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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Social Influences in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Influences in Marketing - Essay Example Lastly, if one is involved in school activities , the social influence that goes along with the notion of trying to fit in oftentimes result in a gamut of items being purchased. Be it from college jackets to the cool cell phone your dorm mate has, the social interaction in a school setting often results in a situation where a purchase would be made purely from social influence. What are the products that are usually purchased through social influence Oftentimes these are leisure and aesthetic goods which cut into the consumer's disposable income. For car buffs, these include add-ons such as mag wheels, body kits, and engine upgrades. These are often unnecessary and costly expenses, but because of the social influence exerted by being in that said organization they would accede to these costly expenditures to merely "fit in". For instance, if everyone in the club would be buying fancy mag wheels to augment their cars, more often than not the member would be prevailed upon to do likewise, if only to "be one of the boys". On the same vein, students going to the big sporting events would be subliminally prodded to purchase university paraphernalia, without which they would seem lacking and out of place.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Introduction Speech Outline Essay Example for Free

Introduction Speech Outline Essay Purpose Statement: To persuade my audience that true personal power is developed through our humane treatment of ourselves and our fellow man. Thesis Statement: To understand personal power, it’s important to look at how we treat ourselves. Are we critical of ourselves? Unforgiving? Do we have low self-esteem or confidence? Attention Getter Overview of main points: â€Å"All suffering is caused by mankind’s great inhumanity to one another. Hello, I am Tonya, and today I am going to talk to you about accountability, responsibility, and change. ARC is the ark of a life that is built upon a stable foundation. I. First main point written in complete sentence When we think of being accountable, we often think of others accountability and not ourselves. Being accountability for our actions and not blaming others is the very first step to developing personal power. Accountability in this instance means being aware that something is wrong or amiss in our lives, and not ignoring it. It’s identifying the problem, or our wrong actions II. Second main point in complete sentence. Responsibility is the second step in the development of personal power, not only do we have to be accountable, we also have to accept responsibility for our thoughts, words, and the subsequent actions that take place as a result of them. Responsibility is accepting the problem or our negative actions and finding productive, efficient, and effective ways to deal with them. III. Third main point in complete sentence. Once we have identified the problem or wrong action, and accepted it, then we are ready for step number three†¦Change. Change. We are changing moment by moment each and every day. We are either changing for the best or for the worst. That’s not what we are speaking about here. When I say â€Å"change†, I am talking about a deliberate action, which will bring about a deliberate manifestation. True change comes about once we make a choice. Conclusion: Accountability, Responsibility, and Change these are the points on which a person can build their pyramid of personal power. If we are willing to be accountable, accept responsibility, and change when necessary, there is nothing that we cannot achieve; and we will be co-creators within the social structures of Life. We will always be a part of the solution, rather than being a part of the problem. Today, I challenge you to apply these three principles to your life and soon you will be living a life full of purpose, and fulfill your call to Greatness. Bibliography Shepherd, Tonya â€Å"Needless Suffering† Accessed May 9, 2014 http://ltbtd.blogspot.com/2014/05/needless-suffering.html

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Should There Be A Nuclear Power Plant In Saskatchewan? :: essays research papers

Should There Be A Nuclear Power Plant In Saskatchewan?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think there should be a nuclear power plant built in Saskatchewan because I believe it would contribute to the province a great deal. There is a growing need for power in Saskatchewan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Right now in Saskatchewan there is a need for more power. There has question as to putting a nuclear plant is Saskatchewan This I think is the ideal choice of power plants because on 1 bundle of uranium is equal to the power output of 400 tones or 1900 barrels of oil. This is more than adequate to cope with our need for power. Also one good example of our need is that during winter Saskatchewan has to buy power from other provinces in order to have, that is how serious the shortage is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Saskatchewan there is lots of unemployment. Building a nuclear power plant would create more jobs. This would also benefit the government because less people would be collecting unemployment insurance and welfare. Thus adding to the amount the government could be spending on other things such as fixing highways, better healthcare, and more funding to school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nuclear power is also a lot environment wise. Nuclear power requires a mere fraction of the space that is required to set up a solar, wind, or hydroelectric generating station which. This will allow more space for private landowners and will also keep land prices at a lower cost. Nuclear power is also a much cleaner operating type of fuel. The amount of waste produced is from a nuclear power plant is not even a fraction of the amount of sulfur, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide produced by a coal plant. By building a nuclear power we will reduce acid rain and not add to the global warming. Hydro stations form algae in lakes which reduces the amount of oxygen in the water making it harder for marine life to survive. Although the damage nuclear accidents cause is very bad the risk of a accident is not very probable, so in the long run the damages caused by a nuclear power are very little compared to other generating

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Introduction to the Rajputs Essay

A Rajput is a member of one of the landowning patrilineal clans of central and northern India. Rajputs consider themselves descendants of one of the major ruling warrior groups of the Hindu Kshatriya varna ( social order ) in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India. The Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6th to 12th centuries, and until the 20th century Rajputs ruled in the â€Å"overwhelming majority† of the princely states of Rajasthan and Saurashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found. They are divided into three major lineages. The Rajput empire spread in many countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Southeast Asia and some parts of Tibet. The four Agnivanshi clans namely the Pariharas (Pratihara), Solankis (Chalukya dynasty) Paramaras and Chahamanas rose to prominence first, establishing territories and creating kingdoms. The Rajputs were mainly feudal lords under the over-lordship of the rulers belonging to Pratiharas à ¢â‚¬â€œ a dynasty that ruled until the 10th century. Gradually, they attained the status of independent rulers. Their dominion spread over most parts of north India. In the north-west region known as Rajputana, which comprises the present day Rajasthan and parts of Pakistan. The Rajput community comprised of the Chauhans of East Punjab, Northern Rajasthan and Delhi, the Rathores of Uttar Pradesh, the Paramaras of Central India and the Tomars of Gwalior and later, Delhi. Of these the Chauhans and the Rathores were dominant clans. The Rajput though brave and chivalrous often succumbed to inter-clan rivalries, which proved advantageous for the Muslim rulers during the medieval period. The Rajputs being a dominant Hindu clan offered heavy resistance to the Muslim rulers who spread their rule over India during the medieval period. The Rajput princes maintained their own independent princely kingdoms. Some of the brave Rajput rulers who have been made their names eternal in Indian history are Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sangram Singh, Rana Udai Singh and Maharana Pratap. Prithviraj Chauhan proved to be the last Rajput ruler of Delhi. The Chauhans, led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj, later established a small state centered around Rathambore in present-day Rajasthan. The Rajput lifestyle was designed to foster a martial spirit, with men even forging a bond with their sword. The double-edged scimitar known as the khanda was a popular weapon among the Rajputs of that era. On special occasions, primary chief would break up a meeting of his vassal chiefs with khanda nariyal, the distribution of daggers and coconuts. Many Rajputs are nostalgic about their past and keenly conscious of their genealogy, emphasizing a Rajput ethos that is martial in spirit, with a fierce pride in lineage and tradition. The Rajput rulers had a keen sense of beauty in art and architecture which is seen in the artistic excellence of their temples, forts and palaces. The Indo-Aryan style of architecture developed in North India and Upper Deccan and the Dravidian style in South India during the Rajput period. Both sculpture and architecture attained a high degree of excellence. e.g. The Rathas of Mahabalipuram or Mammallapuram, the Kailash temple at Ellora and the sculpture of Elephanta belonging to the early Rajput period ( 600 Ad to 900 AD ) The temple architecture of Orissa, Khajuraho, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Pallava, Chola and Hoysala temples in the South belong to the later Rajput period. ( 900 AD to 1200 AD )

