essays research papers

My cousin Kara just got married recently. She is about six years older than I am and has graduated from college and is ready to settle down. She has been planning her wedding for almost a year. It took a lot of time and effort to make her wedding day perfect. Just finding the dress took six months. On the day of the wedding tons of things went wrong but in the end it all worked out and it was beautiful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I got a chance to talk to her and ask her some questions about how she felt about everything. She told me that the biggest adjustment she had to make was knowing that she was all grown up. She felt like the real world had finally come along and she was no longer dependent on her parents. That scared her to death. She said that she loved David her fiancà © more than anything and she knew she was making the right decision, but the fact that she was going to be with him forever took some time to get used to also. Not only did she have to worry about the planning and spending, she was also becoming very emotional about everything as the day drew closer. Her parents are divorced so that made her planning process even more difficult. Each parent gave her a certain amount of money but neither would really get involved in helping her get everything together. She lives in St. Louis and both of her parents live more than a eight hundred miles away from her. So she felt bas ically on her own from her family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major adjust...

Marketing Project

The bookstore's website can be found at http://shop. Bookstore. NCSC. Du/. The online bookstore sells the same apparel found in the bookstore and offers delivery or pickup services for its products. The Go Pack online store can be found at http://kopeck. Escapologist. Com/store. CFML? Store_id=465. The Go Pack online store sells the same apparel found in the store and offers delivery services as well. Market Areas Sells To NC State basketball sells to several markets and attempts to segment their marketing.The organization concentrates its' marketing locally in the Triangle. The total market area include: The Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill The Western region of North Carolina The Coastal region Of North Carolina The Piedmont region of North Carolina Major North Carolina cities such as Charlotte and Greensboro The teams' television broadcasts from the AC Network can be seen regionally across in the East Coast, in states that feature an AC school (North Carolina, South Car olina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, etc. ) The team has over 50 radio affiliates in the state of North Carolina.All major North Carolina cities have an NC State radio affiliate, including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Winston-Salem and the Outer Banks area. Product/Service Being Marketed Description of Product/service The main product being marketed is tickets to NC State basketball home games. Ticket packages available to fans include: Full season tickets Lifetime seats Ledge Lounge Private Suites Champion's Club Individual game tickets Group tickets (1 5+ people) Features and Capabilities The main focus of the product is the play that occurs during the game.The entertainment at a game include: On-court performance by the team. Halftime and timeout performances by various entertainment groups. Games n the video board, such as the â€Å"Kiss Cam†. Interaction on the concourse with other fans. Food and beverage needs provided by the concession stands or ven dors. Full season ticket plans include tickets to each NC State home game, often at a cheaper price than just buying individual tickets for each game. Season ticket holders may also be eligible for special deals on the AC Tournament or NCAA Tournament tickets.Season ticket holders are automatically entered into a drawing in September in which they are eligible for prizes such as gift cards, autographed memorabilia and AC Tournament tickets. NC State offers incentives to other potential customers as well: Group tickets can be purchased at a discount off box office prices, as well as arranged seating in the same section and group recognition on the scoreboard. Other promotions for individual tickets, such as special â€Å"Black Friday' offers, vary each season. Product/Service Life Cycle The life cycle is roughly 5-6 months per year.The regular season lasts from November-March and the conference and postseason tournaments such as the NCAA Tournament and National Invitation Tournament (NIT) can extend into late March-early April. Market of Product/Service Customers for Product/Service The primary customers are the fans: Dedicated basketball fans who follow the team game to game and frequently attend games. Interested fans who follow the team during the course of the season and often attend games. Fans who are aware of the team and will occasionally attend games. Fans who follow the team, but only watch the television broadcasts of the games and rarely attend games.Fans who are aware of the team and are interested in attending games. People who are not familiar with basketball but are aware of the NC State basketball team. For racketing tickets, the team first focuses on season ticket packages, which are marketed to: Families Individuals For individual games, the organization segments the market into: Small businesses Families College students Young adults Why