Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Facultad de comercio exterior Essays (2888 words) - DraftBardon

Facultad de comercio exterior "Analisis de la implementacion de franquicias del sector restaurantero para incentivar la inversion extranjera directa de Mexico." T esi na Presenta (n) Nombre (s) de los tesistas (Nombre, apellido paterno y materno) Asesor (es) Grado y nombre del asesor (a) o asesores (as) (Nombre, apellido paterno y materno) Colima, Col., Mexico, (mes y ano) INDICE TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u INTRODUCCION PAGEREF _Toc497774425 \h 3 RESUMEN PAGEREF _Toc497774426 \h 4 ABSTRAC PAGEREF _Toc497774427 \h 5 CAPITULO I PAGEREF _Toc497774428 \h 6 1.1PLANTEAMIENTO PAGEREF _Toc497774429 \h 6 1.2Objetivo central PAGEREF _Toc497774430 \h 8 1.3Objetivos especificos PAGEREF _Toc497774431 \h 8 1.4 Pregunta Central PAGEREF _Toc497774432 \h 8 1.5 hipotesis PAGEREF _Toc497774433 \h 8 1.6 Delimitacion: PAGEREF _Toc497774434 \h 8 1.7 Justificacion PAGEREF _Toc497774435 \h 9 CAPITULO II PAGEREF _Toc497774437 \h 10 2.1 MARCO TEORICO PAGEREF _Toc497774438 \h 10 2.2 TEORIA PAGEREF _Toc497774439 \h 10 CAPITULO III PAGEREF _Toc497774440 \h 14 CONCLUSION PAGEREF _Toc497774441 \h 16 FUENTES PAGEREF _Toc497774442 \h 18 BIBLIOGRAFIA PAGEREF _Toc497774443 \h 20 ANEXOS PAGEREF _Toc497774444 \h 22 INTRODUCCION RESUMEN ABSTRAC CAPITULO I PLANTEAMIENTO Con la correcta estrategia se podra incentivar la implementacion extranjera directa en Mexico? Mexico es considerado un destino atractivo para la inversion extranjera, con una gran riqueza en recursos naturales, un mercado de 122 millones de consumidores y una amplia plataforma comercial que incluye una gran cantidad de tratados de libre comercio y de inversion. Mexico ya es muy atractivo para la inversion extranjera, segun Dachner, pero podria atraer mas inversion, y hacia mas regiones de la Republica, ya que algunos estados reciben mas que otros. Estados Unidos es el principal proveedor de inversion extranjera directa a Mexico (57.7%), seguido de Espana, Japon y Francia. Los principales sectores que recibieron inversion extranjera son la manufactura, la informacion en medios de comunicacion masivos, los servicios financieros, el comercio, la construccion y los servicios. Con base a nuestro objetivo central de investigacion se Identificaron los puntos claves que incentivan la implementacion de franquicias del sector restaurantero de comida rapida en Mexico para con ello ir verificando cuales son los errores que se cometen y nosotros implementar una estrategia muy apropiada para motivar la implementacion extranjera directa en Mexico. A pesar de sus logros en materia de atraccion de inversion, Mexico tiene dos retos importantes en este campo: el primero es mantener e incrementar su atractivo como destino de la inversion en un entorno creciente de competencia mundial por las inversiones extranjeras y fortalecer su capacidad para retener dicha inversion. El segundo, no menor, es crear las condiciones para que dicha inversion llegue en mayores numeros a mas regiones, pues en la actualidad, 84.1% de inversion extranjera directa captada por Mexico se concentra en 15 de los 32 estados. Sin embargo, el tipo de inversion que efectivamente pueda atraer cada estado dependera de sus ventajas competitivas presentes y latentes en industrias y actividades concretas. Tambien depende del clima para la inversion, que incluye las condiciones para el establecimiento, operacion y proteccion de la inversion, asi como de las condiciones para el suministro de insumos, servicios y mano de obra requeridos por los inversionistas. Objetivo central Identificar las bases que incentivan la implementacion de franquicias del sector restaurantero de comida rapida en Mexico. Objetivos especificos 1.4 Pregunta Central Con la correcta estrategia Se podra incentivar la implementacion extranjera directa en Mexico? 1.5 hipotesis Con la correcta implementacion de estrategias para la colocacion de franquicias del sector restaurantero de comida rapida se incentivara la atraccion de inversion extranjera directa. 1.6 Delimitacion: Ano 2012-2017 1.7 Justificacion Cuando se habla de franquicias del sector restaurantero, se puede decir que se habla de los negocios mas populares y exitosos a nivel mundial, ya que estas generan un gran numero de empleos y la cual procede a crear una mayor estabilidad economica tanto como los empresarios y los empleados. Ser un Franquicia rio es tambien ser un empresario, en Mexico el sector de franquicias restauranteras lo manejamos de forma ironica, mas hay que tener en cuenta que su mercado segun la AMF (Asociacion Mexicana de Franquicias) asciende los $154, 000 millones de pesos en nuestro pais, mas no todas las franquicias que tenemos en Mexico son tas exitosas como uno piensa, la persona debe tener conciencia de la dedicacion de tiempo, energia y tambien una disciplina para proceder a implementar alguna franquicia en nuestro pais. No todo se trata del menu, las

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Pride in Will Marry When I Want and Woman at Point Zero Essays

Pride in Will Marry When I Want and Woman at Point Zero Essays Pride in Will Marry When I Want and Woman at Point Zero Essay Pride in Will Marry When I Want and Woman at Point Zero Essay However, despite the differences, there are interesting comparisons to be drawn in the values portrayed, through a sense of pride, that seemingly span both cultures. Gigand sees himself as strong, male figure. He holds a great sense of pride is his masculinity or manhood. A man brags about his own penis, However tiny. Is repeated throughout the play. For Gigand the reference to his penis is an obvious symbol of his manhood. His pride in his masculinity is enforced by another symbolic presence: there hangs a sheathed sword. This masculine symbol gives the Image again of strength, power and struggle suggesting these traits of manhood are concepts he values highly every day and In the protection of his family and land. Here there are similarities to be drawn with Furious In Woman at Point Zero. Furious also holds a certain type of pride In womanhood. However this Is ultimately due to her hatred of men rather than strength of her gender Each time I picked up a newspaper and found the picture of a man who was one of them, I would spit on It. This pride in womanhood Is shown not through a love of herself, but through her relationship with Shari. Sharply, Like many of the men before her uses and manipulates Furious. However Shari Is the first character In the text that dominates Furious that Furious still shows respect and obedience l willingly became a young novice In Sharis hands. Her respect of Shari shows that she values womanhood and women who show power without the dominance of men. Furious Is told by others she Is ugly Do not forget what a nose she has. Its big and ugly like a tin mug. However she begins to develop a pride In her own womanhood with the revelation of her beauty and her body With a new body, smooth and tender as a rose petal My body was slender, my thighs tense. This new found pride In her body comes with her Independence. Pride in Will Marry When I Want and Woman at Point Zero By sleigh In both l Will Marry When I Want By Enggrew Tithing and Enggaga Mir and male sasss Egypt. l Will Mary When I Want differs in that it focuses on the battle to resents: there hangs a sheathed sword. This masculine symbol gives the image concepts he values highly every day and in the protection of his family and land. Here there are similarities to be drawn with Furious in Woman at Point Zero. Furious also holds a certain type of pride in womanhood. However this is ultimately newspaper and found the picture of a man who was one of them, I would spit on it. This pride in womanhood is shown not through a love of herself, but through her relationship with Shari. Shari, like many of the men before her uses and manipulates Furious. However Shari is the first character in the text that dominates novice in Sharis hands. Her respect of Shari shows that she values womanhood Furious is told by others she is ugly Do not forget what a nose she has. Its big and ugly like a tin mug. However she begins to develop a pride in her own womanhood with the revelation of her beauty and her body With a new body, smooth and tender as a rose petal My body was slender, my thighs tense. This new found pride in her body comes with her independence.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING - Essay Example Cheryl’s husband was sent to jail the previous year and Cheryl is stressed up. Cheryl’s children are aged 13, 14 and 17 seem aggressive to her and even to the nurses in her presence. She confessed that she is a self harmer for several years as a tissue scar was noticed during examination. This trigger was a very personal matter to some of the group members as they had relatives who had undergone such situations. This made our group work harder than I thought (Jasper, 2003). As a result on our first day of presentation one such member failed to turn up. I personally felt bad and betrayed since we had really worked hard in our daily group discussions. I felt that that member was a letdown and did not deserve to be in our group any more. My feelings kept being pushed form bitter to pity since I put myself in their shoes and I understood the pain and trauma. Conversely, I thought that members should learn to separate their feelings and work so that there would be no conflict of interest. I felt that the member was just lazy and used their bad experience to intimidate the other group members to do their work as we quickly researched their part and presented the presentation. To my surprise this was just the beginning of the bad side of being in a group. During the following group discussion meetings, there were conflicts surrounding the group leader and the ordinary members. It is normal for groups to have conflict especially at the forming stages (Hackman, 1990). This member actually wanted to be the chairperson. Moreover, she expected the other group members to agree with her suggestions and responses without question (Burtis & Turman, 2010). In short she was always right and everyone else was wrong or should just follow her. As expected some members hit back and this led to more problems in the group as little work was being done and more conflict added (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2010). By this time I was almost giving up and since I am not