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

7-11 Supply Operations Management

7-11 SOM Study – Final Group 1 LRSP – 433 March 3, 2010 Pledged 3/3/2010 Table of Contents Background2-3 Problem Statement4 Scope5 Service Design and Characteristics6 Service Analysis and Selection7-8 Sales Production & Forecasting9-11 Breakeven Analysis12-13 Capacity Management (includes Decision Tree)14-15 Inventory Management and Materials Requirements16 Logistics and Supply Chain Management17 Quality Management and Implementation18-19 Prototype Design20-21 Conclusions & Recommendations22 References23 Appendices – Tables/Figures/Graphs24 Background Extensive research into 7 Eleven’s history and current status finds there is no evidence 7-Eleven has ever had one of their stores provide a drive through service. The company that pioneered the convenience store concept was founded during 1927 in Dallas, Texas and the concept was developed during their first five years of operation. The company was initially an ice company and its retail outlets began selling milk, bread and eggs as a convenience to local customers. Almost 20 years later (1946) the name 7-Eleven originated in when stores adjusted their hours of operation to 7 a. m. to 11 p. m. (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). 7-Eleven, Inc. has become the world’s largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company operates, franchises and licenses more than 6,970 stores in the U. S. and Canada. The company operates and franchises more than 5,900 (4,550 franchised) stores in the United States and they serve approximately seven million customers each day. Store count exceeded 36,000 worldwide in April 2009. Internationally, 7-Eleven operates, licenses and affiliates convenience stores in countries including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). 7-Eleven marketing strategy focuses the needs of convenience oriented customers by providing a broad selection of fresh, high quality products and services at everyday fair prices, and speedy transactions. Each store's selection of about 2,500 different products and services is tailored to meet the needs and preferences of local customers. Stores typically vary in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet and are most often located on corners for great visibility and easy access. 7-Eleven’s food service offers a proprietary line of prepared-fresh-daily and daily delivered deli sandwiches, wraps, breakfast sandwiches and a wide assortment of baked goods. Well known 7-Eleven proprietary products are; Big Gulp fountain soft drink, Big Bite grill items, the Slurpee beverage and fresh-brewed Cafe Select coffee. 7-Eleven is also one of the nation's largest independent gasoline retailers. In addition to the food and gasoline service, 7-Eleven offers patrons a number of convenient services designed to meet the specific needs of individual neighborhoods, including automated money orders, copiers, fax machines, automatic teller machines, phone cards and, where available, lottery tickets. Key Milestones * 7-Eleven, Inc. is privately held and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan Co. , Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, and its affiliates on Nov. 9, 2005. * Company launched its private-label brand, 7-Select, in 2008 and introduced 32 new products to stores. 7-Eleven introduced Yosemite Road Wines to their stores * In 2009, 7-Eleven began offering a Hot Foods Menu – includes pizza, chicken tenders, chicken wings, breakfast sausage, egg and cheese quesadillas and hash-brown potatoes. 7-Eleven has become much more innovative since the mid 1990's. They have evolved from a decentralized retail organization, with most store support functions handled in each geographic ally organized division by a local management team to the proprietary Retail Information System (RIS). In 1994 The University of 7-Eleven (USE) was born out of the Merchandising Personnel Expo, a store show and sampling event held once a year and intended to train field merchandising. USE was expanded to include field consultants and market managers and today it gives franchisees, store managers and employees a chance to see and taste new products for upcoming seasons that are intended to address the changing preferences of customers. The merchandising plan for seasonal and high-potential new products is also shared. The centerpiece of the USE is the virtual 7-Eleven store, actual size 7-Eleven floor plans are built to show how seasonal products are assimilated into the standard store mix (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). For future reference, this capability should be the tool whereby the adjustments necessary to accommodate a drive thru capability are visualized and ultimately realized. For perspective, as of January 2010, 7-Eleven, Inc. had earned the No. 3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine annual Franchise 500, which ranks top franchise opportunities in the U. S. An obviously healthy organization, this is 7-Eleven's 17th year to break into the top 10 (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). Problem Statement A major element of 7-11’s success is its focus on convenience. By staying open 24 hours a day and offering quick and easy pre-made food items, customers are able to make a speedy stop at the store at any point during the day. 7-11 continues to add to its selection of food items to better compete with fast food restaurants and other convenience stores. However, while 7-11 does compete very well with other convenience stores, the store has a significant disadvantage competing with fast food chains due to the ack of a drive-thru. Customers may choose to visit a McDonald’s or a Burger King over 7-11 for their beverages and sandwiches, simply due to the fact that they do not have to get out of the car. Therefore, 7-11 would benefit significantly from a strategy that allows them to be competitive with the fast food chains while simultaneously captur ing a market niche that other convenience stores have no capability in. For that reason, this report analyzes the financial benefit of adding a drive-thru window to already existing 7-11 stores. Scope This study analyzes the challenges and benefits of adding a drive-thru window service to existing 7-11 service designs and subsequently offers a prototype solution for the drive thru service option. Analysis includes detailed service design or redesign of current 7-11 service systems along with examining processes and physical layouts of stores. Sales forecasting will be used to support decision tree modeling intended to examine strengths and weaknesses of the drive thru service as an alternative to current 7-11 service (based upon costs and revenues). The break-even point of adding this service is also considered along with numbers required to make a profit. Other stores with successful drive-thru services will be examined for purposes of potentially adopting similar methods in specific service areas. This project provides analysis for an efficient queuing system for the drive thru customer and establishing a smooth process for the 7-11 employees to complete the customer orders. This study also examines why 7-11 stores should select specific products for sale through the drive thru window that are intended to encourage customers to choose 7-11 over competitors. Service Design and Characteristics The 7-Eleven franchise locations across the nation offer the convenience of access to gasoline and groceries. Historically the onus was on the client to retrieve the products desired, and then purchase the items. The current structure of the 7-Eleven queuing system is the simplest form of single channel, single phase (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). In that the client enters the store and selects the product, waits in line, and then purchases the item. Depending on the store location, and the ability for paying staff, there are either one or two cashiers. The service of 7-Eleven’s convenience is hampered by fluctuations of population arrival rates during specific events, and times of day. The exponential distribution of clients assists in ordering products, but it does not repair the service failings when there are long lines, especially compared to the competitor Wawa, Inc. Wawa has twice the amount of gasoline stalls, and cashier capabilities. Customers are able to still walk in select product, and gasoline, but do not have to wait as long, because the flow and layout of the Wawa store is set up to handle periods of higher traffic. The set up of the 7-Eleven store is such that they are still servicing smaller populations, and are not retrofit to handle higher amounts of traffic; therefore 7-Eleven is missing out on opportunities from the clientele that are in need of a quicker sales process. The correction of this lies in altering the service design of the franchise stores. The addition of a drive-thru window would dramatically increase the service capabilities of the franchise locations. This would shift the service flow to a multi-channel single phase process. The addition of a separate external line would benefit the current queuing system the 7-Eleven offers, of just one or two cashiers servicing all clientele. The ability to handle the clientele who are simply purchasing the convenience items, foods, and beverages has the potential to firm the positioning of the organization. Cars passing through a drive-thru would be able to purchase simple items such as coffee, quick 7-Eleven brand foods, Slurpees, and tobacco products. As exampled in the costs analysis the alteration of the retrofit to include a drive-thru window, would require a store owner to incur a significant loan to complete the product, but the break-even point would be relatively quick considering the size of investment, and the future return on investment has the potential to increase store sales significantly. The new flow decreases the inside traffic, which reduces the amount of irritation a person feels when trying to purchase the signature 7-Eleven items (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). Service Analysis and Selection Service Process Flowchart Service Analysis: The Queuing System The 7-Eleven Drive-Thru queue system will be a simple first come, first served system. This will simplify queue system discipline. The line structure will be a single channel, single phase; the simplest type of waiting line structure. We will make the following assumptions for our drive-thru model: * An arrival rate of sixteen cars (customers) per hour * A customer service rate of three* minutes per unit or twenty per hour * Poisson arrivals and exponential service We can now determine the following: * Utilization of the drive-thru operator(s) * Average number waiting in line Average number in the system * Average waiting time in line * Average waiting time in the system, including service * Average utilization of the drive-thru operator(s) is 80%. The average number in the waiting line is 3. 2 cars. The average number in the system is 4 cars. The average waiting time in line is 12 minutes. The average waiting time in the system is 15 minutes. Our new store layout provides limited sp ace availability and we want to keep our customers safe and provide acceptable service. We would like to ensure, with 95% certainty that no more than 4 cars will be in the system at any time. The present level of service for the four car limit is 67. 2%. Therefore, the probability of having more than four cars in the system is 32. 8 %. The operator(s) must attain a service level of 29 cars per hour to provide a 95% confidence that no more than four cars will be in the system. The current operator rate is 20 per hour; the rate will improve because we will provide a limited selection of items for our drive-thru customers and acceptance of electronic payment will increase efficiency also. *Approximately three minutes per customer is the drive-thru national average ime for customer service (Baker, 2009). Sales and Production Forecasting Sales and Production Forecasting (cont) Sales and Production Forecasting (cont) Individual Product Sales Changes due to Drive-Thru Window Breakeven Analysis As the store stands, the breakeven point of current sales is 23,809. The table below assumes a monthly fixed cost of $42,618 with no addition to the store, with an average unit variable co st of $1. 21 per unit and an average selling price of $3. 00 per unit. If the lease holder decides to add the drive through window, the estimated cost of construction will run $400,000. As the store does not have this amount of cash, a loan will need to be taken to cover costs. Fortunately, the store is able to gain a loan for 5 years at 6% interest. Due to the increased size of the building and additional employees and infrastructure, the fixed costs increase from $42,618 to $66,025 or an increase of 55%. However, because of the drive through window the store will be selling higher profit margin goods such as coffee, fountain drinks, bottle drinks and cigarettes in greater volume, the variable cost per transaction will decrease from 1. 21 to $0. 91 and the average selling price will also decrease to $2. 65. These values hold the required profit margin percentage relatively constant while increasing profits through increased unit sales. The chart below assumes a monthly fixed cost of $66,025 plus $400,000 loan (Financed 5 years, 6% Int = $7,773/month), an average variable cost of $0. 91 per unit and an average selling price of $2. 65. The difference between break even points is reduced from 23,809 additional units sold to 20,847 cover the cost of the loan amount. Therefore, if the store can obtain finiancing for the $400,000 loan, then the investment will be profitable both in the short and long term periods. Capacity Management Capacity planning for our 7-Eleven drive thru was mostly completed in the Service Analysis section where the service rate was calculated. Based on our customer service rate of three minutes per customer (vehicle), the maximum capacity of our drive thru is twenty cars per hour or theoretically, 174,720 vehicles per year. However, demand will not dictate that the drive thru operate at sustained maximum capacity at all times. Jacobs and Chase determines that the best operating point for a service is near 70 percent of the maximum capacity for the best balance between rate of service utilization and service quality (Jacobs & Chase, 2009). In our present queuing model, the operator utilization rate is 80 percent. The zone between 70% and 100% of capacity is the critical zone where customers will get processed through the line but service quality will decline. Above 100% capacity, the line will back up and many customers will probably not be served at all. We can safely lower the projected customer arrival rate from 16 vehicles per hour to 15 vehicles per hour which will calculate to an operator utilization rate of 75 percent; while still maintaining a customer service rate of three minutes or less. The queuing system will now be revised: * Average utilization of drive thru operator(s) is 70% * Average number of customers waiting in line is 2. 25 * Average number of customers in the system is 3 * Average waiting time in line is 9 minutes * Average waiting time in the system is 12 minutes The remainder of the queuing system data remains unchanged because we will still operate at a 95% certainty that no more than 4 cars will be in the system at any time. At 75% capacity the customers can be served quickly and accurately. The remaining 25% unused capacity can be utilized in valued added operations such as facility clean-up and maintenance, refilling refreshment tables or shelf stocking. Considering the volatility of customer demand throughout the daily cycle, this is a good balance. The breakeven analysis determined that an addition 20,847 units need be sold monthly to cover the cost of the loan amount for the drive thru addition. At 75% operator utilization rate, the drive thru has the capacity to serve 10,920 vehicles per month. Capacity Management – Decision Tree Analysis 1) Build drive-thru addition to existing store at a cost of $400,000. 