Product/Service Needed The NC State basketball team is a member of the famous â€Å"Tobacco Road† , a place famous for its rich tradition in basketball.With the state of North Carolina itself having a large history in the sport, basketball is a traditional pastime for the locals, who usually become fans of the respective local teams. NC State itself has an outstanding tradition in basketball, as a founding ember Of the AC and holds two national titles. The school's background in the sport provides great pride for NC State students, fans and alumni of the university and also creates a demand for basketball tickets and apparel. NC State men's basketball functions as one of two â€Å"revenue sports† at the university (the other being football).This means that the team helps the athletic department produce a profit and provide funding for smaller â€Å"non- revenue† sports, such as tennis, volleyball, soccer, etc. NC State also participates with several charitable organizations, and they focus their efforts n four core areas: Fighting cancer Fighting hunger Supporting education Why Product/Service Needed (Cone. ) Military appreciation How product/Service Used Fans present their tickets to the ticket scanner when they enter PAN Arena and make their way to their seat to enjoy the game. College basketball games are two halves long, with each half lasting twenty minutes.If the game is tied after two halves, the game enters overtime, in which the teams engage in a brief, five minute period to see who scores more points. The teams continue overtime possessions until one team outscores the other. Other entertainment is provided during timeouts, thanks to performances by the NC State pep band, dance team and cheerleaders. Halftime performances vary throughout the year, but are also provided for games. Fans can watch games on multiple high-definition television channels. Channels include ESP., ASPEN, JSPELL, and the AC Digital Network Local fans can listen to NC State basketball on the radio at 101. *Channels vary outside of the Triangle area. A full list of radio channel affiliates for various cities and towns can be found here: http://www. kopeck. Com/multimedia/football-radio-affiliates. HTML When Product/Service Bought Tickets to games can be purchased prior to and throughout the college basketball season. NC State provides 4,500 tickets for its student body. Students are not charged for tickets, but must have a valid student ID with their ticket in order to enter PAN Arena. For individual games: Tickets are on sale from early September until early March.Also dependent on if the Halfback makes a postseason tournament (NCAA or NIT). For season tickets: Season tickets must be purchased before September 15. There is no deadline to be entered into the random drawings for prizes, revived you purchase them before the September 15 deadline. If you are unable to attend a game for which you have season tickets for, NC State will allow you to transfer these tickets online to your family and friends for them to use. For group tickets: Grou p ticket packages are available for companies, school, team or any other kind of group of 15 or more people.Group ticket packages include: Discount off box office ticket prices (for select games). Block of seating in the same section (based on availability). Group recognition on the scoreboard (Optional). When Product/Service Bought (Cone. ) Customized flyers for promotion of your group outing (Optional). No individual ticket surcharge. For NCAA tournament tickets: NCAA ticket applications are first distributed to Halfback Club members Applications must be submitted by March 5 Halfback Club members have first priority on NCAA tickets, followed by the general public.Quantity limits on tickets vary based on location of sites and the current â€Å"round† Of the tournament the team is playing in (Regional, Final Four, etc. ). Product/Service position Competitors Offering Products/Services The NC State Halfback are one of four major NCAA basketball teams in the Tobacco Road† area. Duke University (Durham), Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem) and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are the other three. Duke and UNC-CHI are located with NC State in the Triangle area. There is also competition with three professional sport franchises who operate during NC State's basketball season.Carolina Panthers (NFG), Carolina Hurricanes (NIL) and Charlotte Bobcats (NAB) Competing Products/Services Features/Capabilities College basketball: Duke University 4 National Championships University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 5 National Championships Wake Forest University Final Four Appearance Professional Football: Carolina Panthers 5 NFG playoff appearances 1 Super Bowl Appearance Professional basketball: Charlotte Bobcats 1 NAB playoff appearance Professional ice hockey: Carolina Hurricanes 1 Stanley Cup Championship How Competing Products/Services Different NC State has one of the largest arenas in the country for college basketball, seating 19,772 fans. PAN Ar ena also holds the record the loudest noise record for an indoor sporting event. NC State is the only college basketball team in the Triangle region that shares its arena with a professional sports team Nil's Carolina Hurricanes), making it a more attractive and modern stadium experience.Competing Products/Services Evaluations The AC is one of the nation's most well known conferences in NCAA