Domino’s marketing mix Essay

Domino’s Pizza has chosen a market follower strategy. The product positioning of Domino’s is delivery in 30mins or less pizza to every customers. At such product promise, Domino’s able to implant the top of mind in customer’s mind. The product mix has evolved to include pizza, salads, sandwiches, chicken wings and specialty desserts. Whereas, Pizza Hut has always followed â€Å"Single brand positioning† called â€Å"Pizzas†. Pizza Hut also goes with multiple product strategy as Pizza Hut not only sells pizzas, they also deals with variety of other product such as appetizers, beverages, chicken wings. Pizza Hut more emphasize on the dining experience and food quality. Pizza Hut mainly sells Pan Pizzas, Stuffed Crust Pizzas, Thin Crust Pizzas, and Twisted Crust Pizza. Papa John’s against current national and local take-and-bake companies or non take-and-bake companies. They also serve pasta and rice, pizza pocket, soups and salads. Papa John’s resources are its commissary and high quality ingredients as it is raw materials. _PRICING (MALAYSIA PRICING)_ _BRAND_ _SMALL/ REGULAR/ LARGE_ _STANDARDIZED ORDINARY PIZZA PRICE_ Domino’s Rm11.80/Rm 24.80/ Rm 34.80 Pizza Hut Rm9.80/ Rm 21.80/ Rm 30.80 Papa John’s Rm12.50/Rm 23.90/ Rm 32.50 _* Current pricing list of Pizza Company in Malaysia._ From the table we can see that Pizza hut offers the best deal of ordinary pizza out of Domino’s and Papa John’s. The price range of pizza is RM10-RM35 excluded tax and service charge. Mostly the high price attributed to the high quality of ingredients used. For example, Domino’s sourced its Pepperoni and Jalapeno needs from Australia and Spain respectively. Meanwhile Pizza Hut implementing â€Å"A high/low pricing† strategy as far as its new product are concerned where it fixes the price higher than its competitors and then gradually lowers the price below the competitor’s price. Papa John’s utilizes the point-of-sale technology in all outlets in the mean time; Papa John’s also currently follows a low cost differentiation strategy for its production policy. _PROMOTIONS (PROMOTIONS APPLICABLE IN MALAYSIA ONLY)_ In the aspect of sales promotions, there are customer’s claimed that Domino’s actually offering the best deal of the price. This is because Domino’s is having an offer which customers who order up to two regular pizzas only cost RM 30. Pizza Hut is using a marketing strategy in order to capture consumer’s philosophy by selling their personal pizza and every day $10 large pizzas offer. Papa John’s do has its promotions where customers buy any medium or large pizza will get same size of another pizza for free on Tuesday only. From the aspect of media advertising, Pizza Hut has always been named for the good advertising. Pizza Hut has widely promoted by all kinds of advertisement through television, radio, newspaper. In Malaysia, we seldom see Domino’s and Papa John’s advertisement on television but frequently heard from radio or print media. Basically all pizza company does direct marketing like they selling pizza through internet and nu mber. _PLACE_ Since Domino’s is not a dine-in restaurant so Domino’s does not offer dine-in as a method to distribute its products. With the advent of mobile apps, Domino’s has now digitalized their system for the ease of ordering. Online ordering is also a method that Domino’s used to distribute its products to the customers. Domino’s utilizes 30minutes or less delivery or it’s free basis. Pizza Hut uses three different methods of places its products directly to the market. The first method of distribution used by Pizza Hut is by delivery. Customers can call Pizza Hut and place order, and then the order will be delivered to the customer’s home. Secondly, customers can choose to dine-in in restaurant over delivery. Lastly, Pizza Hut does receive orders from the internet from customers who would like to order a delivery. Similarly, Papa John’s is using delivery to distribute their products to their customers. Other than that, they also using d ine-in as a way to give-out their products unlike Domino’s.

Hybrid System for Automobiles

As you will well appreciate, the issue of hybrid automobile systems has gained increased prominence in the recent past. This is as a result of the drawbacks associated with the conventional automobile systems currently in use and the potential benefits that hybrid systems can offer.At present, our company, like many automobile manufacturers, produces vehicles that run on the conventional internal combustion engine. Since this involves the combustion of fossil-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel, it is associated with the emission of noxious gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and waste hydrocarbons that significantly compound the problem of global warming in addition to increasing the risk of heart, lung, respiratory and eye illnesses.Fossil fuels are also manufactured from oil, which has recently been the subject of steep price hikes that affected many motorists.Hybrid systems are not only cleaner but also incur cheaper operational costs. They would gi ve our company an opportunity to demonstrate its social responsibility and commitment to the environment and generate positive PR spin offs for it. It would also help the firm generate more sales revenues and to maximize its profits.Towards this end, I have prepared a proposal that seeks to design, develop, and implement an automobile hybrid system to be incorporated into our vehicles. Given the time schedule, reliability, schedule visibility, clarity of technology and user requirements associated with the development of the proposed system, we propose to use a throwaway prototyping model, a type of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).The entire project is expected to take one year, and will involve experts drawn from the different functional areas of the organization as well as outside consultants. Other resource requirements will include finances to purchase raw materials and modify existing production facilities.Given the unmistakable benefits that the hybrid automobile sys tem offers, there is no doubt that the benefits that our company will reap from its implementation will outweigh the costs by far. I will be glad to clarify or discuss with you any issues appertaining. Thank you.

Ethics and Ethical Dilemma

The movie that I chose for ethical dilemma is the Disney movie called â€Å"UP†. It is a story based on an old man and how a boy’s scout boy helps the old man keep his house by floating the old man’s house with balloons. This is an adventurous movie. It has a lot of ups and downs. The ethical dilemma in this movie the man is old, his wife is dead and the city is building new buildings all around his house they want him to vacant his him go to an old folk’s home to live for the rest of his remaining life, which is the ethical thing to do.But instead the story is a bit far stretched out, but he ‘escapes' it in an unethical unrealistic way and floats his house away with balloons. The old man risks his life; the boys scout boy, and the dog. The situation could have been worse, where the old man’s house could fall anywhere in the story making this a terrible and unrealistic idea of saving his house. Another ethical dilemma in this movie is the bird ; it is obviously an endangered species. So does the original explorer guy have the right to capture the bird and show to the world?Or does the old man have the right to stop the explorer and rescue the bird? In my opinion the explorer has some rights, but the way he wants to make money out of the bird is unethical. The old man has the right to stop the explorer because the old man sees his self through the eyes of the bird and how he cannot live the life he wants to in his house. At the end not only does the old man not have to go to an old folk’s home, instead he keeps his house. Unrealistically the house sits right where the story started from. The movie showed how jam packed the city is, but the old man was able to restore his house.Once the house was where it started from, none of the city officials took any actions, but instead let the old man keep his house and the city officials built their buildings and roads around the house which could be a hazardous situation in t he future. The old man once again finds happiness from boy and dog and he never has to worry about construction again. He escapes reality so to speak. No matter how I look at this movie at an ethical point, all I can say is that sometimes unrealistic stories like â€Å"UP† teach us a good moral lesson about life.