0. Offer a limited assortment of targeted items to drive-thru selection. Sales of 401400 (33,450 x 12) units per year for 5 years at average unit cost of $2. 63 is $1,055. 682. 00. Probability is 80% for $4. 88 million in revenue . 20% for $2. 77 million in revenue. 2) Build drive -thru addition to existing store at a cost of $400,000. 00. Discontinue wal k-in service, provide limited assortment of items. Sales of 240,000 (20,000 x 12) units per year for 5 years at average cost of $2. 63 is $631,200. 00. Probability is 80% for $2. 76 million in revenue, 20% for $1. 49 million in revenue. ) Do nothing. Sales of 300,000 (25,000 x 12) units per year at an average unit cost of $3. 00 is $900,000. Probability is 80% for $4. 5 million in revenue, 20% for $2. 7 million in revenue. Inventory Management and Material Requirements 7-11 has already implemented an effective inventory management system. The Retail Information System (RIS) was developed in the early 1990’s to maintain store inventory and manage product ordering. Initially created as an accounting system, the RIS has been developed to track sales information and determine the success of each product. Therefore, the RIS enables store operators to â€Å"stay in stock, order best-selling and delete slow-moving items,† (Store, 2010). The RIS uses a bar code scanner and touch screen point-of-sale registers to scan products and track when they are being sold. This system allows store operators to easily obtain current stock quantities and determine which products are selling well. As the stock decreases, managers use Mobile Ordering Terminals to reorder items that are moving and delete items that are not selling (Store, 2010). Since 7-11’s RIS has been successfully established as an effective form of product management, this report does not recommend implementing any additional inventory systems to maintain the stock. While the inventory system would not have to change, there would be a few new material requirements for adding a drive-thru service to 7-11. The stores may require additional registers and counter space to account for the new layout designed around the window. Furthermore, stores may need to order more stands and coolers to display the food products closer to the counter so that they are in a convenient location for the employees running the window. Finally, the 7-11 will need to create the drive-thru menu for customers to view before they order. Logistics and Supply Chain Management Location Selection The current requirements for the selection of optimum locations depend on the traffic of the area, and design of the store. The urban locations have a high foot-traffic requirement, and thus would not be an optimal choice for this conversion. The free standing stores in strip-mall locations would not be a desirable location either, due to the fact that the structure is not owned by 7-Eleven. The prime locations for the 7-Eleven with the drive-thru would be the locations that are free standing, with fuel capabilities; these stores have the option of being retro-fit or built-to-suit. The traffic requirements for these locations are as listed: 1. Trade area demographics—(a) Heavy density within ? mile radius – 5,000 or more residents/workers per square mile in the trade area; (b) Lack of low priced gas brands within ? mile 2. Traffic—(a) 25,000 vehicles per day passing the site 3. Activity Generators—(a) Mixture of residential, commercial, office, Industrial; (b) Freeway orientation preferred; (c) Complimentary 24 hour uses 4. Site Characteristics—(a) Corner location with traffic signal or shopping center pad location; (b) 25,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. space preferred; (c) High visibility and excellent accessibility with typical gas station access – far corner and no road medians preferred; (d) 2,000 to 3,000 sq. ft store size – min. 1,800 sq. ft selling space; (e) Spacious and convenient ingress, egress, and in-lot maneuverability; (f) Ability to sell beer and wine preferred; (g) 24 hour operation required There would still need to be a high density of population, and traffic for the new sites. Traffic and activity generators would also be the same. The primary alteration would be the need to select a site that can support the new feature. The square foot space preferred would need to be altered to include the drive-thru space of the store, and extra pavement outside. Traffic flow would also have to be managed in a way that would make the inside of the store as accessible as before, in addition to allowing the gasoline purchase to still be maintained. This would necessitate an additional 10,000 sq. ft. for the pavement, in addition to the extra 500 to 1,000 sq. ft. of space added to the store (Store RIS, 2010). Supply Chain Management The current supply method for 7-Eleven is a Just-In-Time (JIT) method, and it begins with the Retail Information System (RIS). The store owner will be able to order the extra inventory needed to stock the drive-thru in addition to the regular interior sales, with the click of a button on this system. Supplies currently are delivered throughout the day, depending on the items needed and the supplier’s schedules. The alteration of the select stores utilizing the drive-thru window increase of supplies needed, and subsequently would require an increase of deliveries to the store. The alteration would impact each segment of the supply chain, beginning with the centrally located distribution center, and filtering out to the distributors. This impact would also increase of demand from suppliers in each link; similar to the economic concept of a money multiplier. There would not be an extreme alteration of supply chain management, considering only select stores will have this option (Store RIS, 2010). Quality Management and Implementation The breadth and depth of current 7-Eleven systems and processes should allow for an uncomplicated implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. To support this position the following analysis and discussion is offered. 7-Eleven is not an ISO-9000 company however it is a very innovative and well managed company. And though 7-Eleven is not ISO 9000 certified their most important business processes align with the management principles of the ISO standards and Total Quality Management objectives. There is nothing in the 7-Eleven archives that clearly states they have a Quality Management System however several of their internal systems and processes equate to a Quality Management System because of the functional areas they control (Jacobs & Chase, 2009). A recent 7-Eleven corporate job opening announcement for a Continuous Improvement Manager (CI) stipulated Six Sigma certification was a desired qualification. A CI Manager would be expected to participate with division level managers in corporate process improvement events at various facilities. The CI Manager would also be responsible for executing process overhaul, and upgrading programs for the organization at local levels. In addition, the CI Manager would be responsible for coaching, functional training, communications, and identifying and transferring best practices externally and internally (Jobs in DFW, 2010). Thus, 7-Eleven does recognize and embrace the benefits of Six Sigma certification. Foremost in importance to quality management and process improvement for any organization is its IT infrastructure. Accordingly, 7-Eleven commissioned Hewlett Packard (HP) to assist in analyzing their IT requirements and then developing an IT infrastructure that supported all of 7-Eleven's needs. The 7-Eleven CIO ultimately approved the HP Adaptive Enterprise Strategy as the company IT solution. The AE Strategy enhances system wide agility and improves productivity and service. -Eleven management views the AE Strategy as differentiating their company from other organizations in the way they run their stores, select and distribute products, work with suppliers, serve customers and communicate to key stakeholders. Other key 7-Eleven systems identified and analyzed in this report leverage the overarching AE infrastructure to perform their varied processes (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). The Retail Information Syste ms (RIS) uses AE infrastructure servers, switches, printers, and monitors to drive all of their system processes on a 4/7 basis. As noted earlier in the background section 7-Eleven is one of the nation's largest independent gasoline retailers and tied into the AE infrastructure is the FuelQuest Fuel Management System (FMS) that 7-Eleven uses to remotely monitor tank inventories, forecast fuel replenishment, manage fuel-supplier contracts, perform best-buy, fuel-pricing analysis, ensure environmental compliance and to dispatch and receive fuel deliveries (7-Eleven Inc, 2004). The University of 7-Eleven (USE) could arguably be the key component in 7-Eleven's quality management processes and essential to the successful implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. The USE was discussed in some detail during the background section so just a few key attributes that could be leveraged to facilitate implementation of a new Drive-Thru service will be highlighted here. The USE is a great tool for examination and quality implementation of change. 7-Eleven senior management employs the USE to introduce new ideas and to start standardization of product selections, merchandising and operations. They involve all levels of management, marketing, field consultants, franchisees, and employees in the USE, providing everyone an opportunity to see and taste new products, and review recommended merchandising plans for seasonal and high-potential new products. The centerpiece of the USE, and possibly most beneficial to supporting the Drive-Thru concept is the Virtual 7-Eleven store – an actual size 7-Eleven floor plan designed to show how products are assimilated into the standard store mix (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). This capability should be leveraged as the means through which the new Drive-Thru service is modeled. Physical structure of a facility with a Drive-Thru service could easily be modeled, thereby allowing for examination of internal re-design or process changes/improvements necessary for the new concept. Although 7-Eleven does not â€Å"fly† a TQM flag above their corporate headquarters, their key management systems and processes indicate they adhere to an organization wide commitment to continuous work improvement and meeting customers' needs, with continuous effort to improve quality whenever and wherever possible – an approach that defines the basic tenets of TQM. A benefit from this should be a successful implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. Prototype Design Current 7-Eleven Store Layout & Design New 7-Eleven Drive-Thru Prototype Layout & Design Conclusions and Recommendations The option to expand an individual 7-Eleven store with a Drive-Thu window will not only develop a more profitable scenario for the individual lease holder, it may also stand as a positive example for implementing profitable innovations through the 7-Elenve convenience store network and company structure. Based on preliminary financial analysis a $400,000 investment in a drive through window will greatly increase fixed costs, will dramatically increase profits through increased average transaction sales and a reduction in variable costs due to availability of products offered. The main sections of the 7-Eleven store will remain the same, but the drive-thru window will provide customers specific goods such as coffee, soft drinks and cigarettes which represent the stores highest volume and highest marginal profit items. The profits generated from the addition will provide customers a greater value by offering them the benefits of remaining in their car to obtain most of the same goods and services typically available in the store. If the venture is successful, it is very likely corporate support will be granted resulting in additional Drive-Thru locations throughout the country. To properly implement these changes, additional training and support structures already exist within The University of 7-Eleven (USE). The USE is the principal â€Å"change management† tool for 7-Eleven and therefore should be the centerpiece for managing implementation of the Drive-Thru Service. The company currently uses the USE  to introduce new products and processes, they educate and involve employees, managers, and suppliers in the USE, and the Virtual Store is precisely what should be used to model our Drive-Thru Service & Prototype. Proper training is the first step for educating current store lease holders to achieve success. To further incentivize and expand national 7-Eleven sales, corporate financing should be made available to encourage private lease holders to expand their businesses with the Drive-Thru service. In addition, 7-Eleven can assist individual lease holder by providing common construction plans, operations managers and breakeven data from similar sized and market stores to paint a better picture of the profitability of expansion. These trends will provide customers higher value while creating better profits for individual store as well as the organization as a whole. References 7 Eleven – About Us. (2010). Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. com/AboutUs/tabid/73/Default. aspx 7-Eleven Inc. Climbs to No. 3 Spot. (2010). Retrieved February 11, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. com/NewsRoom/7ElevenIncClimbstoNo3Spot/tabid/360/Default. aspx. 7-Eleven, Inc. , Selects FuelQuest/PDI for Gasoline Inventory Management and Accounting System; PR Newswire. (2004). Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www. highbeam. com/doc/1G1-123232449. html Baker, B. (2009). Chic-fil-A wins 6th drive-thru title. QSR Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2010 from www. qsrmagazine. com/reports/drive-thru_time_study/ Franchise Opportunities Mall. (2010). Retrieved February 11, 2010, from 7-Eleven: http://www. franchiseopportunitiesmall. com/Best_Franchise_Opportunities. asp? ID=2682 Gillespie, E. M. (2005). Starbucks sees growing demand for drive-thru coffee. Retrieved February 20, 2010 from Web site: http://www. usatoday. com/money/ industries/food/2005-12-24-starbucksdrivethru_x. htm. Jacobs, R. F. & Chase, R. B. (2009). Operations and supply management: The core. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Jobs in DFW LocalHelpWanted-Continuous Improvement Manager Help Wanted ads-Continuous Improvement Manager Local Help Wanted-Continuous Improvement Manager Jobs-Continuous Improvement Manager Careers. (2010). Retrieved February 21, 2010, from http://www. localhelpwanted. net/dfw/job/Continuous-Improvement-Manager-Dallas-TX-75219-USA/lhw-e0-3741966/ Real Estate Require ments. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. om/RealEstate/RealEstateRequirements/tabid/181/Default. aspx. Store retail information system. (2010). Retrieved February 23, 2010 from Web site: http://www. 7-eleven. com/NewsRoom/BackgroundInformation/ StoreRetailInformationSystem/tabid/159/Default. aspx. Appendices Service Process Flowchart7 Sales and Production Forecasting9-11 Individual Product Sales Changes due to Drive-Thru Window11 Breakeven Analysis Graphs12-13 Capacity Management – Decision Tree15 7-Eleven Current Store Layout20 7-Eleven Drive-Thru Prototype Design21