college basketball, which means we will see several highly ranked teams playing against NC State at PAN Arena. Attending a NC State basketball game IS usually less time-consuming than attending an NFG or NIL game. PAN Arena offers a wide variety of food and beverages that can be found on the concourse. There are 3,800 parking spots at PAN Arena and nearby Carter- Finley Stadium. The parking lot opens two and half-hours prior to the start of he game as well, making parking hassle free for the most part. Compared to individual and season tickets at Duke and UNC-CHI, NC State is much more affordabl e. All Products/Seen. Ices Market Share The NC State Halfback are one of three â€Å"major† NCAA schools in the Triangle area. The next closest major team outside of the Triangle is Wake Forest, which is 104 miles away. The closest professional basketball (NAB) team is the Charlotte Bobcats, who are 164 miles away. Product/Service Marketing Channels Current Product/Service Ma reeking Channels The main marketing channels used by NC State basketball include: Television AC Digital Network WRAP Internet http://www. kopeck. Com/sports/m-bask/NCSC-m-bask-body. HTML Social Media Twitter Faceable Youth anagram Radio Billboards Online editions of the newspaper: www. Newsreader. Mom Competitor(s) Marketing Channels The main marketing tools used by the competitors of NC State basketball include: Television Social Media Magazines Newspapers (Print and Online) Venue Sponsorship Advantages/Disadvantages of Current Channels Advantages The internet is the best source for tracking the return on investment (ROI) Fans can watch highlights of the team on http://win. Pack. Com/sports/m- bask/NCSC-m-bask;body. HTML or on the team's Youth channel at HTTPS:// www. Youth. Com/channel/Soulfully-XpsnNfb2MU31UQ. Fans can visit the team website to learn about a vast amount Of information regarding the team. Fans can also purchase tickets online to see upcoming games..Television raises awareness of the team and allows fans to watch the team from their homes. All of NC State's games were aired on television this past season, including a visit from Aspen's College Someday for the UNC-CHI game. Advantages/Disadvantages of Current Channels (Cone. ) Television coverage usually includes a prename, halftime and postages show. Social media allows the coaches and players to interact with fans. Allows coaches and players to talk â€Å"with fans† instead of â€Å"at them†. Fans feel more emotionally invested with the team thanks to this personal interaction. Radio allows fans to follow games if they can't watch it on television.All basketball games are aired on radio thanks to current contract. Includes a prename and postages show. Fans can call in and ask questions/make comments about team during postages show. Billboards raise awareness of the team, make the basketball rand more recognizable. The online edition of the newspaper can be updated to show current news and final scores. Disadvantages It is difficult to quantify the ROI from television and radio. NC State basketball is not always televised on ESP. and as a result, does not receive as much exposure as larger markets. Billboards may not be as effective in the current technological age. Social media is usually used by the most dedicated fans.Players may come under criticism for making unprofessional remarks The program may alienate fans by ignoring questions on social media Those who only use the hardcopy of the newspaper will miss the most recent team news. Marketing Project The bookstore's website can be found at http://shop. Bookstore. NCSC. Du/. The online bookstore sells the same apparel found in the bookstore and offers delivery or pickup services for its products. The Go Pack online store can be found at http://kopeck. Escapologist. Com/store. CFML? Store_id=465. The Go Pack online store sells the same apparel found in the store and offers delivery services as well. Market Areas Sells To NC State basketball sells to several markets and attempts to segment their marketing.The organization concentrates its' marketing locally in the Triangle. The total market area include: The Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill The Western region of North Carolina The Coastal region Of North Carolina The Piedmont region of North Carolina Major North Carolina cities such as Charlotte and Greensboro The teams' television broadcasts from the AC Network can be seen regionally across in the East Coast, in states that feature an AC school (North Carolina, South Car olina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, etc. ) The team has over 50 radio affiliates in the state of North Carolina.All major North Carolina cities have an NC State radio affiliate, including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Winston-Salem and the Outer Banks area. Product/Service Being Marketed Description of Product/service The main product being marketed is tickets to NC State basketball home games. Ticket packages available to fans include: Full season tickets Lifetime seats Ledge Lounge Private Suites Champion's Club Individual game tickets Group tickets (1 5+ people) Features and Capabilities The main focus of the product is the play that occurs during the game.The entertainment at a game include: On-court performance by the team. Halftime and timeout performances by various entertainment groups. Games n the video board, such as the â€Å"Kiss Cam†. Interaction on the concourse with