Where the US Economy Will be a Year from Now

The US economy was growing steadily for the past years. Currently, however, the US is facing challenges pertaining to the economy. Some troubles began to manifest as early as 2006 when a sharp decline in the housing starts was first observed. The subprime mortgage crisis occurred. Stock market crashed and investors fleed. The economic slump continued and the dreaded recession occurred. US officially announced it was in recession in December 2008. Deflationary House Prices in the US Once the economic crisis sets in, households at the lower income bracket felt the pinch the most. People with no savings have no fall back option. They are paying money for home mortgages but money becomes scarce. Consequently since they are unable to pay the mortgage and their houses get foreclosed. Another effect of the deflationary house prices in the US is that foreclosed homes now created a growing list of unsold houses either old or new inventories. This situation is more pronounced in certain markets such as urban Florida, California, Nevada, Atlanta and others. The lack of buyers for these houses cause the prices to stabilize or in most cases, they go down. Once residential markets experience this problem, potential homebuyers will not commit to buying a house. This is because they want to hold on to their money until the home prices go down to its lowest level. Thereby giving their money a lot of leverage. What can be bought in hundreds of thousands dollars before could be bought in a much lower amount now. With the homebuyers holding on to their money for as long as possible and the house inventory growing by the minute due to foreclosures, a dilemma ensues. This is the biggest reason why homebuilding industry is the one most affected by the economic crisis America is facing today. 2010 Economic Outlook Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced some good news on May 5, 2009 that the three year economic slump the US has been experiencing is showing tell-tale signs of recovery. He projected that the recession could end late 2009, if US will not experience relapse on credit problems. Bernanke spoke before Congress saying economic indicators are hinting to a possible recovery towards the end of the year. But the climb out of the proverbial tunnel will be nothing but easy. Bernanke projected that unemployment cases will go even higher even after the recession is over. Unemployment is actually believe to reach its peak in 2010. Also, growth will be slow. The said forecast is based on the effects of the continuous repair of the economic system. The government has taken some steps to stall the effects of the crisis like injecting economic stimulus and lowering interest rates and the results are now showing. If a relapse occur in the financial situation could drag the economic recovery efforts down. U. S. stock markets have shown a lot of promise recently. The Standard & Poor's 500 index grows to 35 percent since March which indicates that consumer spending has steadied and the decline in the housing starts have slowly stopped. Bernanke’s forecast that US will peg an economic growth at 2 percent in 2010 and 4 percent in 2011. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would keep inflation low. Also, the US Central Bank will maintain minimal interest rates for an extended period. Economists believe that the United States will recover from the recession faster than Europe, due to the Federal Reserve's quick action on the situation. The International Monetary Fund announced in April 2009 that Europe's recession might continue in 2010. Deflation and Inflation The deep economic recession felt all over the United States has led to an all-time low in consumer confidence. It has also affected negatively the banking system. These factors have increased the risk of deflation. To counter the deflation risks, policy makers and the Federal Reserve have to adopt measures that are not commonly practiced in order to ward off deflation by increasing the amount of money being circulated. Policy makers had to expand fiscal spending. And the nominal interest rates are currently pegged at almost 0% since December 2008 to ease up credit and its availability. This has saved the country from being on the brink of deflation. But the same solution could create problems later as the huge increase in base-money has caused a number of people to believe that Fed’s actions could lead to inflation later. Inflation is not a problem as of the moment because households have decreased spending to a minimum and the money are hidden in bank vaults. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would also keep inflation at bay. The unused factories and growing unemployment do not permit businesses to increase prices of products and wages of employees. Once economic recovery begins and economic slack levels off, increase in money supply would eventually give way to increase in prices of commodities and wages. To prevent this from happening, the Fed must withdraw the money it has infused to the financial system while in a recession. If the Feds cannot implement this quickly, rampant inflation would ensue. Hyperinflation Hyperinflation occurs when the prices will go up as the currency falls. This is the next challenge that US might face. This dilemma however could contribute to some advantages to the businessmen. Selling US dollar and Japanese yen – the two currencies that will devalue after recession – would be highly profitable. Before hyperinflation could go full blast selling dollars and yen would bring a lot of money to traders. Once dollar value goes down. The value of the dollar sold would probably be twice its value during hyperinflation. Effect of the Dollar's Valuation Dollar and Euro currencies are recently on a see-saw battle for supremacy. US dollar declined against the Euro in the past years until recently. The current global economic slump has caused the Euro to devaluate against the US dollar. Should the tide turn in favor of the Euro again, a decline in the US dollar could actually bring some advantages: – lower dollar could mean more opportunities for export since the goods being sold from the US are relatively cheaper now compared to the Euros. – the discounted US dollar will lead to a foreign investment boom that would eventually slow down investments being poured in the European countries. – Decrease external trade deficit Disadvantages of a declining dollar rate vs Euro – going or visiting to Europe would mean paying higher amount for goods and services – American importers would pay more for imported goods – Rising inflation – American credit becomes less attractive to foreign investors – Interest rates will go up to be able to finance budget deficit Countries to Invest In The Euro is not the only currency that is rising against the US dollar: the Australian Dollar, and the Canadian Dollar both hold some promise. The Euro is a good alternative currency to the US dollars for investors. Also, there is a possibility that difference in interest rates in the US and Europe may increase and since returns usually increases along with interest rates, the Euro will then be more profitable to investors. If the devaluation of dollar occurs, countries that hold large amounts of US dollars may shift to using the Euro currrency in their reserves. Some countries have already shifted to Euro reserves such as Russia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Iran even wants to use Euro in quoting its Oil Exchange. If this scenario develops what might become of the US economy? One likely scenario is that foreign investors who bought a huge chunk of shares of stocks might sell their shares particularly the S&P 500 stocks. The results could not be certain though because the effects of financial instruments could not be easily determined. Currency levels depend to a large extent on the demand for the country’s currency which is the result of economic activities and interest rate differential. Most likely, US will experience inflation making imports more expensive. On the bright side, this would also decrease external trade deficits which is good for US economy. Foreign investors however will be hesitant to borrow from American banks or financial companies. The Federal Reserve might need to increase interest rates to be able to fund budget deficits which would affect the economy adversely. For those who want to invest in the market for currencies or the foreign exchange market or currency trading there are a number of options available. These include: forex futures, currency ETFs, export-benefiting equities as well as precious metals related instruments (such as mining stocks). It is good to invest in precious metals. Investing in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) would also be advisable. BRIC or BRICs is an acronym for the current notably fast growing developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Goldman Sachs in 2001 declared that the combined economic development in these places could overshadow the economies of the richest countries in the world. There has been ongoing speculations as evidenced by proofs that the BRICs countries are planning to form an alliance to create greater power. Investing in these places therefore would provide a better alternative to US investments since these countries development are greater compared to other countries. Invest wisely by focusing on Indian and Chinese companies that do not rely on American market to be able to buffer fluctuations in the US economy. According to economist Stanley Roach, China will recover faster than the rest of the world. This is because the structure of China’s economy is very open. Export and import shares in this country accounts for a very high percentage of the world’s total. The recession certainly affected its export markets negatively. Also, the Chinese government reacted aggressively to the situation and instituted some reforms immediately. According to Roach, China's economy will recover more swiftly if the country becomes more assertive in its implementing plans to encourage local private consumption at the same time they should find ways to decrease its heavy reliance on exports. Another country that holds a lot of promise would be Canada. Before the recession, Canada’s economy reached parity with the US dollar on September 20, 2007. Western Canada particularly is gaining a lot of strides in the economic department. But Eastern Canada hardly lagged behind. Employment rates was at its 30-year-low. Ontario is backed up by its knowledge-based businesses and Toronto’s investment sector was doing well. Western Canada’s economic boom was brought about by the world commodity markets particularly China. The â€Å"mega-boom† conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan were due greatly to its oil reserves in the Oil Sands of Alberta. The reported oil find in Alberta’s sands deposits is believed to be able to cater to the world’s demand for a century or so. The excitement for the ‘black gold’ discovery brought about by the pouring in of billions of dollars in infrastructure has spurred Alberta and Saskatchewan industries. The provinces’ economic success has trickled down on its neighbors British Columbia and Manitoba as these two cities have experienced â€Å"mini-booms† of their own. This is one particular reason why Canada particularly Alberta and Saskatchewan would always be attractive to investors. Oil commodity is very valuable and would not be greatly affected by recession. The currency movements in the U. S. and Canada have opposite implications when it comes to the effects of general price inflation in both countries. In the U. S. , import prices are climbing because the dollar value is falling. In Canada, it is the opposite. Furthermore, in Canada, the impact of any future rise in commodity prices (which are usually specified in U. S. dollars) will be blunted. With a stronger dollar, however, Canadians need to lower down the prices of goods and services in order to compete with other countries selling same export commodities. Also, Canada needs to address an important inconsistency with the Chinese Yuan. The Yuan, since it floated in mid-2005 has been appreciating versus the U. S. dollar. But it has spiralled down versus the Canadian dollar. The irony therefore is that Chinese goods are getting cheaper in Canada and costlier in the US. Foreign Exchange Market or Currency Market Foreign exchange market or the currency market is all about trading currencies. Even in these difficult times in the economy, there is always one currency or two that is growing. The stock market is in a slump right now. It is the currency market that has remained liquid which means it is possible to make money even under tough times. The US dollar, as a matter of fact, had gone up as the S&P 500 went down. Investors in the currency market have earned a lot of money in the past months. Currency market is one safe investment that most investors. Why does US dollar rise even if US is in recession? This is because during economic recession, investors put thier money where they consider is safer. The stock market is simply too volatile and uncertain at this point. So investors turn to look for the more stable options such as the moderate currency market by investing in US Treasuries. US treasury securities are debt financing instruments issued by the US Department of the Treasury. These include four types: treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury bonds and treasury inflation protected securities (TIPS). All of these are very liquid and can be traded in a secondary market or the aftermarket. This is the reason why when the stock market crashed and panic sets in, investors sought the more liquid and safer US treasuries. The surge in demand for US Treasuries buoyed the value of the dollar. Forex markets or FX markets is also another good way to invest money. FX is where one can trade currencies. FX serves to ease trade and investment among international currencies such as US Dollar, UK Pounds, Japanese Yen and other currencies. In this money market, currencies are traded against each other. Forex is the biggest financial market today with more than $3 trillion daily turnover. Speculators market one currency for another in order to gain a profit. Financial traders are drawn to this market because it is available 24 hours daily, five days a week. Forex market can be found in four cities: New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo. Investment in foreign exchange can be done in several ways: 1). buying curency shares ETFs. The method is similar to buying stock. 2). Open a bank accont with local bank that accepts foreign currencies. 3). Buy foreign currency from online brokers and 4). Use online forex trading platform such as eToro, iForex and others. In tough times, it is always good to diversify the investment portfolio. The adage â€Å"don’t put all your eggs in one basket† proves to be true now more than ever. Since the stock market suffers great losses now, it would be good to offset it with investments that would surely create gains which the US Treasury provides. Since the currency market represented by the US Treasury securities are not associated with the stock market, investing in the currency market would serve as hedge investments and a good way to diversify investment portfolio.

Defining Emotional Intelligence

Earliest roots can be traced to Darwin’s work on importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation. In 1900s, traditional definitions of intelligence emphasized cognitive aspects (IQ) and then later on begun to recognize the importance of non-cognitive aspects from which the term â€Å"social intelligence† was coined. Similarly it was in 1940 even David Wechsler joined in the bandwagon and argued that all emotional intelligence models will not be complete unless all the non-intellective factors could be defined. But it was in the 1970s and 80s that Emotional Intelligence as a theory was fully developed by the works and writings of Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, however, it was the works of Daniel Goleman who published â€Å" Why It Can Matter More Than IQ† in 1995 that made the term widely popularized. Defining Emotional Intelligence The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. Goleman defined EQ as being a different way of being smart. It includes knowing your feelings, and using them to make good decisions, managing your feelings well, motivating yourself with zeal and persistence , maintaining hope in the face of frustration, exhibiting empathy and compassion, ability to interact smoothly at the same time managing relationships effectively. And all of these emotional skills matter immensely in marriage, families, in our careers for health and contentment. Different approaches and models have been developed to fully explain what EQ. Substantial disagreements exist in relation to both the terminologies at the same time its operationalizations. The definitions are so varied and researchers have been re-evaluating, re-defining it based on their own unique way of understanding it. So for now we would be defining it based on three main models : 1 . Ability EI Model, Mixed Model and Trait EI model, however we will be focusing our understanding to the model that made the term popular, which is the Mixed Model by Goleman. Ability EI Model Salovey and Mayer's conception of EI strives to define EI within the confines of the standard criteria for a new intelligence. Following their continuing research, their initial definition of EI was revised to â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† The ability based model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one to make sense of and navigate the social environment.The model proposes that individuals vary in their ability to process information of an emotional nature and in their ability to relate emotional processing to a wider cognition. This ability is seen to manifest itself in certain adaptive behaviors. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: 1. Perceiving emotions – the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, and cultural artifacts—including the ability to identify one's own emotions. Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes all other processing of emotional information possible. 2. Using emotions – the ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem solving. The emotionally intelligent person can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at hand. 3. Understanding emotions – the ability to comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time. 4. Managing emotions – the ability to regulate emotions in both ourse lves and in others. Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals. The ability-based model has been criticized in the research for lacking face and predictive validity in the workplace. Trait EI Model Petrides and colleagues proposed a conceptual distinction between the ability based model and a trait based model of EI.Trait EI is â€Å"a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality†. In lay terms, trait EI refers to an individual's self-perceptions of their emotional abilities. This definition of EI encompasses behavioral dispositions and self perceived abilities and is measured by self report, as opposed to the ability based model which refers to actual abilities, which have proven highly resistant to scientific measurement. Trait EI should be investigated within a personality framework. An alternative label for the same construct is trait emotional self-efficacy. The trait EI model is general and subsumes the Goleman and Bar-On models discussed above. The conceptualization of EI as a personality trait leads to a construct that lies outside the taxonomy of human cognitive ability. This is an important distinction in as much as it bears directly on the operationalization of the construct and the theories and hypotheses that are formulated about it. Mixed Models of EI This is the model that was introduced by Daniel Goleman and focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman outlines four domains of EI based on two types of competencies: Personal Competency and Social Competency. Personal Competency 1. Self Awareness- the ability to recognize and understand over one’s emotions as they occur 2. Self Management- One’s ability to manage internal state, impulses, and emotional reactions to situations and people Social Competency 1. Social Awareness – One’s ability to understand emotions in people, this means understanding what others are thinking and how they are feeling from one’s own 2. Relationship Management – One’s ability to arrange interaction with others effectively

3 negros

During the reconstruction period, the status of African-Americans in South American society is steadily worsening. Since 1877, the possibility of African-American progress has almost completely disappeared. For African Americans voting rights and political power are lost due to threats such as Lynch. The remaining political and economic interests made during the reconstruction eventually weakened by the laws of the south. By the 20th century, African Americans could hardly get political, social and economic power. If it happens in a small town it will expel the citizens from their house, and it is uncomfortable, it falls behind the back of a very far place in the tobacco patch ... their 3 or 4 blacks are working, I talk to those black people, they say that the clouds are red appearance ... and they emit noises like heavy rain in the distance. In my opinion, Lebanon The reduction of specimens gathered in: Very easy to explain: We are familiar with experience, the influence of the wind , and the strength of the wind - full of damage by the wind called hurricane remaining in our memories In the fresh town, that town, the wind is blown away. Things were shipped for 10 or 20 miles. There are other winds called whirlwinds that have the ability to lift the substance into the air and transport them far away As early as the great era of the United States, the term nobility black was applied to black males who dared to leave the space defined by the white order dominated social order. In order to overcome the white obstacle of the Jim Raven era, Uppity Negroes encountered a violent purpose. Uppity Negroes is fighting for voting rights. Uppity Negros aims to learn and learn to use system rules to transform the system itself. Recently, some serious Uppity Negroes tried to announce the value of Black Lives in Ferguson, Missouri. Calling on this country to achieve its vision is always the mission of Uppity Negro. When a black child reached working age, he found that the US of fered him much less than the whites he offered. The unemployment rate of black adults is twice the white job unemployment rate, but the unemployment rate of black youth is about three times that of white teenager. The annual average income of black men who graduated from the university for four years was only $ 110 higher than white men with only high school diplomas. Blacks occupy 11.5% of the population, but 2% of lawyers and judges, 2% of doctors, 3% of dentists, 1% of engineers and 6% of professors of universities and universities .