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Stress management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Stress management - Essay Example mangers account for their time by assigning themselves work at respective times and using the timetable as a guide to ensuring the completion of each task. Without effective planning, people spend more time completing a single task thus wasting productive time in leisure at the expense of the organization as he portrayed by Chet in the case. At the epicenter of time, planning is punctuality a rule that Chet flaunts while at the organization. Punctuality is a virtue that accords an individual ample time to rest and carry out the tasks within the time limit thus not hurrying. It is easier to work at a relaxed mood since the mind is at ease and less likely to make mistakes. Chet is not prompt at the organization and therefore works under pressure a feature that facts the quality of his productivity. In his dispensation of duty, Chet flaunts a number of time management rules that include delegation, time limits and include subordinates in solution making. Setting a time limit arises from planning to thus develop an effective timetable. Lack of such a fundamental tie management tool makes the organization operate blindly thus resulting in losses. Decision-making is equally important in an organization, by incorporating subordinate in the process they contribute and feel appreciated by the organization. It becomes a motivation and may result in the subordinate contributing production ideas they are conversant with thus will take minimal time mastering a feature that improves the aptness of production. This way, the organization saves on time taken to teach the employees new methods of production, Chet on the other hand does not incorporate his subordinates in the decision making process and prefer to impose ideas on them. They fail to execute his orders appropriately thus contributing to his stress. From the case, it is evident that the organization also contributes to Chet’s predicament. The organizational structure does not have an effective communication channel

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Power Line Communication Essay Example for Free

Power Line Communication Essay The objective any mining company like TATA STEEL is to reduce the amount of energy used in mining through the increase in employee productivity and safety. Mining operations consist of several tasks. The highest efficiency can only be achieved with full coordination among the persons carrying out these tasks and if the locations of vehicles and people are known by those who coordinate the activities. In addition, the large number of risks of explosion has the potential to cause a major accident. Therefore, the establishment of a better communication system for the mine underground is very important and significant to modernize the mine management, increase the labour productivity, and strengthen the security to protect the lives and property of the mines. Present Scenario At present, cable telephone communication, power line communication, sensor communication, telecommunication, leakage communication, and radio communication are the main forms of communication in a mine. Our study shows that, a variety of mobile communication methods have their limitary application under coal mine. Some mines still use hardwired wall-mounted telephones. The disadvantage of this technology is the obvious necessity that the user cannot be mobile. To reach this person, the caller must page the person who must then go to a wall-mounted telephone that may be a long distance away and in the case of an accident the telephone may be inaccessible to the injured person. Another popular technology , Leaky Feeder technology requires a relatively stiff,hard-to-install cable, about 5/8† in diameter, to be installed everywhere where communication is desired. To communicate the user must be in line-of-sight of the cable and not more than thirty or eighty feet away from the cable. According to a survey conducted on how well current systems meet the needs for mining communication, 62 percent of Respondents replied negatively. None of them thought that mining communication needs were being met extremely well. Some of their replies- â€Å"Overall we cannot communicate well with miners.† â€Å"There is the issue of battery, phone and wiring maintenance.† â€Å"Safety in an emergency is still an issue.† As the power lines in an underground mine cover a broad area, if we can make full use of power lines to communicate, then we can completely solve the problem underground communication. The use of power lines saves the cost of additional cable and the labour cost for system installation. Furthermore, power lines are built and installed in a rugged manner. Any underground wire or cable, when fed an RF signal, tends to distribute that signal throughout its length. Carrier current systems utilize this fact to establish communication paths using existing mine wiring. Carrier current devices are basically FM radio transceivers that transmit and receive over existing mine wiring instead of using an antenna system. The LF (low-frequency) and MF (medium frequency)KP ranges propagate best in carrier current systems. A common example of a carrier current system is the trolley carrier phone systems presently used in many mines. Another example is the shaft communication systems that utilize the hoist rope itself to establish communications to and from the cage. The most modern system, based on MF, promises to be the most effective of a l l . But there are lots of complex interference noises in power line communication under mine. More recently, the maturity of wireless as an accepted medium has increased the demand for instant, reliable, portable communication. Underground mines, however, have proved resistant to wireless communication due to environmental conditions that limit the transmission of radio waves. â€Å"Mines are looking to find such a system. It would become universal over time due to safety, a decrease in down time and an increase in productivity.† This system may be further enhanced to A GPS-like (Global Positioning System) for underground mines which would serve an extremely useful function in saving energy in mining operations. Autonomous (i.e. unmanned) machinery has been a long-standing objective of the mining. This would move miners from underground mines to the surface from where they would remotely control mining operations. Extremely important is to note that such a move would allow shutting off the energy-guzzling fans, which would result in large amounts of energy savings. Economics PLC is viewed as especially attractive because of several characteristics. Electricity services in most developing countries have higher reach than telephony. In addition, PLC can provide an elegant solution for in-home access and networking, since the signal can reach virtually any outlet in the home. However, there are several important technical issues in this simple scheme. The signal attenuates as it goes over the line, with higher losses at higher frequencies. Given emission limits that restrict boosting the transmission signal, the only solution is the use of repeaters en-route, increasing the cost. Secondly, the LV transformers act as a low-pass filter, allowing electricity through with low losses but not higher frequencies. This is why most solutions rely on bypassing the distribution transformer. While an opportunity in terms of sharing capital equipment costs across users, shared infrastructures also lead to congestion, multiplexing, interference, and security concerns. To overcome these issues, PLC solutions rely on sophisticated signal processing and encoding. For PLC to be successful, it must not only operate successfully from a technology point of view, but also present a viable business case. The market space consists of not only well-entrenched alternatives like DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable, but also alternatives such as Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH), Fiber-To-The-Curb (FTTC), and broadband wireless. Issues of telecom, regulation and competition play a vital role in deciding the future of PLC. Depending on the number of feeders emanating from the substation, different MV couplers are needed. At every distribution transformer, a concentrator cum transformer bypass is required. This device transfers the signals to the medium-voltage line, bypassing the transformer. In addition, depending on the distances involved, repeaters might be needed to extend the signal. In addition to the one-time costs, which are amortized over specific periods, there are also explicit calculations of monthly operating costs. After thorough estimation from various sources (web and consulting some industry people) the monthly costs of PLC is found to be around US$35 per month per user. Most of the values chosen are plausible, if not optimistic. In some hazardous locations, where specialized personnel are required, installation costs have been estimated at US$200–300. On the other hand, in normal cases, the installation would be somewhat over US$100 per user . The total capital costs per consumer (excluding Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)) average about US$85 , assuming an average of 6 homes passed per LV transformer. One result that is robust across most assumption ranges is that operating expenditures are about 45% of the total costs. The most important variable, under the assumptions is the time period for paying off of the equipment. Given the fast changing nature of the telecom industry, the median value for economic purposes is assumed to be 5 years. In addition, within a region, the competitive pressures might be much lower, allowing for higher market share and greater sharing of equipment, marketing, and maintenance costs amongst subscribers. Given the estimated monthly costs of PLC it is almost clear that there is a gripping business case for PLC in the near term based on price for the end-user. Of course, economics is not the only factor in determining the success of PLC or any other broadband technology. User satisfaction, customer loyalty, branding, and competition (alternatives) are all important factors as well.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Characteristics Of Communicative Language Teaching English Language Essay