other fans. Food and beverage needs provided by the concession stands or ven dors. Full season ticket plans include tickets to each NC State home game, often at a cheaper price than just buying individual tickets for each game. Season ticket holders may also be eligible for special deals on the AC Tournament or NCAA Tournament tickets.Season ticket holders are automatically entered into a drawing in September in which they are eligible for prizes such as gift cards, autographed memorabilia and AC Tournament tickets. NC State offers incentives to other potential customers as well: Group tickets can be purchased at a discount off box office prices, as well as arranged seating in the same section and group recognition on the scoreboard. Other promotions for individual tickets, such as special â€Å"Black Friday' offers, vary each season. Product/Service Life Cycle The life cycle is roughly 5-6 months per year.The regular season lasts from November-March and the conference and postseason tournaments such as the NCAA Tournament and National Invitation Tournament (NIT) can extend into late March-early April. Market of Product/Service Customers for Product/Service The primary customers are the fans: Dedicated basketball fans who follow the team game to game and frequently attend games. Interested fans who follow the team during the course of the season and often attend games. Fans who are aware of the team and will occasionally attend games. Fans who follow the team, but only watch the television broadcasts of the games and rarely attend games.Fans who are aware of the team and are interested in attending games. People who are not familiar with basketball but are aware of the NC State basketball team. For racketing tickets, the team first focuses on season ticket packages, which are marketed to: Families Individuals For individual games, the organization segments the market into: Small businesses Families College students Young adults Why Product/Service Needed The NC State basketball team is a member of the famous â€Å"Tobacco Road† , a place famous for its rich tradition in basketball.With the state of North Carolina itself having a large history in the sport, basketball is a traditional pastime for the locals, who usually become fans of the respective local teams. NC State itself has an outstanding tradition in basketball, as a founding ember Of the AC and holds two national titles. The school's background in the sport provides great pride for NC State students, fans and alumni of the university and also creates a demand for basketball tickets and apparel. NC State men's basketball functions as one of two â€Å"revenue sports† at the university (the other being football).This means that the team helps the athletic department produce a profit and provide funding for smaller â€Å"non- revenue† sports, such as tennis, volleyball, soccer, etc. NC State also participates with several charitable organizations, and they focus their efforts n four core areas: Fighting cancer Fighting hunger Supporting education Why Product/Service Needed (Cone. ) Military appreciation How product/Service Used Fans present their tickets to the ticket scanner when they enter PAN Arena and make their way to their seat to enjoy the game. College basketball games are two halves long, with each half lasting twenty minutes.If the game is tied after two halves, the game enters overtime, in which the teams engage in a brief, five minute period to see who scores more points. The teams continue overtime possessions until one team outscores the other. Other entertainment is provided during timeouts, thanks to performances by the NC State pep band, dance team and cheerleaders. Halftime performances vary throughout the year, but are also provided for games. Fans can watch games on multiple high-definition television channels. Channels include ESP., ASPEN, JSPELL, and the AC Digital Network Local fans can listen to NC State basketball on the radio at 101. *Channels vary outside of the Triangle area. A full list of radio channel affiliates for various cities and towns can be found here: http://www. kopeck. Com/multimedia/football-radio-affiliates. HTML When Product/Service Bought Tickets to games can be purchased prior to and throughout the college basketball season. NC State provides 4,500 tickets for its student body. Students are not charged for tickets, but must have a valid student ID with their ticket in order to enter PAN Arena. For individual games: Tickets are on sale from early September until early March.Also dependent on if the Halfback makes a postseason tournament (NCAA or NIT). For season tickets: Season tickets must be purchased before September 15. There is no deadline to be entered into the random drawings for prizes, revived you purchase them before the September 15 deadline. If you are unable to attend a game for which you have season tickets for, NC State will allow you to transfer these tickets online to your family and friends for them to use. For group tickets: Grou p ticket packages are available for companies, school, team or any other kind of group of 15 or more people.Group ticket packages include: Discount off box office ticket prices (for select games). Block of seating in the same section (based on availability). Group recognition on the scoreboard (Optional). When Product/Service Bought (Cone. ) Customized flyers for promotion of your group outing (Optional). No individual ticket surcharge. For NCAA tournament