Monday, September 30, 2019

Byzantine Thessaloniki

Cassander, the son of General Antipater, ruled Macedonia from 316 to 297 B. C. He founded the third capital of the Macedonian kingdom in the year 315 BC and named it Thessaloniki, after his wife. Thessaloniki was also Alexander III’s half-sister. Formed at the crucial region in the road network, Thessaloniki became the seat of Macedonia’s financial and administrative control. Thessaloniki played a historically important role during the Byzantine period (Ekdotike Athenon). It had had such fortified walls that it resisted several invasion attempts, although it had fell about four times in over thousand years.Thessaloniki was also the place where the Pythian Games were held once in every four years. An artificial harbor was also formed under Constantine the great. There is evidence that the region was inhabited even during the Neolithic period. There are several archeological sites and monuments at Thessaloniki which today highlight its glorious past. The archeological sit es include the Palace of Galerius built in 300 A. D, the Roman Baths and the Roman market and theater, while the monuments include the Galerian Arch built before 305 A. D, and the Church of Ossios David constructed during the late 5th century (Barrett M).Christianity was introduced by Apostle Paul in 50 A. D. Jews are presumed to have first settled in Thessaloniki around 140 B. C, from Alexandria, Egypt. The Jews were given considerable autonomy during the Roman period, which were later curtailed under Byzantium, with Christianity becoming the state religion. Although successive Byzantine emperors introduced restrictions on Jews, they were allowed to live by the traditions and dictates of their religion, thus developing and contributing to their heritage. When Ottoman Turks conquered Byzantine Thessalonki, the Muslims grew in prominence (Hagouel).One of the most notable features of Thessaloniki is its religious harmony with Christians, Jews and Muslims living together under Ottomans . When Sultan Murat II brought in administrative reforms for the city, he offered tax exemptions and religious autonomy to both the Christians and the Muslims. There are very few cities in the world which can claim to have been a continued metropolitan existence for such a lengthy period as the Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki was the second most important city of the Byzantine and the Ottoman empire, after Constatinople.It should be noted here that each era witnessed by Thessaloniki is today represented today by its monuments (Brown). The city remained the center of political, economic and artistic activity, retaining its urban characteristics. By the early Middle Byzantine era, the city already had a thousand year history. In the Middle Byzantine period, trade improved as demand for products from Thessaloniki increased. The traditionally exported items were wool, silk and linen. Other exported items from Thessaloniki included luxury goods bearing metal and glass work, wine, fish and fru its.The sophistication of the Byzantine Thessaloniki architecture is evident from the natural lighting planed at Rotunda at Thessaloniki. The geometric patterns associated with the monument are replicated on the mosaics. The sills of the large windows and the gold tesserae also contribute to the illumination of the mosaics. The mosaic surface is aptly inclined to correspond to the angle of light entering through the large arch shaped windows (Iliadis). The surface inclination of the mosaic also suits the light penetrating through the lunettes, arranged at dome base. Annotated bibliographyThe article by Ekdotike Athenon throws light on the founding of Thessaloniki by Cassander who named it after his wife. During the Byzantine, it was almost an invincible place. The article by Barrett emphasis its glorious past in the field of architecture. It also gives an idea of the introduction of Christianity. The article by Hagouel shows the attitude of Byzantine emperors towards Jews. While mak ing Christianity the state religion, they set restrictions on the Jews. Brown mentions Thessaloniki as one of the few cities in the world with a history of a successful trade.Iliadis looks into the sophistication of lighting at Rotunda at Thessaloniki, where the mosaic is illuminated by natural building. REFERENCES Hagouel P. I. , History of the Jews Thessaloniki and the holocaust. West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2006) [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 3rd July, 2008 from http://www. wcupa. edu/_academics/holocaust/Salonika. pdf Ekdotike Athenon S. A. , Byzantine Thessalonike [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 3rd July, 2008 from http://www. macedonian-heritage. gr/HellenicMacedonia/en/C2. 3. html Barrett M., What to see in Thessaloniki [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 3rd July, 2008 from http://www. greecetravel. com/thessaloniki/museums. html Brown. A. R. , Middle Byzantine Thessaloniki (1999) [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 3rd July, 2008 from http://socs. berkeley . edu/~arbrown/text. html Iliadis I. G. , The natural lighting of the mosaics in the Rotunda at Thessaloniki (2001) Lighting Research and Technology, Vol. 33, No. 1 [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 3rd July, 2008 from http://lrt. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/33/1/13

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Customer Behavior in Fast Food Industry Essay

Recently a customer behaviour survey was undertaking among fast food giants like Hungry Jacksâ„ ¢, K.F.C.â„ ¢, Mc Donald’sâ„ ¢, and Pizza Hutâ„ ¢ Much has been written and said about cleanliness in restaurants. Every now and then people vindictively drool over a story about a restaurant not being up to health regulation standards. Customers complain about waitresses handling money and then serving food without washing their hands. Sometimes they take a glimpse into the kitchen and are horrified at the cooks personal hygiene. But how often are customers scrutinized for their filthy habits? Their nose picking antics and then a serve of pizza straight after, or a visit to the toilets without washing hands. How have customers been getting away with these unclean habits for so long in a society where cleanliness should be a priority? What shall restaurant managers do about these peculiar people who come and drag them through court because of food poisoning? Was it really the food or was it their grubby hands which fingered the food after they came from the toilet or from their habitation? Some Eastern customs have a sweet smelling, hot or cold finger bowl on the table. Often the food is not served until all have dipped their fingers in this, really, disinfectant solution. In aeroplanes, sometimes hot, disinfectant face washers are handed out before a meal is served. Maybe restaurant proprietors ought to take note and introduce something similar. Society’s cleanliness has degraded over the years, people have become lazy, nonchalant about cleanliness and laugh when something is said about personal hygiene. Watch out sickness is on the rise! Germs are gaining in numbers, beware lest they consume you in your ignorance! Questionnaire Restaurant Proprietors Answered 1: Do customers wash their hands before they sit down and dine-in? No, not generally. Actually, I have never seen anybody do it yet. 2: Do adults make more mess than children? Yes, definitely. It’s surprising, but they do. 3: What is the general behaviour of adults like? Ok†¦ I guess 4: Do they speak quietly, noisy or outright rudely and loud? Most people behave politely but when you have a group of teenagers they are often very noisy, rude and offensive to other customers as well as the staff. 5: Are adults more polite and friendly to staff than teenagers? A lot of teenagers are generally polite and friendly but some adults are more rude than teenagers. 6: Do customers have respect for the furniture, crockery, glassware etc? Yes, usually they’re pretty good. 7: Do they steal anything like salt and pepper shakers, cutlery etc? Theft is high with cutlery, desert bowls and anything smaller than the dinner plate. 8: Do most pay their bill without grumbling? Yes, they don’t have much choice. Do they? 9: In places where you can eat as much as you like, are customers wasteful? Absolutely! The gross amount of waste is shocking.   With so much poverty and starvation in the world it is sometimes sad to see good food going to the dump. 10: Do customers touch food on self-serve salad bars and put it back? Children and teenagers are the worst offenders. Adults also have a habit of fingering foods and not consuming it. A bad habit if they haven’t washed their hands. 11: Would you like to see a better dress standard for customers that dine here? No, we would loose a lot of customers if we did. We’re a family restaurant. People drop in and out all the time. 12: Do customers who use toilet facilities wash their hands after use? Can’t really tell. I would like to think they do. 13: In what state do they leave the toilet facilities after using them? No worse than any other public toilet facility. 14: Does management get many complaints from customers? Occasionally, we try to sort out any loud gatherings before they get out of hand. Most people are satisfied with the quality and quantity of food we prepare every day†¦.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Personal Statement Example Additionally, I had undertaken courses on ‘Introduction to International Relations and Academic Writing’ from Harvard University. My journey as a professor started from Moscow State Institute of International Relations where the classes conducted by me were on ‘Political Analysis and Statistics’ for the second year students. Shortly after that I connected myself with Lomonosov Moscow State University where I had my classes with third year students regarding the subject ‘World Politics and International Relations’. Presently I am assigned with Paper Planes a Kontakt Expert Consulting Company with the designation of New Media & Digital Consultant handling responsibilities on managing social media projects of Paul Hartmann and CRM from the month of May, 2010. During the year of 2006, I had a handful of publications among which some are, â€Å"To a Problem of an Ethnic Group Role in International Conflicts† in Networking Scientific Magazine â€Å"Analyst†, Moscow, 2006; â€Å"To the Problem of Subjectivity in International Conflicts† with International Scientific Conference for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and â€Å"Lomonosov-2007†. â€Å"The Transformation of the Concept about the State Sovereignty Nature in the 20th and 21st Centuries† from Lomonosov Moscow State University along with the â€Å"State Sovereignty Transformation and Some Transition Problems of Statehood in Terms of Information-oriented Society† is some of the other publications. During my entire career, I had been engaged with various extracurricular activities as a head of Research Group on Political Analysis in the framework of Youth Branch of Russian Association of Political Science, a head of Working Group on External Communications in Student Council of the Department of Political Science at Lomonosov MSU. Apart from these, I became a part of