Exit letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exit letter - Essay Example Surprisingly, I enjoy writing now and I feel more equipped to rise to the challenge of writing more reports in the military standard and with the proper use of the language, too. Before, for prewriting, I would go straight to researching any books given to me on the topic or surfing the Internet. Now, I know that should set my purpose for writing first, whether to show comparison and contrast, or cause and effect; identify my reader; limit my topic; draft a thesis statement that has the topic and controlling idea; brainstorm ideas and information to support the thesis statement; and that it is only when I draw a preliminary outline or map that organizes the main ideas logically. After doing prewriting, that's only when I go to drafting. It's when I put my ideas into sentences and concentrate on elaborating on and supporting my ideas. This only when I start to connect my ideas to each other. I also don't have to pay much attention to spelling and grammar at this stage. I just have to focus on writing what I know about the topic. I am basically writing for myself here-more of just seeing my thoughts unfold. I have read before that the real art of writing starts with rewriting or revising. Now, I think that it's true.

Wichita Confronts Contamination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wichita Confronts Contamination - Essay Example This is most notably because of the misunderstandings that were experienced between all the parties. The political bargaining in Cherchers point of view gave everyone a piece of the bargaining objective. This made everyone at least pleased with the offer in place rather than pleasing some and displeasing the rest hence the term â€Å"win-win situation†. The political bargaining played an important role in the outcome which was unifying the central government. This led to the application of a federalist system in Wichita that gave the local governments the power of solving their problems instead of taking them to the higher government levels. This saved the town from an unattractive scenario that involved economic meltdown. This saved many businesses from huge losses. Intergovernmental relations refer to how the different units of the government interact with each other as a whole. It is also how they work hand in hand to achieve their purposes and take responsibility of their different roles. It is how these entities also share the power. It is an assessment of how the branches of the government which primarily have different functions are united by the almost similar responsibilities to work as a whole. According to (Conlan), Cherchers had to align mutual inducements as a way of keeping all the government levels in check. This led to the creation of a win-win situation. If this was not applied there probably would be more conflicts between the intergovernmental institutions.

A world without words reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A world without words reflection - Coursework Example Unfortunately it’s the doctors’ or rather clinicians’ views that are reflected which paints this children as dormant and damaged. Both clinicians and direct care staff are involved in the social construction process of these children but programs by clinicians are not adequate for their needs since they do not know them well or on a close personal level. Though the direct-care staff reports are more accurate, no one has ever considered these children as children first1. Like the use of electric shock to deter a kid from stealing food from other children’s’ plate is crude and an animal like training2. After reading through this article, we learn that choices made by these children should be considered when designing rehabilitation programmes for them because through this one understands these children’s life, challenges, choices and preferences and thus one is able to help them

MAKING HEALTH CARE SAFE Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MAKING HEALTH CARE SAFE - Article Example Using of computers and other communication devices like tablets is gaining popularity in recording vital information on diagnosis, prescription and general recovery progress of the patient. This is equally important in helping healthcare officer to communicate and exchange ideas on the most appropriate ways to minimize mistakes on patient care. Use of modern technology in observing the various changes in patient condition like pulse rate, blood pressure among others have helped reduce cases of misdiagnosis and improve the speed, timeliness and accuracy of patient charting. In the next 10 years there is a brighter future in health system safety and technology as far as patient care and elimination of errors are concerned. Nursing practice is likely to shift much dependence on informatics as an integral part of the quality healthcare improvement policy. This means that as a nurse, one will have to emphasize on the recording and analysis of data concerning the health history of the patient for sound decision making when it comes to critical situations. Communication techniques is likely to take Centre stage in the future nursing practice as this is critical in reducing widespread cases of mistakes that have cost patients their lives in the hands of healthcare providers. There is an increasing training of nurses on how to collect data and record electronically for use in analysis the progress of the patient towards recovery so that interventionary decisions may be done with accuracy and precision. Reliance on data and information will improve co-ordinatio n of various healthcare provision activities which sets stage for an increased technology based nursing practices. The assertion of Gibson and Singh concerning the improved application of informatics in the current healthcare provision holds. The cases of mistakes when caring for the patients

Essay assignment on theme Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment on theme - Essay Example Cather’s major massage in â€Å"Paul’s Case† is a boy’s great and unreasonable desire of splendid lives and its consequences. The author depicts several occasions that reveal Paul’s emotional fulfillment when he is engaged in the theatre setting. Cather shows the conflict between two places. Paul’s house is a place where he remains devastated, and the theater is a place where he gets satisfaction in life. Cather mentions, â€Å"After a concert was over Paul was always irritable and wretched until he got to sleep,† and reflects on the â€Å"ugliness and commonness that he had always had when he came home.† Home is not a cozy, comfortable and safe place to Paul. He does not even relate to his neighbors. However the author points out the happiness of Paul while working at the theatre "as though it were his greatest pleasure in life." Cather adds: â€Å"This was Paul’s fairy tale, and it had for him all the allurement of a secret love.† Paul is very excited, energetic and alive when he is working in the theater. He is more than happy with guiding dressed people and see ing musicians. Paul visualizes real life at the theatre which is furnished with garish satins, diamonds and rhinestones. Paul views the setting of the theatre and the setting of his home and school to be at different extremes of the pleasant and unpleasant. Cather depicts Paul as being obsessive of living in the style and manner which he dreamt of, rather than working hard to pursue the career of an artist and then enjoy life in accordance with his dreams. Paul actually finds a shortcut to fulfill his dreams by stealing money from his employer. When he reaches New York, he starts buying things, such as a street coat, hat, shoes, silver brushes, dress shirts and a scarf pin. He also rides in carriage, drinks champagne and dines to the background of a string orchestra. Cather states, â€Å"Everything was quite perfect; he was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be.† The boy has

Summarize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Summarize - Essay Example This resulted in the issuance of Basel II by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), which was set by the governors of the G10 countries. In the attempt of Basel II to increase the amount of capital held by banks, the concept of operational risk was introduced for the first time. Following this move, the Capital Requirements Directive was introduced in the EU, and shortly after the ICAAP was developed. The provisions of Basel II included the setting of the minimum capital to be held by banks, the risk types covered, the winding down requirement for businesses and company’s disclosure requirements. The application of Basel II started with the banks and insurers and then Asset management firms and brokerages. The approach towards the application of the Basel II by these institutions was determined by both the complexity and the size of the institutions. Thus, since 2000, the subject of risk management started to grow, and different approaches to the concept started to developed. The requirements of risk management are risk appetite, defined as how much risk a firm is ready to accept, the risk assessment process, KRI’s-the metric showing when a risk is about to occur, error management, risk technology and risk governance. Between 2002 and 2010 the setting up of risk management departments continued, while negative organizational culture also emerged as a big operational risk. The rise of operational risks was marked by noughties frauds valued at $22.31bn, followed by John Rusnak Allied Irish Bank fraud 2002 and then the Peter Young Morgan Grenfell trading fraud 1997. The collapse of the Lehman Brothers in 2008 continued the rogue trading and risk operational activities, causing a regulatory reaction by the EU, which pushed the limits on fund management higher. Subsequently, the Basel III, CRD 2 and 3 Solvency II were also developed to push up the industry understanding of the risk management. This was followed by

Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity for LOreal Assignment

Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity for LOreal - Assignment Example Models like Porter’s Five Forces have been used to match the practical aspects with theoretical ones, along with recommendations on a feasible course of action for the company to embrace success in the future. Â  The environment surrounding a business comprises of both micro and macro forces that shape up the strategy of the business and also test the viability of the developed strategy in real time. For L’Oreal, the market has been a mix of favorable and unfavorable forces where the genius of L’Oreal through its two success recipes- diversification and innovation, changed the tides. Â  The cosmetics industry has been very fragmented yet open to new offerings and product innovations, keeping in mind the needs of varied consumer groups. Demographically, L’Oreal was presented with a host of opportunities to come up with various products with different ethnic and cultural shades. Â  Cosmetics is an industry which is not limited to just creams. It extends way beyond face products and involves hair and skin care and beauty products. A player who was able to operate through these lines of product width was the one who could sustain itself in the booming cosmetic and beauty product market, which was done really well by L’Oreal. Â  The entire industry, as obvious in the case, is in its growth stage with multiple players entering the battleground. L’Oreal had been able to secure its pole position till now because of new product propositions every year to sustain the wave of innovation and tight control over its operational costs. Yet, the following points emerge out of the industry analysis of cosmetics.

Dimensions (Target) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dimensions (Target) - Essay Example known as personal, structural, relational, and cultural dimensions are considered as one of the most important concepts in the study of change management. (Lederach, Neufeldt, & Culbertson, 2007: p. 18) This theory enables the organizational leaders to effectively and strategically develop a plan for a change initiative since this theory serves as a tool that allows these people to have a better understanding with regards to significant factors that may or may not hinder the progress of initiating organizational changes. In the absence of strategic development, it will be more difficult for organizational leaders to initiate change because of the possibility of organizational conflicts and resistance to change. For this study, information coming from Ford Motors’ strategic change initiative will be gathered. Eventually, this information will be analyzed and applied to strategic change initiative such as strategy, organization’s resources, systems, culture, vision, and mission. Prior to conclusion, lessons learned from having completed the study requirements will be discussed one-by-one. Based on the identified lessons learned, recommended ways wherein managers could use this knowledge will be discussed. In relation to the challenges associated with globalization, Bill Ford – the CEO of Ford Motor publicly announced a massive restructuring plan back in the first quarter of 2006 in order to save the company from becoming less profitable. (Woodyard, 2006) The fact that the company has decided to shred-off as much as 30,000 employments aside from closing down a total of 14 factories and other facilities by 2012, Ford managers had encountered a lot of negative comments with regards to the management’s decision for such major changes. Since 30,000 Ford employees were expected to lose their job from the massive lay-offs, Ford managers had seriously faced a strong resistance-to-change. Since the implementation of an internal organizational change often

ORGANISATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ORGANISATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR - Essay Example It explains why human needs change with time but not how. These theories help the managers to understand the specific factors that would motivate the employee to perform better. Content Theories includes: This theory indicates a hierarchy of human needs where satisfaction of lower level need motivates individual to achieve higher-level need (Thompson, 1996, pp.10). The hierarchy includes following needs: This theory state that managers believe in either â€Å"Theory X† that employees dislike work and tend to avoid it or in â€Å"Theory Y† that employees appreciate work and are self motivated (Goldsmith School of Business, n.d). Herzberg, in his two-factor theory described hygiene factors as the factors which do not motivate employees for better performance at work; however, their absence can lead to dissatisfaction from the work. In the hygiene factor, he placed factors like pay, job satisfaction, work environment and company policies (Thompson, 1996, p.13-14). It would be correct to consider pay as the most important of hygiene factor. An individual works to earn a living and finance his needs so money is the main aim behind an individual job. Among the entire hygiene factors, all are negotiable for an individual besides his pay. Usually, an individual in need of money would not mind working in an unstable work environment without any job satisfaction if the money is right for him. However, it varies with the individual, as an individual who works with the perspective to learn like an internee would place more importance to job satisfaction then pay. Therefore, importance of factors is variable with the individual concerned but generally, pay is the most important hygiene factor. Pay is definitely an important tool for managers to increase motivation however; it is a very short-term tool and does not guarantee long-term motivation. This is because with