Characteristics Of Communicative Language Teaching English Language Essay The focus of every lesson or part of a lesson should be the performing of some action learning how to do something, to communicate something which he/she could not do before learning the lesson. Learner can get answer to his/her question i.e. why is he/she learning a particular lesson or any linguistic item. The learner understands the importance of learning the same as it is going to help him/her in day-today communication. So, here a learner understands and then acts. All these actions can be approached on a variety of different levels of sophistication, and bearing them in mind throughout the teaching/learning process. The Whole is more than the sum of its parts One of the most significant features of communication is that it is a dynamic and developing phenomenon. In other words it cannot easily be analyzed into component features without its nature being destroyed in the process. It is possible to identify various formal features of the way language is used communicatively and these can be studied individually. But the ability to handle these elements in isolation is no indication of ability to communicate. What is needed is the ability to deal with strings of sentences and ideas and in the oral modes processed in real life situations. Thus, a crucial feature of a communicative method is that it operates with stretches of language above the sentence level, and operates with real language in real situations. Interestingly, this principle may lead to procedures which are themselves either synthetic or analytic. A synthetic procedure would involve students in learning forms individually and then practicing how to combine them; an analytic procedure would introduce complete interactions of texts and focus for learning purposes on the way these are constructed. So, language used in the whole context is more useful than only studying the parts of it. The processes are as important as the forms A method which aims at developing the capacity of the learners to communicate in a second language will focus at repeating continuously until they are able to communicate well in a target language. So that the learners are able to practice the forms of the target language, i.e. English within a given framework. It simply means when the language is used for communication, the language forms are used for a process of communication. There are three such processes Information gap Communication is part and parcel of every human being. When two or more people are conversing in day-today life, one may know something which is not known to the other. The purpose of the communication is to bridge this information gap. In classroom situation pair work undertaken to complete an incomplete picture is the best example of transferring information as each member of the pair has a part of total information and attempts to convey it verbally to the other. Choice Another crucial feature of communication is that the learners have option, both in terms of what they will say and, more particularly, how they will say it. From the point of view of the speaker this means that s/he must choose the ideas which s/he wants to express with appropriate linguistic forms. Foreign language learners may face problems in making choice in this regard. Feed back This process is implicit in the above two processes. When two persons take part in an interaction, there is normally some aim behind communicating and in what way other person reacts is evaluated in terms of that aim. So, the strategies involved in this process are important. Learning by doing It is now widely accepted that education must be ultimately learner-centred more than the teacher-centered. The teacher may go on teach, but if the learner is not making any effort, then there is no point of teaching. The teacher must involve the learner and must be judged in terms of its effects on him/her. Another consequence is that learning becomes to a large extent the learners responsibility. The teacher helps, advises, and teaches, guides, the learners themselves have to learn. The learner has to be involved in the activity. Only by practicing, acting, actually doing, the learners can learn to communicate. Mistakes are not always a mistake While developing communicative ability of the learners, trivial mistakes of grammar or pronunciation does not matter as long as the learner gets his/her message across. In the initial stage of learning to communicate in a foreign language, mistakes are bound to happen. The learners commit mistakes because they are trying to do something which they have not been told or shown how to do, how to speak which they have not mastered. It means they are not really making mistakes. If the teacher corrects each and everything at every level, the learners may lose their confidence of using the language for communication. 3.6.4 Principles of Communicative Language Teaching Richards (2006) summarizes the following principles of CLT: Authentic language in real context should be introduced in the classroom whenever possible. It is the language used for day-today communication or functional purpose. By teaching language, learner should be able to make out speakers or writers intention. So that they will be communicatively competent. There should be connectivity among all the language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing together since they are regularly used in real life. The target language is a vehicle for classroom communication, not just the object of study. Hence, attention should be given to teaching language for communication. One function may have different linguistic forms. As the language is taught for the functional purpose, a variety of linguistic forms are presented together. Students have to learn language properties i.e. cohesion and coherence which are helpful to combine sentences together. It is essential for them as they work with language at the discourse or super sentential (above sentence) level. In CLT, games, role plays, group work, pair work, etc. play an important role as they have certain feature in common to learn language effectively. Errors are tolerated and treated as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills. Proper situations should be created by the teacher so as to promote communication in the classroom. The social contexts of the communicative situations are essential for giving meaning to the utterances. The grammar and vocabulary that the students learn follow from the functions, situational context and the role of the interlocutors. 3.6.5 Communicative Ability and Communicative Competence For effective communication one must have ability to communicate properly and have communicative competence. According to H. G. Widdowson, communicative abilities are those skills in which the system is realized as use. Communicative abilities embrace linguistic skills but not the reverse. Communicative abilities are ways of creating or recreating discourse in different modes. (Widdowson, 1978. 67) These opinions about communicative abilities suggest that these are the abilities which involve linguistic as well as other skills essential for conversation, communication or discourse to take place. On the other hand communicative competence has been defined in various ways. According to Littlewood, communicative competence means, a degree of mastery of a very considerable range of linguistic and social skills which depend in part on the learners sensitivity to meaning and appropriacy in language and on his/her ability to develop effective strategies for communicating in the second language. (Littlewood, 1981.87) K. Johnson and K. Marlow say that communicative competence is the ability to be appropriate, to know the right thing to say at the right time. (Johnson and Morrow, 1981.2) International Encyclopedia of Education defines communicative competence as the effective use of language in social contexts. (The International Encyclopedia, 1985.834) According to Widdowson, communicative competency is the ability to produce sentences for communicative effect. (Widdowson, 1978.1) It is revealed from the above definitions that communicative competence is The ability to use language appropriately in a given social context. The ability to be appropriate to know the right thing at the right time. Linguistic competence plus an understanding of proper use of language in various contexts. Knowledge which is additional to linguistic competence. Ability to communicate something which is grammatical, proper, socially accepted, formally possible, fluent in a particular context. In this way communicative competence includes both grammatical knowledge and the ability to use this knowledge to perform different kinds of functions like enquiring, suggesting, greeting, denying, advising, reporting, apologizing, inviting and promising. 3.6.6 Dimension of Communicative Competence Grammatical Competence Sociolinguistic Competence Communicative Competence Strategic Competence Discourse Competence Fig No.3.3: Components of Communicative Competence Grammatical Competence Grammatical competence, which refers to Chomskys notion of linguistic competence, is indispensable for the practice of linguistic formation of the language. The focus is on suitable structure which helps the learners to use the language appropriately and freely. Sociolinguistic Competence Sociolinguistic competence refers to an understanding of the social context in which communication takes place, including role-relationships, the shared information of the participants and the communicative purpose for their interaction. Discourse Competence Discourse competence refers to the interpretation of individual message elements in terms of their inter-connectedness and of how meaning is represented in relationship to the entire discourse or text. Strategic Competence Strategic competence refers to the coping strategies that communicators employ to initiate, terminate, maintain, repair, and re-direct communication. In CLT classrooms, the teachers need to create activities that would necessitate learners to practice well in the target language. 