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Feasibility Study Essay Example

Feasibility Study Essay Example Feasibility Study Essay Feasibility Study Essay Oxford business institute has been agued by some analysts that the challenge being faced does not require textbooks solutions. Other analysts argue that a more practical approach has to be adopted if all their survival has to guarantee. Use of off the shelf system in Colleges had become a norm in Colleges as directors in these Colleges were very much interested in improving the security of their systems and it is these application software programs obtained from foreign countries which had proved to be better in terms of security.This was because most College institutions had not done much in terms of system development. The problems bedeviling the current systems in our College institutions in relation to the current economic solutions have justified the development of bespoke systems that will be able to address the College issues across the industry regardless of the charges that may be faced. 2. 0 SCOPE OF THE STUDY It is hoped that this study will serve as an important in an attempt to improve the effectiveness and performance of the systems used in our College institutions.From this study the benefits and problems associated with the use of bespoke systems in the market are going to be determined. This study will provide alternative suggestions and or solutions to the problems associated with the failure to recognize the importance of using bespoke systems in a turbulent macroeconomic environment. : It is hoped that this study will initial debate that is based on practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge found in different information Technology textbooks.It will also help employees and management in the education sector that systems design and development is a process and not just an event. 3. 0 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The purpose of the study aims to do the following: Improve the processing speed. It will improve the sharing of information between the College and other stakeholders. Promote understanding of why the information is needed and the purpose for which it is used. It will allow improved planning and decision making by providing individuals with secure access to appropriate, accurate, consistent and timely information whenever it will be needed. . 0 JUSTIFICATION Implementation of bespoke systems is widely being regarded as an answer to the prevailing macroeconomic challenges in the country the research was carried out to decide whether the project was justified and also to determine the objectives of the system. The main force driving the researcher to carry out the study is the increasing complexity in running the affairs of the College institutions due to the volatile macro-economic environment, which means the quality of decisions made determine the survival of such organization.As the administration department in Colleges deal with most of the assets of the firm in a volatile real time environment of fluctuating interest rates and market conditions, adequate internal and external controls are vital to the functioning of such an environment to reduce fraud. Thus the study aims to provide such controls. Losses are very detrimental to a College’s growth and survival, therefore the study aims to provide a solution that will reduce any losses that occur from the system used in the management funds and improve decision making in funds management operations. . 0 ASSUMPTIONS The system will be programmed using Visual Basic. All machines using this system must have at least Microsoft windows XP. That the use of bespoke system is a potential solution to challenges faced in the financial sector. The IT department will reserve enough HDD space on their Database server so that data can be processed via the terminal server. 6. 0 LIMITATIONS 1. The limitation is that the administrator is the main source of information for the user requirement of the system. 2.From questionnaires that are distributed some employees left some of the sections of the questionnaire blank and some supervisors who were interviewed were unable to answer some of the questions that were on the question guide. The researcher therefore draws his conclusion from those unanswered sections of the questionnaires and unanswered questions from structured question guide. 3. The student major challenges were monetary and time constraints. Time was of relevant importance, in that it was difficult to adhere to the project plan that was set out of the beginning of the project, owing to various constraints like project documentation. DETAILS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM Introduction This generally looks at the research methods used. The main focus is the data collection criteria used to collect data. Data was collected in at least one organization in each service category of the College services sector the purpose of the survey was basically to justify the need the development of a College management system. Extensive research was carried out on the development of a College management system. System development experts were consulted to give hints and guide lines and to solve problems which were faced by the researcher.Analysis of Current System The current system will make job much easier for the administrator, the will be no need for the administrator to take so much time in searching for a particular student, but she will simply type in the student course and student number. The student details will soon appear. The advantage of this system is that it eliminates time for the administrator. Having the new system will boost the administrator in terms of being updated to current technology. This will lift up the face of the college and the end user will show more enthusiasm because of its efficiency to the current system.The current system will increase performance on processes, end user flexibility on working with new system and mass storage space (database). The administrator does most of the work in the office . She records all the students that have registered and paid their installment. With that, she is able to calculate the student’s payments. Their records are also stored in folders by the administrator. The administrator also keeps records of the accounts of the college. Problems with the current System Expensive to maintain. May not fulfill the user requirements. Some of the resources may not be useful. Benefit of the new systemTangible benefits Reduced errors therefore minimizing the cost associated with the purchasing of stationery. Minimizes time wasting due to an organized system that will provide pre-printed list of customer’s details and contacts. No development time needed. Support is obtained from experts. The application has already been tested and approve. Elimination of job steps. Reduced expenses. Intangible benefits Improved employee morale. Improved customer goodwill. Improved employee morale. Services to be provided by the new system will be greatly improved since all necessary operations will be performed positively. Better decision making. Details of Study Undertaken Research Questions Have the College upgraded their system in the past one year? What are perceived benefits and costs of the proposed system? What objectives and business requirements must be supported by the new system? Is the new system going fit within the College’s framework? Does the firm’s budget and schedule accommodate for the development of the system posing any delay upon its operation? What security treats is associated with the proposed system? Is the system user friendly such that user and managers will accept its implementation? What should be the target population and sample size? What measuring instruments should be used? Which sampling method should be employed? What resources are required before the system is implemented? What is the proposed solution and how does it aid mana gement of funds and reduce fraud in the investment system? Research Design / Information Gathering A survey of the research was carried out which included interviews, questionnaires and observations. The main objective of the survey was to determine the effectiveness of the current system in the sector.This made up the feasibility study of the project. The researcher used the case study. The advantage of a case study is that it does not claim any particular method for data collection or analysis and it has certain characteristics of particularistic, descriptive, heuristic and inductive. Interviews carried were general in nature because they were meant to establish if the off-the –shelf system were performing to expectation. The other data collection was for the purpose of development of the system itself, for example database field required and the problems the system should solve.The questionnaire and interviews instruments were used to gather data. The design of the questio nnaire was guided by the desire to make it simple and easy to complete and easy to code and analyze. This was achieved by the use of closed ended questions and every effort was made to provide lists of response options except where opinions or ensure or personal explanations were needed. The wording of the questions was taken into consideration in making the questionnaire easy to understand and respond to.Provocative language was avoided to ensure cooperation of the respondents. The questionnaire covers the most important issue that concern performance appraisal. Care was taken not to make its brevity compromise the ultimate objective of gathering data from the respondents. Subjects The project was carried out at Oxford Business Institute of Swaziland, the College of interest and at the SMS . The SMS was chosen as a control because it uses the same College management system as Oxford’s College and that it is the second largest College institution in the country.In order for t he sample to be representative of the total population, the researcher had used the most notable sampling procedure of a stratified random sampling since the population under study contains same well defined groups or sub-population (which are called strata). In each stratum there would be homogeneity in terms of the variable under investigations such that variability in a stratum will be in the following categories that are as follows: Level of Computer Literacy Position Held Years of Experience Age Group Research InstrumentsThe researcher used the personal interviews for the managerial staff members and the questionnaires methods to collect data College Department staff members, as well as Record Inspection. The Appendixes section of this document contains some of the question asked to the relevant staff regarding the feasibility of the new project, limitations of the current system and the improvements expect to be implemented used to collect data. Interviews As an oral face- to- face communication, it provides to be one of the most reliable method of gathering information as it provides instant feedback.The other reason why this method was adopted is that it gives room for vague questions, as well as maintaining maximum attentions between the two parties involved. This helps the analyst by providing with deeper insight into the current system, in terms of understanding its strengths and weaknesses. Among the persons interviewed are; the Administrator who in fact is the user of the system, the Secretary and the Director. The reasons why Director was interviewed are quite variable. The analyst wanted to see how much value he gives to the system, as well as assessing the economic feasibility of the proposed system.The other reason why interview had been opted instead of the other fact gathering techniques is that, the analyst noticed that the Director is always busy, so for her to obtain instant feedback she had to carry out an interview. The reason behind in terviewing the Administrator range from the need to figure out the limitations of the current system, as well as to incorporate his suggests in the new system, as he is the direct user of the system. The other reason is for the analyst to know the system inputs, processing and nature of the output thereafter. Moreover as mentioned earlier on, among the persons interviewed is also the Director.The idea is that the analyst wanted to assess the social feasibility of the proposed system, as well as criteria that could be adopted to ensure maximum user co-operation with the new system. The other reason is for the analyst to know the scope of the system. The researcher had selected the personal interview as it is the most commonly used method of collecting data. The personal interview has the main advantages of the following: a)A high response rate, the researcher can persuade all members to respond including the most reluctant to answer the questions. )The researcher (interviewer) can ex plain any questions that the interviewee cannot understand. c)The researcher can check the answers to some questions by making a visual check of age, for example questions about their experience or life style if any exaggeration will be visibly obvious. d)More information can collected with other methods as generally more time will be devoted by interviewee to a personal interview. From the above points it can be noted that advantages outweigh the disadvantages hence the researcher has chosen this data gathering instrument.Observation on site Practical observation of the current system’s operating procedures was done. The purpose was for the analyst to gather as much information as necessary to aid him analyzing the current system. Observation on site also caters for some of the activities, which may be inexplicable to the user of the system. The analyst took four days and for each day he spent two and half-hours with the user of the system. Therefore the analyst found out th at the current system involves a lot of form handling.Realistically, it has also been found out that the system lacks structured design, in other words there was no any convention followed either, when capturing data into the system or when generating the reports. The researcher had also used questionnaire method to collect data from staff of College Departments its main advantages include. 1)The bias of an interviewer is removed. 2)The respondent is not asked to give instant replies and answers can be considered carefully and records consulted if necessary. 3)The sample can usually be collected from much wider area. )It is less costly method that the personal interview although the number of useful response received may make it expensive in the long run. However this data gathering instrument has its own disadvantages that are as follows: 1)There is usually a very poor respond rate. 2)Bias may be introduced because only a particular type of person may reply perhaps people such as p ensioners with plenty of time on their hands or people who simple enjoy filling in questionnaires. A greater danger is that only those who have particular interest in that subject being investigated will reply causing a biased response. )Nobody is on hand to explain questions so come may be incorrectly answered or not answered at all. Only very simple questions can be answered. 4)Questions may be filled in as team effort so that opinions several people embodied in one form. 5)There may be considerable however tried to counter most of the advantages of the questionnaire by constantly monitoring the movements of questionnaire and providing some assistance when required. Record Inspection / Reading Documentation Archival data as well as report generated by the current were inspected so as to figure out the input requirements and analyst how best to improve the output.The documents were obtained from the Director. Some of the reports used as samples are attached on Appendices section. D ata Collection Procedures The researcher distributed questionnaires to interested parties that include the representation of all students in the College from junior classes to senior classes. The researcher carried out the entire interview herself. Data presentation and Analysis procedure The finding of this research is presented using descriptive statistics that highlight the methods for organizing, displaying and describing data by making use of tables, diagrams and summary measures.Data presentation process To confirm that off the shelf system were falling to perform to expectations in the financial service sector at the moment such questions were asked 1)What shortcomings if any are you facing when using the current system? 