Public Relation Campaign for Big Brother Big Sister Assignment

Public Relation Campaign for Big Brother Big Sister - Assignment Example You can be assured that his Big Brother or Big Sister has undergone an extensive background check because we value your child’s safety. Furthermore, all mentoring relationships are closely monitored and have the backing of professionally trained match coordinator. The Big Brother or Big Sister will assist your child in achieving success in school and preventing him from turning to drugs or alcohol. Most kids who enroll at Big Brothers Big Sisters become more confident and perform better in school. Their relationships with their families and friends greatly improve. More importantly, they feel better about themselves (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America , par 2). If you are committed to letting your child explore his vast potentials and want to develop him to become a mature, responsible and a well-rounded individual, this is the opportunity you have been waiting for. You may contact us at telephone number ____________ and we will gladly discuss with you about our programs. Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia Limited. "International connections." 2009. bigbrothersbigsisters.org. Web. 22 October 2012

Power, Ideology, and Terror in the Atomic Age Worksheet Essay

Power, Ideology, and Terror in the Atomic Age Worksheet - Essay Example Therefore, nuclear development defied power, such that the more weapons and bombs a country made the more the power it gained over the others. The number of countries producing nuclear weapons continued to increase where in1961, UK and France had successfully produced and tested nuclear bombs. In addition, at the end of 1964 China joined the list to become the fifth in nuclear bombs production. In 1968, 21 countries approved a non-proliferation treaty that prohibited any more production of nuclear bombs with the aim of creating a nuclear weapons-free zone. Lastly by 1991 more members had joined the treaty making the treaty the world greatest arms control agreement. There are three significant events that happened during the cold war that help define the war. These include Berlin airlift, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the fall of the Berlin wall. The first event on Berlin airlift occurred in 1948 where Germany was divided amongst the victors of World War two which are US, UK, France and Soviet. The second event on soviet invasion of Afghanistan occurred on 24th December 1979. This was a strategy since Soviet took advantage of the counties divided focus and instability to attack it without its knowledge. Lastly, the fall of Berlin wall that occurs in 1989. The fall of this wall symbolizes the ending of the cold warfare. The fall of Berlin wall do not only symbolize the ending of the cold warfare, but also the collapse and revolution of communism in Europe. For more than 40 years, the soviet had imposed community rules that had divided the west from the east. However, reformers under social movement and the ant-communist trade union put an end to this in 1998 to form a centralized and one Europe. The main factors that caused the collapse of communism were the reform movement and the solidarity of the reformist. In conclusion, this paper gives a clear description of the cold

Object data modelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Object data modelling - Essay Example an online, web-based system that could allow their customers to (i) search for the availability and fares for the flight to the desired destination, (ii) make payments securely through a third-party payment system in order to book the tickets for the desired flight, (iii) view the real-time seating arrangement with available seats and select the desired seat in order to self-check-in, and (iv) print out the boarding card. PART I: ANALYSIS REPORT 1. Use-Cases & Use-Case Diagrams Use cases and use-case diagrams are the UML features for gathering and analysis of user-centric requirements. A use case can be defined as a particular purpose that can be achieved by the user (or say, actor) through the system (Chonoles & Schardt, 2003). A use-case diagram depicts a sequence of interactions between the actor and the system (Gomaa, 2011). 1.1. An Overview Use Case Model As shown in Figure 1, following are major use cases of the Ticket Booking and Self-Check-In System: Major Use Case 1: Search the desired flight After logging on to the Happy Tour’s website, the customer can search for the availability and fares for the flights to the desired destination. In order to carry out the search, the customers must provide mandatory information to the system which includes personal details, the departure airport, the destination airport, intended outbound flight date and time. The customer may also provide optional information – the date and time for return trip, to make the search more accurate. Assumption: The search result lists flights with available seats; in other words, if all the seats in the flight are booked then that flight won’t appear in the search result. Major Use Case 2: Book the ticket Once the customer has found the desired flight, she can move on to the booking process where she makes the payment through a third-party secure payment system. If the payment gets successfully processed, an automated confirmation email along with the receipt is sent out by the system to the email address provided by the customer. Major Use Case 3: Self-Check-In The customer can opt to perform self-check-in the booked flight anytime but 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight time. To self-check-in, the customer must search for the flight either through the booked flight number and booking reference number. If the flight is found and the customer’s booking is verified successfully, the system displays the real-time seating arrangement to the customer. The available seats are shown in blue color, while those already reserved are displayed in gray color. The customer can click on any one available seat to choose it, and then proceed to either

Piercing the Corporate Veil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Piercing the Corporate Veil - Essay Example The paper tells that the provision of limited liability to incorporated companies enhanced investments from a large number of small and large investors. It would not be far from the truth to assert that the growth of the modern economy and industrial development can be attributed to this principle of limited liability. Investors are no longer required to harbour apprehensions regarding their investments and from being held accountable for the liabilities of the company in which they had invested. It has been contended by the majority that the proper functioning and growth of stock markets has been affected by limited liability. Moreover, it has simplified the task of evaluating the assets of companies. Furthermore, limited liability has excised the uncertainties, risks, and liabilities experienced by investors in the past. Shareholders can monitor the behaviour of their company to a much greater extent than in the past. Modern economic development requires large – scale capita l inflow. The limited liability effectively ensures the availability of capital from investors. The House of Lords established the doctrine of corporate personality in Salomon v Salomon. Under this principle, private investors and shareholders of companies were permitted to organise their business, via the corporate legal form. It also allowed entrepreneurs and institutional investors to monitor their investment strategies. In the absence of the legal form of the company, shareholders and investors were at the risk of being personally held liable to the creditors of the company (Muchlinski, 2010, p. 918). It has been perceived that this doctrine has increased the influence of shareholders and investors in the functioning of the company and in its business strategies. However, the majority of the people have welcomed the doctrine of limited liability, as it eliminates the direct responsibility of shareholders in the management of the company (Muchlinski, 2010, p. 918). The process of globalisation has substantially increased business activity and the operations of multinational corporations (MNC) at the global level. The separation of legal form of the company from its shareholders and investors has brought about several jurisdictional problems and the domination of MNCs in business (Muchlinski, 2010, p. 920). These problems have come to the fore due to different legal systems in the world. In addition, the state regulatory mechanisms that pertain to the MNCs differ from each other. The limited liability concept externalises the risk from group of investors. Ultimately, it transforms global legal order into national and sub-national jurisdictions. Thus, the corporate veil has assumed the garb of a jurisdictional veil, and the MNCs are using this veil to limit risk of liability (Muchlinski, 2010, p. 920). Moreover, Jurisdiction has emerged as an important aspect of international commercial transactions. The MNCs have established a parent – subsidiary cult ure in international business, which creates ambiguity in determining the appropriate jurisdiction for disputes. The difficulty chiefly arises because the jurisdiction of the parent company and that of its subsidiary are different. Consequently, disputes with a subsidiary cannot be addressed by the legal system of the parent company’s host country, in order to determine liability (Muchlinski, 2010, p. 920). InAdams v Cape Industries, a UK based parent company exported asbestos from its mines in South Africa. It had conducted this export via a sales subsidiary and thereafter through an

Analyzing the Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analyzing the Market - Research Paper Example The paper concentrates more on factors that influence demand and supply, discusses the price elasticity of demand that produces a kinked demand curve in the oligopolistic airline’s service competition, and the point of equilibrium. It also describes the benefits of the intellectual property (patents and trademarks), and how it protects the owning airlines in their operations. It finally includes the input factors used in generating airline services. Keywords: Passengers, Airline, Flight, Demand Supply, Price Elasticity, Oligopoly, Product Differentiation, Trademark, Patent, Pricing Strategy, Competition, Market Introduction The success or failure of airline services depends most critically, with the established efforts to attract and retain customers to their services. Several airlines have failed before, some able to rise up again, others still struggle to cover losses while most of them end up merging with other well performing airlines. The entry into the airlines business is not only difficult in a field considered to be an oligopoly market, but maintaining and thriving while in competition with large airlines is quite a challenge. Providing airline services require a keen and clear strategy in management and operational activities, to facilitate the services required by the passengers in time. It is therefore a core factor that any airline should build good relationships with their customers as a marketing strategy, so that their future long term profitability can be safeguarded, by retaining more customers and influencing the choice of most undecided passengers in the market. The airline’s reputation, ticket prices, safety record, possible delay times, and services provided (ranging from different travel classes and the associated beneficial facilities, services by the cabin crew) among others, influence the customer preference or satisfaction with an airline, and generally its performance in the market. Airline’s Services Market Comp etition Competition in the airline industry is very high and sensitive, such that with the high fixed costs in their operation, the profit margins are usually low. However, the competition and profit margins may vary with the small changes brought about by the sizes of the airlines, the capacity of the aircrafts, the routes served by airlines, means of customer attraction (such as the in flight services) and discounted fares, which make it possible for some airlines and their services to have a competitive advantage over the others. According to Papatheodorus, the modern airline services competition arises from the differentiation or the best cost provider strategy, while considering the marketing initiatives and the economic advantage, to ensure they consistently provide the service in the market place (2006). Airlines both large and small, whether providing long haul and short haul services struggle to retain and add a market share. Large airlines may compete against others throug h its popularity, and if it has a good safety record, or high quality services, it makes it worse for its smaller rival companies. Most of the times, competing airlines have used generic strategies to achieve their fair share in the market. Differentiation has been a major factor among airlines, as