3.6.7 Classroom Activities in CLT There are various types of exercises and activities in communicative approach which help students to achieve the communicative competence, and engage learners in communication (Richards, 2001). Communicative activities play vital role in communicative language teaching. These activities are helpful for the teachers to broaden their repertoire of techniques and activities so as to enable the learners to communicate more effectively in foreign language. Communicative activities are purposeful and objective oriented. According to Littlewood, the communicative activities can be represented diagrammatically as follows. (Littlewood, 2003.86) Structural activities Pre-Communicative activities Quasi Communicative activities Functional Communicative activities Communicative activities Social interaction activities (This diagram is adopted from Littlewoods Communicative Language Teaching, P.86) In these two major categories, the first types (Pre-communicative activities) serve to prepare the learner for later communication. The two sub-categories of pre-communicative activities are: Structural activities: Focus is on the grammatical system and on ways in which linguistic items can be combined. Quasi- Communicative activities: Focus is on one or more typical conversation exchanges. Some resemble drills, but other is closer to dialogues. Drills and dialogues can be combined so as to provide a bridge from formal exercise to communicative use. Communicative Activities also have two sub-categories: Functional Communicative activities include such tasks as comparing sets of pictures, noting similarities and differences, working out continuously following directions and so on. In these activities learners must work towards a definite solution for a problem. Social interaction activities comprise exchange of words, converse with others, improvisations and debates. Here, teachers prepare learners about the varied social contexts in which they will need to perform outside the classroom using different social interaction activities. There is no clear dividing line in reality between these different categories and subcategories; they represent differences of emphasis and orientation rather than distinct divisions. E.g. cued dialogues can be undertaken both as pre-communicative activity and as communicative activity. Similarly it would be arbitrary if we try to specify how much attention must be paid to communicative function before an activity can be called quasi- communicative, or how significant social meaning must become before it falls into the social interaction sub category. This distinction depends on the varying orientation of individual learner. Difference between pre-communicative and communicative activities The following chart shows the difference between pre-communicative and communicative activities. Pre-communicative (non-communicative) activities Communicative activities A Aims to develop grammatical competence Aims to develop communicative competence B Focus on the product of isolated utterances. Focus on the appropriate selection of utterances for communication. C Practice of language patterns or elements Practice of total skill of communication. D Function is to prepare the learner for later communication. Function is to make the learner to actually communicate. E Learners have controlled practice. Learners use language creatively. F Teacher intervention No teacher intervention G Emphasis on form, not on context. Emphasis in on context, not on form. H One long item Variety of language items. I Examples: drilling, question answers, sentence patterns, etc. Examples: Role simulation, dramatization, group discussion, dialogue, debate, etc. 3.6.8 Learners/Teachers Role in Communicative Language Teaching In CLT classroom teachers play a vital role in teaching/learning process of English. Teachers select learning activities according to the interest of the learners and engage them in meaningful and authentic language use. There are various roles to be played by the teachers in order to facilitate the language learning process. According to Hedge (2000.63), a communicative classroom involves the teacher in setting up activities, organizing material resources, guiding students in group works, engaging contributions, monitoring activities, and diagnosing the further needs of students. Richards Rodgers (2001) also describes the roles of the teacher as: needs analyst, counselor, and group process manager. Similarly, Harmer (1991) as cited in Nunan and Land (1996) describes the roles of the teacher as: Controller, assessor, promoter, participant, resource, tutor and investigator. Of all these roles, Nunan and Lamb suggest that it is the teacher as organizer that is the most important and difficult from the perspective of classroom management. In order to perform all these roles effectively, teachers should be competent enough in all aspects of language teaching. In line with this, Hedge (2000.67) states that, teachers need to build competence and confidence in fulfilling these various roles and in-service training is necessary within institutions to ensure that, in any moves towards implementing communicative approaches in the classroom, teachers are properly supported. 3.6.9 Role and Relevance of CLT Concepts in Present Research Since the main aim of the present research is to investigate teachers and students difficulties in teaching/learning process of English language, and support the teachers with an in-service training programme by using Communicative Approach which is essential in an ESL (English as a second language) environment, it is noteworthy to furnish the role and relevance of CLT concepts in the present study. Language is an inevitable phenomenon which permeates the human life. Of all languages, English is the most important language for communication. Naturally, English has become the language of worldwide communication rather than a language of literature. Hence the prime need of the learners is not to know the theoretical knowledge of English but to have an ability to understand and be understood in that language. In the past it was sufficient to focus only on structural accuracy when learning a language was an entirely academic advantage and an obsession to acquire a new language. But in todays world, language teaching is no longer considered a luxury but an obvious need. The language teaching methods in the past were based on linguistic competence. The establishment of basic principles of CLT was a reaction in opposition to the previously prevailing language teaching methods. Communicative language teaching aims at developing and improving knowledge and skills that facilitate the learners to make their message effective and successful. The main goal of communication is the successful transmission of information, not the achievement of grammatical correctness. By widening the horizons with other kinds of competence, CLT initiated progressive and effective ways of teaching. CLT uses and teaches as it is used in every day real life. Students are given the notion of language as real, lived experience. Socio-linguistic, discourse and strategic competences are integral part of communicative language teaching. The use of CLT in the second language classroom is a means of changing the attitude of the students towards language learning as well as positively influencing their way of learning. Over-emphasis on grammatical correctness and fear of making grammatical mistakes has negative effects on students. Such as being stressed at class and experiencing sense of failure. CLT creates congenial atmosphere in the classroom in different ways: the teachers emphasise on fluency and correctness to learn the target language than correcting the structures and giving instructions on language rules or grammar (Mangubai etal, 2004.292) The focus of CLT is on success rather than failure. The students are encouraged to rely on their own ingenuity and performance skills namely their strategic competence when speaking. Its emphasis is on the learner. (Savignan cited in Magngubhai 2004, 292) The four basic components of communicative competence summarized by Hymes (as cited in Cook, 2003) are argued by some applied linguists as vague theoretical ideas which can hardly be put into practice. The applied linguists draw attention to the fact that ideas of appropriateness and correctness very much depend on the cultural norms of a particular society. They are in a way right in their argument. Language itself is an intrinsic part of culture. Hence, learning a language also implies learning a culture as well. CLT integrates socio-cultural context with language teaching programmes and thus aims at developing students sense of what is right and what is wrong in English. Linguists have pointed out, according to academic research that they have not found one single best method for all learners in all contexts and that no single method appears to be naturally superior to other methods. It is neither possible always nor appropriate to apply one and the same methodology to all learners whose objectives, environments and learning needs are varied and different. CLT is considered one of the best methods for use in the second language classroom for several reasons: One, it gives confidence to the students to learn the second language and use it as and when required. Two, CLT draws attention to the importance of socio cultural skills. Three, the learners are given the realistic idea of language and are provided with a sense of what is appropriate and right in a given culture. Four, the learners learn English language and English culture simultaneously. It is vital and imperative both for teachers and learners, living as they do in a globalized world, to adopt and maintain the effective methods of language teaching/learning offered by CLT. Constant migration of people has become part and parcel of todays globalized world. Hence, English teaching/learning has become inevitable for anyone intending to move onto other states/countries either for higher studies or better careers. In this context, it is necessary to consider the lag between the aspiration for better prospects in life and the existing situation of teaching/learning of English language in schools especially the municipal corporation schools. Hence, the present research study is undertaken to bridge this gap by finding ways and means to know the difficulties of teachers and learners and develop a methodology that will enable them to improve the standards of teaching/learning process of English at school level. 3.7 Procedure of the Test to the Students A total number of 200 students from class VIII and IX standard of various Municipal Corporation Schools were gathered in one of the municipal schools in two spells and the tests on four language skills were given, data was collected, analysed and interpreted in the next chapter. 3. 8 Flowchart of the Research Design The research work during July 2008 to March 2011 was done as per the steps shown in the following flowchart. A Flow Chart Submission of the research report Selection of the problem DTP and binding of final computerized research report Review of related literature Formation of objectives Writing rough research reports and corrections in it Formation of hypothesis Suggestions for further research study Sample selection Findings, conclusions and recommendations Preparation of research tools Implementation of Pilot study Verification of Objectives Testing of hypothesis Data collection with the help of questionnaires and its analysis Analysis and interpretation data Pre-observation of the lessons and its analysis Data collection from students tests in all four language skills Implementation of the training programme for the teachers Post-observation of the teachers lessons Discussion with the teachers and Guidance to the teachers 3.9 Summary This chapter has discussed about the methods and procedures of the research study. It includes research design, the methodology employed for the teachers, procedure used for the research, the sampling design, participants, data collection, in-service training programme, its benefits, and communicative approach for the teachers and its relevance in the present research and analysis techniques. It has also discussed the procedure of the test for the learners. The next chapter includes analysis and interpretation of the data collected through the questionnaires from the teachers and observation of their lessons and also analysis and interpretation of the students tests in all four language skills questionnaire. Data was classified, analysed, interpreted using the statistical method and conclusions are drawn.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Internet Piracy