Friday, September 27, 2019

Language and Power -Task Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Language and Power -Task - Essay Example such an exploratory analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will not only come to a more full and complete comprehension of the material; but will identify with it in a more macro sense – realizing the broader implications that language has on the way that individuals relate with one another and define the world around them. Just as with the process of construction and building, language development and scaffolding is a necessary component in a content area classroom due to the fact that it encourages the individual student to reach beyond themselves and beyond their own comfort levels and integrate with language, idioms, expressions, tasks, and approaches that could be beneficial in helping them to integrate with language and understanding to a more full and complete degree. Through such an approach, the individual is able to develop their own language and communication skills alongside the altered communication style or pattern of the educator/instructor. Many have wrongly asserted that this merely â€Å"dumbs down† the process; however, the fact of the matter is that a variety of different studies have proven the effectiveness upon language development that scaffolding is able to afford. As such, other authors that have been studied have indicated that scaffolding and language development are highly useful tools in the toolbox of those that seek to craft deeper levels of understanding with respect to how language is understood. With that being said, like any tool, authors warn against the fact that instructors must be mindful of the fact that even though scaffolding is useful in helping to develop language skills, it must not be overused and must be utilized alongside other time tested and effective techniques. In such a way, the educator will have the greatest likelihood of experience a positive outcome from using a nuanced approach to education; rather than merely utilizing the same tool to an inappropriate level and being too reliant

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Curriculum Development and teaching strategies for gifted learners Essay

Curriculum Development and teaching strategies for gifted learners - Essay Example Students who excelled in special education programs were, according to Persson, Joswog and Balogh (1997), once again, separated from their above average co-learners and placed in programs designed for geniuses. The intent of this program was not simply the realization of gifted learners’ full potential but the development of future leaders. The historical introduction offered in the preceding highlights a long-standing acknowledgement of the importance of designing special education programs which address the mental capacities, abilities and talents of gifted learners and function to both enable and guide them towards the realisation of their potential. Integral to the realization of potential of gifted students is, of course, curriculum and learning strategies. Within the context of the stated, therefore, curriculum development and learning strategies for gifted students assume unique importance and, accordingly, have been the focus of numerous research and studies. This paper shall review a number of these studies for the purpose of evaluating the variant curriculum development and learning strategies for gifted students. In his analysis of gifted learners’ educational requirements, Shore (1988) argued that without a curriculum which is designed in response to their needs, the full potential of gifted learners will never be truly realized. Even while conceding that prerequisite to the design of such a curricular is the careful and critical evaluation of individual learner requirements and, possibly, the design of differentiated curricula within the context of a more general curricular framework, Shore (1988) defended his approach to curriculum development as optimally suited to the needs of individual gifted learners. The development/design of a differentiated gifted learner curriculum is a complex undertaking insofar as it involves the design of both general and specific curricula.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

What were the main changes brought about by the Constitutional Reform Essay

What were the main changes brought about by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and why were these considered necessary - Essay Example A good example is the 2010 case law on HJ and HT vs. the secretary of state in charge of home department2. Under this case, the Supreme Court was required to rule on the status of the asylum application of two gay people, that is HJ, and HT3. This was a human rights issue, where the court granted asylum to these people, on the grounds that they would persecuted, if deported back to their country. By closely looking at this ruling, it is important to denote that the courts were taking on new roles determining the human rights issues that the state had to adhere to. This therefore means that the courts are playing an important role in determining the kind of policies that the country should adopt, and the policies that it should not adopt4. This is an example of a judicial review. Furthermore, it is important to explain that the Supreme Court was enacted after the passage of the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005. This court was created under part three of the constitutional reform act. The constitutional reform act played a great role in reforming the judiciary, and specifically the three roles of the Lord Chancellor. These roles include his position as the speaker of the House of Lords, the head of the British Judiciary, and as a member of the cabinet5. These implied that the Lord Chancellor was a very powerful person, and there was no separation of powers, between the judiciary, the legislature, and the government. This situation made the Lord Chancellor to be vulnerable to an abuse of the executive authority of the government. Another point of concern was the capability of the Lord Chancellor, in appointing judges of the high court and that of appeal. This is because of the roles that the senior judges played in scrutinizing the various policies of the government, hence appointment by a government minister, would compromise their ability to efficiently undertake

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Essay NO. U2 P2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NO. U2 P2 - Essay Example These can be understood as part of the employability skills. For instance, the most required personal skills are flexibility and adaptability which means that employees are able to generate new ideas while also showing openness to different concepts presented to them. Moreover, people who have the ability of working independently are preferred most. An individual’s professionalism increases when he/she is able to act positively while maintaining all the required codes of ethics. Energy and positive attitude further helps in achieving difficult tasks. However, it should also be reflected in one’s personality, outlook, manners etc. Communication skills have very high significance when it comes to employability because an employee who does not have good verbal and written communication skills then he cannot work efficiently. These include the ability to maintain eye contact and clear pronunciation of words. Following are the most important communication skills: Open mindedness: Newly hired employees must have open mindedness towards their co-workers, managers and sub-ordinates. This will help them in generating positive emotions while respecting one another to a greater extent. It is usually helpful in outlining the skills, education and trainings required to perform by a job candidate. It helps employers to distinguish individuals on the basis of their application forms whereas employees also evaluate different work opportunities through the job description. It consists of following sub-sections: Attributes and requirements: In order to fulfill the organizational requirements employers outline certain attributes which they want to see in potential candidates. For instance, if the job requires machinery work then the specific machines to be used by the employee should be mentioned here. It also includes details about the work environment. Evaluation and

Monday, September 23, 2019

1. Discuss the significance of Valley Forge Essay

1. Discuss the significance of Valley Forge - Essay Example Conditions in the Valley Forge were poor and inhumane. Many men suffered hunger, cold, and diseases, and eventually many of them died2. Amid the underlying challenges in the valley, the troops, under the command of General Washington, stayed committed to their goal. It is this persistence and resilience that would eventually make the American Revolution a dream-come-true. The course of liberty remained true and alive in their hearts. The continental army’s immense suffering in the Valley Forge kept them expectant that things would get better. Against all odds, Valley Forge provided the troops with an opportunity to train, reorganize, and get ready to face the British. The army had eventually secured help and support that allowed it to embark to the revolutionary pursuit. In this respect, Valley Forge was a defining factor of the course that American Revolution would take after June, 1778. Essentially, Valley Forge had taught the troops that what awaited them was not a walk in the park. In conclusion, the success of the American Revolution was partially attributed to Valley Forge. Even though troops had suffered and died in the valley, the dream of a liberal America remained alive. North American break off the British Empire received a vital boost from the mature army that emerged from Valley Forge. Suffering, sacrifice, freedom, and liberty characterized the Valley Forge troop activity in the light of the American

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Mental instability Essay Example for Free

Mental instability Essay Through her Noon Wine novel, Katherine Anne Porter describes 1890s Texas settings that serve to build on the novel’s theme besides causing conflict at the end. For example, the author describes Mr. Royal Earle Thompson’s farm as barely productive primarily due to Thompson’s laziness. Strangely, Thompson holds that farm work is women’ work, indicating some mental instability in him. Amid such circumstances, Olaf Eric Helton comes to Thompson looking for work which he is promptly offered. Helton’s employment at the Thompson farm soon proves to be very beneficial. The farm miraculously becomes very productive, making Thompson to highly value Helton. The farmhand however has the strange habit of always remaining quiet and playing harmonicas. The arrival of Homer T. Hatch at the farm brings conflict since he intends to take Helton away from the farm. Thompson cannot give Helton away while Hatch wants to return the worker to a madhouse from which Hilton escaped years back. This incidence, which leads to Thompson mistakenly killing Hatch, amplifies the theme that both Helton and Hatch are insane in their unique ways (Porter 25). Firstly, the almost desperate way in which the Thompsons treasure Helton due to his remarkable good work, coupled with Hatch’s attempts at recapturing Helton, lead to a deadly conflict. A hallucinatory Thompson fatally hits Hatch, thinking that Hatch is killing Helton. This incidence shows that Thompson’s liking for Helton has built up to obsessive levels, where the farmer cannot bear seeing Helton move away. Moreover, Hatch’s disclosure of Helton’s past indicates that Helton is also insane. Porter’s theme of the presence of subtle madness in characters, Helton and Thompson, is thus supported by this conflict. In conclusion, Porters, Noon Wine description of the events surrounding the Thompson farm designate both Thompson and Helton as inherently mad. In addition, Hatch’s and Thompson’s contradictory acts lead to a concluding lethal conflict. Works Cited Porter, Katherine Anne. Noon Wine. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Schumans, 1937.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Cloud Computing Essay Example for Free