Miscommunications in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Miscommunications in the Workplace Essay Recently we have had two of our retailers contact us with problems regarding shipments they have received or have failed to receive. I know this is not the first time this has happened but I would like to minimize the possibilities of it happening again. It seems the root of our problem is miscommunication in the workplace. As a shipping manager that has seen this kind of issue before in past work experiences and I believe I know what we can do to solve our breakdown in communication between the various departments, retailers, and co-workers. As CFO I know you will see this proposal can benefit the company both financially and operationally. First, I propose that the company implement a required form of communication. I believe hand written notes are a thing of the past and that we should upgrade our communication requirements to electronic mail. If we had an e-mail only policy we could have record of all communication on file without the risk of losing a post-it note. E-mail also includes the option of a read receipt, which allows the user to know when the receiver has opened and read the message or if they have not seen the message yet and another form of  communication, such as a phone call, might be required to meet a deadline. The policy might also include that all e-mails must receive a reply no matter how simple the message. I can head a short meeting at the end of the day to cover the implementation of this plan. The idea here is to eliminate hand written notes as well as informal communication such as instant messengers and social network communications. We will need to upgrade a few of the employees company cell phones and instruct them on how to use e-mail on these devices. Even though e-mails are good for keeping a history of communications, public relations expert Lisa Elias states, When delivering delicate information, pick up the phone. A gentle tone of voice can soften bad news or express warmth and caring, whereas an email or text can easily be misconstrued, (Kouremetis 2013). Although e-mail can help eliminate the outside forms of communication, another possible resolution would be to implement task management software into the office. This alone may solve the issue. There are many different task management programs available but one that has caught my eye is AtTask, which is used by corporations such as HBO, Samsung, and Adobe. AtTask will allow us to run a free trial of the software prior to purchasing and claims the product will allow us to see what is going on with our projects, if we are on time, and when it will be done (Services, 2012). You will even have access to the task manager to see what is going on in our shipping bay. AtTask even has an integrated communications technology that allows for instant messaging between co-workers and a notes system for the client list. That way, if one person speaks with a client of ours and they request a change to their order he can enter the message in the clients message folder and we can all receive the notification straight to our smart phones and computers. Even though, task management software will ultimately benefit company wide communication, another area that lacks focus is education on the subject matter of the workplace. A few of these men have worked here for over ten years and they know every part number by memory, but communication technology is outgrowing these few at a rapid pace. On the other end of the  spectrum, these younger men have keen senses of current technological advancements, but they could use some more time in learning the step-by-step processes we face on a daily basis. I propose that we run a workshop meeting once every two weeks for a total of eight weeks to teach the young ones about the process of shipping from us, the supplier, to the consumer/retailer. This workshop could possibly be run during hours if the time comes available, but will most likely need to take place on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. The instructors will be chosen from 3 of our most experienced workers who will earn overtime from these extra hours. A separate workshop on communication technology for the employees that have been here should happen once a week for an hour, probably on Wednesday evenings after work. The employees will be eligible for overtime with this extra hour on the job. I believe that being educated on the subject matter of the workplace is vital to our success. In addition to knowledge of the workplace being significant, another part of the communication process that has lacked in certain areas is feedback. Feedback is one of the four major communication functions (Belch 2012). It is the key to knowing your communication was successful. We need to emphasize in the training process that it is okay to ask questions. I have seen it happen before where someone is afraid to ask a question for fear of disapproval only to have to go back re-work what has been done. Asking the right questions can help us to do it right the first time (D.I.R.T.Fi.T.). I feel the previously mentioned workshops would be a great time to re-emphasize the importance of asking questions. Also, as mentioned in the first proposal, all e-mails must receive a reply or they will be followed up with a phone call. We must remember that sometimes in order to receive feedback it must be asked for. After explaining a work order or process it is vital to ask, Do you understand? or Do you have any questions for me? Another way of obtaining feedback would be through face-to-face technology. With our smartphones and office computers we can send a more personal message with FTF video conferencing. Google Hangouts are part of the Google suite of applications that support multi-party video chat as well as other Google applications including Sketch-UP, Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and screen sharing and these types of technologies are being recommended as  teaching formats to doctors and professors around the globe (Roseth, 2013). In conclusion, I do believe there is work to be done in regards to the communication process in the workplace. I have proposed four strategies to minimize the possibility of future communication breakdowns. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. You may decide to choose one or to integrate all four, the choice is yours, but I do ask that you please take your time in considering the possibilities and I do trust you will choose what is best for the company. References Belch, G. E., Belch, M. A. (2012). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 9th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Kouremetis, D. (2013). Choosing Communication Methods Wisely for Your Small Business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/denakouremetis/2013/01/28/choosing-communication-methods-wisely-for-your-small-business/ Roseth, C. (2013). Blending Synchronous Face-to-face and Computer-Supported Cooperative Learning in a Hybrid Doctoral Seminar. Techtrends: Linking Research Practice To Improve Learning, 57(3), 54-59. Services. (2012). AtTask software services retrieved from http://www.attask.com/services

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Essay Example for Free

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Essay Life is compared to a rollercoaster. It has the moments of altitude, where we feel as invincible as could be, but there are also the moments of decline, where the tension and the absolute point of breakage are on the rise. The moment at the bottom of the pit, of feeling that there is no concrete escape or solution are the moments that create character, fortitude and overall, characteristics and strengths that were hidden deep behind our fears. The Roman poet Horace, described adversity as a constructor of character which left a positive and constructive aftermath, â€Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant. † When misfortune and desperation hit home, Horace’s quote would be interpreted as a mock, even an insult, but after recovering and analyzing the situation countless times, Horace’s quote is the absolute truth. Life has to go through the bottom of the pit in order to reach the ultimate height. Remember that. In the city of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, lives a young man whose known hardships for as long as he could remember. He’s had a humble upbringing, living in a home with no windows, no roof, no carpet or nice floor, his home had cement; he doesn’t have a living room or a nice dinner table. His father struggles with alcoholism and drug usage, his mother was unstable and came from a family lacking common sense and morality. He grew up seeing his father beat his mother, he heard his youngest sisters cry night after night, of hunger, sorrow, of disappointment. He went to school, hoping to become a man with an education and a bright future, different to all that he had known, but he lacked the support and motivation necessary to continue seeking that future. At age 13, not even halfway done with 7th grade, he dropped out of school. He began to work instead, determined to provide his siblings with what his parents failed to provide. A few months after he began working, rumors spread about him. Nasty and deteriorating. The stigma followed him everywhere. After a while they were confirmed. He smoked marihuana, drank alcohol, inhaled chemical substances, he was crumbling. Everyone believed he would become a product of his environment, of his misfortune. All hope was lost for him. And no one would lend him a hand. Did he in fact succumb to the tragedy his life was becoming? No. He fought with the strength of a lion. His courage was widely admired, for he did not give up to anything or anyone he had to face in his 13 years of existence. He sought help to escape alcohol and drug use. He set his priorities straight. He knew he didn’t want to end up as his father did, he knew he didn’t want to be as his mother was, he knew he and his brothers deserved better. He worked harder and longer than he had before; he worked a second job on the weekends. He embodied the role of a father, not any father, but the one he had always wanted to have. Everyone cheered him on; they applauded his actions and offered him their unconditional support. He was a hero. Everyone who knew him agreed that he was the most mature, generous, responsible and courteous young man they had ever met. The difficulties and moments of despair that he stumbled on down the road had only fortified the determination and values he was extremely proud of possessing and being recognized for. Adversity became his ally. It brought back his faith and magnified his courage. It unexpectedly and not according to what he had previously envisioned, prepared him, transformed him into the man he had always wanted to be. A man of character, values, a man that inflicted respect on others upon meeting him. He was who he wanted and needed to be. Whilst others would complain about their misfortunes and tragedies, this young man did not. He welcomed all that life had to offer him. Highs and lows. The prosperity and poverty. The reason he was able to overcome all that he did was because of the hardships in his life. The memories of his sad upbringing, the cries of his siblings, abandoning his education, working long days and hours to contribute to his tattered family were what he built fortitude from. He built his courageous character from all that was supposed to break him. The difficult circumstances he had to live through made him the man he today is. He’d always thank the hardships. Strength is given to those that fight with all that they have and don’t have. At the end of the rainbow there’s always a pot of gold. At the end of adversity and hardships is courage and admirable character. Do not give up.

University Degree No Guarantee of Employment Essay Example for Free

University Degree No Guarantee of Employment Essay KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) Fazren, 29, has a degree in transport management but has been working as an administrative assistant at a government agency over the past four years. I have applied for many jobs, both in the civil and private sectors. When I was offered the post of an administrative assistant (at a government agency) I did not hesitate to accept even though the post is for those with SPM qualification. Getting a job is quite difficult these days, the Pahang-born clerk told this writer here. Amran obtained 7As in the 2009 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and is now working as a nurse in a government hospital after obtaining a diploma in nursing from a government nursing college this year. When queried on why he opted for a nursing course despite having good SPM results and the opportunity to study in a university, the 22-year-old Perlis-born Amran replied, It is for economic reasons. I opted not to go to university as I believe getting a job will be difficult even after I graduated with a university degree. But with a nursing diploma, a job will be waiting for me at any government hospital or other private hospitals. It is better to start working at a young age rather than waiting for many years in order to get a job, he said. Both Amran and Fazren (not their real names) are among many Malaysian job seekers who are not particular over the choice of employment as they believe that holding a university qualification does not guarantee them a salaried job. Unemployed graduates Last May, the Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan told Parliament that some 76,200 graduates in the country were unemployed. She said that the Human Resource Ministry was trying to resolve the growing rate of unemployment in the country. In 2010, the number of unemployed graduates was 42,955 or 24. 62 per cent of 174,439 Malaysian graduates. There are 20 public universities (IPTA) in Malaysia including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). The country also has 60 private higher education institutions (IPTS) like Universiti Teknologi Petronass (UTP), Universiti Multi Media (MMU) and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten). Bachelors degree According to the Higher Education Ministry, universities, university colleges and polytechnics nationwide produced 184,581 graduates last year and 44,391 or 24 per cent of them were unemployed. Based on statistics, Arts and Social Sciences graduates have the highest number of unemployment numbers, constituting 44. 5 per cent or 19,784 from the total number of unemployed graduates. Next were graduates from technical fields where 12,321 were employed, constituting 27. 7 per cent of the total number of unemployed graduates. Science graduates came in third with 7,321 which accounted for 16. 49 per cent of the total number of unemployed graduates. The ministry said that a total of 21,248 bachelors degree holders were still unemployed whereas diploma holders have the lowest unemployment rate at 3 per cent. According to industry sources, many graduates are still unemployed because the courses they studied at university do not have a wide market. Poor communication skills Human science lecturer Amien Iskandar said that one of the reasons why graduates could not secure jobs was that their qualifications do not meet market demands and requirements, thus rendering them not marketable. Another factor is the bad command of English. A good command of the English language could help graduates secure employment, especially in the private sector. To this end, there is a need to ensure that these graduates are equipped with the necessary skills so that they could be hired for employment after graduating, he said. Amien also cited poor communication skills, wrong work attitude and unrealistic expectations as other barriers in gaining employment. If you have a good command of English but cannot communicate with others due to poor attitude, (then) you may also find difficulties in being employed, he explained. Lack of technical training According to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), the lack of industrial training is also among the factors why graduates are unemployed. Meanwhile, the Higher Education Ministry Student Development and Affairs Director, Prof Dr Mohd Fauzi Ramlan was reported by the media as saying that other factors that compounded the issue are low problem-solving skills, tendency to switch jobs or job-hopping and lack of self-confidence. He called on graduates to improve their command of the English language to boost their communication skills. (Can they expect to be employed) if they fail to convince their prospective employers on their potential, (then) their chances of getting hired are very slim, he was reported as saying. Mohd Fauzi also advised graduates to drop the negative attitude of preferring to gain jobs in their home towns. http://www. mysinchew. com/node/79072.