The Pirate Bay -Case Study 1. How does The Pirate Bay business make money? What is its business model? – The Pirate business makes their money by advertising using the â€Å"advertising revenue† as a business model. It’s a website works as a forum to advertise and receives fees from the advertiser. The more browsers the website has, the higher rates of the websites will charge and that’s what lead them to increase their revenue. 2. How do new â€Å"cloud-based† media sites and services make money? What is their business model? * It works through subscription fees by using the â€Å"subscription revenue† as business model.By this the website provides all content or services to their users to exchange for a subscription fee. The users will pay a fee based on what kind of service they want and for how long. 3. Is the record industry justified in attempting to shut down P2P file-sharing sites that make it possible to download copyrighted media? W hy or why not? * Yes it is, since there are millions of dollars spent by record labels to produce albums and not to include the artist’s time and effort into creating music’s and movies for the audience.In my opinion, CD’s, DVD’s can be bit pricy during such difficult economic times, but it will not give people the right to steal. 4. Why might consumers prefer to pay for music from cloud-based sites rather than simply download music from P2P sites? * Because, they get benefits if having instant access of high quality track and videos without the hassle of P2P software download. The consumers don’t have to wait for hours for downloads or clutter their hard drives with file.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Forward the Foundation Chapter 11

9 We all have our small illusions and Cleon-Emperor of the Galaxy, King of Trantor, and a wide collection of other titles that on rare occasions could be called out in a long sonorous roll-was convinced that he was a person of democratic spirit. It always angered him when he was warned off a course of action by Demerzel (or, later, by Seldon) on the grounds that such action would be looked on as â€Å"tyrannical† or â€Å"despotic.† Cleon was not a tyrant or despot by disposition, he was certain; he only wanted to take firm and decisive action. He spoke many times with nostalgic approval of the days when Emperors could mingle freely with their subjects, but now, of course, when the history of coups and assassinations-actual or attempted-had become a dreary fact of life, the Emperor had, of necessity, been shut off from the world. It is doubtful that Cleon, who had never in his life met with people except under the most constricted of conditions, would really have felt at home in offhand encounters with strangers, but he always imagined he would enjoy it. He was excited, therefore, for the rare chance of talking to one of the underlings on the grounds, to smile and to doff the trappings of Imperial rule for a few minutes. It made him feet democratic. There was this gardener whom Seldon had spoken of, for instance. It would be fitting, even a pleasure, to reward him belatedly for his loyalty and bravery-and to do so himself, rather than leaving it to some functionary. He therefore arranged to meet the fellow in the spacious rose garden, which was in full bloom. That would be appropriate, Cleon thought, but, of course, they would have to bring the gardener there first. It was unthinkable for the Emperor to be made to wait. It is one thing to be democratic, quite another to be inconvenienced. The gardener was waiting for him among the roses, his eyes wide, his lips trembling. It occurred to Cleon that it was possible that no one had told the man the exact reason for the meeting. Well, he would reassure him in kindly fashion-except that, now he came to think of it, he could not remember the fellow's name. He turned to one of the officials at his side and said, â€Å"What is the gardener's name?† â€Å"Sire, it is Mandell Gruber. He has been a gardener here for thirty years.† The Emperor nodded and said, â€Å"Ah, Gruber. How glad I am to meet a worthy and hardworking gardener.† â€Å"Sire,† mumbled Gruber, his teeth chattering. â€Å"I am not a man of many talents, but it is always my best I try to do on behalf of your gracious self.† â€Å"Of course, of course,† said the Emperor, wondering if the gardener suspected him of sarcasm. These men of the lower class lacked the finer feelings that came with refinement and manners, which always made any attempt at democratic display difficult. Cleon said, â€Å"I have heard from my First Minister of the loyalty with which you once came to his aid and of your skill in taking care of the grounds. The First Minister tells me that he and you are quite friendly.† â€Å"Sire, the First Minister is most gracious to me, but I know my place. I never speak to him unless he speaks first.† â€Å"Quite, Gruber. That shows good manners on your part, but the First Minister, like myself, is a man of democratic impulses and I trust his judgment of people.† Gruber bowed low. The Emperor said, â€Å"As you know, Gruber, Chief Gardener Malcomber is quite old and longs to retire. The responsibilities are becoming greater than even he can bear.† â€Å"Sire, the Chief Gardener is much respected by all the gardeners. May he be spared for many years so that we can all come to him for the benefit of his wisdom and judgment.† â€Å"Well said, Gruber,† said the Emperor carelessly, â€Å"but you very well know that that is just mumbo-jumbo. He is not going to be spared, at least not with the strength and wit necessary for the position. He himself requests retirement within the year and I have granted him that. It remains to find a replacement.† â€Å"Oh, Sire, there are fifty men and women in this grand place who could be Chief Gardener.† â€Å"I dare say,† said the Emperor, â€Å"but my choice has fallen upon you.† The Emperor smiled graciously. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Gruber would now, he expected, fall to his knees in an ecstasy of gratitude. He did not and the Emperor frowned. Gruber said, â€Å"Sire, it is an honor that is too great for me-entirely.† â€Å"Nonsense,† said Cleon, offended that his judgment should be called into question. â€Å"It is about time that your virtues are recognized. You will no longer have to be exposed to weather of all kinds at all times of the year. You will have the Chief Gardener's office, a fine place, which I will have redecorated for you, and where you can bring your family. You do have a family, don't you, Gruber?† â€Å"Yes, Sire. A wife and two daughters. And a son-in-law.† â€Å"Very good. You will be very comfortable and you will enjoy your new life, Gruber. You will be indoors, Gruber, and out of the weather, like a true Trantorian.† â€Å"Sire, consider that I am an Anacreonian by upbringing-â€Å" â€Å"I have considered, Gruber. All worlds are alike to the Emperor. It is done. The new job is what you deserved.† He nodded his head and stalked off. Cleon was satisfied with this latest show of his benevolence. Of course, he could have used a little more gratitude from the fellow, a little more appreciation, but at least the task was done. And it was much easier to have this done than to settle the matter of the failing infrastructure. Cleon had, in a moment of testiness, declared that whenever a breakdown could be attributed to human error, the human being in question should forthwith be executed. â€Å"Just a few executions,† he said, â€Å"and it will be remarkable how careful everyone will become.† â€Å"I'm afraid, Sire,† Seldon had said, â€Å"that this type of despotic behavior would not accomplish what you wish. It would probably force the workers to go on strike-and if you try to force them back to work, there would then be an insurrection-and if you try to replace them with soldiers, you will find they do not know how to control the machinery, so that breakdowns will begin to take place much more frequently.† It was no wonder that Cleon turned to the matter of appointing a Chief Gardener with relief. As for Gruber, he gazed after the departing Emperor with the chill of sheer horror. He was going to be taken from the freedom of the open air and condemned to the constriction of four walls. Yet how could one refuse the Emperor? 10 Raych looked in the mirror of his Wye hotel room somberly (it was a pretty run-down hotel room, but Raych was not supposed to have too many credits). He did not like what he saw. His mustache was gone; his sideburns were shortened; his hair was clipped at the sides and back. He looked-plucked. Worse than that. As a result of the change in his facial contours, he looked baby-faced. It was disgusting. Nor was he making any headway. Seldon had given him the security reports on Kaspal Kaspalov's death, which he had studied. There wasn't much there. Just that Kaspalov had been murdered and that the local security officers had come up with nothing of importance in connection with that murder. It seemed quite clear that the security officers attached little or no importance to it, anyway. That was not surprising. In the last century, the crime rate had risen markedly in most worlds, certainly in the grandly complex world of Trantor, and nowhere were the local security officers up to the job of doing anything useful about it. In fact, the security establishment had declined in numbers and efficiency everywhere and (while this was hard to prove) had become more corrupt. It was inevitable this should be so, with pay refusing to keep pace with the cost of living. One must pay civil officials to keep them honest. Failing that, they would surely make up for their inadequate salaries in other ways. Seldon had been preaching this doctrine for some years now, but it did no good. There was no way to increase wages without increasing taxes and the populace would not sit still for increased taxes. It seemed they would rather lose ten times the credits in graft. It was all part (Seldon had said) of the general deterioration of Imperial society over the previous two centuries. Well, what was Raych to do? He was here at the hotel where Kaspalov had lived during the days immediately before his murder. Somewhere in the hotel there might be someone who had something to do with that-or who knew someone who had. It seemed to Raych that he must make himself conspicuous. He must show an interest in Kaspalov's death and then someone would get interested in him and pick him up. It was dangerous, but if he could make himself sound harmless enough, they might not attack him immediately. Well- Raych looked at his timeband. There would be people enjoying their predinner aperitifs in the bar. He might as well join them and see what would happen-if anything. 