tickets: NCAA ticket applications are first distributed to Halfback Club members Applications must be submitted by March 5 Halfback Club members have first priority on NCAA tickets, followed by the general public.Quantity limits on tickets vary based on location of sites and the current â€Å"round† Of the tournament the team is playing in (Regional, Final Four, etc. ). Product/Service position Competitors Offering Products/Services The NC State Halfback are one of four major NCAA basketball teams in the Tobacco Road† area. Duke University (Durham), Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem) and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are the other three. Duke and UNC-CHI are located with NC State in the Triangle area. There is also competition with three professional sport franchises who operate during NC State's basketball season.Carolina Panthers (NFG), Carolina Hurricanes (NIL) and Charlotte Bobcats (NAB) Competing Products/Services Features/Capabilities College basketball: Duke University 4 National Championships University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 5 National Championships Wake Forest University Final Four Appearance Professional Football: Carolina Panthers 5 NFG playoff appearances 1 Super Bowl Appearance Professional basketball: Charlotte Bobcats 1 NAB playoff appearance Professional ice hockey: Carolina Hurricanes 1 Stanley Cup Championship How Competing Products/Services Different NC State has one of the largest arenas in the country for college basketball, seating 19,772 fans. PAN Ar ena also holds the record the loudest noise record for an indoor sporting event. NC State is the only college basketball team in the Triangle region that shares its arena with a professional sports team Nil's Carolina Hurricanes), making it a more attractive and modern stadium experience.Competing Products/Services Evaluations The AC is one of the nation's most well known conferences in NCAA college basketball, which means we will see several highly ranked teams playing against NC State at PAN Arena. Attending a NC State basketball game IS usually less time-consuming than attending an NFG or NIL game. PAN Arena offers a wide variety of food and beverages that can be found on the concourse. There are 3,800 parking spots at PAN Arena and nearby Carter- Finley Stadium. The parking lot opens two and half-hours prior to the start of he game as well, making parking hassle free for the most part. Compared to individual and season tickets at Duke and UNC-CHI, NC State is much more affordabl e. All Products/Seen. Ices Market Share The NC State Halfback are one of three â€Å"major† NCAA schools in the Triangle area. The next closest major team outside of the Triangle is Wake Forest, which is 104 miles away. The closest professional basketball (NAB) team is the Charlotte Bobcats, who are 164 miles away. Product/Service Marketing Channels Current Product/Service Ma reeking Channels The main marketing channels used by NC State basketball include: Television AC Digital Network WRAP Internet http://www. kopeck. Com/sports/m-bask/NCSC-m-bask-body. HTML Social Media Twitter Faceable Youth anagram Radio Billboards Online editions of the newspaper: www. Newsreader. Mom Competitor(s) Marketing Channels The main marketing tools used by the competitors of NC State basketball include: Television Social Media Magazines Newspapers (Print and Online) Venue Sponsorship Advantages/Disadvantages of Current Channels Advantages The internet is the best source for tracking the return on investment (ROI) Fans can watch highlights of the team on http://win. Pack. Com/sports/m- bask/NCSC-m-bask;body. HTML or on the team's Youth channel at HTTPS:// www. Youth. Com/channel/Soulfully-XpsnNfb2MU31UQ. Fans can visit the team website to learn about a vast amount Of information regarding the team. Fans can also purchase tickets online to see upcoming games..Television raises awareness of the team and allows fans to watch the team from their homes. All of NC State's games were aired on television this past season, including a visit from Aspen's College Someday for the UNC-CHI game. Advantages/Disadvantages of Current Channels (Cone. ) Television coverage usually includes a prename, halftime and postages show. Social media allows the coaches and players to interact with fans. Allows coaches and players to talk â€Å"with fans† instead of â€Å"at them†. Fans feel more emotionally invested with the team thanks to this personal interaction. Radio allows fans to follow games if they can't watch it on television.All basketball games are aired on radio thanks to current contract. Includes a prename and postages show. Fans can call in and ask questions/make comments about team during postages show. Billboards raise awareness of the team, make the basketball rand more recognizable. The online edition of the newspaper can be updated to show current news and final scores. Disadvantages It is difficult to quantify the ROI from television and radio. NC State basketball is not always televised on ESP. and as a result, does not receive as much exposure as larger markets. Billboards may not be as effective in the current technological age. Social media is usually used by the most dedicated fans.Players may come under criticism for making unprofessional remarks The program may alienate fans by ignoring questions on social media Those who only use the hardcopy of the newspaper will miss the most recent team news.