Market Entry Plan of South Beauty Essay Example for Free

Market Entry Plan of South Beauty Essay 1. Executive Summary South Beauty has setup 70 restaurants within 18 cities around China currently, all the units are profitable, that will accelerating the company expansion at mainland and exploring overseas markets. According to the South Beauty plan, the mainland operation keep for profit, but the exploration of international markets is mainly for branding. The company also creates a new brand called Steam to setup fast-food restaurants. Meanwhile, at the preparatory stage of cooking, the South Beauty plans to strengthen its efforts in standardizing processes to control the costs and quickening expansion. This article makes the market entry plan for South Beauty expansion to Singapore Market. 1. First part, understand the background of South Beauty Restaurant of China. 2. Second part, understands the market environment of Singapore, and bases the SWOT to analysis South Beauty Restaurant for market entry strategies selection. 3. Last part, built a market entry plan with Simulation data of marketing budget for South Beauty Restaurant entry to Singapore market. 2. Introduction 2.1 Objective The international market expansion is an important decision for every enterprise development. At present, Chinese catering enterprise are backward phenomenons at international expansion. As the first brand of South Beauty in Chinese catering industry, has a strong development potential lead by chairwomen Ms.Zhang Lan. With the development of the enterprise, The South Beauty expansion to foreign market has become inevitable. In order to realize the expansion strategy better, make Chinese famous catering enterprises entering Singapore which is the target market, this paper introduced The South Beauty background and history, understand the Singapore market environment, through the SWOT method, Analysis and budgeting the South Beauty enter the Singapore market. If The South Beauty can smoothly enter the Singapore market, become a crucial step of the Chinese catering enterprises to towards to internationalization development, also is the key measure of national economic development. At th e same time, also promote the unique Chinese Food to the people of all ethnic groups in the world. 2.2 Background of South Beauty Restaurant The South　Beauty　Restaurant (Chinese named: Qiao Jiang Nan) was founded on May of 2000 by Ms Zhang Lan, She opened the first restaurant of South Beauty in CBD international trade center of Beijing. In 2002, the first exotic restaurant launched in Times Square of Huaihai Road in Shanghai, that is South Beauty expanded beyond Beijing since then chain restaurant begins. At the end of September 2012, South Beauty Restaurants has founded 70 restaurants throughout 18 cities within 15 provinces of China. With many years’ experience and development to possessing nearly 70 restaurants, make it becoming the chain enterprise leader of Chinese style dinner. The South Beauty Restaurant Built â€Å"Fashion, classical, grade, reverence† as corporate business philosophy to show their unique enterprise spirit. Propagate culinary culture of the five thousand years traditional culture of china, to devote the South Beauty Restaurant to a world-class Chinese dinner brand as th e pursuit of business objectives. The founder of South Beauty keeps the corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their enterprise culture. They announced was â€Å"CSR is not only the key constituent part of South Beauty for developmental strategy, but also the key constituent part of South Beauty’s enterprise culture†. And separate the CSR to 4 parts as below: 1. For Investor: The Board devotes South Beauty to healthy food, keeps the profit margin for the enterprise, and makes shareholders get optimistic prospect and lasting for their investment. 2. For Society: According to the Government Law, the enterprise pays the tax, performs the civic duty, and creates more employment opportunity, become pillar enterprise in catering field. 3. For Consumer: Provides the high quality foods, healthy dishes to the consumers with more professional service. Make customers satisfaction. 4. For Staff: Creates a platform for employees to perform their abilities. Offer study and promotion opportunities, make the staff pleasure, positive and has the sense of responsibility in work. 2.3 Food features of South Beauty Restaurant Szechuan Cuisine is the one of Chinese eight cuisines series which has broad and profound cultural connotation. With different dishes, there are different delicacy feelings and all dishes are exquisite, it has red-hot tastes and strong delicacy famous in domestic and abroad. South Beauty is the leader brand in Chinese catering industry which has propagates the spirit and inherits of the culture of Sichuan cuisine. Based on the features of Chengdu and Chongqing cuisine, creates the real spirit which reaches to boutique Szechuan cuisine in South Beauty. In order to guarantee orthodox taste, the delicious ingredients including seasoning which come from the globe and local of Szechuan ware selected by South Beauty. It is good at variation such as makes the color, aroma and taste expressed fully, also makes flavor suit the corresponding dish. All of these have presented a real boutique Szechuan cuisine South Beauty features are aims at creation, health and fashion, based on Chinese traditional Szechuan cuisine, assisted by elements of Cantonese cuisine and Tan cuisine, to digest the classical culinary culture, break through tradition and pursue perfection. Create the model of â€Å"Chinese food eaten with western method† and â€Å"combine catering with art† in China firstly. South Beauty wins the worldwide praise depend on creative management idea and fashion, healthy, delicious boutique dishes. South Beauty to promote the Chinese food culture over the years, advocating a healthy life style as their responsibility, spare no effort from the traditional culture of the deep foundation to absorb nutrients, committed to innovation and improvement, to create another legendary food myths. The South Beauty dishes are different from others; the ordinary charm relies in the quality of raw materials carefully selected, on the inheritance and innovation of traditional cuisine methods, and rigid guarantee of dishes nutrition and worthy pursuit to the visual effect. The South Beauty Boutique food dishes Depend on strictly requirements are fully expression to modern culinary art. 2.4 History of South Beauty Restaurant †¢ On 20th May 2000 South Beauty’s first brand restaurant was launched in Guo Mao of Beijing and which marks South Beauty march formally into Chinese style dinner market. †¢ On 16th Jan 2002 South Beauty shop located in Times Square of Shanghai was launched which marks South Beauty’s cross-regional business begins. †¢ On Mar 2007, South Beauty becomes formally catering service provider for the eight competition stadiums of Beijing Olympic Games of 2008. †¢ On Apr 2007, South Beauty joins Air France and Air Netherlands to launch new Chinese style service on airplane. †¢ On Nov 2007, South Beauty is formally awarded â€Å"Chinese famous trademark† and obtains the sole protected trademark by international law in China. †¢ On Apr 2009, South Beauty formally signs contract with Shanghai World Expo, the content is to provide Food Service for Chinese and foreign guests. †¢ On Jul 2010, South Beauty changes its name for South Beauty Lim ited Liability Company. †¢ On Jan 2012, South Beauty sets up the first sub-branch in Taiwan. 3. Market environment analysis 3.1 Culture and Environment of Singapore Singapore has been established by Thomas Stamford Raffles on 1819, as a trading post, the small sea town attracted migrants and merchants from the world especially the China, the Malay Peninsula, the Indonesia, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East. The country’s geographical location and commercial success make Singapore have the one of the most remarkable aspectsthe truly cosmopolitan nature of her population. The better prospect has attracted immigrants from all over the world which they brought their own culture, language, customs and festivals, through intermarriage and integrated formed a multicultural society, giving Singapore is full of vitality and diversified cultural heritage, also became one of most cosmopolitan cities in Asia. The main ethnic groups in Singapore are Chinese, Malays, Indians, Peranakans and Eurasians. The ethnic Chinese form 74.2%, the Malays 13.4%, the Indians 9.2%, The Eurasians, Peranakans and others combined 3.2%. Singapore near 20% expatriates of non-resident such as blue collar workers and white collar workers. In Singapore’s constitution, has adopted representative language from four main ethnic or â€Å"racial† groups. The official languages are English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. For recognition of the status of the Malay people as the indigenous community, the National language of Singapore is Bahasa Melayu or The Malay Language. The varieties of language have obviously influenced on the English that in Singapore, especially apparent in informal English, and English-based Creole that commonly known as Singlish. The hybrid form of the language which includes words from Malay, Chinese, or Indian are representing an identity for many Singaporeans. The English and Mandarin are the commonly used languages in Singapore. Most of Children growths up bilingual from infancy even many people speaking three or four. They also learn own mother tongues to ensure that stay in touch with traditional roots, such as different Chinese dialects includes Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese and Foochow. The various cultural precincts and religious landmarks around the island ensure to catch a glimpse of a multicultural society of Singapore which includes the impressive history, cultural diversity and lifestyles. 3.2 Food Beverage Industry in Singapore Singapore serves the rich flavors and foods with its Multi-national culture, find out the local cuisines on the menu which reflection multicultural of Singapore. In diverse neighborhoods are available in food centers and restaurants across Singapore, a variety of flavors cuisines such as Halal Malay, South Indian Vegetarian Thali, North Indian Naans and Briyani, Cantonese Dim Sum, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Peking duck, Hokkien Mee and Popiah (The Spring rolls). The Main gastronomic representative in Singapore is Chinese cuisine, and the Chinese believe the combining food ingredients to enhance the harmony and used for symbolic. For example, the noodles for longevity, the oysters for good fortune and the fishes for prosperity. The Singapore offers an opportunity to trial the dishes from the different parts of China, the Cantonese dim sum, the Spicy dishes of Szechuan, Hainan Chicken rice, the Bean curd of Hakka, noodles of Hokkien and seafood porridge of Teochew, especially have local Chinese favorites such as chili crab, Bak Kut The, Fish head curry or Rojak. A lot of Indian foods in Singapore, whether from southern or northern of India sub-continent, the Vegetarian Thosai, fiery curries enriched with coconut milk. Tandoori, fluffy naan breads and creamy yogurt based dishes. The Indian cuisines are infuses with flavored spices such as cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander and chilies. Try the local Indian-Muslim dishes, a taste of popular in Singapore, such as Roti Pratas, Murtabak, Nasi briyani and saffron rice dish. All the dishes go well with the absolutely satisfying creamy and frothy milk teaTek Tarik. The Malay cuisine always savor an array of spices and herbs, the ginger, turmeric, galangal, and lemon grass, curry leaves, pungent Belachan (shrimp paste) and chilies. The cuisine put the spicy but without unbearably hot. Peanut sauce occupies a pride of place in dishes of Malay, like Gado Gado, fried bean curd. From the unique Peranakans offers a blend of Chinese, Malay, Indonesian flavors called Nonya food, the famous Nonya dish mix rice vermicelli, coconut milk and garnished with seafood or chicken, combines the spices and aromatic herb such as lemongrass, chilies, tamarind paste, shrimp past, create rich cuisine of braised dishes. Singapore also offers a wide range of international cuisines such as Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Mongolian food. Whether the Japanese Sushi, the Italian Meal and Casual French bistro. All can find all in the city state. 3.3 SWOT analysis of South Beauty Restaurant 4. Market entry Plan 4.1 Objective of market entry plan Singapore is an open economy country and strongly committed to maintaining the free trade market, pay more attention to public sector service quality, support every investors development positively. Analyze the Singapore market entry of The South Beauty with SWOT method, understand the South Beauty weaknesses and threats when enter the Singapore market, through their own advantages into market opportunities. Market entry plan to use the results of SWOT analysis, establish market entry strategies, and planning necessary budget of market entry, Support the management team to make marketing decision with these references. 4.2 Market entry strategies It is recommended that South Beauty consider the following marketing strategies and issues before entering the Singapore market: 1. Management Localization: whether the local Management team or the local agent, Better to understand the local market and consumer habits, will support the product promotion and market development, improves the competitive advantages of South Beauty. 2. Language Support: even the English is the main Language of Singapore, but Singapore ethnic characteristics, most of people speaking English but miscellaneous various national Language, multilingual services to meet different customer needs, but positive guarantee clarity Westernized understanding of English is also important. 3. Official Endorsement: Singapore government authentications marks are the symbol of accept by Singapore consumers, to reach these standards for the authentication is the requisite of the market development. 4. Social effect: public figures in Singapore has great influence, celebrity effect to participation actively of market compaign,positive to participating the public topic, to bring more restaurant visibility and customer flow. 5. Product Control: Singaporeanvery attention on food safety and quality of service, the products ensure to safety, and continue to improve the service quality, will be affect the business successful. 3. Marketing Strategies How a product is marketed and promoted will have a major impact on its success in Singapore. For the South Beauty expansion the market into Singapore, the Marketing mix is comprised of four approaches as following as (1) Products and services, (2) Advertising and promotion, (3) Distribution, and (4) Pricing. 1) Products and Service: The quality and taste is most important things for catering business, a lot of Chinese food in Singapore and South Beauty must be offers the unique Chinese cuisines with his special materials and cooking methods. Another most of important thing is to get the Hearth Authority from the Government to make consumer’s trust. Also the exceptional customer service very important to making the customers’ satisfaction and the business successful. 2) Advertising and Promotion: For the new coming restaurant in Singapore will select several different ways for their advertising and promotion campaign, attracting the consumers focus and trial. To keep some of the customer’s royalty. The methods of advertising are News paper; Television, Ratio, MRT Post, but the internet is a new type of method for the advertising. All the advertising can be using the star effect such as Ms Hsu from Taiwan. The promotions have some ways for the South Beauty. For example, Credit card payment promotion, new launch cuisines voucher, members discount or Free offers etc. 3) Distribution: The restaurant distributions are base on internal of operation. When the customer sit into the restaurant, the menu clean to View, the order convenient, the serving velocity, and easy payment, finally clean up fast. The others are materials and catalogues enough and fresh, keep the customers satisfaction. 4) Pricing: The pricing scheme is designed base on costs w ith fair margin, but must to be competitive, accord with consumption level. . Marketing Budget Plan 6. Conclusion Singapore is an important part for any enterprise can be used as a springboard into the international market. And the multicultural market is good adptive process for the internatinal development strategy of The South Beauty. Based on the analysis of the The South Beauty, we can clearly found that Singapore is not only a good market, at the same time to the first brand of Chinese catering enterprise; it is also a rare experience. Singapore’s government management and social culture if big different with China, but a large extent reflects the overseas Chinese and westerners to Chinese food attitude. With The South Beauty enter Singapore market, can from higher taste to understand and familiar with the Chinese food culture for Singapore residents, and promote the diversified food culture in Singapore. 7. List of References Fighting off Sars to make a business of Sichuan cuisine (11.2011), BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15670333 Restaurant chain South Beauty may relaunch IPO next year, (12.2011), China Business, http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/ South Beauty’s ugly side exposed, (09.2011), People’s Daily http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7587516.html Food Beverage in Singapore, (07.2011), New Zealand Exporter Guide Kristie Lorette, Marketing Strategies for Food Brands, (2011) Demand Media Singapore Food and Beverages Industry Comparative Analysis and Companies Ranking, (2011), Market Publishers, http://www.marketpublishers.com/