Cloud Computing Essay How did Ericsson benefit from Amazon Web Services (AWS)? According to Amazon’s Web Service website, it gives users the option to run just about everything using their service applications. By incorporating cloud computing, users are able to cut variable costs to a more attractive scale for the business by eliminating costly administrative and hardware fees. Due to remote access, Ericsson was able to immediately take advantage of AWS’s benefits since the infrastructure was already up and running. Demands change quickly and it’s important for a company to be able to adjust accordingly. By using the cloud system, Ericsson was able to employ software updates and new applications quickly and more effectively. AWS services hundreds of thousands of customers in more than 190 countries, making their global infrastructure far more expansive than competitors; this allowed Ericsson to have data centers in various parts of the world. According to information provided in the case study, Ericsson chose AWS because they felt it was â€Å"the most integrated public cloud provider in the Rightscale Cloud Management Platform (Rightscale)†. Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, and RightScale Amazon EC2 The AWS website describes Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) as a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud, making web-scale computing easier for developers. It also allows you to quickly scale capacity up and down if and when your computing requirements change. Because this system works on a â€Å"pay-as-you-go† method, you only pay for the capacity you use which is a great option from an economic stand point. Amazon S3 Amazon S3 is described quite simply on the AWS website—storage for the Internet. It makes a developer’s job easier by providing for more convenient Web-scale computing. It gives them access to the same high quality infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its global network. With Amazon S3, one can store any amount data, anywhere, and have total access to it at any time via the web. The main purpose of this service is to â€Å"maximize benefits of scale and pass them on to developers† (AWS Website, 2012). RightScale RightScale is your bridge between applications and your cloud infrastructure. It allows for easy deployment and management of apps across not only   public clouds, but private and hybrid ones as well. RightScale configures efficiently and also provides organizations with better overall command of the cloud computing infrastructure and applications. Server management is an important aspect of using the cloud, and with this service, the company can scale and monitor more effectively, enhancing control. Organizations view the portability of RightScale as a huge incentive because it provides for greater flexibility and less restriction in a sense of provider options. Security Concerns How to Cope With Them Naturally, with any cloud-based service, there are lots of security concerns, including but not limited to, recovery issues, who has access to sensitive information, and data location. Recovery Issues In the event that the organization loses information or experiences a tragic situation, the vendor who is sponsoring the cloud-based service should have a detailed and easily executable plan in place to resolve the issue and make the process of recovery as painless as possible. It’s also important that both parties agree to the terms beforehand to avoid any unnecessary disagreements and issues. User Access When an organization opts to use cloud-based computing, they release a level of control, to a certain degree. The vendor controls the cloud and their employees may have access to the client’s information. It’s vital that the client organization seek clarity on exactly who has that access and their credentials—level of expertise, exact job title and company responsibility, etc. Data Location The client organization wants to make sure they at least know what country the cloud system they are using is located in. There are some cases where the organization has no clue where the cloud they are utilizing is based and that could potentially be a problem. One way to ease concern would be for the client to suggest specific locations and ensure that company privacy will not be breached. One suggestion to cope with the afore mentioned security concerns would be a method called the â€Å"layered approach†. The good thing about this option is it not only offers protection for not only the organization, but the vendor as well. The multi-level technique makes for a layered defense model that keeps the company from totally relying on one option. Level one—physical security—would focus on monitoring the actual facility that houses servers and other sensitive equipment. Level two—network security—would ensure around-the-clock monitoring of the network by well trained personnel. Level three—intrusion detection—would control the traffic that enters and leaves the network, making sure that any possible intrusion would be detected immediately and handled accordingly. Level four—firewall management—these should be custom fitted for the organization. These are commonly used with organizations and provide that added cushion in the level of security. And finally, Level five—data encryption—should be maintained inside and outside the cloud. Because the information that is transmitted over the cloud is so sensitive, maintain a high level of security is extremely important. This is mainly the vendor’s responsibility; however, the client organization can absolutely make suggestions and requirements that personally cater to their needs. Scalability, Reliability, and Cost Issues Associated with Cloud Computing Organizations can easily capitalize on economies of scale and majorly cut costs because virtualization is the main vehicle for cloud-based computing. The need to purchase and maintain hardware and spend funds on administrative costs is basically eliminated. The mobility of the cloud network allows for total access of large amounts of data anywhere, anytime and companies find that to be a very attractive incentive. The only issue that may arise is network reliability—yes, the problem with data storage is limited and inexpensive; however, the probability of outages is unavoidable with this option. Cloud computing can become very expensive to install and get running; however, the fact that companies only pay for services they use is great! Eliminating the need to maintain subscriptions and licenses saves the company tons of money and makes running the infrastructure considerably more convenient. It is clear that the benefits outweigh the possible issues that may arise. Bibliography Ericsson Case Study. 2011. http://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/ericsson/ Security Techniques for Protecting Data in Cloud Computing. 2012. http://www.kaspersky.com/images/european_cup_2012_march5_Venkata%20Sravan%20Kumar%20Maddineni-10-141650.pdf Understanding Layered Security and Defense in Depth. 2008. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/security/understanding-layered-security-and-defense-in-depth/703

Friday, September 20, 2019

Leadership And Teamwork Skills In Caterpillar Management Essay

Leadership And Teamwork Skills In Caterpillar Management Essay The report which I have prepared tells about the ways by which leadership qualities and team success can be improved in an organization. Now days organizations are spending a lot of resources on training the employee to be a good industry leader for coming future. In addition to this organizations are also grooming employees by introducing training and development programs, so that employee can adapt themselves to work in a team. This will help the organization to achieve the optimized output and economic benefits. Introduction Every organization effectiveness and profitability depends on its leadership quality and teamwork. Better they are, better will be the productivity. Organizations goals and commitments can only be achieved, if there is a self regulatory teamwork. Teamwork not only develops the public relation skill in an employee but at the same time develops timely execution of work with accuracy and efficiency. An organization can still be successful if it has an efficient leader but inefficient team. If there is an efficient team and inefficient leader, the company will never be able to compete or be successful in a market. At the current time of recession, leaders visualize the changes need to bring in an organization and consider this periods as an opportunity to diversify them. In practical life it is been observed that leadership and teamwork goes hand to hand. They both are two sides of a coin; they both are mostly use in place of one another. It is very difficult to differentiate them. Leadership Discussion on leadership is not a new area of topic. It is been discussed and criticized from the ancient times. Leadership is very complex and it is applied universally but still there is no general definition of leadership as it is studied and practiced in number of ways, which require different definition of each. Kotter believes that leadership is not a trait with which a person is born with, it can be developed; it can be made perfect by exposing to the working environment of an industry or can be learned as life is an ongoing learning process at each single step (Kotter J. P, 1999). According to Stogdill, leadership is a process which involves social phenomena in which an employee exercises power and influences group or an entity behavior to achieve desired goals (Stogdill, 1974). Useem defines leadership as a Subject of making a difference in which an organization chooses reasonable alternatives to get a particular work done by mobilizing and motivating employee (Mullins L. J, 2009). Teamwork In todays world, time is a luxury. This in future will be very less so organizations give priority to the teamwork, as its speeds up the process. It is experienced that, when an employee of an organization work in a team. It makes an organization move ahead in a precise direction. This also make easy for them to implement changes (Kotter J. P, 1996). Katzenbach and Smith define teamwork as a small number of people with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose, performance and goal, and approach for which they are mutually accountable (Katzenbach and Smith, 1999). From a long time its been observed and debated that group work and teamwork are both different entity in an organization. They both distinct each other on the basis of the mutual responsibility for a common goal, In addition to this leadership style also differ in both of them. For example in teamwork there is a shared or a rotating leadership. Where as in a group there is a solo leadership (Robbins, 2005). As a consultant for Caterpillar, I will be going through their leadership and teamwork programme and will be giving them recommendation on ways of increasing leadership and teamwork success. C:Documents and SettingsadMy DocumentsMy Picturescaterpillar_logo.gif Leadership and teamwork qualities in Caterpillar Caterpillar is a multinational company with a turnover of 22.7 billion pounds and with its operation in more than fifty countries with manpower of 100,000. Caterpillar is not a manufacturer of a single product; it has a wide range of portfolio from Cat logistic, Cat financial, Cat rental to Cat cranes. Their success and increase in market share to large extent goes to its leadership qualities and teamwork success. In Caterpillar there are around 8500 leader and 6500 supervisors (Caterpillar Inc. annual report, 2003). Mr. Benjamin Holt is an owner of a Caterpillar, which come in fortune 500 companies and they are ranked 44. Mr. Benjamin Holt has the following leadership qualities: Diversity and safety: diversification in terms of race, customs or comprehensive knowledge or variety of different other thing which will lead to the new ideas. This at last will be beneficial for the development of a new product. For example, for this they recruited people from minorities group and females in there groups. He also believed, if there is less injury to his employees. Then number of days without work will be less. This will ultimately result in minimization of cost. So he always emphasis on safety of his employees (Kirkpatrick. D. L, Kirkpatrick J. D, 2006). Integrity: Mr. Benjamin believes that his company foundation is based on the honesty and the commitments which he makes with his employees, customers and business associates. Risk taker: after creating an impact on the American, South American and European countries. Now caterpillar is trying to invade Indian and china market with huge investments, as these markets are not catered with the services provided by them. (Caterpillar Inc. annual report, 2003). A leader in a caterpillar has the following role to play: Leader ensures the safety and the sustainability- Caterpillar believes that their success totally depends upon the safety and sustainability of their employee. So leader should encourage its counter employee that they apply these measures in daily life. Leader should also help the peer employ learn to do so (Orlemann. Eric. C, 2000). Transfer of knowledge- leader let it peer employ know about the various things going in the caterpillar by carrying out the meetings. Recoginisition of the employee-leader in caterpillar should find an employee who contributes a lot in the leadership of a company. Recruitment of a new talent-leader in a caterpillar recruits the new talent and makes them know about the goals and value caterpillar believes in so that they can be a future caterpillar leader (Leffingwell. Randy, 1994). Advocate and share success: leader in caterpillar shares success and accomplishments with its peer employees and advocate their rights in behalf of them in front of the top level of management Caterpillar believe that there leaders have following qualities which differ them from the rest of the industry leaders. These are urge for leadership, good command on language as well as they are self starter of in what so ever task they do. Leadership programme in Caterpillar Caterpillar gives training to its supervisors by placing them in the Caterpillar University College of leadership, so that they can understand and develop themselves for the different leader levels (Caterpillar, 2009). Caterpillar evaluates and tries to fill the gap between the existing leadership potential of a leader with the capability of leadership which caterpillar need to execute in its strategic vision (Caterpillar, 2009). Caterpillar recently introduced a course for its mid level and frontline leaders, which is known as six sigma course. This is basically employed to increase the efficiency and to reduce the time spent away from the job by leaders. In this leader were given class rooms lessons, proficiency and expertise practice. They were also taught about the caterpillar values and priorities. Caterpillar uses very distinct style to increase leadership among its leader. They call leaders from the different departments of company and make them debate on the specific problem, which they are facing currently. This kind of a debate leads to a solution. As a result leaders from different departments get knowledge, that how to tackle a problem. It also helps them in generating new idea, which is not only beneficial for their department but for other departments of company as well (Caterpillar, 2009). Caterpillar do not hire third party for training there leaders or supervisors (who will be future leader). They are been guided and taught by the high level management people, for example vice president or chief executive officer of a Caterpillar. As they believe that they are most respected people in the industry and they are the world class in their specific field (Development Dimension International, 2008). Team work in caterpillar Caterpillar believes that by working in the team they can achieve good results instead of working individually. They believe its good to share talent and knowledge with the employees we work with and live with. This will ultimately result in high productivity. Caterpillar believes that in teamwork there are number of members with different values and discipline, which will create a new idea. This can be helpful for company (Haddock. K Orlemann. E.C, 2001). As per S.P Robbins teamwork not only depends on the individual technical knowledge but it solely depends, how well they gel with one another (Robbins, 2005). Caterpillar applies teamwork, when they are manufacturing a same kind of a product or dealing with the other business entities then their own business. For example vendor development. As caterpillar is a multinational company with offices in so many countries, so they have to deal with various government regulations and economic policies this makes them form a team which provides flexibility to its manufacturing programme. Drawbacks in leadership and teamwork skills in Caterpillar as per me: Caterpillar still uses the taylorist model, in which the work is divided between the people. Which is of the same form of a work, they are been doing from the past many years. This does not upgrade their knowledge and innovation skills. Which s very important at the current situation, where there is uncertainty in market and lot of competition. As the employees need to perform repetitive work in a team, they will not be having the power of judgment and the skill of communicating socially. By making leaders debate on a problem, this can lead to a conflict between them. As all of them might be having different opinions and views. Caterpillar do not hire third party for the training of their leaders, they are trained by their seniors only. This kind of training is not successful as the leaders will not be able to know the various different ways, different leader think and tackle problems. Ways of increasing leadership skill in caterpillar Caterpillar needs to identify and recruit charismatic leaders. Who develops and visualizes the core vision. Who are willing to take the personal risk to achieve the pre determined vision, which they have set. At the same time, they are willing to react for its members need. For example John F Kennedy and Steve Jobs, they were the leaders who had these qualities and made their organization best among the best (Robbins S. P, Judge T. A, and Sanghi S, 2009). Caterpillar needs to customize the training and development program for its leader as per their needs and the requirement of organization. By seminars and speeches, leaders just get motivated. There is no effect on their performance. So there should be a customized training program. Caterpillar can apply a new technique to improve the quality of leadership among its leaders. In which they can pair highly skilled leaders with the newly elected leader and make them work for six to seven months. This will help the new leader to align his speed and skills with the highly skilled leader. This will ultimately increase the efficiency (Jared L. Bleak, 2007). Ways of increasing teamwork in Caterpillar Efficiency of teamwork can be increase if there are right people in a right team, with a right attitude. This can be judged by a job analysts appointed by an organizations (Harrington M. D, 1994). By making goal understand to each and every member of a team with the help of a flowchart or with Parteo chart, will result in a successful teamwork (Kattzenback. J and Smith. D, 1993). Caterpillar can increase the efficiency of teamwork by making members of each team, write goals and motive on their shirts. This will help them to create a positive environment and team spirit. For example General Electric practiced this and it resulted in a positive outcome (Harrington M. D, 1994). To increase the efficiency of teamwork, caterpillar needs to allow team members to make their own plan, inspect quality of work, of their own and plan their budget. This will make them committed to the Caterpillar (Larson. C and Lafasto. F, 1989). In teamwork, there are number of people from different backgrounds and culture. To minimize the chances of conflicts and individualism in a team. Caterpillar should organize get together events, where these members can socialize and build a strong relation. Caterpillar should start giving team incentives, as it will be beneficial in two ways. First it will induce team members to work hard to achieve the team goals. Secondly, there will be same incentive for each team member. So there will be no competition, there will be a atmosphere of cooperation and harmony (Cascio, 1995).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Review of Research Paper on Cold Perecption via TRPM8 -- Biology Nerve