How to Mix Acid and Water Safely

How to Mix Acid and Water Safely When you mix acid  with water, its extremely important to add the acid to the water rather than the other way around. This is  because acid and water react in a vigorous exothermic reaction, releasing heat, sometimes boiling the liquid. If you add acid to water, the water is unlikely to splash up, however, even if it did, its less likely to cause injuries than if you make the mistake of adding water to acid. When you add water to acid, the water boils and  the acid may splatter and splash! Extra Caution With Strong Acids This rule is particularly important if you are working with strong acids that react completely with water. Mixing sulfuric acid and water is particularly risky because any splashed acid is corrosive enough to immediately burn skin and clothing. When mixing sulfuric acid or another strong acid, start with a volume of water large enough to absorb the heat of the reaction. Add the acid in small amounts of volume and stir thoroughly prior to adding more. Just Remember: Add the Acid An easy way to remember the rule  is Add the Acid. Protective Gear and a Fume Hood Because of the risk of splashes and the release of dangerous fumes, acids and water should be mixed inside a fume hood. Protective goggles, gloves, and a lab coat should be worn. If Acid Splashes In most cases, an acid splash should be treated by immediately rinsing the affected area with running water. Acid splashes on a lab bench or other surfaces may be neutralized by adding a weak base solution (e.g., baking soda in water). Although a strong base will neutralize an acid more quickly than a weak base, a strong base should never be used because the reaction between a strong base and acid releases a great deal of heat.

Welfare Reform in the United States

Welfare Reform in the United States Welfare reform is the term used to describe the U.S. federal government’s laws and policies intended to improve the nation’s social welfare programs. In general, the goal of welfare reform is to reduce the number of individuals or families that depend on government assistance programs like food stamps and TANF and help those recipients become self-sufficient. From the Great Depression of the 1930s, until 1996, welfare in the United States consisted of little more than guaranteed cash payments to the poor. Monthly benefits uniform from state to state were paid to poor persons mainly mothers and children regardless of their ability to work, assets on hand or other personal circumstances. There were no time limits on the payments, and it was not unusual for people to remain on welfare for their entire lives. By the 1990s, public opinion had turned strongly against the old welfare system. Offering no incentive for recipients to seek employment, the welfare rolls were exploding, and the system was viewed as rewarding and actually perpetuating, rather than reducing poverty in the United States. The Welfare Reform Act The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 A.K.A. The Welfare Reform Act represents the federal governments attempt to reform the welfare system by encouraging recipients to leave welfare and go to work, and by turning over primary responsibility for administering the welfare system to the states. Under the Welfare Reform Act, the following rules apply: Most recipients are required to find jobs within two years of first receiving welfare payments.Most recipients are allowed to receive welfare payments for a total of no more than five years.The states are allowed to establish family caps that prevent mothers of babies born while the mother is already on welfare from receiving additional benefits. Since enactment of the Welfare Reform Act, the role of the federal government in public assistance has become limited to overall goal-setting and setting performance rewards and penalties. States Take Over Daily Welfare Operations It is now up to states and counties to establish and administer welfare programs they believe will best serve their poor while operating within the broad federal guidelines. Funds for welfare programs are now given to the states in the form of block grants, and the states have much more latitude in deciding how the funds will be allocated among their various welfare programs. State and county welfare caseworkers are now tasked with making difficult, often subjective decisions involving welfare recipients qualifications to receive benefits and ability to work. As a result, the basic operation of the nations welfare system can vary widely from state to state. Critics argue that this causes poor people who have no intention of ever getting off of welfare to migrate to states or counties in which the welfare system is less restrictive. Has Welfare Reform Worked? According to the independent Brookings Institute, the national welfare caseload declined about 60 percent between 1994 and 2004, and the percentage of U.S. children on welfare is now lower than it has been since at least 1970. In addition, Census Bureau data show that between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of low-income, single mothers with a job grew from 58 percent to nearly 75 percent, an increase of almost 30 percent. In summary, the Brookings Institute states, Clearly, federal social policy requiring work backed by sanctions and time limits while granting states the flexibility to design their own work programs produced better results than the previous policy of providing welfare benefits while expecting little in return.