Procurement Cost Plan for Heating Installation

Procurement Cost Plan for Heating Installation Q) Establish some contractual and procurement difficulties if your Organisation were to be main contractor for installation of a district heating scheme serving 100 pensioners bungalows. Produce a basic procurement cost plan for contractors to price against. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION District heating is a system where the heat for an area is produced centrally, and hot water or steam is transported to the buildings through a network of pipes. Heat is transferred into individual properties through a heat exchanger, and then used in conventional heating systems (in flats, for example, there may just be one heat exchanger for the whole block). District heating networks vary widely in scale from individual developments or apartment blocks to whole cities. In Denmark, where district heating accounts for about 60% of the heat supplied, cities such as Copenhagen receive heat from large-scale power stations and energy from waste plants situated up to 40km away. Modern district heating can be cost effective and reduce CO2 emissions compared to conventional heating systems. This is because generating heat centrally at large scale can reduce costs compared to generating heat in boilers in individual properties, particularly when combined heat and power (CHP) plants are used. Heat transported through the network can also be converted into cooling using absorption chillers, again improving the efficiency of the system and also providing an option to use heat produced in the summer.   District heating is more environmentally friendly than conventional heating, the potential to reduce emissions will depend greatly on the fuel used and the type of central plant that is generating the heat. Modern district heating offers the potential to use a variety of low carbon and renewable heat generation technologies, such as CHP using fossil fuels, biomass or waste, biomass boilers or surplus heat from industrial processes. As an experienced and tested technology, employed effectively in many countries, district heating has evolved significantly from the days when it was first installed. Networks are now highly efficient, with sophisticated heating controls that allow suppliers to maintain the network and consumers to easily manage their heat use. Underground sensors are able to quickly locate any leaks, and back-up generating plant, is used to limit the effect of possible problems with the central generating plant. CHAPTER 2: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY The main aim is to establish the contractual and procurement difficulties of the main contractor for installation of the district heating scheme serving 100 pensioners bungalows. The aims and objectives can be summarized as follows; To install a district heating scheme to serve 100 pensioners bungalows. To conduct the feasibility study of CHP/CH for district heating. To establish contractual and procurement issues that may occur in this project scheme. To study life cycle costing of the district heating scheme. CHAPTER 3:   FEASIBILITY STUDY OF CHP/CH FOR DISTRICT HEATING SCHEMES Any CH development, whether new or refurbished, large or small, should start with a feasibility study, during which the technical and economic viability of community heating, compared with other possible options, will clearly emerge. The application of CHP enhances the combined heat option by providing heat and power with a very high overall efficiency. So this section deals primarily with the feasibility of CHP/CH schemes. Options should be compared using sound economic principles, always ensuring that full life-cycle costing is used. The content of the feasibility study will be far reaching and, in the course of the work, many fundamental decisions will be made as to the technical approach and the most attractive option to be pursued. Once the project development stage is reached it is much more difficult to change course. Consequently the feasibility study needs to be carefully procured, managed and fully discussed before proceeding further. 3.1:   Defining the brief Whether the study is being carried out in-house or using external resources, it is necessary to define a brief. This must state the objectives clearly, and provide information on existing buildings and their heating systems, the general aspirations of the organisation commissioning the study, and the time-scale for the study. Any particular issues of concern should be mentioned, but otherwise the brief should not constrain the scope of the study.   If external consultants are to be appointed, their selection should be primarily on the basis of the capability, qualifications and experience of the study team and their approach and methodology. The study should include engineering, economics, environmental and commercial issues, together with related health and safety matters, for which a comprehensive team of experts needs to be assembled, often with external consultants working closely with in-house lead personnel.   An indication of the economic parameters to be used in assessing options should be provided in the brief, e.g. the test discount rate and the period of analysis to be assumed in a discounted cash flow analysis. Such information will be needed during the study, and early discussion and agreement on these parameters is advisable. It is important to insist that the correct basis of full life-cycle costing is applied to each of the options under consideration.   Once the main options have been established, capital costs will need to be estimated, as well as operating and maintenance costs where these are the responsibility of the CHP/CH developer. 3.2:   Heat and electricity demand assessment The starting point of a study is the determination of the market for heat, cooling and power. Initially, this involves enlisting support for a scheme from organisations such as the local authority, large hospitals or a university, all of which can help to provide essential core load for a proposed scheme. It is also important to consider the concentration of heat demand which can accure from such potential customers. Cooling by means of absorption chillers offers a further use for heat, particularly at times when heating is not required. The heating, cooling and power requirement for buildings can be obtained from previous data, provided the existing building use is to be remain unchanged, or by energy modelling techniques. It is important that all cost-effective energy-saving measures for the building either be implemented, or at least considered, before determining heat demand. The fundamental minimum requirements of the heat demand assessments are: †¢ the temperature requirements of the heating system †¢ the determination of peak heat demands †¢ annual energy consumption. These data’s will enable some approximate economic work to commence. However, the revenues from the production of electricity vary with time of day and time of year, and hence the cost of heat production from a CHP plant will also vary over the years. It will, therefore, be necessary to determine a heat demand profile over the year, at least on a monthly basis and preferably weekly.   Monthly heat demand profiles can be estimated using weather data, together with establishing a hot water energy demand profile. In addition, the variation of heat demands over a 24-hour period will be useful, but these data are likely to be available only if a high level of instrumentation has already been installed within the buildings. The hourly heat demand profile is required so that simultaneous heat and power production can be simulated. For electricity, half-hourly data will normally be available for larger users, and monthly data from bills. Consideration needs to be given to the effect of the following on demand profiles for heat and power:    †¢ metering and charging tariffs — if historical data are based on un-metered heat, a change to metered supply normally leads to significant reductions in heat use. †¢ there may be cost-effective opportunities to reduce heat demand by adding insulation to the building fabric. †¢ liberalisation of the electricity market makes it easier to sell electricity directly to residents on community heating schemes. †¢ use of surplus heat for cooling, particularly in summer, when residential heating requirements are low or zero. At the feasibility stage these decisions will not have been finalised and it may therefore be necessary to proceed with a range of possible heat and power demands. 3.3:   Heating systems within buildings It is necessary to establish details of existing heating systems within the buildings. Some of these may be unsuitable for connection to CH systems, in which an outline engineering design will be needed for their replacement. Where systems are more compatible, their operating temperatures and pressures need to be established together with an assessment of their effectiveness in meeting current and future needs. If there is some extra capacity available then it may be possible to reduce operating temperatures and flow rates in heating circuits, which will generally be of benefit to the CH scheme. It is also important to establish the method of control used for both time and temperature in order to predict accurately effects on the CH systems. When details of existing systems are available it will be possible to propose a programme of works that will enhance existing systems and yet still be compatible with the proposed CH system. However, several options may have to be considered and cost estimates are prepared for use, in an overall option appraisal. In some buildings, the provision of domestic hot water may represent a significant part of the demand, and there are a number of ways of generating domestic hot water from a CH system. The most energy-efficient schemes will involve taking advantage of the low temperature of the cold water feed so as to cool the community heating return as close as possible to this temperature. This leads to the use of non-storage calorifiers or additional coil surface in cylinders. In larger buildings, two-stage heating, utilising the return water from a space-heating circuit to carry out pre-heating of the cold water feed, is the best solution, provided it should be economical. 3.4:   Central Plant Once the heat demand assessment has been made, work can commence on examining the central plant options. The aspects to be covered are: †¢ prime mover choice †¢ fuel choice, contract flexibility, and security †¢ site location and topography, and interfaces with fuel, electricity and CH  Ã‚  Ã‚      infrastructure †¢ balance between CHP heat and boiler heat †¢ provision of standby capacity †¢ building to house the plant.    It is likely that a number of options will present themselves and each will need to be analysed under similar assumptions to determine the optimum selection. Capital, operating and maintenance costs will need to be assessed for each combination of plant. The CHP operating strategy needs to be developed to establish the most economical method of operation in relation to varying heat and power demand profiles and varying selling prices, e.g. following the heat demand at full output and dumping heat. A spreadsheet-based operating model is essential to ensure that the correct operating strategy has been made and to calculate the annual energy flows, and to permit rapid sensitivity analysis. The optimum CHP plant capacity needs to be determined by considering a range of plant sizes and by carrying out an economic assessment of each.   For single-site CHP projects it is important to have a reasonable match between the generated output and the electricity demand. For a CHP/CH system, electricity is often sold in bulk and the site demand must also be taken into account. However, there may be good opportunities for selling electricity to customers who are more directly linked to the scheme, by use of system arrangements. In this case, modelling the CHP plant in relation to electricity demand may need to be considered. The use of thermal storage and heat dumping may be of greater assistance in allowing the CHP plant a higher flexibility in matching demand profiles. There may also be opportunities for tri-generation (heat, chilling and electricity). Some CH schemes are initially established without CHP, due to the large capital outlay involved. Even without CHP, there may still be environmental and economic advantages from load diversification, and further economic benefits from purchasing fuel in bulk. The use of pre-insulated pipes and low NO2, high-efficiency or condensing boilers have helped to make modern combined heat systems robust, environmentally friendly, and economically advantageous. It should be stressed, however, that CHP offers immediate environmental benefits, and long-term economic advantages.    3.5:   Heat Distribution systems After the building demands and the central plant location have been determined it is then possible to examine the heat distribution system. In order to analyse the network rapidly and to calculate costs, computer software is essential. For large schemes, only the primary mains, together with sample areas of sub-distribution mains, will need to be analysed at this stage. The more difficult aspect is to determine which routes for CH pipe work are technically feasible and cost-effective. Considerable assistance may be obtained by consulting ordnance Survey maps. These are now available on CAD format but at a significant cost. However, there is no substitute for an informed site survey, and a detailed examination of other utility services drawings. Within the feasibility study it will be necessary at least to identify any major constraints to routes, e.g. road and rail crossings, the presence of underground sewers, railway tunnels, etc. In selecting routes the use of open, grassed areas will lead to significant cost savings, as with the avoidance of major roads. Consultation with the Local Authority Planning and Highways Department is essential. 3.6: Optimisation This is the most complex phase of a feasibility study, where the various options available for CHP plant, heat distribution and building heating systems need to be assembled into a number of scheme options — all with their individual sets of cost and revenue streams. Some cases may be simplified by a process of logical comparison, but normally it will be necessary to compare the options using discounted cash flow analysis, and hence to determine the preferred option on the basis of maximising net present value or internal rate of return. Some of the system optimisation issues that are likely to need evaluation are given below. 3.6.1: Operating temperatures A high flow temperature will result in a larger temperature drop, lower flow rates and hence smaller pipe diameters can be used. This capital cost advantage will be offset by the need for more expensive building connections and possibly higher heat production costs, depending on the CHP plant selected. 3.6.2: Operating pressures The option exists to run the system at a lower operating pressure by over-sizing the network; the extra cost incurred should be compared with savings from using the cheaper direct connection method to link building heating systems to the community heating network. Pumping costs also need to be considered, particularly for larger systems, where higher design pressure reduces the amount of booster pumping required. The topographic variation will also need to be considered when deciding upon operation pressure. 