11 In some respects, Wye could be quite puritanical. (This was true of all the sectors, though the rigidity of one sector might be completely different from the rigidity of another.) Here, the drinks were not alcoholic but were synthetically designed to stimulate in other ways. Raych did not like the taste, finding himself utterly unused to it, but it meant that he could sip his drink slowly and look around. He caught the eye of a young woman several tables away and had difficulty in looking away. She was attractive and it was clear that Wye's ways were not puritanical in every fashion. After a few moments, the young woman smiled slightly and rose. She drifted toward Raych's table, while Raych watched her speculatively. He could scarcely (he thought with marked regret) afford a side adventure just now. She stopped for a moment when she reached Raych and then let herself slide smoothly into an adjacent chair. â€Å"Hello,† she said. â€Å"You don't look like a regular here.† Raych smiled. â€Å"I'm not. Do you know all the regulars?† â€Å"Just about,† she said, unembarrassed. â€Å"My name is Manella. What's yours?† Raych was more regretful than ever. She was quite tall, taller than he himself was without his heels-something he always found attractive-had a milky complexion, and long, softly wavy hair that had distinct glints of dark red in it. Her clothing was not too garish and she might, if she had tried a little harder, have passed as a respectable woman of the not-too-hardworking class. Raych said, â€Å"My name doesn't matter. I don't have many credits.† â€Å"Oh. Too bad.† Manella made a face. â€Å"Can't you get a few?† â€Å"I'd like to. I need a job. Do you know of any?† â€Å"What kind of job?† Raych shrugged. â€Å"I don't have any experience in anything fancy, but I ain't proud.† Manella looked at him thoughtfully. â€Å"I'll tell you what, Mr. Nameless. Sometimes it doesn't take any credits at all.† Raych froze at once. He had been successful enough with women, but with his mustache-his mustache. What could she see in his baby face? He said, â€Å"Tell you what. I had a friend living here a couple of weeks ago and I can't find him. Since you know all the regulars, maybe you know him. His name is Kaspalov.† He raised his voice slightly. â€Å"Kaspal Kaspalov.† Manella stared at him blankly and shook her head. â€Å"I don't know anybody by that name.† â€Å"Too bad. He was a Joranumite and so am I.† Again, a blank look. â€Å"Do you know what a Joranumite is?† She shook her head. â€Å"N-no. I've heard the word, but I don't know what it means. Is it some kind of job?† Raych felt disappointed. He said, â€Å"It would take too long to explain.† It sounded like a dismissal and, after a moment of uncertainty, Manella rose and drifted away. She did not smile and Raych was a little surprised that she had remained as long as she did. (Well, Seldon had always insisted that Raych had the capacity to inspire affection-but surely not in a businesswoman of this sort. For them, payment was the thing.) His eyes followed Manella automatically as she stopped at another table, where a man was seated by himself. He was of early middle age, with butter-yellow hair, slicked back. He was very smooth-shaven, but it seemed to Raych that he could have used a beard, his chin being too prominent and a bit asymmetric. Apparently Manella had no better luck with this beardless one. A few words were exchanged and she moved on. Too bad, but surely it was impossible for her to fail often. She was unquestionably desirable. Raych found himself thinking, quite involuntarily, of what the upshot would be if he, after all, could-And then Raych realized that he had been joined by someone else. It was a man this time. It was, in fact, the man to whom Manella had just spoken. He was astonished that his own preoccupation had allowed him to be thus approached and, in effect, caught by surprise. He couldn't very well afford this sort of thing. The man looked at him with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. â€Å"You were just talking to a friend of mine.† Raych could not help smiling broadly. â€Å"She's a friendly person.† â€Å"Yes, she is. And a good friend of mine. I couldn't help overhearing what you said to her.† â€Å"Wasn't nothing wrong, I think.† â€Å"Not at all, but you called yourself a Joranumite.† Raych's heart jumped. His remark to Manella had hit dead-center after all. It had meant nothing to her, but it seemed to mean something to her â€Å"friend.† Did that mean he was on the road now? Or merely in trouble? 12 Raych did his best to size up his new companion, without allowing his own face to lose its smooth naivete. The man had sharp greenish eyes and his right hand clenched almost threateningly into a fist as it rested on the table. Raych looked owlishly at the other and waited. Again, the man said, â€Å"I understand you call yourself a Joranumite.† Raych did his best to look uneasy. It was not difficult. He said, â€Å"Why do you ask, mister?† â€Å"Because I don't think you're old enough.† â€Å"I'm old enough. I used to watch Jo-Jo Joranum's speeches on holovision.† â€Å"Can you quote them?† Raych shrugged. â€Å"No, but I got the idea.† â€Å"You're a brave young man to talk openly about being a Joranumite. Some people don't like that.† â€Å"I'm told there are lots of Joranumites in Wye.† â€Å"That may be. Is that why you came here?† â€Å"I'm looking for a job. Maybe another Joranumite would help me.† â€Å"There are Joranumites in Dahl, too. Where are you from?† There was no question that he recognized Raych's accent. That could not be disguised. He said, â€Å"I was born in Millimaru, but I lived mostly in Dahl when I was growing up.† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"Nothing much. Going to school some.† â€Å"And why are you a Joranumite?† Raych let himself heat up a bit. He couldn't have lived in downtrodden, discriminated-against Dahl without having obvious reasons for being a Joranumite. He said, â€Å"Because I think there should be more representative government in the Empire, more participation by the people, and more equality among the sectors and the worlds. Doesn't anyone with brains and a heart think that?† â€Å"And you want to see the Emperorship abolished?† Raych paused. One could get away with a great deal in the way of subversive statements, but anything overtly anti-Emperor was stepping outside the bounds. He said, â€Å"I ain't saying that. I believe in the Emperor, but ruling a whole Empire is too much for one man.† â€Å"It isn't one man. There's a whole Imperial bureaucracy. What do you think of Hari Seldon, the First Minister?† â€Å"Don't think nothing about him. Don't know about him.† â€Å"All you know is that people should be more represented in the affairs of government. Is that right?† Raych allowed himself to look confused. â€Å"That's what Jo-Jo Joranum used to say. I don't know what you call it. I heard someone once call it ‘democracy,' but I don't know what that means.† â€Å"Democracy is something that some worlds have tried. Some still do. I don't know that those worlds are run better than other worlds. So you're a democrat?† â€Å"Is that what you call it?† Raych let his head sink, as if in deep thought. â€Å"I feel more at home as a Joranumite.† â€Å"Of course, as a Dahlite-â€Å" â€Å"I just lived there awhile.† â€Å"-you're all for people's equalities and such things. The Dahlites, being an oppressed group, would naturally think in that fashion.† â€Å"I hear that Wye is pretty strong in Joranumite thinking. They're not oppressed.† â€Å"Different reason. The old Wye Mayors always wanted to be Emperors. Did you know that?† Raych shook his head. â€Å"Eighteen years ago,† said the man, â€Å"Mayor Rashelle nearly carried through a coup in that direction. So the Wyans are rebels, not so much Joranumite as anti-Cleon.† Raych said, â€Å"I don't know nothing about that. I ain't against the Emperor.† â€Å"But you are for popular representation, aren't you? Do you think that some sort of elected assembly could run the Galactic Empire without bogging down in politics and partisan bickering? Without paralysis?† Raych said, â€Å"Huh? I don't understand.† â€Å"Do you think a great many people could come to some decision quickly in times of emergency? Or would they just sit around and argue?† â€Å"I don't know, but it doesn't seem right that just a few people should have all the say over all the worlds.† â€Å"Are you willing to fight for your beliefs? Or do you just like to talk about them?† â€Å"No one asked me to do any fighting,† said Raych. â€Å"Suppose someone did. How important do you think your beliefs about democracy-or Joranumite philosophy-are?† â€Å"I'd fight for them-if I thought it would do any good.† â€Å"There's a brave lad. So you came to Wye to fight for your beliefs.† â€Å"No,† said Raych uncomfortably, â€Å"I can't say I did. I came to look for a job, sir. It ain't easy to find no jobs these days-and I ain't got no credits. A guy's gotta live.† â€Å"I agree. What's your name?† The question shot out without warning, but Raych was ready for it. â€Å"Planchet, sir.† â€Å"First or last name?† â€Å"Only name, as far as I know.† â€Å"You have no credits and, I gather, very little education.† â€Å"Afraid so.† â€Å"And no experience at any specialized job?† â€Å"I ain't worked much, but I'm willing.† â€Å"All right. I'll tell you what, Planchet.† He took a small white triangle out of his pocket and pressed it in such a way as to produce a printed message on it. Then he rubbed his thumb across it, freezing it. â€Å"I'll tell you where to go. You take this with you and it may get you a job.† Raych took the card and glanced at it. The signals seemed to fluoresce, but Raych could not read them. He looked at the other man warily. â€Å"What if they think I stole it?† â€Å"It can't be stolen. It has my sign on it and now it has your name.† â€Å"What if they ask me who you are?† â€Å"They won't. You say you want a job. There's your chance. I don't guarantee it, but there's your chance.† He gave him another card. â€Å"This is where to go.† Raych could read this one. â€Å"Thank you,† he mumbled. The man made little dismissing gestures with his hand. Raych rose and left-and wondered what he was getting into.