2)Are you happy with the performance of the current system? 3)Does the current system solve the current problems arising in the industry? 4)In terms of efficiency does the current system improve or deteriorates and why? 5)Is the current system file based or c omputerized? 6)Are there any issues of data redundancy and duplication in the current system? )How flexible is the current system? 8)Does the current system allow data sharing and networking? 9)Are there any issues of paperwork involved in the current system? 10)General Which service type do you belong? Name of organization? Position held? Results of the questionnaires Of the 30 questionnaires all were completed and returned to the researcher giving 100% respond. However some employees felt that it was better to order for an upgrade of the current system than developing a bespoke system as these could compromise security in the operations system of the College services sector.One respondent was not sure whether developing a new system would make a different from upgrading the current system as she was mainly interested in reports only. The table graph below shows the results: Response Employees Develop a new system22 Upgrade the current system6 Not sure1 Questionnaires results Effic iency Respondents were asked whether the current system was efficient in performing expected tasks. Findings obtained are tabulated below: POSTGRADEEFFICIENTNOT EFFICIENTRESPONDENT (FREQUENY) Teachers11055 Secretary10044 Administrator9033 Front Office Clerk8223Portfolio 17022 Portfolio 26202 Finance Officer5325 Head of Department2022 Head of Department(College management system)1022 Total72228 Employees who are directly involved with the current system such as Administrator and Back Office clerks showed that they regarded the current system as inefficient and Heads of Departments including the College Principal also indicated their dissatisfaction. Portfolio executives and the Finance Officer who are mainly concerned with certain reports and not the functionality of the system indicated that they regarded the system as efficient.This means only 32% of the respondents regarded the system as efficient and 68% regarded it inefficient. Performance The question was if the employees were satisfied with the performance of the current off- the- shelf system that was currently being in the. The response was on a YES/NO basis. The summary of the response is tabulated below. Performance SatisfactionFrequency Yes4 No18 In Between7 Performance Satisfaction Pie Chart 62% of the respondents said they were not satisfied with the performance of the current system and 24% were not sure whether the system performance was satisfactory.Flexibility The respondents were asked whether the system was flexible enough to accommodate any system requirement that would arise in the industry. Findings on the research are shown below: Flexible2 Not flexible25 In between1 A very small percentage of 7% compared said the system was flexible compared to 89% who said the system was not flexible. The respondents who regarded the system as not flexible sighted the inability of the system to cater for latest request issued by Swaziland Revenue Authority. Demographic Characteristics of RespondentsThe demographic characteristics of the respondents are going to be looked in the section that follows. Distribution of Respondents by Age, Post and Sex The respondents were asked about tier grade and post in the questionnaires and during interviews. The following table shows the distribution of the respondents by Age, post and sex. POSTGRADESEXSEXRESPONDENTS (FREQUENY) MALEFEMALE Data capture clerks112 Supervisors101 Black office clerk93 Front office clerk81 Finance Executive 171 Finance Executive 262 Executive officer 153 Executive officer 241 Head of Department 132 Head of Department 222 Head of Department 12TOTAL91120 It is the evidence from the table above that the sample is representative of the population as all the grades that exist in the College management system Department are being represented. A substantial proportion of the sample comprises Clerks and Executive Officers 30% while more than 50% of the sample was in the grade of 2 to 10. There is also a gender balance as the proportion of male female respondents was almost similar with 45% male 55% female. The distribution of the sample by gender is also shown in the table below. Distribution of Respondents by their Level of EducationLevel of Education of respondents LEVEL OF EDUCATIONNO OF RESPONDENTS% AGE Ordinary Level14 Advanced Level27 Tertiary Education1`346 Degree1243 TOTAL28100 From the questionnaires and interviews that were distributed and conducted, it is evident that 46% of the respondents possess professional qualifications like Institute of Chartered Management and LCM and 43% are degree holders. This gives enough evidence that the respondents have a better understanding of the need of an efficient and effective system in organization. Histogram showing level of education of respondentsDistribution Of Respondents By Service Type SERVICE TYPEFREQUENCY% AGE Management414 Accounts519 Teaching725 621 All service type was fairly represented considering that the percentage different was just 10 % with the least represented with 14% and highly represented with 25%. Discussion and Interpretation From the analysis it can be clearly deduced that the off- the –shelf system are failing to perform to expectation. Questions were asked across important an area to prove that there was real needs to find other alternative and effective ways of solving the current problems facing the College service sector.The conclusion is that there’s an urgent need for the design development and implementation of a bespoke system that can be customized to meet the challenges arising in the financial services sector. Further development of these off-the –shelf systems has proved costly as evidenced by the high costs being incurred by Voctim Vocational Training in paying the software houses who develop and maintain their system. The idea of locally developing software will save the much needed foreign currency that could have been paid to external developers who most of the time overcharges their systems by quoting the exchange rate with a grey market rate.SMS is the tonic realization of the employees who have been affected in terms of efficiency by reverting back to paperwork after the current system could not handle further requests by the Swaziland Revenue. ALTERNATIVES TO THE SYSTEM Possible Solutions FEASIBILITY STUDY Six Test For Feasibility So far, we have defined feasibility analysis, and we have identified feasibility checkpoints during systems analysis. Feasibility can be viewed from multiple perspectives. Below we present six categories of feasibility tests. Operational feasibility is a measure of how well a solution meets he identified system requirements to solve the problems and take the advantage of the opportunities envisioned for the system. Cultural (or political) feasibility is a measure of how people feel about a solution and how well it will be accepted in a given organization climate. Technical feasibility is a measure of a practicall y of a specific technical solution and the availability of technical resources and expertise to implement and maintain it. Schedule feasibility is a measure of how reasonable the project time table is. Economic feasibility is the measure of the cost-effectiveness of a project or solution. Legal feasibility is a measure of how well a solution can be implemented within existing legal and contractual obligation. Actually, few systems are infeasible. Instead, different solution options tend to be more or less feasible than other. Let’s take a closer look at the four feasibility criteria. ?Operational feasibility Operational feasibility is the measure of how well a proposed system solves the problem and takes advantage of the opportunities identified during the scope definition and problem analysis phase and how well it satisfied the system requirements identified in the requirements analysis phase.Operational feasibility also asks if, given what is now known about the problem and the cost of the solution, the problem is still worth solving. ?Cultural (or political) feasibility This is related to operational feasibility. But where operational feasibility deals more with how well the solution will meet system requirement, cultural/political feasibility deals with how end users feel about the proposed system. You could say that operational feasibility evaluate whether a system can work, and cultural/ political feasibility ask whether a system will work in a given organizational climate.In an information age, knowledge is power. It is common for an information system to change the structure of how information is routed and controlled, changing to some power structure of the organization. Some users and managers may feel threatened and fight implementation of the system. Recognize that increasingly the culture of an organization is multicultural. Employees and divisions may have been merged in from different companies with widely varying perspective on how work should be structured and what information system should do and not do.With international organizations, and information system must also be accepted by multiple national cultures. The following questions address this concern. Does management support the system? How do the end users feel about their role in the new system? What end users or managers may resist or not use the system? Can this problem be overcome? If so, how? How will the working environment of the end user change? Can or will end users and management adapt to the change? ?Technical Feasibility Today, very little technically impossible. Consequently, technical feasibility looks at what is practical and reasonable.Technical feasibility addresses three major issues. 1. Is the proposed technology or solution practical? 2. Do we currently possess the necessary technology? 3. Do we possess the necessary technical expertise? Is the proposed Technology or Solution Practical? The technology for any defined solution is normal a vailable. The question is whether that technology is mature enough to be easily applied to our problems. Some firms like to use state-of-the art technology, but most firms prefer to use mature and proven technology. A mature technology has a larger customer base for obtaining advice concerning problems and improvements.Do we currently possess the necessary technology? Assuming the solution’s required technology is practical, we must next ask ourselves, is the technology available in our information system shop? If the technology is available, we must ask if we have the capacity. For instance, will our current printer be able to handle the new reports and forms required of a new system? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then we must ask ourselves, can we get this technology? The technology can be practical and available, and, yes, we need it. But we simply may not be able to afford it at this time.Although this argument borders on economic feasibility, it is tr uly technical feasibility. If we can’t afford the technology, then the alternative that requires the technology is not practical and is technically infeasible. Do we possess the necessary technical expertise? This consideration of technical feasibility is often forgotten during feasibility analysis. Even if organization has the technology, that doesn’t mean it has the skills required to properly apply that technology. For instance, organization has a database management system (DBMS).However, the analysts and programmers available for the project may not know that DBMS well enough to properly apply it. True, all information systems professionals can learn new technologies; however, that learners curve will impact the technical feasibility of the project – specifically, it will impact the schedule. ?Schedule Feasibility Given the available technical expertise, are the project deadlines reasonable – that is, what is the schedule feasibility of the project? Some projects are initiated with specific deadlines. It is necessary to determine whether the deadlines are mandatory or desirable.For instance, the project we want to develop a system to meet oxford’s reporting regulation may have a deadline that coincides with when the new reports must be initiated. Penalties associated with missing such a deadline may make meeting it mandatory. If the deadlines are desirable rather than mandatory, the analyst can propose alternative schedules. It is preferable (unless the deadline is absolutely mandatory) to deliver a properly functioning information system two months later than to deliver an error –prone, useless information system on time , While missing deadlines can be problematic, developing inadequate system can be disastrous.It’s a choice between the lesser of two evils. ?Economic Feasibility The button line in many projects is Economic Feasibility. During the early phases of the project, economic feasibility analysis amounts to little more than judging whether the possible benefits of solving the problem are worthwhile. Costs are practically impossible to estimate at that stage because the end users are requirements and alternative technical solutions have been identified, the analyst can weigh the costs and benefits of each alternative. This is called a costs benefit analysis. ?Legal Feasibility Information systems have a legal impact.First of all, there are copyright restrictions. For any system that includes purchased components, one has to make sure that the license arguments are not violated. For one thing this means installing only incensed copies. But licensed arguments and copy protection can also restrict how you integrate the data and processes with other parts of the system. If you are working with contract programmers, the ownership of the program source code and nondisclosure agreements have to be worked out in advanced. Union contracts can add constraints to the information system on how workers are paid and how their work is monitored.Legal requirements for financial reporting must be met. System requirements for sharing data with partners could even run up against antitrust laws. Finally, many information systems today are international in scope. Some countries mandate where data on local employees and local transactions must be stored and processed. ?The Button Line Operational and economic issues often conflict. For example, the solution that provides the best operational impact for end users may also be the most expensive and, therefore, the least economically feasible.The final decision can be made only by sitting down with end users, reviewing the data, and choosing the best overall alternative. Cost Benefit Analysis Techniques Economic feasibility has been defined as a cost benefit analysis. How can cost and benefit be estimated? How can cost and benefits be compared to determine economic feasibility? Most Colleges offer complete courses on these subj ects – courses on financial management, financial decision analysis, and engineering economics and analysis. The section presents an overview of the techniques. How much will the system cost? Cost fall into two categories.There are costs associated with developing system, and there are costs associated with operating a system. The former can be estimated from the outset of the project and should be refined at the end of each phase of the project. The latter can be estimated only after specific computer based solutions have been defined. The cost of developing an information system can be classified according to the phase in which they occur. System development costs are usually onetime costs that will not recur after the project has been completed. Many organizations have standard cost categories that must be evaluated.In the absence of such categories, the following lists should help: Personal costs- The salaries of system analysts, programmers, consultants, data entry perso nnel, computer operators, secretaries, and the like, who work on the project made up the personnel cost. Because