3.6.3: Size of scheme A smaller scheme may be more compact and have a relatively inexpensive network, but larger schemes may result in economies of scale for the CHP plant arising from higher efficiency and lower capital cost per kW. The phased expansion of the scheme also needs to be considered, as does ways in which this might affect the plant and the network design. 3.6.3: Heat meters The installation of heat meters will result in lower buildings energy use and reduced operating costs. If the individual dwellings are equipped with heat meters, energy savings should be compared with the additional capital cost and consumer administration charges. It is also possible that the provision of heat meters for each dwelling may be the only way to achieve market acceptability by residents and energy developers. In addition, the inclusion of heat meters will have a positive effect on Standard Assessment Procedure rating (SAP). 3.6.4: Building heating systems The conversion of a heating system to more compatible operating conditions will involve additional capital cost, but if it results in better plant selection or increased heat sales it may be justified. One example is converting steam heating at a hospital to low temperature hot water heating suitable for connection to a community heating network. 3.6.5: Improvements to building fabric Some buildings, fabric insulation improvements will be cost-effective in energy terms. The economic advantage is not as great when the building is supplied by CHP/CH as it would be for small conventional boilers or electric space heating, because the marginal cost of heat is lower. There is, however, a financial advantage in reducing peak heat demands as the capacity of the CHP plant and the heat distribution network can be reduced. The resultant saving in capital cost needs to be included in the economic assessment of insulation measures. Once the main options have been established, capital costs will need to be estimated as well as operating and maintenance costs where these are the responsibility of the CHP/CH developer 3.7:   Revenues from heat and electricity sales 3.7.1:   Heat sales A good understanding of a customer’s current and likely future costs for conventional heating is required in order to judge the maximum heat sales income available. These costs will include fuel, operating and maintenance and provision for future boiler replacement. It will be necessary to structure a heat sales package so that the advantages can clearly be seen. At feasibility level there will need to be a sufficiently large discount to be confident that this level of income can be obtained for the period of analysis. A long-term commitment is unlikely to be obtained at this stage and information on existing costs may be limited, so a cautious approach may be needed. The situation is clearer in the residential sector where the costs of the conventional individual boiler systems are generally well established. The main options available in the residential sector are: †¢ sales to individual residents by means of a fixed charge related to size of dwelling †¢ sales to individual residents based on measuring the heat energy actually used (dwelling heat meters) †¢ sales to individual residents based on the measurement of actual energy used by a block of flats and an apportionment based on size of dwelling/occupancy.    Pre-payment systems can be used to collect either fixed or variable charges or a combination of both. Some consideration should be given to assessing the likely levels of bad debt where prepayment systems are not installed, and bad debt costs may need to be incorporated in the economic analysis. 3.7.2:   Electricity sales Where CHP plant is installed, it is vital to obtain the maximum income from the electricity produced. Typically, a 10% increase in electricity sales will improve the internal rate of return (IRR) of a project (see section 1.10) by 2%, whereas a 10% increase in heat sales will improve the IRR by 1%. The CHP/CH company may opt to sell electricity in bulk to the host public electricity supplier (PES), which will normally offer terms on a p/kWh basis for electricity generated at different times of the day and year seasonal time of day (STOD) tariff. However, if the CHP/CH company can supply electricity users directly (this may include residents themselves) a much better return can be obtained. Among the more favourable options that exist, (following the liberalisation of the electricity market in 1998) is the sale of electricity direct to residents and other customers. A summary of the options is as follows: †¢ sale to the host PES †¢ sale to a second tier supplier, i.e. othe r PES’s and other suppliers of electricity †¢ direct sale to customers as a second tier supplier. This implies pool membership for    an aggregate supply of more than 500 kW †¢ sale under the non fossil-fuel obligation (NFFO) (only for energy-from-waste       projects which have bid for this arrangement in advance). †¢ sale through the pool (this entails having pool membership and is more appropriate    for projects in the range 30 MWe-50 MWe) †¢ sale as an on-site generator to other customers on the same site. It will normally be helpful to use the conventional route of sale to the host PES for the base case analysis, with the other options considered as possible improvements that can be investigated, depending on the scale of the project and the resources of the study. An element of negotiation will be needed in most of these options. As a result, definite figures are not likely to be available at the feasibility stage and a range of results may be presented as a sensitivity analysis. The sale of electricity as a second tier supplier may be of particular interest to CHP/CH schemes because there will be the opportunity to market heat and electricity together to customers on the community heating scheme. Selling two utility services may also bring benefits in metering and charging arrangements. This option is therefore discussed further below.   If a CHP/CH scheme is to undertake to sell electricity direct to customers, additional arrangements will be required, for example: †¢ a top-up and standby purchase arrangement for times when the generation is less than customer demand (including times of CHP plant outage); as a pool member a second tier supplier can purchase this power direct from the pool †¢ a contract for selling spill power for times when more power is generated than customers demand †¢ either the payment of use-of-system charges, the purchase of existing electricity infrastructure or the installation of new cables in order to transfer power to the customers. In the domestic sector, the creditworthiness of customers should be considered and the possible need for a form of prepayment. The management of debt collection is a customer care issue, and disconnection policies need to be fully developed if customers are to be retained in the long term. 3.8:   Development Programme An important output from the feasibility study is a development programme. This is required first to permit the construction of cash flows for capital expenditure, and second to enable advance planning of subsequent stages. A separate, more detailed programme may be produced covering the period of development from the conclusion of the feasibility study to the start of construction, if the route to achieve this is sufficiently clear. It is also worth establishing a watching brief on all work involving renewal of underground services, so that opportunities may be taken to coordinate projects, thus reducing costs and disruption. Issues to consider when drawing up the programme are: †¢ the need for a further project definition stage †¢ the need for further site surveys and investigations    †¢ consultation with customers and adjacent building owners and residents †¢ planning applications (and associated environmental statements) †¢ Building Regulations applications †¢ energy rating and emission improvements †¢ preparation of invitations to tender †¢ tender period †¢ short-listing construction companies †¢ short-listing energy developer companies †¢ short-listing operating companies †¢ assessment of tenders and final negotiations of contracts †¢ mobilisation †¢ site clearance †¢ construction †¢ commissioning and testing †¢ operation and maintenance. Supervision during construction is of paramount importance in order to secure the necessary quality of system. 3.9: Economic Appraisals At the heart of any economic appraisal are the cash flows, a set of annual capital, operating and maintenance expenditures, and annual revenues from the sale of heat and electricity. These cash flows are normally evaluated in real terms.   To compare scheme options, and determine whether the project is economically feasible, there are a number of arithmetical calculations based on the cash flows. It is essential that, when conducting an economic appraisal, full life-cycle costs are used to compare the various options. Simple payback period Defined as the period in which the initial investment is recovered by the annual saving. Generally this approach is too simplistic where the capital expenditure may be spread over a number of years, and where the income may vary from year to year. It is therefore not recommended. Net Present Value (NPV) To calculate the NPV it is necessary to define the cost of borrowing capital (or lost income from capital which could have been invested elsewhere) and the period for the analysis of the project. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) This can be defined as the test discount rate that results in a net present value of zero. IRR is less robust than NPV as it can lead to the selection of a smaller-scale project which, although generating a higher return, involves less capital so that the total value of the income stream is lower than the maximum potential. Both NPV and IRR calculations are available within most spreadsheet software packages. The above parameters are normally sufficient to compare options and present the results to the client organisation for a decision to proceed further. An appraisal by a financier is also likely to involve the calculation of tax implications and debt cover ratios. As an illustration of an economic appraisal, two approaches are outlined below. †¢ From the perspective of a building owner who wants to examine the cheapest method of supplying heat and power to the building or groups of buildings. The economic analysis would assemble cash flows for capital and operating costs for both the CHP scheme and the alternative approach of conventional boilers. The CHP scheme would involve significant initial capital and have an income stream for surplus electricity sales. The conventional approach will have investments in future boiler plant scheduled for future years. The NPV approach enables these varying cash flows to be summed to give a single figure; the NPV in this case being the net present cost for supplying the site with heat and power over a defined period. If the CHP/CH option gives a lower cost then it is the more economical option. †¢ From the perspective of an energy developer company, cash flows will be established for capital investments and income from both heat and electricity sales. The heat and electricity selling prices will be related to the market for these energy products. An IRR can be calculated for the project investment and the NPV for a given discount rate. The CHP/CH option with the highest NPV will be selected and the IRR must be greater than the minimum required by the energy developer company, taking account of the risks in the project.   It is worthwhile investigating whether any local major consumer, such as a local authority, is willing to connect all their buildings to a scheme. This can reduce the investment risk significantly and improve cash flow. The question of economic viability cannot be separated from an analysis of risk, particularly where project finance is the route employed. It will be necessary to carry out an analysis in which as many of the costs and performance figures as possible can be contractually underwritten before presenting the results to a financial institution for a view on financial viability. A sensitivity analysis is of assistance in identifying which of the many parameters are the most important when considering the risk to the economic performance of the scheme, and also for indicating the range of likely outcomes. From this analysis the advantages of obtaining longer-term fuel purchase contracts or heat and power sales contracts can be judged.   Some community heating schemes are initially established without CHP, due to the large capital outlay involved. It may, however, be instructive to consider the economics of a boiler-only community heating option so that the benefits of the CHP plant itself can be separately demonstrated. 3.10:   Environmental Assessments A preliminary environmental assessment should form a part of the feasibility study, identifying both the advantages and disadvantages of CHP.    3.11:   Health and safety Any construction project is covered by the Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations. The aim of these regulations is to ensure that safety issues are considered from the start of the project, and this may include the feasibility stage. It will be necessary to appoint a planning supervisor and to carry out an outline design risk assessment. CHAPTER 4: Contractual Issues   4.1:   Works contracts The EU Directive is implemented in the main by the Public Works Contracts Regulations 1991 (SI 1991:2680). The basic qualifying threshold is currently set at special drawing rights (SDR). The rules apply principally to building and civil engineering works together with associated activities such as installation work. Public work concessions are subject to a more relaxed regime under the rules.    Following the adoption of Council Directive 97/52/EC on 13 October 1997, amending the EU public sector directives to align with the new Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), all thresholds for the public sector should now be expressed in SDR.   Where the value of the contract exceeds the threshold, contracting bodies are required to publish a prior information notice giving the essential characteristics of qualifying works contracts following decisions to approve the planning of works. A contract notice should be published in the Official Journal when offers are sought in relation to a works contract. When inviting tenders, negotiated procedures may be used only in exceptional circumstances. The choice is mainly between open and restricted procedures under which all tenderer’s must bid against the same specification and terms and conditions of contract. The negotiated procedure allows a preferred bidder to be chosen before the final terms of the contract are agreed. There are strict provisions on technical standards requiring the use of European standards in tender documentation in preference to national ones.   The award of the contract must be either on the basis of the lowest price or the most economically advantageous te