Friday, November 8, 2019

How Creative Limitations Help You Do Better Work

How Creative Limitations Help You Do Better Work Going in for the creative kill is easier if you have boundaries. (See #2 below) This is the story of creative limitations and an MM dispenser. I was a K-12 art teacher at a public school, and it was the end of the year. The middle school students werent interested in doing much other than plan for summer vacation. I had a cupboard full of partially used art supplies, lots of scraps of materials and items from the years art projects, and restless kids on my hands. Id finished up my lesson plans, and had a week left before school was over. We are going to do an exercise in limitation, I said. I had a table in the center of the classroom piled with bits of paper, popsicle sticks, string, plastic, mat board, glue, paints, cloth, and a mish-mash of items. Id basically cleaned out the cupboard and found quite a collection of seemingly useless garbage. Your final project will be made out of just what you see here. Nothing else. I gave them the specifics: they had to create something that had the potential to make noise, include movement of some sort, and had good design qualitites (this was an art class, after all). On the final day of class, they would demonstrate their machine. It didnt matter how they approached this project; I had no limitations on size or complexity or even simplicity. The only rule was that they had to make it here, in the classroom, with nothing but what was on that table, and they could not use more than five types of items. They could not bring in anything from home or outside the classroom. There were groans and thats impossible! and I waved my hand and told them to get started.  And then a voice called out from the back. Miss Neidlinger, you have to do it to. Its only fair. I immediately regretted the arbitrary limitations I had created. 1. Creative Limitations Give You More Time For content creators, the main limitation you face with your content is that of time. You have deadlines, and feel the pain that comes from struggling within the boundary of time.  In fact, if time is such an onerous boundary, why would I suggest you should have more boundaries? This is why: creating arbitrary limitations will give you more time. I watched as the students worked on their projects. We only had a few days, and I saw how, once they got past the horror of limitation, they actually worked much faster than they had on other projects. There was no distraction: this was all they had to work with, there was a specific outcome expected. Without limitations, there is too much too choose from. You waste time trying to figure out what to use and where to go. Boundaries give you that time back by doing that for you and letting you get down to the business of creating. Its like having a niche blog: you put stringent restrictions on what youll blog about and maybe it isnt as much fun all   of the time, but you dont have to waste time finding focus. You know what youll be writing about, you know what to think about, you know what kinds of ideas you should focus on. Instead of the whole universe of ideas to consider, you have a few in your hand. Are you lacking in boundaries for your content creation? Set up some limitations on yourself. Editorial calendars, with their advance planning, are a kind of limitation. Go even further. Maybe youll want to: Set up content limitations. Only write how-to posts on Mondays, or base a post around a photo you took this week. Open a random book, like George Harrison, and use a random phrase to build a piece of content on. Set up work-time limitations. Restrict the amount of time you work on specific projects. Our bodies work in ultradian rhythms, and after 90 minutes of work on the same thing, we max out on doing our best work. When you have limitations, you have more time. Your creativity loves this.2. Creative Limitations Give You More Freedom Watching the students work on the project was a great deal of fun as a teacher. Id already experienced enough this is dumb commentary throughout the years previous art projects, but this restrictive project seemed to have really gotten them excited. Though theyd never admit it, it was clear they were having much more fun with this project that had a specifically defined outcome than they did facing a blank piece of paper with endless possibilities. While studying art history in college, I was much less interested in extremely modern art than I was in older art. When all the boundaries and rules were removed and anything goes was the name of the game, I felt that the art suffered. The older art, still working in the constructs of even a vague sense of realism, space, color, etc. was much more intriguing. The artists used the rules and boundaries and were able toif you took the time to really dig into a painting or sculptureachieve something quite complex and multi-layered. They pushed those boundaries to the limit and came out with a polished diamond. How is it that having a boundary makes you freer, creatively?  I often think of it as a pasture at the edge of a dangerous cliff. When there is a fence in place, you can freely explore the pasture, not having to think about falling off the edge. You know that the fence will keep you from going over, and you are more free with that boundary in place. Without the fence, you would huddle towards the middle of the pasture, always making sure you didnt get too close to the edge. You might explore a little bit, but you keep it close and safe. You will explore closer to the edge creatively and push the limits if you have a boundary in place than you would if you had no boundaries at all. Limitations and rules make you more creative, not less.3. Limitations Force You To Create One of the biggest disappointments Id seen that year in my art classes was students who turned in lackluster work when I knew they had so much more ability. The broader and bigger and more wide-open the project, the more often they seemed to leave it to the last or never really put in an effort.  When I finally gave them a very restrictive project, they jumped on it. I was extremely impressed with what I was seeing the students create. The fewer resources or options you have, the more you are forced to actually be creative. You have to come up with something that isnt the first and most obvious solution. You have to be creative to solve the problem; you cant fall back on laziness or whatever is easiest. The most terrifying day in college? When it was my turn to give an impromptu speech in speech class. Biggest feeling of satisfaction and intellectual rush in college? Same day. There is something incredibly invigorating in facing down the challenge of a complex problem, extreme limitations, and finding that your creative pump can, indeed, be primed into action. It strengthens your creative muscles. You learned you can do it and how to get the creativity flowing. Each time you do it, it isnt as hard. You learn how to do it again. Once youve solved an impossible problem with limited options, you start to learn the process to get things going again. Its not as scary, because you know you did it before, and know how you got going. You create a system. Necessity is the mother of invention. English Proverb Those catchy and endearing Dr. Seuss books?  They were written with restrictions. Green Eggs And Ham was written on a bet that Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) couldnt write a book using no more than 50 words. The result? He won the bet, of course, and wrote a fun book that children still love to read.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Cocoabutter Business Essays