Introduction: The first reaction to a minor wound or sprain is to apply ice. Cold's analgesic effects are a profound and under appreciated phenomenon. The nerve providing the sensation we know as cold acts to inhibit the "pain pathway." This wonderful nervous pathway is called TRPM8. This study indicates that the ion channel called "transient receptor potential melastatin 8", or TRPM8, is a primary component of cold sensation. Cultured nerve fibers devoid of this ion channel have considerably less response to the sub-ambient temperatures and cold-simulating chemicals that these nerves normally respond to fervently. Mice that have been genetically deprived of the TRPM8 channel also display a noticeable decrease in non-noxious cold sensitivity. Essentially without this component of the nerve, mice don’t notice mild cold, and actually have no particular preference to warmth. This appears to be true only for non-noxious temperatures (roughly above 12C in this case). Below that threshhold, it is thought that cold is perceived by thermal nociceptors as pain due to the extreme and potentially harmful aspects of severe cold. Methods: The analysis of this ion channel was observed on both the cellular and behavioral perspectives in an attempt to identify the biochemical properties and characteristics of the channel and the ramifications thereof in a model organism. Methods: Gene Deletion Overview: Gene Deletion: The researchers deleted a significant portion of the TRPM8 gene. This was done through PCR, digestion, and ligation, effectively stopping the production of TRPM8 ion channel. PCR or polymerase chain reaction is a process which uses enzymes and primers to amplify or modify a DNA sequence. Deletion is accomplished by ... ...ficient, producing concurrent and decisive data. TRPM8 plays a vital role in sesation of its temperature range. These observations lead to the fact that all senastion is a balance of multiple pathways. Any perceived stimulus is actually a complex combination of neurons all being stimulated differently and decifered by the brain. So when one is exposed to cold, the sensory cortex is actully receiving stimulus of the absence of heat, the pain, the local vascular changes, and cold each delivered by a specific neuron. This must be true for all sensations. Further definition of this fact could lead to break throughs in pain management, virtual reality, artificial flavor and scent stimulation, physical therapy or perhaps futuristic massage devices. Sources Nature magazine article "The menthol receptor TRPM8 is the principal detector of environmental cold "

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Global Positioning System: Decreasing Crop Chemical Application on wit

Decreasing Chemical Application with Technology Works Cited Not Included Many people may wonder why it is so important to decrease chemical application on the farm. When people go to the store they often do not think about what goes into the apple or piece of bread they eat. The more chemicals that farmers use on the crops that are sold to the general public increase the chance that those chemicals get into the food we eat. There are many ways that the government and farmers are trying to reduce the amount of chemicals they are using. These range from simply doing crop rotation to genetically modifying plants and animals. Some of the most common ways farmers are decreasing chemical application with technology are biotechnology, GPS units, and improved equipment. These are all ways that will help reduce the amount of chemicals that get from the field to the dinner table. Biotechnology refers generally to the application of a wide range of scientific techniques to the modification and improvement of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are of the economic importance. (Persley, Gabrielle pg. 1). Biotechnology has occurred in two stages. In the first stage, genetic modifications have included input traits such as pest resistance and herbicide tolerance, providing advantages to farmers in the production phase without changing the final product. The input traits of the first stages in genetically modified crops may increase farmers’ net profits through savings in production costs, reducing chemical use, increased flexibility in crops planted, and in some cases increased crop yield. The second stage of genetic modification will focus on output traits such as improved nutritional features and proc... ...nd more atomization fewer chemicals will have to be used and it will reduce the amount of chemicals that are wasted. In conclusion I hope that this information will help explain the ways that biotechnology, Global Positioning Systems and advanced equipment can help reduce the amount of chemicals that are used on the farm. Biotechnology is not a bad idea and is possibly the only way that we can keep up with ever changing weeds and pests. GPS system can help improve field records and give you more precise farming and will pay for themselves in the end. Last but not least always look for new advanced technology and don’t be afraid of it. Technology is always changing and every day there are new advances in this field that can help farmers produce more with fewer chemicals so that in the end fewer chemicals will reach the dinner table.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Leadership purpose reflective essay Essay