Monday, October 21, 2019

Fast Facts About Gerald Ford - 38th President

Fast Facts About Gerald Ford - 38th President Gerald Ford (1913-2006) served as the thirty-eighth president of the United States. He started his presidency in the midst of controversy after his pardon of Richard M. Nixon following his resignation from the presidency. He only served out the rest of his term and has the distinction of being the only president who was never elected to either the presidency or vice presidency.   Here is a quick list of fast facts for Gerald Ford. For more in-depth information, you can also read the Gerald Ford Biography Birth: July 14, 1913 Death: December 26, 2006 Term of Office: August 9, 1974 - January 20, 1977 Number of Terms Elected: No Terms. Ford was never elected to be president or vice-president but instead took office upon the resignation first of Spiro Agnew and then of Richard Nixon First Lady: Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Gerald Ford Quote: A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.Additional Gerald Ford Quotes Major Events While in Office: Ford grants Nixon an unconditional pardon (1974)Campaign Reform Law (1974)Communist victory in Southeast Asia (1975-76)Helsinki Agreement (1975) Additional Resources and Information This informative  chart of Presidents and Vice Presidents  provides at-a-glance  quick reference information on the presidents, vice-presidents, their terms of office, and their political parties. Richard NixonJimmy CarterList of American PresidentsChart of the First Ladies

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Subtle Racism and the Problems It Poses