Cocoabutter Business Essays Cocoabutter Business Essay Cocoabutter Business Essay Lindtamp;Sprungli started in 1845 as a Swiss chocolate and confectionery company. It focuses on making high quality and luxury chocolates. Lindt is the first truly melting chocolate in the world. They choose the cocoa beans that they use to make chocolates very strictly. There are numerous categories of their chocolate products in the market and they also have their own chocolate stores all over the world. Contents 1. Executive Summary2 2. Table of Contents3 3. Introduction 4 3. 1. Purpose4 . 2. Background4 3. 3. Scope4 3. 4. Limitations4 3. 5. Plan4 4. Body of the Report5 4. 1. Industry Background5 4. 2. Product Categories5 4. 3. Environment5 4. 4. Segmentation,Targeting and Positioning6 4. 5. Buyer Behaviour6 4. 6. Evaluations of Needs and Wants7 5. Conclusion7 6. References8 3. Introduction 3. 1 Purpose Lindt Lindor gift box is a high-end product, which stands for a luxurious and classical confectionery. The purpose of this report is to analyze the market of Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate by looking at several marketing elements. 3. 2 BackgroundLindtamp;Sprungli started in a small pastry shop in Switzerland in 1845. At that time people knew chocolate as a drink but David Sprungli-Schward and his son dared to do the new form of chocolate- solid bars. 3. 3 Scope The scope of this report is to give an introduction of Lindtamp;Sprungli and analyze the market such as the environment, segmentation, targeting and positioning and buyer behavior. 3. 4 Limitations The limitation of this report is that the accurate figure of market size and share cannot be found. Lindtamp;Sprungli Pty Ltd in Australia does not have much information on the Internet. . 5 Plan This report is mainly going to state the environment and segmentation, targeting, positioning and buyer behavior regarding to Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate. 4. Body of the report 4. 1 Industry Background Lindt’s revenue in 2012 is $2. 67 billion and their market trend in 2012 is 7. 3% of growth. The market share in 2012 is 4. 2% (Nieburg, 2013). The competitors of Lindt chocolate are Cadbury, Ferrero and Guylian. 4. 2 Product categories Lindt offers Excellence, Lindt Blocks, Lindor and Pralines chocolates. Excellence is the finest quality block chocolate and Lindt Blocks are the ormal block chocolate. Lindor are the round ball chocolates and they are usually wrapped as gifts. Pralines are the finest chocolate and have been lovingly decorated. In addition, all these chocolates have many flavors that can be chose. 5. 3 Environment Lindor gift box’s competitors are Ferrero and Guylian due to they all have their box product. In addition, their market positioning is all high quality royal chocolates. Ferrero is a big company whose market share is much bigger than Lindt. Guylian is not as famous as Lindt.However, Ferrero’s package categories are not as much as Lindt’s. Guylian’s market share is less than Lindt and it is lack of new idea of the products. Lindt has its own suppliers, which are the cocoa beans farmers. They mainly import the cocoa beans from South America, Caribbean and Ghana. Ghana is especially famous of the high quality standards cocoa beans (Heffes, 2003). The cocoa beans suppliers cannot always supply the quantity that they required so Lindt makes a fair trade with the farmers, which means the farmers can provide the raw materials constantly (Lindt, 2013).The main intermediaries of Lindt gift box in Australia are Woolworths, Coles and Costco. They are the resellers of Lindt. In the macroenvironment, demographic include the consumer’s age, sex, location and occupation etc. Generally speaking, women are more interested in gift box chocolate than men and especially the young ladies. They cannot resist the exquisite packages of Lindor gift box (Fitzgerald, 2005). Students and white collars are more likely to buy the gift box as a gift for their girlfriends. The people in big cities buy the high quality gift box chocolate more often than the people in small towns.Cultural factor is very important because of the western cultural and beliefs. Every year during Easter, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Lindt will launch new gift boxes for the festivals. For instance, western people believe giving chocolate to their lovers is a kind of showing love to them so they all buy chocolate for their lovers in Valentine’s Day. Consumers will actively to buy the chocolate gift boxes as gifts during the festivals. 4. 4 Segmentation, targeting and positioning + Target Segmentation characteristics Lindt gift box segments its market by considering the age, ender, occupation and lifestyle. The customers are usually the young, women, high-quality standards lifestyle people and the people’s occupation are basically students and white collars. White collars do not mind of paying more extra money on high-quality standard chocolate due to their medium to high level of wages. Women have the strongest purchasing power of chocolate also the strongest desire of chocolate. Lindor gift box selects the market, which exists many strong competitors and they use the differentiated marketing strategy. The industry profitability is approximately 6. % of revenue in 2012-2013 (Sivasailam, 2013). Lindor gift box is a gift in the consumer’s mind and they buy it as a gift. However, Lindt provide large packages gift chocolate in Costco, which are cheaper than Coles and Woolworths. Many families buy them as a family share package. Lindor gift box has the competitive advantages because there are many flavors and the varicolored packages look more joyful than other products. 4. 5 Buyer Behavior The consumers will first consider whom will they buy the Lindt gift box for and why they need it.They might search the product on the Internet and see its feedbacks and compare it with other brands. The package of the Lindor gift box will give them a sense of happiness and a festivals feeling. 4. 6 Evaluations of needs and wants People need the chocolate as a gift to feel that they are loved and regarded by others. The one who give the chocolate to others need to express himself. Lindt gift box can become a want when the festivals come. For example, when the Valentine’s Day comes, ladies will expect their boyfriend or husband to buy them chocolates.Besides, most of the customers have very high satisfaction as shown in Figure 1. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Lindor gift box chocolate has its own advantages in the market. They well-packaged chocolate is more popular among the women. Especially during the festivals so the company should produce more chocolate products that fit for the festivals’ theme

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Systems and operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Systems and operations management - Essay Example It has made the work at ease in various departments but at the same time requires appropriate skill development. Role of information systems in careers in finance, accounting, HR, operations management and marketing and how the careers in information systems have been affected by new technologies and by outsourcing The various departments within the organization have in built information system for its various functions. The operation management nowadays in organizations has automated warehouses, supply chain activities, use of RFID technology, and automated inventory control. To perform such activities which are completely based on information technology proper knowledge of such software’s is required. The information system has helped in managing several tasks but has increased the level of competence that the employees should possess related to the information technology. Even in the HR departments, payroll, compensation and reward policy, managing the entire employee base is done through such systems. This has helped the administration to reduce the paperwork but at the same time it is essential for the management to impart sufficient training to the employees (Doyle, 2000, pp.156-157).The finance department nowadays in every organization has in built software for performing various activities of maintaining financial records, and producing various financial reports for the company in coordination with various other departments within the organization. The marketing department even uses the CRM software’s for effective handling of its customer’s base and even uses some integrated software’s for their product design, promotion and forecasting the market demand. The role of information systems is very high in all of the areas in the organization, which has made an increase in technical competence to sustain careers in every department. The use of ERP (enterprise resource planning)

Friday, November 1, 2019

Obvious Solution to a Problem in the Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Obvious Solution to a Problem in the Work - Essay Example During my employment in Science lab a chemist, I was a member of a research that required collecting and evaluating a considerable total of information pertaining to the human mind as we were attempting to create a vaccine. We were so mixed up at that time because all my further experiments depend upon that result and then we began to guess about it. We reprised the whole experiment again just to attain certain that there is no human error in our stamping ground and we had to manage the analysis again which may forbid it. Â  And so it got very clear that a dissimilar case of analysis would have been more pertinent to the problem and would have given results that supported our theory. We changed the regression technique within the model and re-ran the data. I would have concentrated mainly on the robustness of the information we accumulated and then progress to a correct analysis on which our whole research depended.