?After watching this interview, I feel that a well defined leadership purpose statement is the distinction between a good leader and a great leader. Carolyn McKnight’s interview on leadership purpose statements really opened my eyes to the power of these statements, and the time and energy one needs to put into creating a leadership purpose statement. At first it seemed that completing a statement this powerful would be a very daunting task. After watching Mrs. McKnight’s interview, I am confident in my ability to come up with a statement, and that I will have the courage to follow through with it. The most significant thing in a true leadership purpose statement is authenticity according to Mrs. McKnight. Webster’s defines authenticity as† real or genuine†. Taking this and Mrs. McKnight’s statements into account I took a minute to think about how authentic I am. I realized that I know myself well enough to know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. Another aspect of my life that makes me believe in my authenticity is that many people have told me they value my opinions. This is because I always tell them exactly how it is even when I know it is not what they want to hear. With this knowledge I am able to establish creditability and responsiveness with other people. The question was asked â€Å"How do you begin to determine leadership purpose? † Mrs. McKnight gave several examples of what one can do to find this. â€Å"What is the root of my life? † was one question she brought up that can help you find a purpose. I immediately identified the roots of my life as hard work, determination, and dedication. I attribute all my success in my life to these three principles. I started to think about failures that I have had in my life. It made me wonder if I would be able to find a place where I got off course and did not apply one of these principles. Another statement that stood out to me under this question was â€Å"Find what gives you meaning. † My achievements are what give me meaning. I learned more about why I feel this way after I took the Strenghts Finder assessment. It pointed out that I was an â€Å"Achiever† and could not be satisfied at the end of the day without feeling that I had achieved something. Every goal that I accomplish makes me feel more confident and more ambitious about what else I can achieve. Out of the examples she gave these are the two I think that will help me determine my leadership purpose statement. The part of the interview that discussed people struggling with conflict, with their leadership purpose was something that I really focused on. Early on in the interview an example was given that an â€Å"acorn will become an oak†. When the subject of struggle comes up Mrs. McKnight ensures us of this fact and mentions to not fight it. She goes on to talk about all the people pleasing we do throughout our lives. This was a huge eye opener to me because I notice my need to please people, like my family. This causes conflict with the telling it straight attitude that I try to maintain with the people in my life. When I find myself trying too hard to please people, I lose some authenticity and it weakens my purpose. She stated that we really need to find what we want and not what other people want for us. I can see myself struggling with this as I develop my leadership purpose statement. I liked that she mentioned having the courage to follow what you deeply want. To me, people who can follow a path to what they want while sticking to it through the good times and the bad are really courageous. Emotional intelligence was another key area brought up in the interview. The three areas that were brought up under this topic are self awareness, social awareness and self regulation. Our text book offers another interesting point that supports Mrs. McKnight’s insights. The text book says that mental intelligence will get you into a management position but it stops being helpful after entry into that position. A leader needs to have good emotional intelligence to continue to lead. Self awareness has to do with my purpose and I am working towards finding that in this class. I know that I worry about how other people perceive me but I do not think that is the same thing as recognizing it, which is social awareness. I think that I will have to spend some time mastering the first two elements of emotional intelligence before I can work on self regulation. I do not know how I can stick to a path and make corrections to get back to it, until I have established a clear path. There were some interesting comments made about behaviors that help us get closer to our purpose. A reflective practice of checking in twice a day was brought up. I thought about how I might do this and I know that I would struggle with this significantly. I worry about how honest I would be with myself, so I would have to check in with my wife or a close friend that will keep honest with my feelings. I would have never thought that some kind of physical activity would help me get closer to my purpose. After hearing Mrs. McKnight talk about these practices I can see how it would help. A great example of a physical activity that can help you is the one Mrs. Enders gave on how posture and stance help the way people perceive you as a leader. I hunch over, it is mainly because I am tall and do not like being overly imposing to others. It is something that I can work on physically that might help me with my purpose. The examples of purpose statements that were given were amazing. I think that the statement â€Å"I am a drop of water, flowing peacefully, showing love carving deep canyons out of granite† was an insightful statement. I think this will stay with me for a long time not because of how insightful I found it but because of the story that went with it. The fact that the CEO was able to recognize that he was not following his statement and quit his job in order to find a path back to it, was very inspirational. I want to have that kind of courage and belief in my purpose statement and I will think of this story heavily, while I am creating it. After watching this interview a few times in preparation for this paper, it really helped me get a grasp on the concept of a leadership purpose statement. This interview has given me a good set of tools for not only creating a good purpose statement, but knowing how to stay true to it, and knowing how to deal with obstacles I will face while trying to live by it. By taking the time to reflect on this interview I started to learn more about a subject I have not spent much time on; Myself.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Major Trends in Bank Management

The banking industry of the United States has experienced tremendous changes over the past few decades.   Regulation has had to keep up with the times, of course.   The three major changes that the banks of America have worked around in recent decades have required regulatory transformations in order to increase the profits of the banks and at the same time to make banking a more convenient facility on offer to the consumers, investors, etc.   Banks have merged and also ventured into the provision of nontraditional banking services to increase their revenues. An example of added convenience that the recent changes in the industry have brought about is the growing number of American banks in foreign countries.   Seeing that globalization has shifted a large number of American businesses into foreign markets as multinational corporations, the wisdom behind opening American banks in the self same foreign markets is apparent.   As a matter of fact, besides consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services, globalization is the third major trend that has faced the banking industry of the United States especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The McFadden Act of 1927 was an enemy of the expansion of U.S. banks.   By prohibiting banks from expanding across state lines, this Act was not only a barrier to competition but was also responsible for the establishment of a huge number of small banks with little to show in terms of assets.   Thanks to the loopholes that McFadden carried along, the Act was eventually repealed, but only after the states of America began to allow their banks to branch across state lines.   It was in 1975 that the state of Maine first allowed interstate branching unto its bank holding companies.   Other states of America developed their own banking regulations to the same effect, eventually to rule out the McFadden Act, which was actually replaced by the  Congress in the year 1994 when the Riegel-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act was passed. This new legislation allowed all U.S. banks to branch across state lines.   Consequently, there were important bank mergers that reduced the number of banks in the country, but did not decrease the number of physical banks or branches sprawled across the United States.   Many of the physical banks or branches of banks remained under the supervision of the big, merged banks.   Although economists believe that the big, merged banks should be experiencing economies of scale in addition to economies of scope, there is no evidence yet to suggest that the consolidated banks of America have indeed experienced economies of scale and scope.   At the same time, it has been shown that bank mergers have the capacity to check inefficiency.   When an efficient bank takes over an inefficient bank that did not fare too well during the McFadden days; there are obvious quality improvement implications. The second major trend that the banking industry of the U.S. experienced especially in the latter half of the twentieth century was concerned with the provision of nontraditional banking services.   Given that banks are functioning for the sake of profits – anything that threatens a source of bank revenue must be replaced by a different revenue source and the changes backed by regulation.   The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was an obstruction to the revenue generating function of U.S. banks. This Act prohibited banks from venturing forth into investment markets, allowing the financial markets alone to enjoy the blessings of the large corporate loans business.   Another loss facing the banks of the nation was a new regulatory requirement introduced during the 1980s making it mandatory for banks to keep a specified minimum ratio of equity capital to total assets. Fortunately, however, during the 1960s, the banks of the United States had already  begun to publicly decry the Glass-Steagall Act, ultimately to have it repealed and replaced by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.   Subsequently, today’s banks are permitted to provide a variety of nontraditional banking services, including interest rate swaps, financial futures, and financial options; and thereby increase their revenues.   Increases in bank profits are expected to lead to quality improvements also in the traditional banking areas. In addition to the above, the banks of the U.S., especially since the last two decades of the twentieth century, have increasingly assumed the responsibilities of globalization.   The Edge Act of 1919 had granted express permission to American banks to establish their subsidiaries abroad in order to ease the functioning of international business.   Even so, there were only eight U.S. banks with foreign branches until the 1960s. Today, there are more than one hundred U.S. banks with foreign branches – all making it easy especially for American businesses in foreign countries to transact with them.   As globalization has replaced the Cold War era in a period of unprecedented integration among markets and economies, a great number of foreign banks have also opened their branches in the United States.   These foreign banks in the U.S. were by and large unregulated until the year 1978.   The International Banking Act of 1978 changed this to mandate that all foreign banks must also be regulated like the local (American) banks in the country. Even though globalization arrived full-fledged at the banking industry during the last two decades of the twentieth century, its signs had begun to appear as early as 1960s.   During that time, the Regulation Q, putting a ceiling on interest rates in the United States, had compelled a huge number of investors to move into European markets where regulations were relatively  relaxed.   Eurodollars were created when the U.S. dollars began to move out of their home country to be deposited into and borrowed from banks that were outside the country. The Eurobond market, for long-term investment, was similarly created outside the United States, albeit committed to transactions in U.S. dollars in countries where regulations were more relaxed than in the U.S.   These countries were not just in Europe, however.   The Bahamas and the Caymans, for example, played an active role in the Euromarket because of little or no regulation as well as nearly zero taxation. The most recent development in the banking industry in the area of globalization has been the permission granted by Federal Reserve for the establishment of International Banking Facilities.   Allowed since 1981, these special facilities are based in the U.S. and largely unregulated.   The only condition that these International Banking Facilities are required to meet is twofold: (1) International Banking Facilities should only deposit money that comes to them from outside the United States; and (2) They must only lend to borrowers that are based abroad.   American multinational corporations in foreign countries may also avail the services of International Banking Facilities.     This kind of departmentalization in terms of the sources and uses of funds is meant to add to the convenience of banking.   Furthermore, the creation of International Banking Facilities, plus the changes that the banking industry has experienced in terms of consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services; proffer evidence that the regulatory agencies are in fact committed to the improvement of business in general.   