Subtle Racism and the Problems It Poses When some people hear the word racism, the subtle forms of bigotry known as racial microaggressions dont come to mind. Instead, they imagine a man in a white hood or a burning cross on a lawn. In reality, most people of color will never encounter a Klansman or be casualties of a lynch mob. They wont even be killed by police, although blacks and Latinos are frequent targets of police violence. Members of racial minority groups are much more likely to be the victims of subtle racism, also known as everyday racism, covert racism or racial microaggressions. This sort of racism has a damaging effect on its targets, many of whom struggle to see it for what it is. So just what is subtle racism? Defining Everyday Racism A study conducted by San Francisco State Universitys (SFSU) Professor Alvin Alvarez identified everyday racism as subtle, commonplace forms of discrimination, such as being ignored, ridiculed or treated differently. Explains Alvarez, a counseling professor, These are incidents that may seem innocent and small, but cumulatively they can have a powerful impact on an individuals mental health. Annie Barnes further illuminates the matter in her book Everyday Racism: A Book for All Americans. She identifies such racism as a virus of sorts exhibited in the body language, speech and isolating attitude of racists, among other behaviors. Due to the covertness of such behaviors, victims of this form of racism may struggle to determine for certain if bigotry is at play. Examples of Racial Microaggressions In Everyday Racism, Barnes tells the story of Daniel, a black college student whose apartment building manager asked him not to listen to music on his earphones while strolling the premises. Supposedly other residents found it distracting. The problem? Daniel observed that a white youth in his complex had a similar radio with earphones and that the supervisor never complained about him. Based on their fears or stereotypes of black men, Daniels neighbors found the image of him listening to earphones off-putting but made no objections to his white counterpart doing the same thing. This gave Daniel the message that someone with his skin color must adhere to a different set of standards, a revelation that made him uneasy. While Daniel acknowledged that racial discrimination was to blame for why the manager treated him differently, some victims of everyday racism fail to make this connection. These people only invoke the word racism when someone blatantly commits a racist act such as using a slur. But they may want to rethink their reluctance to identify something as racist. Although the notion that talking about racism too much makes matters worse is widespread, the SFSU study found the opposite to be true. Trying to ignore these insidious incidents could become taxing and debilitating over time, chipping away at a persons spirit, Alvarez explained. Ignoring Certain Racial Groups Ignoring people of certain races is another example of subtle racism. Say a Mexican American woman enters a store waiting to be served, but the employees behave as if shes not there, continuing to rifle through store shelves or sorting through papers. Soon afterward, a white woman enters the store, and the employees immediately wait on her. They help the Mexican American woman only after they wait on her white counterpart. The covert message sent to the Mexican-American customer? Youre not as worthy of attention and customer service as a white person is. Sometimes people of color are ignored in a strictly social sense. Say a Chinese American man visits a mostly white church for a few weeks but each Sunday no one talks to him. Moreover, few people even bother to greet him. Meanwhile, a white visitor to the church is invited out to lunch during his very first visit. Churchgoers not only talk to him but supply him with their phone numbers and email addresses. In a matter of weeks, hes thoroughly enmeshed in the churchs social network. The church members may be surprised to learn that the Chinese American man believes he was the victim of racial exclusion. After all, they just felt a connection with the white visitor that they lacked with the Chinese American man. Later, when the topic of increasing diversity at the church comes up, everyone shrugs when asked how to attract more parishioners of color. They fail to connect how their coldness to the people of color who do occasionally visit makes their religious institution unwelcoming to them. Ridiculing Based on Race Subtle racism not only takes the form of ignoring people of color or treating them differently but of ridiculing them. But how can ridicule from race be covert? Gossip writer  Kitty Kelleys unauthorized biography  Oprah  is a case in point. In the book, the talk show queens  looks  are excoriated- but in a particularly racialized way. Kelley quotes a source who says: Oprah without hair and makeup is a pretty scary sight. But once her prep people do their magic, she becomes super glam. They narrow her nose and thin her lips with three different liners†¦and her hair. Well, I cant even begin to describe the wonders they perform with her hair. Why does this description reek of  subtle racism? Well, the source isnt just saying she finds Oprah unattractive without the help of a hair and makeup team but criticizing the blackness of Oprahs features. Her nose is too wide, her lips are too big, and her hair is unmanageable, the source asserts. Such features are all commonly associated with  African Americans. In short, the source suggests that Oprah is mainly unattractive because shes black. How else are people subtly ridiculed based on race or national origin? Say an immigrant speaks English fluently but has a slight accent. The immigrant may encounter Americans who always ask that he repeat himself, talk to him loudly or interrupt him when he tries to engage them in a discussion. These are racial microaggressions that send a message to the immigrant that hes unworthy of their conversation. Before long, the immigrant may develop a complex about his accent, even though he speaks fluent English, and withdraw from conversations before hes rejected. How to Cope With Subtle Racism If you have proof or a strong hunch that youre being treated differently, ignored or ridiculed based on race, make it an issue. According to Alvarez study, which appears in the April 2010 issue of the  Journal of Counseling Psychology, men who reported incidents of subtle racism or confronted those responsible, lowered amounts of personal distress while boosting self-esteem. On the other hand, the study found that women who disregarded incidents of subtle racism developed increased levels of stress. In short, speak out about racism in all its forms for your mental health. The Cost of Disregarding Everyday Racism When we think of racism only in extremes, we allow subtle racism to continue wreaking havoc in peoples lives. In an  essay  called Everyday Racism, White Liberals and the Limits of Tolerance, anti-racist activist Tim Wise explains: Since hardly anyone will admit to  racial prejudice  of any type, focusing on bigotry, hatred, and acts of intolerance only solidifies the belief that racism is something out there, a problem for others, but not me, or anyone I know.   Wise argues that because everyday racism is much more prevalent than extreme racism, the former reaches more peoples lives and does more lasting damage. Thats why its important to make an issue out of racial microaggressions. More than racial extremists, Im more concerned about the 44 percent (of Americans) who still believe its all right for white homeowners to discriminate against black renters or buyers, or the fact that less than half of all whites think the government should have any laws to ensure equal opportunity in employment, than I am about guys running around in the woods with guns, or lighting birthday cakes to Hitler every April 20th, Wise says. While racial extremists are no doubt dangerous, they are largely isolated from most of society. Why not focus on tackling the pernicious forms of racism that affect Americans regularly? If awareness about subtle racism is raised, more people will recognize how they contribute to the problem and work to change. The result? Race relations will improve for the better.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Telemedicine Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Telemedicine Project - Essay Example On the specifications, there are very specific demands that the outfit seeking to go into telemedicine must provide. Examples of these specifications include Once an outfit is ready to provide all of these requirements and meet the criteria spelt above, it can be considered for the practice of telemedicine. Generally, these requirements are in place, given the fact that they help in ensuring that there is the standardization of practice in a manner that protects and guides the interest and needs of patients and the general public (USPMC, 2002). They are also in place to ensure that the execution of telecommunication is done in a manner that can guarantee the safety of service providers (Zur, 2014). Whereas there are requirements and criteria to identify what people and organizations must have in place in order to practice telemedicine in the U.S, there are also laws and regulations that control the practice of telemedicine after all requirements have been met and practice has been set rolling (APA., 2011). Overall, there about 10 areas of legal and regulations areas that are focused on in the U.S. These include Under each of these areas, the Center for Telehealth and E-Health Law, the Federation of State Medical Boards, and the Federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth ensures that there are separate legal provisions provided to service providers to ensure that they provide service practice that are in line and in accordance with the fundamental legal protection of both patients and the health service. In terms of licensure, the regulation ensures that people have the right license to operate before they do so. All regulations on fraud seek to protect the public against any cases and incidence of fraud. The food and drug administration regulations and also ensures that the provision of any form of medicine is valid and safe. Issues on security also ensure that there is maximum guarantee on the

Friday, October 18, 2019

LL1014C CRIMINAL LAW I Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LL1014C CRIMINAL LAW I - Case Study Example Murder is the specific intent crime and manslaughter is the basic intent crime. If he does not convicted under murder then he will be charged under constructive manslaughter. A person will be liable for murder if he unlawfully killing a reasonable person who is in being under the Queen's Peace with intention to kill [Moloney1, Cunningham 2, Vickers 3] or intention to cause grievous bodily harm [DPP v Smith 4], [Saunders 5]. Murder is unlawful homicide committed with 'malice aforethought' with the penalty of mandatory life imprisonment. 'Malice aforethought' describes the mens rea for a conviction of murder. In this question, Alan's intention was to kill Clive and Betty. May be he will charged under murder. However, if Alan does not convicted under murder then he will be charged under constructive manslaughter. The substance of this offence is that if he kills Clive in the course of doing an unlawful act or constructive manslaughter provided such act is not justified. Thus the 'unlawful act' must satisfy the criteria. Unlawful act must be more than merely negligent act (Andrew v DPP6). In Andrew, D had been driving dangerously s when he killed the deceased. Dennis, an old friend from the pub, staggers over to Alan and gives him a hard slap on the back. Alan stumbles whilst pulling the trigger and shoots a paraffin lamp on the bar. It ignites and the pub catches fire. The prosecution must prove that the death was caus... Alan may claim that Dennis's act was breaking the chain of causation. He can argue that his act was not legal cause of Clive or Betttty's death. However, the landlord of the pub, Ed, has piled beer crates in front of the fire exits so the only escape is through a narrow door. Clive dies in the fire and Betty collapses in the attempted escape. The accused conduct must be a sine qua non of the prohibited consequence. In R v White7 put cyanide in his mother's drink with intent to kill her later his mother was found dead with the glass containing the poisoned drink beside her three parts full. Medical evidence established that she had died of heart failure and not from poisoning. D was acquitted of murder as he had not caused her death and thus there was no actus reus. He was however, convicted of attempted murder. But here Alan's act is legal cause of Clive's death and Dennis's act did not break the chain of causation. Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 provides that a person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property belonging to another intending to destroy or damage any such property or being reckless as to whether any such property would be destroyed or damaged shall be guilty of an offence. Section 1 (3) creates the offence of statutory arson-an offence committed by destroying or damaging property by fire. For the offence to be complete some property must be destroyed or damaged by fire. The damage may of course be quite insignificant (it would be enough, for example, that wood charged) In Cf Parkker8, the court held that no visible flame is necessary. In the Goodfellow9, D was convicted of