Employee Resourcing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employee Resourcing - Case Study Example The change in the organizations' strategies as well as structures guarantee that the company is present and willing to do more than just provide products and services to the end consumers. It wants to make the people realize that the company is there and wants to do its very best by tailoring its strategies in such a manner that can only benefit them nonetheless. After all, a company or an organization without the target people is nothing more than an office set up with employees and employers working for no one, at the end of the day. Organization is a body of working people, having various types of persons with heterogeneous behaviors interlink with corporate goals and objectives. This cluster of people is grouped in different categories according to their working importance, caliber and productivity at various hierarchical levels. Before we overview the concept of organizational structuring and its impact on employees, lets see the type of organizational structures first. "The established pattern of relationships between the component parts of an organization, outlining both communication, control and authority patterns. Structure distinguishes the parts of an organization and delineates the relationship between them". (Wilson and Rosenfeld, 1990) "The formal pattern of interactions and coordination designed by management to link the tasks of individuals and groups in achieving organizational goals". (Bartol and Martin, 1994) Structuring helps companies to achieve some specific goals: OS provides good business support to business objectives and improves efficiency, profitability, cost allocation, communication and application of policies of company. OS promotes and develops good corporate culture OS helps companies to create employee directions, responsibilities and systems. Line and Staff's clarity of function is also facilitated with OS By all measures, restructuring is a redefining organizational boundary that encompasses a number of different businesses related social and/or marketing objectives. It is a common occurrence that when changes are applied in essence, a number of these people would not digest the same fact in a welcoming manner, in spite of their personal likes and dislikes which they show in the wake of having a changing regime. Usually people show different kinds of change accepting attitudes and this is documented by the fact that they respond in varied manners so to speak. Thus on the basis of their attitudes which they have in line with the development, innovation and adaptation towards new aspects of life, they are usually put into a number of different segments: Innovators (about 2-3%): Are those people who are always open to change, regardless of the nature of change, they end up welcoming it. These people help change's survival even in very crucial circumstances. Early Adopters (10-15%): A bit mature generation of innovators who like innovation but wait till things get into clear shape. Will join the change in early phase but are not jump starters like innovators. Early Majority (30-40%): People who join as pragmatics who rely upon proven wisdom. They contribute to a majority number in masses who join change at any stage. Late Majority (30-40%):

Discuss the theory of Transfer Pricing in relation to competitiveness, Essay

Discuss the theory of Transfer Pricing in relation to competitiveness, management, minimisation, avoidance and internal concerns. Use the theory as basis for a - Essay Example Optimal transfer pricing techniques are adopted by MNCs to maximize profits within the organization through tax liability avoidance (Keegan and Green 2005). The strategic imperatives behind transfer pricing efforts include a desire to have a competitive edge over rivals, minimize costs or maximize revenue, maximize strategic management-related gains such as x-efficiency and above all establishing market leader status. Any MNC would introduce its product into a foreign market by using transfer pricing as a very attractive pricing strategy within the organization itself. The first and foremost strategic initiative is to arrive at an overall estimate of the organization’s cost structure and its composition such as the amount of fixed cost, variable cost, average cost and marginal cost. Then the firm would look at its revenue flow estimates such as the total revenue, average revenue and marginal revenue. An MNC would adopt optimal transfer pricing strategy and its variants to achieve organizational goals and corporate objectives as an MNC across the world (Elliot and Emmanuel 2000). This paper would examine in detail the Japanese market for Xbox 360 with the main focus on strategic transfer pricing techniques that would be adopted by Microsoft in Japan to achieve its main organizational aims. Thus, its remit would include such international marketing concepts as strategic market/customer/product/competitor orientation, and tactics like the principle of maximum product differentiation. It is not unusual for MNCs to apply transfer pricing in a variety of international business contexts. Video game console market in the world has not only been noticed to possess some peculiar characteristics but also it has intrinsically developed unique trend of extrapolation in conformance with cross self-entertainment specificities across a series