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Study about The Impact of Parental Separation

This study explores the impact of parental separation/divorce can have on a child's learning and development in the primary school classroom. The broad aim of the study was to explore teachers' classroom experiences of parental separation/divorce and its effect on teaching learning and development. The researcher aimed to gather an in depth and rich account of these experiences in the primary school classroom. This current chapter critically explores the most appropriate methods and tools that were used to gather data for this study. The researcher evaluates and outlines the design method undertaken, the participants that were involved and the materials that were used to gather the information and data relating to this study. Ethical considerations are also outlined in this chapter.3.2 Aims of the studyHaving reviewed the literature on the topic of ‘the effect parental separation/divorce can have on a child's learning and development' it is evident that there is a lack of Irish research conducted on the area. A breakdown in a family structure is becoming more common with 1 in every 10 marriages in Ireland ending in separation/divorce (Rainbow, 2018) with the figure of marriage separation rising from 116,194 in 2011 to 118,178 in 2016 (CSO, 2016). For this reason this study aims to provide an insight into the effect this breakdown in family structure is having on a child's learning and development. This study aims to investigate to what extent does parental/separation divorce has on a child's learning and development and if it has an effect on a child's emotions, behaviour, capacity to learn and concentration in the classroom and whether teacher's feel they have the adequate training to aid and help children during this change in their lives.3.3 Research DesignIn deciding on a research design for the study, the researcher considered both quantitative and qualitative approaches. According to (Patton ; Cochran, 2002) qualitative research ‘is characterised by its aims, which relate to understanding some aspect of social life, and its methods which (in general) generate words, rather than numbers, as data for analysis and seeks to build a holistic and narrative description of a social or cultural phenomenon (Gall, Borg & Gall, 1996). Qualitative approaches to research involve emerging questions and procedures, typically collecting data in the participants' setting, and analysing data inductively (Creswell, 2014). However, quantitative research ‘generally produces objective numerical data that are generated without influence on behalf of the researcher' (Denscombe, 2010). It emphasises precision and sets out to explain phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analysed using mathematically based methods, and seeks to minimise bias and maximise objectivity (Rubin ; Babbie, 2010). Therefore taking both methodologies into account the researcher decided on a mixed- methods methodology approach for the purpose of this research. The qualitative data provided an insight into the various ways children may be impacted by parental separation/divorce and the teachers own experiences and views in this area. On the other hand the quantitative data provided a numerical data insight into the extent of the way a child may be impacted by parental separation/divorce and the teachers own views and opinion's on the key area it can have an impact on and how prepared they feel they are to help a child through this change in their lives. In conclusion a mixed method approach enabled the researcher to gain rich and valuable information for the research and facilitated the research to achieve a full picture of the impact parental separation/divorce may be having on a child's learning and development in the primary school classroom.3.4 Data collectionIn order to collect the data the researcher interviewed 3 teachers who each taught different levels in the school; junior, middle and senior ends of the school. The interviews were face to face and semi-structured using open ended questions and all 3 interviews were voice recorded. In order for the research to be fully representative of the sample the researcher conducted the interviews on teachers who taught in 3 different schools incorporating both town and country schools. One participant was a teacher in a country school in 5th and 6th class, another participant was a teacher in a populated town school in 3rd and 4th class and the final participant was a junior and senior infant teacher in a small country school. The class sizes varied from 21 pupils to 32 pupils with each participant stating they had a variety of ethnicities and learning support needs in the class. The aim of the interviews was to focus on the participants' own experiences of the impact of parental separation in the classroom, and the researcher decided on an unstructured interview approach. The intention of the researcher was to build a rapport with the participants create a narrative about their subjective experiences of this area. During the interviews, many of the questions were spontaneous and built on the experiences of the teachers and their own opinions surrounding the area of parental separation/divorce and its effects it can have on a child's learning and development and the questions came as part of the natural interaction between researcher and participants. The unstructured approach allowed the researcher to ask questions as and when they were appropriate, and to further explore particular themes of interest the participant had. In order for the researcher to encourage a degree of consistency during the interview process among the 3 participants the researcher employed the use of an aide memoire to help guide the focus of the interview without disrupting the natural course of the discussion. The interviews were recorded and were later transcribed for analysis. The recording of the interviews enabled the researcher to interact fully with the participant through the full interview and also permitted the researcher to provide a full textual account of the entire interview and everything that was said and highlighted. In the same context the survey's created employed a non bias approach, using a broad array of questions in order to not direct or lead the participant and also to ensure that a full rich picture of the teacher's opinions and experiences are gathered. The survey was created online and included 8 questions. These 8 questions ensured to not be misleading and aimed to reflect a teacher's own views understanding and knowledge around the area of parental separation/divorce and the impact it can have on a child's learning and development.3.5 Data analysisThematic analysis was used in this study to analyse and interpret the data. This section provides an overview of th e thematic analytical method and outlines its procedural application to the data collected in this study. Thematic analysis is a comprehensive process where researchers are enabled to identify numerous cross references between the data and the research's evolving themes (Hayes, 1997). An inductive approach was therefore used to identify the themes. Similarly, (Marshall and Rossman, 2006) recommended that immersion in and familiarity with the research is an essential stage. Following this recommendation, the researcher transcribed each interview, thus familiarising herself with the data. Inductive analysis involved the process of discovering patterns and codes in the data (Patton, 2002). The researcher developed patterns by keeping notes on the transcripts that related to a fascinating and relevant point and used highlighters to link these codes together. It was important for the researcher to not have pre conceptions when conducting the interviews and analysing the surveys, consequently the researcher â€Å"has to explore and understand the social world through the participants' and their own perspectives; and explanations can only be offered at the level of meaning rather than cause† (Snape and Spencer as cited in Ritchie and Lewis, 2003, p. 23). As a result the researcher ensured that all the data collected was reliable and dependable to provide clear, concise and meaningful conclusions from the data.3.6 Ethical considerationsPrior to undertaking this study, ethical approval was sought and granted by the HiberniaCollege Ethics Committee. This study was therefore conducted to the highest ethical standards in line with the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (BERA, 2011). When considering the ethical considerations, data protection guidelines were taken into account by the researcher. The researcher ensured that all data will be stored safely and securely in encrypted data files and hard copies of transcripts will be kept in a locked filing cabinet and all other identifiable data such as the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of participants will be stored separate from other data collected in order to ensure anonymity and confidentiality is upheld. The participants were also informed in their consent letter that they had access to the data. Keeping in line with the guidelines the researcher ensured that each participant received a clear information letter about the research area and their role. It stated that anonymity and confidentiality will be ascertained at all times. Before each interview, the participants signed a consent form and also informed that they were permitted to end the interview process at any time they wished. The prospective participants were then given time to consider their participation, without any duress, and were later contacted by the researcher for their decision. Throughout the data collection process, all interactions were carried out in a respectful and considerate manner. Interviews were conducted in the spirit of partnership, without manipulation. The names participants were not used on interview recordings and transcripts, and any identifiable information was stored separate from this data. Throughout the data collection and data analysis the researcher ensured complete commitment, reliability and integrity. In accordance to Hibernia College Dublin the data will be kept for three years after the completion of the dissertation. The researcher will ensure that the data collected is only used for the purpose for which it was gathered and will not be shared with a third person.3.7 LimitationsFirstly, the lack of experience the researcher had on conducting interviews arose as a possible limitation for conducting the research and collecting the data. In order for the researcher to gain experience and confidence in conducting interviews the researcher performed mock interviews with 3 student teachers. The mock interviews ensured that the researcher would not highlight opinions or response through facial expression and also show no bias towards the interview questions and topic (Bryman, 2004; Cohen et al., 2005 ; Reynolds, 1979). This aided the researcher when conducting the interviews with the 3 teachers to collect the data. Secondly, the interviews were semi-structured and conducted with teachers from 3 different schools. This took up a lot of time and had additional drawback on travel costs. Finally the online surveys also had its disadvantages. As the surveys were online a lot of people (teachers) tend not to take the time to complete them in comparison to a hardcopy. As a result it took longer than expected for the researcher to get back the quota of answers that was needed to give an accurate representation of the data.3.8 ConclusionIn conclusion, this chapter provided an analysis on how the researcher collected the data, taking into consideration the most appropriate methodology for this study. The researcher chose to use a mixed methods approach to collect and analysis the data collect during this research as it gives a layer of depth and validity to the research. The data collection methods complimented each other and provided valuable findings which will be presented in the next chapter. The interview process and survey analysis will allow the researcher to gain an insight into the opinions and experiences of teachers from different backgrounds, various areas and different class levels. Following the chosen appropriate methodology, the researcher took into consideration the participants, materials, method design, ethical considerations and data analysis. The participants in the study gave their informed consent to the research, their anonymity and confidentiality maintained, and they will have access to the data and findings if desired. The participants of the interview were made feel comfortable during the interview process using the appropriate interview skills. The next chapter will outline the main findings of the present research which utilised a mixed-methods approach.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Marriott Corporation: the Cost of Capital Essay