CORPORATE FINANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CORPORATE FINANCE - Essay Example It had been generally assumed that there is an optimal mixture of debt and equity in a firm's capital structure that results in a shallow, U-shaped average cost-of-capital curve. That is to say, the market value of the firm will rise to a point with an increase in the debt ratio. Beyond that point, any increase in the debt ratio will cause the market value of the firm to decline. (Ariff and Lau, p. 391-410) Precisely, the traditional view states that capital structure may impact the cost of capital and in that way influence the value of a firm. It holds that the reasonable or rational use of leverage will decrease the total cost of capital primarily and therefore also add to value. When leverage turns out to be excessively high, beyond an optimal point, the cost of capital will begin to increase and hence the value will decline. There is no specific recognition of how to measure either a moderate or reasonable or optimal capital structure (Ariff and Hassan, p. 11). Some have accepted a moving average of historical capital structure; others have accepted an industry ratio. This concept is depicted through Figure 1 below: Although the traditional view appears to be substantially correct in relation to recognized real world behavior of capital structure, it suffers from lack of rigorous proof. ... b) The Independence Hypothesis: Modigliani and Miller (1958) Modigliani and miller 1were the first to develop a modern theory of capital structure supported by rigorous mathematical proof. The M&M (1958) theory is based on several simplifying assumptions: i. Perfect and frictionless capital markets with investors that behave rationally; ii. Individuals can borrow and lend at the same interest rate regardless the amounts; iii. No corporate or personal income taxes' iv. The firm's cost of equity depends upon its business risk class; v. Firms issue only risk-free debt and risk equity, and thus there are no bankruptcy costs; vi. Operating earnings of the firm are not expected to grow. The original M&M theory holds that the average cost of capital is independent of the firm's capital structure and equal to the capitalization rate of an unlevered stream of earnings at the capitalization rate appropriate to its risk class. As a result, the total market value of the firm is independent of its capital structure. Figure 2: Adopted from figure 5 Maugham, 2000, p.1 The original M&M result was obtained assuming perfect capital markets. Subsequent literature has relaxed the underlying assumptions of M&M's 1958 model. Stiglitz (1969) proved, using a state preference framework that the M&M result (1958) holds with risky debt, so long as there are no bankruptcy costs. Hamada (1969), using the CAMP, showed that the M&M result (1958) holds in a world where assets are allowed to have different risk classes. Mossin (1969), using a modified version of Sharpe's single-period asset valuation model, showed that in tax less, frictionless markets where there is no possibility that the firm will go bankrupt, changes in its debt-equity ratio will not alter the total market value of

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Champagne Scholarship letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Champagne letter - Scholarship Essay Example Department of Education regulations. I want to pursue my program of study at ITT and maintain my satisfactory academic progress. This scholarship will allow me to prepare myself and obtain a job in my area of specialization. My goal is to complete the remaining two years of my course work at ITT. My objective is to become part of the motorsports industry as a sales representative, a problem solver, and develop designs to attract more people to the automobile industry. I have worked in the motorcycle racing industry and I have also raced with various sponsors. I have won many awards and I want to excel in this area as well. I am familiar with all of the aspects of automobiles and as a Pro Racer I have the ability to work independently and as a team member. Due to my discipline, I am able to deliver tasks on time. I hope that the Champagne Scholarship Committee gives me the opportunity to further my education and pursue my goal and objectives, given my track record of success in these areas that I have become involved with, this will be another successful achievement.

Key Features Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Key Features - Assignment Example The literature Review conducted by the authors is exhaustive and in-depth. The sources that were used by the authors are reliable. However, the authors should not have used sources that are older than ten years. The reason is that approaches to conducting research have changed over the years. In addition, old sources might have outdated information. As a result, basing the conclusion on such sources might make the journal to be deemed as unreliable. Nevertheless, the fact that the authors used varying sources from different fields reduces the level of biases. In addition, the sources are from credible organizations and institutions of higher learning. All sources that were used in this study emanates from the relevant fields. As a result, the information in them can be used to make an in-depth conclusion. The authors are trying to find out different work health and safety issues that affect the young people and the most effective solutions. They were trying to determine whether these issues have an effect on young people’s performance in their workplaces. Nevertheless, other articles clearly state the research questions rather than include it in the objective. This is important in ensuring that the article is clear. Ethical Consideration The authors ought to have sought ethical approval from the organizations. The young respondents that were used in this study were working in the organizations. As a result, a credible study should seek permission to interview or use some of the employees in the study.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Champagne Scholarship letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Champagne letter - Scholarship Essay Example Department of Education regulations. I want to pursue my program of study at ITT and maintain my satisfactory academic progress. This scholarship will allow me to prepare myself and obtain a job in my area of specialization. My goal is to complete the remaining two years of my course work at ITT. My objective is to become part of the motorsports industry as a sales representative, a problem solver, and develop designs to attract more people to the automobile industry. I have worked in the motorcycle racing industry and I have also raced with various sponsors. I have won many awards and I want to excel in this area as well. I am familiar with all of the aspects of automobiles and as a Pro Racer I have the ability to work independently and as a team member. Due to my discipline, I am able to deliver tasks on time. I hope that the Champagne Scholarship Committee gives me the opportunity to further my education and pursue my goal and objectives, given my track record of success in these areas that I have become involved with, this will be another successful achievement.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Napoleon and Romanticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Napoleon and Romanticism - Essay Example Of the three, it was Byron (1788-1824) who made the biggest impact during his lifetime. His poems acted as a major source of inspiration for generations of Romantics. Unfortunately, his verses have not lasted well. His most famous poems are very long and belong to a more leisurely age when people had the time to read such things. But Don Juan still sparkles with a wit that is most un-English and the shorter lyrical verses can still give much pleasure. The defeat of Napoleon brought no improvement in the condition of the masses. After 1815 there was a deep fall, which paralyzed trade and brought a wide unemployment and poverty. The ranks of the unemployed were swelled by a flood of discharged soldiers and sailors. The victors of Waterloo and Trafalgar were forced to beg for crusts of bread in the streets of London, Manchester and Portsmouth. In an analogy to Stalin, Napoleon, the gravedigger of the French Revolution, was seen by many as the continuator of the revolutionary traditions of 1789-93. Wherever his armies set foot, they set about smashing the old order in Europe, and therefore, in a distorted form, they stood for revolution. On the other hand, the armies of England everywhere defended the forces of reaction. Nelson, the national hero, hanged the patriots of Naples and delivered them over to torture and murder at the hands of the reactionaries. Inside England, the reactionaries went on the rampage, smashing printing presses and beating up suspected radicals. One might say that occasionally the pose seemed more important to him than the idea itself. But this was entirely characteristic of the Romantics in general. It was also characteristic of many Romantics to admire, even worship - Napoleon, the Corsican upstart who had hijacked the French Revolution in its period of decline. The attraction felt for the person of Bonaparte among the Romantics bears a certain resemblance to the attitude of many foreign intellectuals to Stalin. Sincerely sympathizing with the cause of the Russian Revolution and the USSR, they lacked the Marxist understanding to be able to analyze the real nature of Stalin's regime or see any difference between it and the regime of workers' democracy established by Lenin and Trotsky in 1917. Therefore, napoleon is considered just the gravedigger of the French revolution and not the nemesis. Romanticism Romanticism was name given to the new tendency. According to "Walter pater", 'it is the addition of curiosity to the desires of beauty' , the eagerness for new impression and new pleasure, to be sought where the hard work of nature or the artist had been most cunning. More than this it was in revolt against authority, tradition and convention, whether political, social,

Monday, October 14, 2019

La Live Dance Concert Essay Example for Free

La Live Dance Concert Essay One of the remarkable dancing show that I have seen during the semester is the dance show called â€Å"Flower of the Season†. The dance show contains four pieces and each of the piece was performed by different performers- â€Å"Kudzu† choreographed by Kim Nakakura, â€Å"Lupin† choreographed by Amnnelien Goetschalckx, â€Å"Grey Stem† choreographed by Cat Westwood, and there was one untitled piece choreographed by Eric Losoya. â€Å" The Flower of the Season† was performed at Electric Lodge. Though I had no idea of how the dancers would be performed, but I was so excited since it was the first time I went to see a dance performance. I expected that I would be so relaxed while watching the gentler poses and saltant performances by the dancers. However, as the show began, I realized this was not a kind of dance show I had been imagined. The first piece began with the performer standing at the entrance. While people were passing through the performer and to grab a seat waiting for the show to begin, the performer was still standing at the entrance emotionlessly, and I was wondering if that was a part of the show. After all the audiences had their seats and silently watching the dancer, she finally started to move into the stage extremely slowly. It was funny to me at first, but after the dancer moved to the center of the stage, I was so impressed when I saw her face that was hidden behind her long hair. Her eye was fulled with upset and pain, and then she even began to cry. Although there were limited dancing techniques in the show, the performer successfully conveyed a sense of hopeless to the audiences. Before I can be dispassionate from recollecting the emotions and performances of the dancer in the first piece, the â€Å"Grey Stem† began with the performer rapped by a bag and slowly rolled down from the stair. As she reached to the stage, the dancer was released and began waving her arms as she was swimming in the ocean. The whole piece seemed to illustrate a sorrowful story that a person was abandoned and She was trying to find the way to home without any help from others. At the end of the show, I felt that It was glad to be there. Though the interpretations of the pieces played in the show might vary between the audiences but I enjoyed the whole show would never forget all the impression that I had received from the show.