Dan Cohrs of Marriott Corporation has the important task of determining correct hurdle rates for the entire corporation as well as each individual business segment. These rates are instrumental in determining which future projects to pursue and thus fundamentally important for Marriott’s growth trajectory. This case analysis seeks to examine Marriott’s financial strategy in comparison with its growth goals as well as evaluate a detailed breakdown of Marriott’s cost of capital – both divisionally and as a whole. Financial Strategy and Growth Marriot’s current financial strategy is in line with its overall goal of steady growth. By building and then promptly selling their hotels to limited partners, the company recoups its costs almost immediately. They then run the hotels, taking a 20% cut of the profits in addition to a 3% management fee. This results in fast, stable returns, which is good for continued growth. They may run into issues with overexpansion in the future, but for the time being, their strategy is sound. The other elements of Marriott’s financial strategy are also in line with their overall goals. By seeking projects that would increase shareholder value and repurchasing undervalued shares, they ensure that the value of their equity does not decrease. When coupled with the use of debt in the company’s capital structure, they are creating a good framework for future growth. Cost of Capital – Lodging and Restaurant Divisions We begin with an analysis of hurdle rates for the Lodging and Restaurant divisions, for which public comparable company figures are provided, to back into cost of capital for Contract Services in the next section, for which public comparables are not available. Restaurant D/V D/E ÃŽ ²lev ered ÃŽ ²unlev ered Church’s Chicken 4.0 % 0.04 0.75 0.73 Frisch’s 6.0 % 0.06 0.60 0.58 Collins Foods 10.0 % 0.11 0.13 0.12 Luby’s Cafeterias 1.0 % 0.01 0.64 0.64 McDonald’s 23.0 % 0.30 1.00 0.86 Wendy’s Int. 21.0 % 0.27 1.08 0.94 Rf 8.72 % Market Premium 7.92 % Median ÃŽ ²unlev ered 0.685 Target Debt % 42 % ÃŽ ²lev ered 0.962 Cost of Equity 16.57 % Cost of Debt 10.52 % WACC 12.08 % Lodging D/V D/E ÃŽ ²lev ered ÃŽ ²unlev ered Hilton 14.0 % 0.16 0.88 0.81 Holiday 79.0 % 3.76 1.46 0.47 La Quinta 69.0 % 2.23 0.38 0.17 Ramada 65.0 % 1.86 0.95 0.47 Rf 8.95 % Market Premium 7.92 % Median ÃŽ ²unlev ered 0.468 Target Debt % 74 % ÃŽ ²lev ered 1.213 Cost of Equity 18.56 % Cost of Debt 10.05 % WACC 8.98 % For these two divisions, we found the unlevered beta for each company in the division’s peer set, then relevered the median of this set with respect to Marriott’s target debt percentage of 74% and 42% for Lodging and Restaurant divisions, respectively, as a proxy for Marriott’s Lodging levered beta. The risk-free rates are based on U.S Treasury interest rates: we used the 30-year for Lodging and the 10-year for Restaurant due to the longevity of the assets in each respective division. Lodging assets consist mostly of real estate and have lives spanning decades, while restaurants are more likely to have a life cycle closer to 10 years. The geometric average in 1987 for the spread between the S&P 500 and U.S. Government Bonds at 7.92% is used as the market risk premium in all cases, and the cost of debt is calculated by adding the debt rate premium for each division to each division’s risk free rate. A tax rate of 44.1% is extrapolated by dividing income tax expense by EBT in the historical financials. With the entire infrastructure in place, we can calculate each division’s cost of equity through the CAPM model: Cost of Capital – Contract Services Division Comparable companies are not given for the Contract Services Division, but information about the division can be backsolved using some simple algebra as we are given Marriott’s balance sheet breakdown by segment in Exhibit 2: Since it is given that Marriott’s unlevered beta is .97, its tax rate is 44.1%, and has 60% debt in its capital structure, we can unlever to see that Marriott as an entire firm has an unlevered beta of .79. Assuming that Marriott’s unlevered beta can be calculated as a weighted average of its divisions’ betas based on identifiable assets, we can find Contract Services unlevered beta by solving: Using some algebra, this yields an unlevered beta of 1.55 for Contract Services. Relevering with the 2/3 desired debt-to-equity ratio yields a levered beta of 2.13. This time, we use the 1-day risk-free rate due to the even shorter lifespan of contracts. Cost of Capital – Marriott as a Whole There are several ways to approach Marriott’s cost of capital as an entire firm. One way is to use CAPM to find its cost of equity, long-term interest rates for the cost of debt, and weigh according to its capital structure to find WACC. Under this method, we lever the previously found firm-wide ÃŽ ²U of .79 to the desired 3/2 debt-to-equity ratio to find a cost of equity of 17.12%. Next, we apply the CAPM using the 10-year Treasury for 1987 Assets % of total ÃŽ ²unlev ered Lodging 2777.4 60.6 % 0.47 Contract Services 1237.7 27.0 % Restaurants 567.6 12.4 % 0.68 Total 4582.7 100.0 % Contract Services Rf 6.90 % Market Premium 7.92 % ÃŽ ²unlev ered 1.550 Target Debt % 40 % ÃŽ ²lev ered 2.131 Cost of Equity 23.78 % Cost of Debt 8.30 % WACC 16.12 % the risk-free rate and the one-year arithmetic return for 1987. We use the arithmetic rather than geometric since CAPM is a one-period model. For Marriott’s cost of debt, we add the credit spread of 1.3% to the ten-year Treasury yield of 8.72%. Plugging all these variables into CAPM, we arrive at a WACC of 10.53%. Another method to finding Marriott’s cost of capital is by taking a weighted average of its three segments. Since its three segments have different business models – it may be helpful to see the cost of capital as a mix of its three divisions rather than an aggregate Marriott unit. Weighing each division by the same weights in the Contract Services section, we calculate that WACC is 11.3% A couple of items to note on Marriott’s firm-wide cost of capital are noted here. Marriott’s WACC measures the cost of capital for the whole Marriott Corporation. Marriott has three lines of business –each line of service has its unique cost of deb t and beta, so when valuing investments in those three service lines, we would use their own WACC instead of using Marriott’s WACC. If the firm only uses one hurdle rate for evaluating investment opportunities in each line of business, it may accept or reject some investment project improperly. From the question below we already found that the WACC for lodging and restaurants is not the same. So for example, if just using one hurdle rate, like 10%, to evaluate the project among these two line of service, the lodging service may reject this project while the restaurant service may accept it. Appendix Below are the costs of equity, debt, and capital for all of Marriott as well as its three divisions. Weight WACC Lodging 0.60606 8.98 % Contract Services 0.27008 16.12 % Restaurants 0.12386 12.08 % 11.30 % Contract Marriott Lodging Restaurant Services Cost of Debt 10.02 % 10.05 % 10.52 % 8.30 % Cost of Equity 17.12 % 18.56 % 16.57 % 23.78 % Cost of Capital 10.53 % 8.98 % 12.08 % 16.12 %

Disadvantages of Using Cell Phone in School Essay

The initial intention (for giving the handphone) is to provide facilities for us to know where our kids are but we must think twice before doing so. I advice parents to know how to adopt the technology before giving a mobile phone to their child. For instance, you must know if the phone given to your child only has the basics or if it’s more than that. But I still oppose just giving a basic phone. For me, not giving a phone is the best solution. Having a phone opens up the opportunity for others to do bad things. We want to minimise the risk factors. Problems in school with not doing the homework because of the handphone. I believed that using cell phones during class will cause distraction. It doesn’t matter to students that they are not allowed to use their cell phones while they are in class, they do it anyway. They often send text messages to each other and this can distract them from their education, as well as distract the person they are texting, which is likely to be another student. Many people call this the new way of passing notes. Besides that, Another drawback of allowing cell phones is that they can be used to cheat during quizzes and exams. A student could receive silent text messages from a friend that has already taken a certain exam during a test. It is obviously that when students use their cell phones at school, it makes rumors spread faster. This is because, everyone has access to a cell phone and when somebody hears a rumor, they send a text message to their friend to tell them about it, and their friend sends a text message to another friend, and so on. Some also think that the fast spreading of rumors makes it more likely that the rumors will worsen as it is being spread, and that the quicker it spreads, the worse it gets. In some reasons, I felt that cell phones do not improve school safety. For example when there is an emergency, cell phone signals become jammed if everyone attempts to contact people at once. This can make it difficult for teachers to contact the authorities. If students do successfully contact their parents, parents may all rush to the scene, which can conflict with evacuations or other responses. If students contact their parents, parents will all rush to the scene, which brings conflict or other responses. We are more concerned about the bigger consequences of having a handphone like social problems such as bully and harrashment via mobile phones. Student tends to misused the mobile phone, by recording video of students bullying other students. If there are risks involved and you have calculated and you know that the risks won’t benefit you, why take the risk? Better not to have the risk at all by not giving them a handphone.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Explore strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in Essay

Explore strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people .Challenging Practice, S - Essay Example Within the healthcare sector, the care of older adults is often filled with discriminatory practices, mostly in relation to the fact that they are no longer productive members of society and that their life expectancy is low (Katz, et.al., 2012). It is therefore common to witness the negative approaches that healthcare givers manifest towards older adults. The government through the Department of Health also believes that these patients are too old to engage in health promotion strategies (NMC, 2008). In general therefore, these older adults are often subjected to abuse in the health care system. Under these conditions, I have discovered the importance of reporting the abuse and neglect of these patients. This topic shall assess strategies that nurses can adopt in order to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people. I chose this topic because I want to increase my knowledge in effective ways, to challenge the practice and in turn, improve the services offered to these patients. Health inequalities include age discrimination, budget cuts for older adult care, neglect, as well as not being treated with dignity and respect (NMC, 2008). The Nursing and Midwifery Code (2008) specifies that older adults must not be discriminated against in their healthcare; instead, they must be treated with dignity and respect. ... This paper shall now explore the strategies that nurses can adopt to challenge practice in relation to the care of older people. Body In the effective management of elderly adults, relevant leadership theories include the trait theory, situational-contingency theory, and the transformational theory (Taylor, 2009). The trait theory discusses how leaders are often born with the traits they need in order to be good and effective leaders. Moreover, this theory also suggests that there are specific personalities and behaviour which make the person a good leader (Taylor, 2009). Qualities like assertiveness, confidence, intelligence, as well as sociability are therefore essential skills allowing natural leaders to emerge (Curtis, et.al., 2011). Leaders are born, according to the trait theory and specific behaviour and qualities in individuals are needed in order to ensure effective leadership (Curtis, et.al., 2011). Another theory relevant in nursing leadership is the situational-contingenc y theory. Based on this theory, leaders evaluate specific situations and their actions would be based on these situations they face (Bolden, et.al., 2003). Under these conditions, the situation, the leader, and the follower are part of the theory. For situational leadership, there is a recognition of the fact that there is no single type of leadership which can work for every situation or person, and that leadership is based on the specific qualities of the situation (Taylor, 2009). In some cases, an autocratic leadership may work well, especially under emergency conditions; however, in other instances, the more democratic style of leadership may work better. Finally, transformational theory may also apply

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Nike's business level strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nike's business level strategy - Research Paper Example The age group of this segment are between 15 to 35 years old and Nike develops its brand towards this segment by investing heavily in its advertising campaign. It does so by forging agreements with iconic athletes such as Manny Pacquiao, Kobe Bryant etch who also serves as its spokesperson lending to the success of its first experiement with Michael Jordan with its Nike Air. Nike also supports popular teams due to to their reach and influence to their target market. To avoid dilution of its brand, Nike instead used its subsidiary in reaching other segments. For example, instead of venturing into premium dress and casual wear that would dilute the Nike brand, it instead used the brand Cole Haan to tap into that segment market. The same case applies to snoboarding, skating and surfing which Nike has a brand has not established itself. Instead, it used its subsidiary Hurley International to tap into that market. Umbro specializes in soccer equiptments, apparel and footwear which is surprisingly a Nike subsidiear. This subsidiaries which Nike uses allow it to have an additional 13% revenue in 2009 by tapping into this market segment. In sum, Nike was able to capitalize its brand by investing heavily in advertising and forging partnership with athletes and teams who has a tremendous influence in the age group (15-35) of their segment market. Nike became the leading brand in sports apparel due to the interplay of various functional units in its organization. It is obvious that it popular brand which is responsible for its marketing appeal to its target market is due to heavy investment in advertising which is a function of its marketing department. There are also other functional units that help drove Nike to be a highly innovative and competitive sports apparel company. Its sophisticated IT infrastructure and supply chain are able to effectively reach and deliver product to its target markets

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

SDLC Application on IT infrastructure of UMUC Student Healthcare Case Study

SDLC Application on IT infrastructure of UMUC Student Healthcare - Case Study Example ervice Clinic by providing a detailed information of the Development Life Cycle including the use of Servers, backups Emailing, Internet Accessibility and Software’s used in Clinical Computer System. An information system can be defined as the use of computer hardware and software to process data into information to solve a problem. The term Clinical Information System (CIS) refers to a group of systems used within a Clinic that support and enhance health care. The CIS comprises two major types of information systems: Clinical Information Systems and Administrative Information Systems. Clinical information systems are large, computerized database management systems that support several types of activities: medical, nursing, laboratory, diagnostic, pharmacy, radiology. Administrative information systems support the process of client care by managing non-clinical, client-related information, including demographics, codes for procedures and insurance. Clinical and administrative information systems may be designed to meet the needs of one or more departments or functions within the organization. They can be implemented as stand-alone systems, or they may work with other systems to provide information sharing and seamless functionality for the users. A SDLC is the traditional method used by organizations for large IT projects. The SDLC entails of sequential processes by which information systems are developed: analysis, design, programming, testing, implementation, and maintenance. A Clinical Information System is a complex system, and Clinic Attendants have a key role to play in practically all phases of its development. The beginning of the (life) cycle is a clear vision of the business process. What do we want to do with the new system? How are we going to do it? What do we need for the system to operate efficiently? So, we must determine the purpose and goals of the project, assure the necessary financial resources, carry out cost-benefit and feasibility

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Power of Thinking or Feelings in Crest and Vaseline Advertisements Essay

The Power of Thinking or Feelings in Crest and Vaseline Advertisements - Essay Example Vaseline persuasively uses pathos because of its emphasis on the word â€Å"feel,† so that the audience can â€Å"feel† its sincerity regarding the benefits of its product, and then it expounds on the scientific backup of these benefits to fully convince the audience that it is the best lotion in the market. The main positioning statement of the ad is â€Å"feels good, does well.† The statement is simple, but its meanings are varied. Vaseline uses the words â€Å"feel† and â€Å"good† to underline emotions. It is stating that its lotion feels good on the skin while providing emotional benefits too. Instead of just stressing its ingredients, it centers on the resulting â€Å"feelings,† which is related to â€Å"goodness.† Another impact of the feelings of goodness is having a good day. When people feel good, they tend to do well in school, work, and home. Feeling good starts the day with happiness and improves quality of life. After the short introduction on what the product makes consumers feel, a longer explanation is below it, where scientific words are added. The long paragraph stresses that the product is the â€Å"next generation† of Vaseline lotion, which suggests that it is current and not an â€Å"old† formula. The words â€Å"pure† and â€Å"natural† make Vaseline a â€Å"natural† product, even when it has chemicals too. The main goal is to relate Vaseline with the goodness of â€Å"Nature,† but one that is scientifically tested and perfected. The words â€Å"new formula† and â€Å"infuse moisture deep down† accentuate that the product is the latest tested formula that goes beyond other usual lotions. The â€Å"rich feel and glowing skin† is a suitable end, since many consumers want their skin feeling smooth and looking young and fresh. To reinforce its sincerity further, another strategy of Vaseline is its â€Å"Money Back Guarantee.† The ad has a blue stamp, a stamp that symbolizes something assured and permanent. It contains the words â€Å"Vaseline Promise.† The word promise is like a friend making a promise to another friend. If customers will not feel the difference after using the product, Vaseline challenges them to return the lotion to it. This way, customers feel secure in using the product. Again, positive feelings take center stage. The ad starts with good vibes, the vibes of feeling and looking good. Then, it follows up the good vibes with a promise of â€Å"money back,† if these â€Å"feelings† are not attained. Vaseline effectively uses matching words and promises to convey a strong message of skin luxuriousness to its audiences. The font and white background highlight that Vaseline has nothing to hide. The font of â€Å"feels good, do good† is sans serif, which makes it informal and playful. It does not even start with a capital letter and does not end with a period. Th e way it is written looks hip and young. In other words, it exudes with innocence. The white background suggests purity too.  

Monday, September 9, 2019

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency - Assignment Example Virtues are the good behavior and morals aimed at promoting good and peaceful coexistence between people and doing good both to oneself and others (David, 77). I prefer that ethics is a real requirement for living in life since without it, the human actions are random and useless. There would be no way to choose between a good goal and a wrong one if there will be none to choose upon. I personally view myself as believing in having virtues to be very important in life. This is because moral goodness is important for peaceful coexistence amongst people in the society. An example is the importance of the virtue of chastity especially among women in my community (David, 34). This will create peace in the community. Another example is the importance of the virtue of patience in society. Moral agency is also important to me very much. It is good to act properly in accordance to the community’s notion. Since everyone has the freedom of choosing what to do, I am always for the choice of doing the right just to avoid problems in

Sunday, September 8, 2019

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

Market Invironment Project - Essay Example The R+D ensures that restaurant always offer top quality products and varied, popular flavors to its customers. The restaurant uses the innovative concept of â€Å"speed scratch cuisine†, for noticing the public on the means of obtaining faster services from their store. Preparation of products and services in Montaditos is in the presence of diners, who provide ranging natural ingredients where numerous products can be selected to create their favorite Montaditos. The restaurant works with high-speed partners and top-flight suppliers, to provide and guarantee their customers a wide range of products including drinks, salads, among other culinary items. Restaurant Services and professional employees are capable of leading the restaurant to success in South Miami market. The restaurant operates at varied times in different days of the week and makes to be reliable for all categories of customers. Form Monday to Wednesday and Sunday, the restaurant opens from eleven in the morning to eleven at night. On Thursday, the restaurant operates until midnight. (100Montaditos, 2011) On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant extends its services to one in the morning from eleven in the morning. Ideally, 100 Montaditos is a good place for children since it is a place of moderate noise and provides its services in entirely in casual attires. The ambience of the restaurant is also casual. The restaurant offers its services to anyone, but does not have waiters or Wi-Fi system; also, it does not offer reservations or deliveries. Moreover, the restaurant is suitable for group meetings and it is a good place for dinner and lunch. Additionally, the restaurant has a garage as well as a wheelchair for persons with such special needs. 100 Montaditos offers drinks includin g soft drinks, wine and beer. The restaurant’s management accepts payments in cash and credit card terms. Finally, it has TV as a form of